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Pathway

Colombia Student Visa

Colombia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

You can apply to stay in Colombia for approved studies, an exchange, or a student placement. Work and family options depend on your level of study.

Study requirement
An approved study program or qualifying placement
Money to show
Proof of funding and health insurance
Permanent residence
Time on this Visitor visa does not count toward the usual Migrant-visa period

Summary

Colombia's Student visa lets you stay for approved studies, an academic exchange, or a student placement. It can cover in-person, online, or distance study and may be issued for up to two years.

This is a Visitor visa. Work and family options are limited, and the time does not count toward the usual permanent-residence requirement.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

Your studies

Your institution needs to confirm your admission or enrollment, the program, and its duration. For a student placement, you also need the institution's endorsement.

If your passport allows visa-free visits and your stay will be no more than 180 days, you may not need this visa. Check the entry conditions and the actual length of stay you are granted.

Paying for your stay

If you are paying for yourself or supported by an individual, provide six months of bank statements showing monthly income of at least ten times Colombia's monthly minimum wage.

If an institution supports your application, a different checklist applies. It includes a letter explaining the studies and financial responsibility, the institution's records, financial evidence where required, and proof that you have income of at least three times the monthly minimum wage. Ask the institution which documents it must provide.

Other documents

You need a valid passport, photograph, the relevant request or support letters, and health insurance for your whole stay. The policy must cover accidents, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death, and repatriation—the cost of returning you or your remains home.

Prepare for your studies in Colombia
  1. Confirm your place Get a letter showing the program or placement and how long it lasts.
  2. Confirm who will pay Your documents depend on whether you, another person, or an institution will support the stay.
  3. Apply for the Student visa Follow the checklist for your funding arrangement and include health insurance.

This is a temporary Visitor visa. Only qualifying postgraduate students have the limited work and family options described here.

What This Route Allows

You can stay for the studies and dates approved on your visa, up to two years.

University postgraduate students may work up to 20 hours a week, with the employer completing the required reports before work begins. This exception does not give all students permission to work.

Postgraduate students may also request visas for eligible dependent family members. Other students cannot use this category to bring family as visa dependents.

What This Route Is Not

The Student visa does not count toward the usual period on Migrant visas required for permanent residence.

Except for online or distance study, spending more than 90 days outside Colombia automatically ends this visa. Check that your travel plans fit your course and visa conditions.

A further student visa also requires evidence of attendance and completion of the studies or placement covered by the previous visa.

Next Steps

  1. Ask your institution for proof of admission or enrollment and confirm whether you need a visa for the planned stay.
  2. Agree on who will pay your expenses and use the matching financial checklist.
  3. Gather your passport, photograph, study and support letters, bank records, and insurance.
  4. Submit the visa application and respond to any requests for more information.
  5. If approved, follow the study, work, travel, and registration conditions. Keep attendance and completion records for any later application.

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Discussed in these reports

Similar study pathways in other destinations.

Sources