What is the Colombian Property Investor Visa?
For expats, the practical takeaway is simple: the COP requirement is the legal “fixed” number, while the USD estimate changes with the exchange rate. A weaker dollar makes the same COP threshold “feel” more expensive in USD terms, even though Colombia’s legal benchmark remains SMMLV-based.
Approval is heavily impacted by document quality and consistency—especially how ownership is shown on the title record and whether the foreign investment registration evidence matches the buyer, the property, and the funds path. If you’re still planning the purchase, start with a step-by-step real estate checklist here: a practical roadmap for buying property safely.
Legal basis reference: Resolución 5477 de 2022.
Related Topics of Interest for You:
Who is this visa designed for?
A visa applicant who wishes to invest in Colombia can apply for a Colombia investment visa online. In addition, any Colombian visa can be obtained at any Colombian consulate around the world.
Investors who wish to obtain a Colombian visa can do so by fulfilling certain requirements. There are two types of qualifying values for the Colombia Real Estate Investors Visas. Corporate investments can also be used to comply with the investor visa requirements, provided that you invest a minimum of 650 salaries in company shares.
To obtain a Colombian investor or investment visa as a migrant, you can purchase a property that is valued at a minimum of 350 times the minimum salary rate, which comes to 455,000,000 pesos ($116,667 USD). This will qualify you for a 1-3 years temporary residency visa, known as the M-Property Owners Visa (previously TP7).
However, it is important to note that the instant investor residency visa has been canceled. If you wish to obtain a permanent residency visa, you must first have a migrant property owner visa for at least 5 years. Only after that, you may apply for a permanent residency visa. Moreover, it is mandatory to live in Colombia for at least 180 days each year to qualify.
It’s important to be aware of the differences in Colombian title law as compared to other countries. Failing to take necessary precautions could lead to significant penalties for tax evasion or even result in the loss of your property. To learn more about this subject, you can click on this link.
What are the Requirements for the Property Investor Visa?
Minimum Property Investment Threshold (2026 – SMMLV Based)
For 2026, the Colombian Property Investor Visa requires a minimum real estate investment equivalent to 350 Salarios Mínimos Mensuales Legales Vigentes (SMMLV). With the 2026 SMMLV set at COP $1,750,905, the required investment equals COP $612,816,750, which is approximately $161,300 USD using a reference exchange rate of 3,800 COP per $1 USD.
The legal requirement is fixed in Colombian pesos (COP) because it is tied to SMMLV. The USD amount is provided for reference only and fluctuates with the exchange rate.
Valid Passport and Identification
Applicants must provide a clear photocopy of the passport biographical page showing full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, and expiration date.
The copy may be submitted in color or black and white.
Proof of Legal Entry into Colombia
Proof of legal entry is required and is typically demonstrated by a copy of the most recent entry or exit stamp in the passport. This allows immigration authorities to verify lawful presence in Colombia at the time of application.
Passport-Style Photograph
A recent passport-style photograph is required for online submission. The photo must meet the following specifications:
- White background
- Full face visible, neutral expression
- Dimensions: 3 cm (width) x 4 cm (height)
- Digital format: JPG
- Maximum file size: 300 KB
Copy of Previously Issued Colombian Visas (If Applicable)
If the applicant has previously held a Colombian visa (for example, a student, retirement, or other migrant visa), a photocopy of the visa must be provided. This assists immigration authorities in reviewing prior status and compliance history.
Proof of Qualifying Property Ownership
Current ownership of the qualifying real estate must be demonstrated through an official Certificado de Tradición y Libertad.
This document confirms ownership, ownership percentages, liens, and property history. The certificate must clearly show the foreign applicant as owner.
Applications involving co-ownership or company-owned property receive closer discretionary review and must clearly demonstrate that the applicant’s share alone meets the 350 SMMLV investment threshold.
Property Purchase Deed (Escritura Pública de Compraventa)
The finalized purchase must be evidenced through an Escritura Pública de Compraventa, which is signed and filed at a Colombian notary office during the property closing.
The Escritura Pública must be consistent with the Certificado de Tradición y Libertad and accurately reflect the buyer, property details, and transaction value.
Foreign Investment Registration (Banco de la República)
Applicants must demonstrate that the funds used to purchase the property were properly registered in Colombia as foreign investment.
This is supported by a communication issued by the Department of International Exchange confirming the recording of direct foreign investment for the real estate purchase.
Inconsistencies between the investment registration, banking records, and property ownership documents are one of the most common causes of delays.
Proof of Foreign Tax Resident Status at the Time of Investment
Immigration authorities require evidence that the applicant qualified as a foreign tax resident at the time the funds entered Colombia and when the property purchase was finalized.
