Colombia Business Owner Visa

Colombia Business Owner Visa Requirements (2026)

Colombia Business Owner Visa – Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum investment for the Colombia Business Owner Visa in 2026?

For 2026, the practical benchmark used for the Business Owner (M) pathway is 100 SMMLV, which is approximately COP $175,090,500 when calculated using the 2026 SMMLV. A common mistake is presenting “planned” investment or unsigned capitalization intentions instead of showing that the capital is actually paid and reflected in formal records. To reduce risk, your evidence should consistently show the same paid-in amount across accounting support, corporate certificates, and bank movement that matches the capital entry timeline.

Is the Colombia Business Owner Visa the same as a Business Visitor Visa?

No. A Business Owner visa is a Migrant (M) status designed for foreigners who qualify through ownership/participation in a Colombian company, while a Business Visitor visa is generally used for limited commercial activities like meetings, exploratory visits, or short-term business tasks. Applicants often mix the evidence standards and submit investor-style documents for a visitor file (or vice versa), which triggers delays. The safer approach is to align your entire file to the purpose you’re requesting: ownership-based residence vs temporary business presence.

What documents most commonly cause delays for Business Owner visa applications?

Delays usually come from missing or inconsistent corporate and financial evidence—especially when the paid-in capital is not clearly supported. Typical problem areas include outdated Chamber of Commerce certificates, unclear shareholding composition certificates, and incomplete banking support that does not match the reported paid-in amount. If any foreign documents are involved (background checks, powers of attorney, or supporting letters), errors in legalization or Spanish translation also commonly trigger additional requirements. A practical starting point is to confirm your apostille and translation chain is clean before upload: apostilles and official translations guidance.

How do I prove the investment is “paid” and not just promised?

Decision-makers look for evidence that the capital was actually introduced and can be traced, not merely stated. A frequent denial-risk pattern is a Chamber of Commerce certificate showing paid-in capital, but no supporting bank trail—or a bank trail that does not match the dates and amounts shown in corporate documentation. To reduce discretion, your package should connect the dots: corporate capital records, supporting bank movements, and accountant-issued statements that reconcile amounts. If you’re building the company from scratch, proper incorporation steps matter because early mistakes become hard to fix later.

Do I need to create a new company in Colombia, or can I buy into an existing one?

You can often qualify either by forming a company or by acquiring participation in an existing Colombian company—what matters is proving the qualifying ownership and the paid-in capital consistent with the visa basis. The common error when buying into an existing business is failing to update share records correctly or relying on informal purchase agreements without ensuring the corporate certificates reflect the final share structure. If you’re not sure which approach fits your timeline, review the corporate formation mechanics first: steps to create a Colombian company online.

Does the Colombia Business Owner Visa allow me to work as an employee in Colombia?

This visa is tied to the activity that justified it—ownership/participation in the company and the business activity connected to that basis. A common compliance risk is assuming it automatically authorizes unrelated formal employment with a third-party employer. If your plan includes being hired as an employee by another company, you should treat that as a separate immigration analysis because working outside the visa’s authorized scope can create status issues. The safest practice is to keep your work activity consistent with the visa purpose and maintain documentation that supports that alignment.

How long does the Colombia Business Owner Visa process take in real cases?

Processing time starts only once the application is complete—meaning apostilles/legalizations (if applicable), correct Spanish translations, and correct online upload of all required evidence. For a complete file, the government review is commonly around 2 weeks to 1 month. If additional requirements are issued, add another 2 weeks to 1 month after the new documents are obtained and resubmitted, and total timelines can extend to several months in real cases. The biggest time-saver is submitting a “clean” file the first time.

What is the correct “180-day rule” for keeping this visa valid?

For this Business Owner (M) visa scenario, the key risk is remaining outside Colombia for more than 180 consecutive days in a single trip. People often misunderstand this as “you must be inside Colombia 180 days every calendar year,” which can lead to bad travel planning. The practical compliance strategy is to plan travel so no single absence exceeds 180 continuous days, and to keep entry/exit evidence consistent. If you think you may need long periods abroad, it’s smart to plan proactively rather than trying to “fix” status after the fact.

Do I need Colombian accounting support for the Business Owner visa file?

In practice, accounting support is one of the most persuasive ways to reduce discretion, especially when share composition and paid-in capital must be certified. A common failure pattern is submitting corporate documents without an accountant-backed certificate that reconciles the figures and confirms the foreigner’s participation and paid-in amounts. Ongoing compliance also matters if the company has been operating for more than a year and financial statements are relevant. If you want to understand what “good” evidence looks like, see our overview on corporate accounting and compliance in Colombia.

Is health insurance required for a Colombia Business Owner Visa application?

Many first-time visa filings are reviewed with an expectation of valid health coverage that remains active during the requested visa period, and mismatched policy dates can cause avoidable requirements. A frequent mistake is purchasing a policy that does not clearly show coverage dates, scope, or continuity, which can limit visa validity or lead to requests for corrections. The practical approach is to match your insurance term to the time you’re requesting and keep the policy certificate ready for upload. If insurance is required in your scenario, the goal is clarity, not overbuying coverage.

Practical Guidance for Colombia Business Owner Visa Applicants

Start by building your evidence around one single story: the qualifying ownership and the paid-in capital that supports it. Before you upload anything, reconcile the numbers and dates across your company certificate(s), accountant support, and bank evidence so the file reads consistently even to a skeptical reviewer. If you’re still structuring the business, it helps to understand the legal setup rules first: business startup basics in Colombia.

Plan your timeline around completeness, not optimism. Treat apostilles/legalizations and Spanish translations as the “true start” of the process, because the government review clock effectively begins once the file illustrates a coherent, fully supported investment and identity package. When additional requirements are issued, assume you may need weeks—not days—to obtain corrected documents and resubmit.

Finally, travel planning should be proactive: avoid any single trip outside Colombia that could exceed 180 consecutive days if you want to preserve visa validity. When in doubt, align your travel, corporate compliance, and documentation strategy so you are never forced to “explain after the fact.”