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Pathway

Colombia Partner Migrant Visa

Colombia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

A Colombian spouse or legally recognized permanent partner may give you a route to live and work in Colombia. Married and unmarried couples have different requirements.

Your partner's status
Colombian citizen
Partnership requirement
An unmarried partnership must have been formally documented more than 1 year before applying
Relationship records
Proof of the marriage or legally recognized permanent partnership

Summary

If your spouse or legally recognized permanent partner is Colombian, you may qualify for a visa to live and work in Colombia. Married couples and unmarried permanent partners apply under different Migrant visa categories.

A spouse visa can last up to three years. A permanent-partner visa can last up to one year, and the partnership must have been formally documented more than a year before you apply. The wait before applying for permanent residence also differs: three qualifying years for spouses and five for permanent partners.

Choose the visa for your relationship
  1. Check your marriage or partnership record Your spouse or partner must be Colombian. A permanent partnership must have been formalized more than a year ago.
  2. Apply under the matching category Prepare the required relationship records, letters, authorizations, and travel histories.
  3. Plan for permanent residence Spouses need three qualifying years; permanent partners need five. A separate application is required.

These are two different visa options. Your visa depends on the relationship continuing and does not automatically become permanent residence.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

If you are married

You need a genuine marriage to a Colombian citizen and plans to live together in Colombia. Prepare:

If you married abroad, you generally need to register the marriage in Colombia first. An authenticated foreign marriage certificate alone does not replace the required Colombian record.

If you are permanent partners

Your relationship must be recorded in an accepted public deed, court decision, conciliation record, or accepted foreign equivalent when applying through a Colombian consulate.

Two dates matter: the partnership must have been formally established more than one year before applying, and the copy of the supporting document generally needs to have been issued within the previous three months.

Your Colombian partner must provide a request letter confirming that the partnership is exclusive, continuing, lasting, and stable, and agreeing to report changes. You also need their identity document and contact details, the special power of attorney, and migration-movements certificates for both partners.

For either visa, the authorities can ask for more evidence or interview you to confirm the relationship and that you live together.

What This Route Allows

Work and family

Both visas let you work without being tied to a particular employer. You still need to follow employment rules and obtain any license required for your profession. Report changes in your activity or occupation as required by Migración Colombia.

Eligible family members who depend on you financially may apply for separate beneficiary visas. Those visas remain linked to yours and do not allow work.

Permanent residence and citizenship later

You may apply for a Resident visa after three qualifying years on a spouse visa or five on a permanent-partner visa. You must show that your immigration status remained valid without breaking the required continuity and that your relationship and shared life continue. Updated letters, identity records, the power of attorney, and travel records are required.

After receiving a Resident visa, you may qualify to apply for citizenship after a separate two-year residence period based on your Colombian spouse or recognized partner. You must meet the other citizenship requirements too. The earlier Migrant-visa years do not count toward that period.

What This Route Is Not

Your partner must be a Colombian citizen; Colombian permanent residence alone is not enough. For unmarried couples, an undocumented relationship does not meet the formal partnership requirement.

The visa depends on the relationship continuing. Divorce, separation, dissolution of the partnership, or no longer living together can end it early. Your Colombian partner must report the change. Check your immigration options promptly if your circumstances change.

Long absences also matter: more than 180 days in a row outside Colombia within a consecutive 365-day period automatically ends a Migrant visa.

Marriage or partnership does not automatically grant a visa, permanent residence, or citizenship. Registering a marriage, updating names, and arranging visas for other family members are separate processes.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm the correct visa category and obtain your Colombian partner's current citizenship-card copy.
  2. Get a recent Colombian marriage record, or check both the type and dates of your formal partnership record.
  3. Prepare the required request letter and special power of attorney.
  4. Obtain both partners' migration-movements certificates and check that your records agree.
  5. Apply through the Foreign Ministry's online visa service. Be ready to provide further relationship evidence or attend an interview.
  6. If approved, complete immigration registration and foreigner identity-card steps. Keep records of your relationship, visas, and travel for future applications.

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Other routes in Colombia.

Sources