Colombia

Visa M – Pensionado. Colombian M pensionado visa for a lifetime foreign pension of at least three current Colombian minimum wages.

Free, with the law behind every answer

Visa M – Pensionado

Residence permission if the competent authority approves the application, with registration and renewal under its current conditions.

Colombian M pensionado visa for a lifetime foreign pension of at least three current Colombian minimum wages.
Colombian M pensionado visa: official requirements

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

2 questions, from the program’s own rules.

Steady monthly income, from any source?

Not legal advice.

Time: Processing depends on complete documents and the issuing office’s workload.
Cost: Current government charges are confirmed before payment; translation and legalization costs are separate.
The hard part: Proving that the income, employment and personal circumstances meet the competent authority’s requirements.

If your first permit is issued in 2027 and you keep living there, this is the road.

2027
First residence permit
3 years, renewable for 3 years at a time.
2030
Renew the permit
Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 3 years.
2032
Permanent residence
A resident (R) visa needs 5 years in a row on migrant (M) visas such as Pensionado, Inversionista, Trabajador or Socio (2 years for Mercosur or Andean nationals on those M visas, 3 for spouses of Colombians). Each visa must be granted before the last one expires, and an M visa lapses after more than 180 days in a row abroad. Visitor (V) visa time, including Rentista and digital-nomad visas, does not count. The R visa lapses after 2 years in a row abroad.
2037
Apply for citizenship
With a language test and a civics test.
2038
Citizenship

Language: A Spanish test, unless Spanish is your mother tongue.
Civics: Knowledge exams on the Constitution, Colombian history, culture and geography, set by the Foreign Ministry and taken at the regional government; two attempts. People over 60 and graduates of Colombian schools or universities are exempt.
Time away: Five years of domicile in a row immediately before applying, counted from the date the resident (R) visa was issued; you must hold the R visa when you file and throughout. Leaving Colombia for a year or more before applying breaks the clock.
Two passports: Yes. You keep your U.S. citizenship.

Five years in a row on M visas earns the resident (R) visa, and citizenship takes 5 more years from the R visa (2 for Spaniards), so about 10 years in all; the M visa lapses after more than 180 days in a row abroad.
How long the decision takes isn’t published; we allow a year.

The law behind these dates

Time you must spend there: Follow the entry, registration and expiry dates stated in the issued permission.
Tax: Tax treatment depends on where you live and earn income.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

Read the competent authority’s official requirements.Open cancilleria.gov.co ↗
Gather these documents.
- Proof of how you will support yourselves
- Request your FBI Identity History Summary
- Health cover for the move

Tell us the number of applicants in your household before this application can be offered.

ISSUED TO

YOUR FAMILY

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