Colombia · Country guide

Moving to Colombia from the US

Visas, residency routes, citizenship and tax for Americans moving to Colombia, with the law behind each rule.

Source-checked18 sources, 17 officialHow we check

Today's rate: $1 = 3,317 pesosUpdated 14 Nov 2026

CapitalBogotá

Visa-free (US)Up to 90 days

Residency income fromAbout $1,591 a month

CitizenshipAbout 10 years for a retiree

Tax on foreign incomeYes, after 183 days in any 12 months

Dual citizenshipYes: you keep your US citizenship

Colombia in brief

Visit visa-free: up to 90 days, extendable once, to 180 days in a calendar year.
Remote workers: a digital nomad visa for about $1,591 a month of income, for up to 2 years.
Nomad time doesn't count: it never leads to permanent residence or citizenship.
Retirees: a lifelong pension of about $1,591 a month; 5 years on it leads to permanent residence.
Tax from day one: work done in Colombia is taxed, even if a US company pays you.
Citizenship: about 10 years for a retiree, and you can keep your US passport.

About Colombia

Colombia runs from Caribbean beaches over three Andean ranges to Pacific rainforest and the Amazon. Cool highland cities like Bogotá and Medellín contrast with hot, colonial Cartagena on the coast.

Tall, thin wax palms on green hills under low cloud in the Cocora Valley, Colombia. — Wax palms in the Cocora Valley

A sloping street of whitewashed colonial houses with tiled roofs and a yellow church tower in La Candelaria, Bogotá. — Colonial street in La Candelaria

A bandeja paisa platter with rice, a fried egg, beans, pork belly, sausage, fried plantain and arepas. — Bandeja paisa in Bogotá

Dancers in red-and-white checked dresses and white outfits perform cumbia in a carnival parade in Barranquilla. — Cumbia dancers at Barranquilla carnival

By the numbers

53 millionPeople, 2025 estimate

1.6× TexasLand area

79%Live in cities

32 yearsHalf are younger

9World Heritage sitesNeeds review

$8,600GDP per person

Needs reviewThe count is from a 2026 travel guide; confirming it on the official list.

Regions

Andean region: Cool mountain cities, Bogotá and Medellín, with coffee farms on the slopes.
Caribbean coast: Hot and humid: colonial Cartagena, Santa Marta and Barranquilla.
Pacific coast: Rainforest and marine life, and little road access.
Eastern plains: Tropical savanna and wetlands, rarely visited.
Amazon: Vast, remote jungle, reached mostly by air.

Culture and daily life

Language: Spanish everywhere; many professionals speak some English, but learn basic Spanish.
Food: Hearty and mild: arepas, ajiaco chicken soup and the bandeja paisa platter.
Pace of life: Long workweeks: about 2,200 hours a year, roughly 400 more than in the US.
Religion and holidays: Largely Catholic; Barranquilla's carnival and Popayán's Holy Week are among the biggest festivals.

Economy and politics, briefly

Prices are rising faster than planned: inflation was 6.3% in October, against a 3% goal. The peso is about 3,300 per dollar.
Politics: President Abelardo de la Espriella took office on August 7, 2026, for a four-year term.

Sources (13)

Cities in Colombia

Where our city guides are planned. Hover a city to find it on the map.

All Colombia guides

Every rule with its legal source.

Entry and visasUp to 90 days visa-free, 180 a year Residency3 routes: nomad, pension, and permanent after 5 years CitizenshipAbout 10 years for a retiree; dual citizenship allowed TaxesWhat retirees and remote workers pay

Free tools

Count your days in ColombiaTourist days used and left, the tax-residency test, and the US 330-day count.Social Security and Medicare in ColombiaPayments, direct deposit, agreements and what Medicare covers.

Still being checked

Nomad income test: whether about $1,591 is a monthly minimum.
Nomad renewal: whether you can get a second digital nomad visa.
US pensions: whether a Social Security or private pension letter is accepted for the pension visa.
Short-stay tax: filing and any deductions for non-residents taxed on work done here.
ID card and renewal rules: a 2024 update to the foreigner ID card and permanent-visa transfer.
Full cost: apostilles, translations and insurance on top of government fees.

Compare Colombia

Free shortlist

Your top 3 countries, picked for you

Tell us who's moving and we'll show the three Latin American countries that fit people like you best, ranked on what matters most to you, with the trade-off to know about each.