Expats in Colombia
Step by step from landing to residency
This series guides you through the entire process: arriving, settling in, staying. 29 articles covering everything you need to know — from getting your cédula on day one to establishing tax residency and running a business in Colombia.
You Just Landed — Your First 48 Hours in Colombia
SIM card, pesos from the right ATM, safe transport from the airport and the first-48-hours checklist for Bogotá or Medellín.
Your Cédula de Extranjería and RUT
The foreigner ID card and your tax ID (RUT) — what they are and how to get them in your first weeks.
Visas and Legal Status: Which Route Fits You
Visitor, migrant and resident routes — the guide to Colombia's entry categories and how to choose the right one.
Residence Registration: What Foreigners Must Do
Registering your visa with Migración Colombia and getting your cédula — how to document your legal stay step by step.
Open a Bank Account in Colombia as a Foreigner
Traditional banks versus digital options like Nequi and Nu — what you need, what to expect, and how to set up fast.
Health Insurance: EPS, Prepaid Plans and Cover
How to navigate Colombia's public EPS and private prepagada, and decide whether international cover makes sense.
Renting an Apartment in Colombia: Practical Guide
From the codeudor requirement to neighbourhood choices in Bogotá and Medellín — finding and securing your apartment.
Understanding Your Lease: Colombian Rental Law
What Ley 820 means for you — deposits, guarantors, the rent cap and what landlords can and cannot do.
Cost of Living in Colombia: A Realistic Budget
Rent, groceries, healthcare, transport and dining out — concrete numbers for Medellín, Bogotá and beyond in 2026.
Healthcare in Practice: EPS, Urgencias and Doctors
Where to go for what, what to keep in your wallet, and how to navigate a system that works differently from home.
Driving in Colombia: Licence, Cars and Apps
How long your foreign licence is valid, converting it, whether to buy or rent, and what the ride apps are really like.
Internet, Mobile and Coworking in Colombia
Claro vs Movistar vs Tigo, prepaid to postpaid, fibre at home, and where to find a desk in Bogotá or Medellín.
Schools and Education for Expat Families
International and bilingual schools in Bogotá, Medellín and beyond — curricula, fees and how to choose.
Bringing Your Pet to Colombia: Entry Rules and Vets
ICA rules, the 10-day health certificate, the rabies rule and the airport inspection — plus life with a pet once you arrive.
Learning Spanish: The Expat Shortcut to Fluency
The fastest route to Colombian Spanish — tutors, apps, immersion and an honest timeline. The language is the operating system for everything.
Building a Social Life: Expat Communities in Colombia
Meetup, InterNations, Facebook groups, sport and language exchange — the routes to real friendships in Medellín and Bogotá.
Shopping and Daily Life: Supermarkets, Plazas, Delivery
Where Colombians actually shop — D1, Ara, Éxito, plazas de mercado and the Rappi apps that run daily life.
Become an Independiente: Self-Employment and Freelancing
The legal way to work for yourself — the RUT, electronic invoicing, the Régimen Simple, and the contributions you pay yourself.
Taxes: Worldwide Income and What Expats Owe
Colombia taxes residents on global income. What that means for your salary, pension and investments — and how to stay compliant.
The Digital Nomad Visa: How It Works and Renews
The Type V visa in full — the income test, applying online via the Cancillería, and the tax-residency trap that catches nomads by year two.
Work Visa in Colombia: Requirements and Strategy
The employer-sponsored M visa — the documents, the process and the most common mistakes to avoid.
Buying Property in Colombia as a Foreigner
Foreigners can buy freely — here's what the escritura, registry and Certificado de Tradición process looks like, and what it costs.
Colombia's Interest Rate: What Investors Need to Know
At 11.25%, Colombia's benchmark rate is among the region's highest. How to understand it and invest through CDTs and TES.
Tax Residency: The 183-Day Rule
When you become a Colombian tax resident, how it brings worldwide income into the net, and how to avoid being taxed twice.
Permanent Residency: The Final Step
From the Resident (R) visa to a Colombian passport — the requirements, timing and the path to naturalisation.
Retirement in Colombia: Pensions, Taxes and Visas
The Pensionado visa, how Colombia taxes foreign pensions, and the 2024 reform that protects your retirement income.
Colombia Visa Guide: Every Option for Living and Working
Tourist stamp to permanent residency — the full menu of paths, requirements and timelines for foreign nationals.
Cost of Living in Medellín: A Real Budget Breakdown
Neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood rent, groceries, transport, healthcare and dining out — concrete numbers for your Medellín budget.
Doing Business in Colombia: Guide for Foreign Entrepreneurs
The S.A.S. structure, NIT registration, the Régimen Simple, and the mistakes to avoid when starting a company as a foreigner.