This is commonly verified through the Certificado de Movimientos Migratorios, which allows authorities to review entry and exit history and confirm that the applicant did not meet Colombian tax residency conditions at the relevant moments.
If documentation indicates the applicant was already a Colombian tax resident at the time of investment, the purchase may be deemed non-qualifying for the Property Investor Visa, even if the property value meets the SMMLV threshold.
National Criminal History Report (Applied in Practice Since 2024)
Although not expressly listed in the 2022 visa resolution, immigration authorities have, in practice since 2024, required a national criminal history report from the applicant’s country of citizenship or habitual residence.
The report must be national-level, apostilled or legalized as required, and accompanied by an official Spanish translation if the original document is not in Spanish.
Document Quality, Validity, and Translations
All documents must be current, legible, and internally consistent.
Documents issued in languages other than Spanish must be translated, and names, passport numbers, dates, and values must match exactly across all submissions.
Poor-quality scans, expired certificates, or partial documentation frequently result in processing delays or additional requirements.
Foreign exchange declaration form F4 Health Insurance
en applying for a property investment visa in Colombia, it is important for foreigners to have health insurance that covers all risks and even repatriation of their body in case of death. However, some premium insurance policies may not cover the repatriation expenses. In such cases, it is recommended to purchase a traveler insurance policy that covers both health and repatriation expenses.
Although EPS is not mandatory for visas anymore, it is a great and affordable insurance option available in Colombia. EPS payments are still mandatory by law, which is 5% of your income. However, pension visa holders are now exempt from this requirement as per the new visa laws.
It is worth noting that medical services in Colombia are more affordable than in the United States, even without insurance. So, it is always advisable to have insurance coverage while staying in Colombia.
It’s important to note that the new visa resolution 5477 requires individuals holding Migrant visas to stay in Colombia for 180 days or more in order to maintain the validity of their visa. If you are absent from Colombia for more than 180 days, your visa may be cancelled by officials from Migracion Colombia upon your return. However, if you are granted entry into the country with just a stamp, you may be allowed to enter as a tourist after your visa has been cancelled.
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Apostille Process for Colombian Investor Visa
Key documents may require certification with an apostille which is crucial for Colombian visas. Any document originating outside of Colombia, such as the criminal background report, must be apostilled and translated. Each visa application has unique requirements.
Key Documents Needing Apostille
- Criminal Background Report: Critical for the visa application, particularly the FBI background check for U.S. citizens.
- Power of Attorney: Must be notarized and apostilled if issued outside Colombia.*
- Colombian Sex Laws Acknowledgment: Required documentation for compliance.*
*These documents do not require apostille if they are signed in Colombia at a Colombian notary. Criminal background reports such as the FBI Criminal Background always require an apostille. For more details on how to apostille these required documents for the Colombia Investor Visa, click here.
Colombian Property Investor Visa – Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum investment for the Colombia Property Investor Visa in 2026 (USD and COP)?
For 2026, the common benchmark is 350 SMMLV, which is often shown around COP $455,000,000 and approximately $120,000 USD when using a reference rate of 3,800 COP per $1 USD. The key point is that the COP threshold is fixed by regulation and practice, while the USD equivalent moves as the exchange rate changes—so applicants should budget a buffer above the minimum. If you’re still in the buying phase, start with a clear closing plan and compliant paper trail; the property purchase roadmap here is a practical foundation: step-by-step property purchase process.
Can co-owned property qualify for a Colombian Property Investor Visa?
Co-ownership can work, but only if your portion of the investment is clearly documented and meets the qualifying threshold under the applicable interpretation used for the file. The most common risk is ambiguity: applicants upload a deed showing multiple owners but fail to provide a clean calculation and evidence of the foreign investor’s share that satisfies the benchmark. To reduce discretion, your documentation should make it obvious what percentage is yours, what amount is attributable to you, and how that amount is supported by the investment-registration and purchase records.
Does the Property Investor Visa allow work or employment in Colombia?
Only visas that explicitly grant work authorization allow employment or contracted work under Colombian rules, and the permitted activities are tied to the visa’s authorized scope. Under Resolución 5477, when a visa does grant permission to work, both the foreigner and the employer/contractor must comply with labor rules and required reporting/registration obligations—and working outside the authorized scope is not permitted. In practical terms, always verify what your issued visa says about permitted activities and work authorization before accepting Colombian employment or signing local contracts. For context on visa categories and permitted activities, see: overview of Colombian visa types and permitted activities.
How long does the Colombian government take to approve the Property Investor Visa once submitted?
