Colombia Rentista Visa
Colombia
Residency
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See if you're a match →This residence pathway is for financially self-supporting applicants who want to live in Colombia without relying on local employment. It generally requires stable passive income or savings, health coverage where required, and standard background checks.
- Type
- Self-funded residence
- Income profile
- People who can support themselves without a local job
- Core requirements
- Stable income or savings plus insurance where required
- Work limits
- Income thresholds and no-work rules can be strict
- Duration
- Migrant visa usually valid for up to 3 years.
- Renewal / path
- Can support Colombian resident status after the required M-visa period.
Summary
The M-10 Rentista visa is Colombia's residency route for foreigners who live on stable passive income — rental income, dividends, interest, annuities, royalties, or long-term investment distributions. It is not for pensioners (that is the M-11 Pensionado) and not for active remote work (that is the V Digital Nomad). The Rentista is for people whose money arrives without them having to work for it.
The income bar is 10 SMMLV per month, pegged to the Colombian minimum wage. For 2026, that is COP 17,509,050/month, which works out to roughly $4,400–$4,600 depending on the exchange rate. The visa is issued for up to 3 years and is renewable. After 5 years of continuous M-visa residency, holders can convert to an R (Resident) permanent-residency visa.
Eligibility
You qualify for the M-10 Rentista if all of the following are true:
- You can document at least 10 SMMLV per month in recurring passive income (roughly COP 17.5M / $4,400+/month in 2026).
- The income comes from a lawful, non-employment source — rents, dividends, interest, annuities, trust distributions, royalties, or similar.
- You can show the income is stable and recurring, not a one-time lump sum.
- You have clean criminal history from the countries where you have lived.
- You hold valid health insurance covering you in Colombia.
- Your passport has at least 6 months of validity.
What counts as qualifying income
- Rental income from property you own — supported by lease agreements, deposit history, and a CPA or auditor letter.
- Dividends and interest from publicly-traded securities, private companies, bonds, or CDs — supported by brokerage statements and issuer letters.
- Annuities or trust distributions — supported by trustee letters and distribution history.
- Royalties from licensed IP — supported by royalty statements and contracts.
What doesn't count
- Pension income — that is the M-11 Pensionado track, which has a lower threshold (3 SMMLV).
- Active salary from a U.S. or foreign employer — that is typically the V Digital Nomad Visa.
- Variable freelance fees — too unstable for the Rentista.
- One-time windfalls or inheritances not yielding recurring distributions.
Visa term
The M-10 is issued for up to 3 years per grant. It is renewable. Time on the M-10 counts toward the 5-year clock to the R (Resident) visa and toward the naturalization clock (5 years standard, 2 years if you have a Colombian spouse or child, or are from a Spanish-speaking Latin American/Caribbean country).
Family inclusion
A single M-10 principal covers spouse (or permanent partner) and dependent children under 25. The income threshold does not increase with dependents.
Duration, Renewal, and Long-Term Path
- Duration: Migrant visa usually valid for up to 3 years.
- Renewal: Can support Colombian resident status after the required M-visa period.
What This Route Allows
This route can allow you to live in Colombia if you can support yourself through retirement income, passive income, savings, or other accepted funds. It is generally designed for people who will not rely on local employment.
What This Route Is Not
This is not a work visa. These routes usually focus on proving stable support from outside local employment and may restrict work in the country.
Next Steps
- Map your passive income. Ideally you want 12 months of documented, recurring deposits at or above the 10-SMMLV level. Pull brokerage statements, trust distribution records, rental deposit histories, or annuity statements.
- Get a CPA or auditor letter. A contador público certifying the character and recurrence of the income is part of the Cancillería file.
- Apostille your U.S. documents. Criminal background check, marriage certificate (if bringing a spouse), and any corporate documents supporting your income need the U.S. state apostille.
- Buy Colombia-compliant health insurance. Policies must cover hospitalization, maternity, and repatriation inside Colombia. Several Colombian insurers and international providers issue compliant policies.
- File online through the Cancillería portal. The Colombian visa portal (visas.cancilleria.gov.co) takes the whole application electronically.
- Get your cédula de extranjería. On arrival (or within 15 days of visa stamp issuance), register with Migración Colombia for your foreign-resident ID card.
Sources
- Cancillería — Apply for visa — the e-visa portal.
- Resolución 5477 de 2022 — MRE — the governing regulation for all V/M/R visa categories.
- Cancillería — Tipos de visas — official visa category guide.
- Migración Colombia — Cédula de Extranjería — foreign resident ID registration.