Resident Visa (Type R)

What it is

The Resident (R) visa is the most stable status short of citizenship. It is valid for five years, renewable, and lets you live and work in Colombia freely. After holding it you can pursue Colombian citizenship if you choose.

Most people reach it by accumulating continuous time on Migrant (M) visas — generally about five years, or two years if you are married to / the parent of a Colombian. Other routes include being the parent of a Colombian by birth, a former Colombian national, or a large registered foreign investor.

Who qualifies

• Accumulated time: the required continuous years on M visas without breaking residency (≈5 years general, ≈2 years on spouse/parent-of-Colombian routes).
• Or parent of a Colombian by birth, or a former Colombian national.
• Or large investor: registered FDI well above the standard investor threshold (commonly cited around 650× the minimum wage — 2026: ≈ COP 1.14 billion, about US$316,000 at ~3,600 COP/US$).
• A continuous, unbroken visa history with no long absences that reset the clock.
• Valid passport and health insurance valid in Colombia.

How long it takes

Validity: 5 years (renewable); near-permanent status

Processing: About 3–6 weeks after filing. Timelines depend on the Ministry's workload and whether they request additional documents — we monitor your file and respond fast to keep it moving.

Government fees

Government fees: a study fee of roughly US$200+, plus an R-visa issuance fee that brings the total to roughly US$400–450 once approved. These are paid by you directly to the Colombian government and are separate from our service fee.

Step by step

1. 1
   Initial Zoom call — we audit your visa history and confirm which R route you qualify under.
2. 2
   Data-gathering call — we assemble proof of accumulated time and continuity (or the qualifying relationship/investment).
3. 3
   You gather prior visa records, entry/exit history and supporting civil or investment documents.
4. 4
   We coordinate apostille and translation of any foreign documents.
5. 5
   Submission session — we file online with you and pay the study fee.
6. 6
   We manage any Ministry clarification request.
7. 7
   On approval you pay the issuance fee and we guide you through the e-visa and cédula de extranjería.