Processing time should be measured from the moment the application is complete: apostille/legalization (when applicable), correct Spanish translations, and correct uploads with readable files. For a clean, complete filing, a typical decision window is about ~2 weeks to 1 month. If the authority requests additional requirements, add another ~2 weeks to 1 month after you obtain and submit the new documents—meaning real timelines can extend to several months depending on how fast you can correct gaps. Avoid fixed promises and plan your travel and lease decisions with that variability in mind.
Is health or travel insurance required for the Colombian Property Investor Visa?
Many first-time property investor filings are supported with travel medical insurance that covers medical risks and includes repatriation—because the authorities may examine whether the applicant has realistic coverage for their stay. A common mistake is buying an expensive policy that still omits repatriation, or uploading a policy whose dates do not match the visa period requested; mismatched dates routinely trigger additional requirements. After arrival, some applicants later switch to Colombian coverage that can be cheaper, but initial travel coverage still matters for first filings unless the authority’s specific instructions allow otherwise. Visas by James can assist with identifying correct coverage in a compliance-focused way.
Does the Property Investor Visa lead to permanent residency, and what should I plan for after approval?
This visa can be part of a longer pathway, but it is not an “instant residency” shortcut. In real cases, the biggest post-approval problems are administrative: late cedula registration steps, travel patterns that violate the 180-day continuous absence rule, and tax-residency surprises after spending substantial time in Colombia. If you’re staying long enough to become a fiscal resident, you should plan filings and evidence early—especially if you still report abroad. A practical next read is: personal tax declarations for foreigners living in Colombia.
What documents actually prove the real estate investment for visa purposes?
The visa file is usually decided on documentary consistency, not the headline purchase price. In practice, officers look for a clean chain showing (1) the property acquisition is finalized and correctly recorded, and (2) the foreign investment registration is properly supported for visa review. A common mistake is submitting a deed number or promissory contract without aligned banking support, or uploading partial certificates that don’t match names, dates, or amounts across the file. Before filing, reconcile the buyer name exactly as in the passport, confirm the property identifiers match across all records, and ensure every supporting document is legible and current.
Can I buy property through a Colombian company and still qualify as an investor?
Sometimes corporate structures can support investor residency strategies, but the evidence standard changes: decision-makers will want a clear, compliant story tying the foreigner’s participation, the investment movement, and the asset acquisition together without contradictions. A frequent failure point is when corporate records, share certificates, and accounting support do not reconcile with the transaction reality. If a company structure is part of the plan, it helps to understand the legal mechanics first: how Colombian business setup rules affect investor filings.
How long does it take to prepare the requirements for a Colombia Property Investor Visa?
Document preparation often takes 1–2 months in real cases, mainly because the timing is driven by third parties (closing schedules, certified documents, investment registration support, and any foreign paperwork that must be legalized/apostilled and translated). The biggest avoidable delay is starting the visa upload before the “chain” is complete—then the file gets paused for corrections. A safer strategy is to stage your documents in a checklist, confirm naming consistency (passport vs deeds vs certificates), and ensure any non-Spanish documents are properly translated before you submit.
What are the main restrictions I must follow to keep the Property Investor Visa valid?
The practical compliance rule to remember is travel continuity: you generally should not remain outside Colombia for more than 180 days in a single continuous trip, because long absences can trigger cancellation risks when you re-enter or when status is reviewed. Also, keep your investment and supporting records consistent and current—problems often arise later when renewals, cedula processes, or cross-checks reveal mismatched figures or unclear ownership. If you’re unsure, treat compliance as an “evidence file”: keep clean copies of updated certificates and key records so you can respond fast to any verification.
What tax and banking issues commonly affect investor visa applicants?
The visa process touches banking and reporting more than many applicants expect, especially when proving source, movement, and registration of funds. A frequent practical issue is confusion about Colombian tax identifiers and onboarding requirements, which can slow property closing or supporting documentation. If you need a baseline on documentation and banking-facing requirements, review: how Colombian tax ID (NIT/RUT) issues affect foreigners. Once your stay becomes long-term, tax residency planning also matters—poor planning can create surprise filing obligations in Colombia and abroad.
What We See in Real Visa Applications
In practice, property investor visas are rarely denied because someone “didn’t buy property.” They get delayed or refused when the officer cannot reconcile the investment story across documents—especially when the title record, banking trail, and foreign investment registration evidence do not match perfectly in names, dates, or identifiers.
In real cases, the fastest approvals usually come from applicants who planned the purchase with immigration evidence in mind: the deed and title are structured correctly, the funds trail is clean, and every document is current, legible, and translated in a way that preserves the legal meaning rather than just the literal words.
Common Challenges Our Clients Face in 2026
SMMLV-driven thresholds: applicants budget in USD, then the COP threshold changes with SMMLV updates and the FX rate moves against them, creating last-minute gaps.
