Colombia (CO)

Your primary identity document for all official dealings. Must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your intended stay. Required for visa applications, Cédula de Extranjería, RUT registration, and opening bank accounts. Keep a colour photocopy at home and a photo scan in cloud storage.

For stays beyond 90 days, you need a valid visa (V, M, or R category) issued by a Colombian consulate or via Migración Colombia's online portal (visas.cancilleria.gov.co). Print the digital visa and carry it with your passport. Migración Colombia checks are common at bus terminals, airports, and road checkpoints.

The Colombian foreigner ID card issued by Migración Colombia to holders of M (Migrante) or R (Resident) visas. Must be applied for within 30 days of visa issuance. Essential for banking, mobile phone contracts, property purchase, tax registration, driving licence conversion, and accessing healthcare. Apply online at apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co.

Tax registration document issued by DIAN. Required for all economic activities, opening a bank account, signing commercial contracts, invoicing, and importing goods. Foreign nationals apply using their Cédula de Extranjería (or passport for short-stay V visas). Register at muisca.dian.gov.co or in person at any DIAN office. Free.

Required for: registering children in school, marriage registration, citizenship/naturalisation applications, and some visa categories (family reunification). Apostille under the 1961 Hague Convention required for countries that are Hague members; full legalisation via Colombian Consulate for non-Hague countries. Official Spanish translation by a certified translator recognised by the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería) is required.

Required for dependent visa applications, spousal visa, family reunification, and inheritance proceedings. Apostille or consular legalisation required. Spanish translation by Cancillería-recognised translator. Colombian civil marriage requires notarial ceremony (Notaría) or church ceremony with civil registration.

For employment in regulated professions (doctors, engineers, architects, lawyers), the foreign title must be convalidated (recognised) by the Colombian Ministry of Education (MEN) or relevant professional body. Process: apostille + official translation + MEN online application (convalidaciontitulos.mineducacion.gov.co). Takes 3–8 months and costs COP $200,000–500,000. Without convalidación, you cannot legally practise a regulated profession.

Required for work-category visa applications and for EPS/AFP registration on arrival. Must specify salary, position, and duration. For visa purposes, must be notarised and sometimes apostilled. Colombian contracts must comply with the Código Sustantivo del Trabajo (CST) minimum standards.

Visitors with valid foreign licences can drive on their home licence for up to 90 days (V visa period). After obtaining a Cédula de Extranjería, M-visa holders must convert to a Colombian licence (Licencia de Conducción) through the Ministerio de Transporte. Most foreign licences are accepted for conversion; some nationalities require a practical test.

Some visa categories (Digital Nomad, Retiree/Pensionado) require proof of valid health insurance covering Colombia. International private health insurance policy documents or EPS affiliation certificate. Digital Nomad and Rentista visas specifically require insurance proof valid for the full visa duration.

Required for M (Migrante) visa applications, naturalization, and some employment. Must be issued within the last 90 days. Obtainable from your home country's national police or equivalent authority. Requires apostille + official Spanish translation. Some visa categories also require a Colombian police certificate (antecedentes policivos) obtainable at any Policía Nacional station.

Required for Pensionado/Rentista visa, Digital Nomad visa, and investor visas. Typically: last 3–6 months' bank statements, pension payment certificates, or employment letter with salary. Must demonstrate minimum monthly income (3 SMMLV — the SMMLV increases each January; verify the current figure on Migración Colombia's official portal before applying). Apostille required if from a foreign institution. Translation required.