What is the Colombia Parent Visa?
The Colombia Parent Visa falls under the migrant visa category (M) and is designed for foreign nationals who wish to become parents of a Colombian child, either through birth or adoption. The visa has a validity of three years, and after five years, the visa holder can apply for a resident visa.
This visa provides an open work permit and authorizes the holder to undertake any legal activity within the country, subject to the regulations mentioned in Article 16 of Resolution 5477. Additionally, the primary holder of this visa can request visas for beneficiaries as per the definition of Beneficiary Holder provided in Article 3 of the same Resolution.
The Colombia Parent Visa allows multiple entries into Colombia. However, it is crucial to note that the visa will lose its validity if the holder stays outside Colombia for more than six months in a row.
To apply for a common-law marriage visa, the fee is $282 USD, which includes a $52 study fee for the visa application. The Colombian government usually takes over 30 days to process the application, and in that case, they may charge an additional $52.
What Documents Are Required For Colombia Migrant Visa as a Parent?
Colombian Birth Certificate:
A copy of the child’s Colombian birth certificate is necessary. If both parents are foreigners, the Colombian birth registry of the child born in Colombia must have an annotation confirming its validity to prove nationality, which should be available in the Registry Entity’s database. If the Civil Birth Registry contains annotations unrelated to nationality, such as changes in serial numbers, paternal recognition, name changes, among others, the corresponding background record must be provided.
Signed Letter:
The application letter must be signed by the Colombian national who is the adoptive parent of the applicant, whether they are the father, mother, or child. If the applicant is a minor, the letter must be signed by the individuals who hold parental authority or guardianship. Specific requirements for a migrant visa as a parent of a child by birth
Photocopy of Previously Issued Visa:
The foreign father or mother must provide the visa of which he/she was the holder and which was valid at the time of the birth of the minor.
Migratory Movement Certificate:
Issued by the Special Administrative Unit Migration Colombia, this certificate must be dated within three months of the visa application. It displays the migratory movements of the minor’s parents.
As a parent of a Colombian child, you will need to provide a set of documents for type M migrant visa. The documents required are as follows:
Passport Photocopy:
To complete your requirements, please submit a copy of the first page of your current passport that displays your biographical data. The copy can be in either color or black and white.
Proof of Legal Entry:
To provide proof of legal entry into Colombia, you will need to submit a copy of the page in your passport that shows the most recent stamp indicating your entry or departure from the country.
Passport photo:
Applying for a passport, you’ll need to submit a photo that meets certain requirements. The photo should be a headshot with a white background, sized at 3 cm width X 4 cm height. For online applications, the photo should be in JPG format and no larger than 300 kb in size.
Proof of Income:
To apply for a migrant visa as a parent of an adopted child, you need to provide proof of income that shows your economic stability. This can be done by submitting your bank statements for the last 6 months, which should indicate a consistent source of income.
Birth Certificate:
To obtain a visa, the requesting foreigner must provide an authentic copy of the Birth Certificate or Civil Registry that proves the first degree of consanguinity with the Colombian national by adoption. The document should comply with the laws of the issuing country.
Verification Letter:
The Visa and Immigration Authority will verify the letter of nature or resolution of registration of the Colombian nationality by adoption, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs database. This letter should indicate the relationship between the applicant and the Colombian citizen by adoption (whether they are the father, mother, or child). If it is not possible to verify this information through the database, the applicant will be required to provide the letter. To be eligible as the child of a Colombian national by adoption, the applicant must be under 25 years old and economically dependent on the Colombian citizen by adoption.
Visa Request Letter:
If the Colombian national child is a minor, the letter must be signed by the Colombian father or mother, confirming that the foreigner is fulfilling all corresponding obligations. If consent cannot be obtained, the visa applicant must provide certification from the relevant family authority indicating the absence of protection measures or rights restoration and confirming the foreigner’s compliance with obligations. If both parents are foreigners, the letter must be signed by both parents. If the Colombian child is of legal age, they must submit a signed letter, marked with a handprint and fingerprint of the right or left index finger, or right or left thumb, requesting the issuance of the Migrant visa for their foreign father or mother. This must be accompanied by a photocopy of the Colombian citizenship card.
Bia is in charge or registering and issuing corporate certificates, and acts. Each city has its own local regioinal office. For example in Medellin the link to the chamber of commerce.
Our Story
James Lindzey founded the website ColombiaVisas.com, which is constantly updated with new information explaining visa resolutions, procedures, and laws in Colombia to expats. James has worked as a private investigator and paralegal in the United States through the 90s until he moved to Colombia in 2005. James arrived in Colombia in 2005 and started doing visas for expats, but currently works as Director of Legal Services for Visas by James, and Colombia Legal & Associates SAS since June of 2023.
Colombia Legal & Associates acquired the brand name Visas by James as it became a more familiar and easy way for foreigners to remember the business, than the previous Visas y Tramites Internacionales.
While MedellinLawyer.com focuses more on legal issues for expats, ColombiaVisas.com focuses more on visas, and holds the trademark Visas by James. ColombiaVisas.com is the oldest website and provider of visa information for expats in Colombia. We are proud to be the first and always on the cutting edge of providing interactive website content to our visitors.
In addition to our visa services our agency offers a full range of legal and accounting services to our clients. We are able to assist better in document collection services in the United States because of James previous legal experience in the United States.