Ownership structure mistakes: shared title, company ownership, or mixed buyer names often triggers discretionary review because the property pathway expects exclusive ownership evidence for the applicant.
Document timing: title certificates, bank letters, and supporting documents frequently go “stale” before submission, or applicants submit partial packages and get stuck in multi-round requests for more evidence.
Translation and formatting issues: inconsistent spellings, incomplete certified translations, and unclear scans are routine reasons for delay—even when the underlying investment is valid.
GUIDANCE
Practical Guidance for Colombian Property Investor Visa Applicants
Start by treating this as a documentation project, not just a property purchase. Your goal is to prove three things consistently: (1) you own the qualifying property in the correct way, (2) the qualifying value is clear at the moment of application, and (3) the foreign investment evidence supports the exact buyer/property/funds narrative without contradictions.
Time your file so that your supporting documents are current when you submit. Processing time starts only once the application is complete (including any apostille/legalization needs, proper Spanish translations, and correct uploads). Submitting early with gaps often creates longer timelines than waiting a short period to submit a clean package.
For related planning that investors commonly need alongside the visa, review how property purchases are commonly structured (real estate purchase roadmap), confirm your compliance basics such as getting a tax ID (Colombian tax ID guidance), and map how staying in Colombia could impact your reporting position (personal tax declaration overview). If you are building a wider investment footprint, long-range planning can help reduce surprises (tax planning considerations).
National Criminal History Report – Country-Specific Guidance
Since 2024, Colombian immigration authorities have routinely required a national-level criminal history report from the applicant’s country of citizenship or habitual residence. Local, state, or provincial police reports are commonly rejected.
United States
Applicants from the United States are typically required to submit an FBI Identity History Summary, issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. State police or county background checks are usually insufficient.
The report must be apostilled and accompanied by a certified Spanish translation.
Canada
Canadian applicants generally must provide a Certified Criminal Record Check issued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Name-based checks are often not accepted when fingerprint-based certification is available.
Apostille or legalization (depending on issuance method) and a Spanish translation are required.
United Kingdom
Applicants from the United Kingdom are commonly required to submit an ACRO Police Certificate, issued by the ACRO Criminal Records Office.
The certificate must be apostilled and translated into Spanish if issued in English.
European Union and Other Countries
Applicants from the European Union and other jurisdictions must generally obtain the national criminal certificate issued by the central authority of their country. Regional, municipal, or local police certificates are frequently rejected.
Apostille or consular legalization applies depending on whether the issuing country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, followed by a Spanish translation.
A common cause of delay is submitting the incorrect level of criminal report or failing to complete apostille and translation requirements before filing.
Proof of Foreign Tax Resident Status at the Time of Investment
In addition to proving the value and registration of the investment, immigration authorities require evidence that the applicant qualified as a foreign investor at the time the funds entered Colombia and when the property purchase was finalized.
In practice, this means the applicant must demonstrate that they were not a Colombian tax resident at those moments.
This requirement is applied during visa review by Migración Colombia, because only investments made by a foreign tax resident qualify as foreign investment for visa purposes.
Immigration officers commonly review the immigration movement report (Certificado de Movimientos Migratorios) to verify the applicant’s entry and exit history and confirm that the applicant did not meet the conditions of Colombian tax residency at the time of the investment.
This analysis is often cross-checked against banking timelines and, when necessary, tax-related records associated with
DIAN (Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales), particularly in cases involving extended stays or repeated entries prior to the purchase.
If documentation suggests that the applicant may already have been a Colombian tax resident when the funds entered the country or when the property purchase closed, the investment may be deemed non-qualifying for the Property Investor Visa, even if the property value meets the SMMLV threshold.
For this reason, aligning immigration history, fund transfer dates, and the property closing date is a critical compliance element of a successful investor visa application.
What Clients Say About Colombia Legal & Associates
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Public feedback from clients who worked with our legal team on Colombian visa and related legal matters.
Reviews are sourced from publicly available third-party platforms. Individual results may vary.
“I worked with the Medellín team and had an excellent experience. Once I was connected with Isabela, I felt confident I was on the right path to obtaining my visa.”
— Mathew Sickler
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Important Legal Disclaimer
The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, immigration advice, tax advice, or a guarantee of any specific outcome.
Colombian laws, visa requirements, administrative criteria, government fees, and procedures change frequently and may be updated without notice. Information published on this site may become outdated or incomplete over time.
Reading or using this website does not create an attorney–client relationship with Colombia Legal & Associates S.A.S., MedellinLawyer.com, or any member of our team.
We strongly recommend consulting directly with qualified legal or accounting professionals regarding your specific immigration, tax, or compliance needs before taking action.
