Colombia’s Digital Nomad Visa (2025): Live & Work Remotely for Up to 2 Years on $900+/Month
What if trading your cramped apartment lease for year-round spring weather cost less than one month’s rent back home? With the new digital nomad visa Colombia (Visa V TRE), remote professionals can base themselves in Bogotá’s chic cafés or Medellín’s sky-high coworking lofts for up to 24 months—all by proving they earn at least USD 900 per month. This guide reveals why Colombia is 2025’s hottest nomad hub, whether you qualify, every document you need, step-by-step filing instructions, and budget hacks to thrive in the land of coffee and salsa.
1. Why Colombia Is the Hottest Nomad Hub of 2025
- Time-Zone Sweet Spot: GMT-5 aligns with U.S. East-Coast hours and overlaps much of Europe—no more 3 a.m. Zoom calls.
- Bullet-Fast Internet: Sub-25 ms latency and fiber up to 900 Mbps; 300 Mbps plans average USD 25/month.
- Budget-Friendly Quality of Life: A comfortable Medellín lifestyle runs ~USD 1 500/month (furnished loft, premium coworking, weekend flights to Cartagena, endless empanadas).
- Built-In Community: Weekly language exchanges, tech meetups, and annual salsa festivals make networking effortless.
2. Eligibility Snapshot—Are You “Golden”?
- Remote income ≥ 3× Colombian minimum wage: roughly COP 4.27 M (USD 900–1 100).
- Foreign-sourced work only: employed or contracted by companies outside Colombia, or running your own online business.
- Visa-exempt passport: U.S., EU/Schengen, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, and many others.
- Health insurance covering Colombia for accidents, illness, and evacuation.
- Passport validity: at least six months on arrival.
Pro tip: Billing Colombian clients voids the visa—keep revenues foreign-sourced.
3. Documents & Data Checklist
- Digital passport photo (white background, JPEG ≤ 300 KB)
- Passport bio-page scan (PDF < 1 MB)
- Proof of income (last 3–6 bank statements plus contracts/invoices)
- International health-insurance certificate (PDF or JPEG)
- Cover letter—state remote role, employer, intended city, and 12–24-month stay
- Application-fee receipt (USD 50, paid online)
Files over 1 MB often crash the uploader—compress before starting.
4. Step-by-Step Filing Guide (T-30 → T-0)
- T-30: Create a Migración Colombia account; select Visa V TRE – Trabajador Remoto.
- T-28: Upload all documents; double-check Spanish accents (José ≠ Jose).
- T-27: Pay the non-refundable USD 50 application fee via card or PSE.
- T-20 → T-5: Approval window: 5–30 business days. Track status online.
- T-4: Upon approval, pay the issuance fee (USD 170–230; dependents hit the higher end).
- Arrival: Enter Colombia and print or save the visa PDF.
- +15 days: Register the visa and obtain your Cédula de Extranjería at the local Migración office. Miss this window and fines start around COP 400 000.
5. Costs & Timelines at a Glance
- Application fee: USD 50
- Visa issuance: USD 170–230
- Nomad health insurance: USD 35–60 per month
- Total upfront: ≈ USD 300–350
- Processing time: 2–4 weeks on average
6. Living the Nomad Life: Budget & Basics
- Housing: Modern 1-BR in Medellín’s Laureles or Envigado → USD 450–700/month (utilities & Wi-Fi included)
- Food: Menú del día lunch for USD 4; weekly produce haul for USD 12
- Coworking: 24/7 access with phone booths & rooftop cafés → USD 100–150/month
- Connectivity: 300 Mbps fiber plan for USD 25/month (Claro or Tigo)
- Transport: Metro ride USD 0.70; app taxi across town USD 4
7. Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them
- Uploading files > 1 MB: auto-reject → compress scans at 300 dpi.
- Skipping visa registration: fines & future visa trouble → book an appointment within 15 days of entry.
- Accepting pesos from local gigs: visa cancellation → invoice only foreign clients.
- Health-insurance lapses: renewal denied → set automatic reminders to extend coverage.
8. Alternatives & Upgrades
Tourist visa + extension: up to 180 days/year, no income proof—great for trial runs. See our step-by-step tourist-visa extension guide.
M-type investment visa: 3-year stay for a COP 200 M (≈ USD 50 K) investment—ideal for business builders.
R-type resident visa: indefinite stay after 5 years on M-visas—perfect for long-term settlers.
9. Mini-FAQ
Can I bring my family?
Yes. Spouse and children apply as dependents; expect issuance fees at the higher end.
Do cryptocurrency earnings count as income?
Only if converted to fiat and documented via bank statements.
Can I renew after two years?
Current 2025 regulations allow renewal if you still meet income and insurance requirements.
Where can I work?
Check out the Best Coworking Spaces in Medellín roundup for laptop-friendly spots.
10. Conclusion & Call to Action
Qualifying is straightforward: earn USD 900+/month, file online, and register locally. In return, you unlock two years of coffee-scented, mountain-backdropped productivity in one of the world’s most vibrant cultures.
With Medellín as your office, what passion project will you finally launch?