PERMITS AND VISAS
PERMITS AND VISAS
situación migratoria por visitas con propósitos académicos
Verify the immigration requirements before visiting our country.
It is worth recalling that depending on your country of origin and the purpose of your visit to Colombia, you must formalize your immigration status either through an Entry Permit or a Visa. The ones that apply for academic purposes are as follows:
PERMISOS
Integration and Development Permit (PID in Spanish):
This is granted by Migración Colombia at the moment of entering the country, and it is specifically for those foreigners who do not intend to stay more than 6 months in Colombia and who do not carry out profit-making activities.
This permit is granted for a maximum period of 180 days and allows developing activities as students, attending non-formal academic programs or student internships, under an academic exchange agreement, or receiving art and craft training.
This permit is initially granted for 90 days and in the event of an extension, this must be processed at the Migración Colombia office as indicated in the following enlace.
visados
Visitor Visa (type V):
Contrary to the Integration and Development permit, visas in Colombia are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and must be processed prior to entering our country.
It applies to those foreigners who wish to visit the country without settling permanently and allows the holder to carry out activities such as airport transit, tourism, business management, academic exchange, art and craft training and postgraduate studies, medical treatment, administrative and/or judicial proceedings, crew member of a vessel or on a coastal platform, participation in events, internships, volunteering, audiovisual and/or digital production, journalistic coverage, temporary service provider, intra-corporate transfer of personnel under international instruments in force, official or commercial representative of a foreign government, working holiday program and complimentary.
This visa can be requested online or at the Colombian Consulates abroad. The following link provides information on requirements, costs, means of payment and processing offices. https://www.cancilleria.gov.co/tramites_servicios/visa/abece-visas
If you have a visa valid for more than 3 months you need to request your Cédula de extranjería (foreigner’s identification card), which is the identification document issued by Migración Colombia, and must be processed during the first 15 calendar days of your arrival to the country. For more information, visit:
General recommendations
for visitors prior to their arrival in Colombia
Start the visa process as soon as you receive the admission letter from the host university, since the process takes a suggested time of 2 months in advance.
When entering the country, remember to show the documents that explain the reason for your visit. E.g. Acceptance letters and/or invitation letters.
When entering the country, verify that the stamp placed on your passport is the right one for your immigration status (PID or Visitor Visa). This way you will avoid additional costs for a change of status.
Save the contact information of the Consulate or Embassy of your country of origin in case of any inconvenience. Find the list here.
Verify that your passport has an expiration date more than 6 months after your entry date and your stay in the country.
Do not carry your passport with you at all times. In order to avoid its loss, make a copy of the main page and of the stamp of entry to the country. This can be authenticated in a notary’s office.