How to Apply for a Visa for Colombia Online: Complete Guide to Cancillería's Official Form (2026)

Cancillería's official visa information page: cancilleria.gov.co › Procedures and services › Visa. It publishes the visa types, the requirements for each category and the current fees.

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Before you start: what to have ready

The costliest mistake is opening the form without having everything prepared. The system closes the session due to inactivity and some data cannot be changed later. Before you log in, gather:

• A valid passport, with its number, issue and expiry dates and issuing authority. These are the first required fields on the form.
• The right visa category. In the application tab you choose the class (V visitor, M migrant or R resident) and the category. It cannot be changed later through a modification. If you are unsure between categories, see our visa categories guide or write to us before filing.
• A digital photo in color, white background, recent, front-facing, 3 × 4 cm, in JPG.
• All documents as color PDFs, scanned with a professional scanner, one file per requirement, and the complete file in a maximum of 20 to 25 pages (see the 35-page and 5 MB limit).
• An email address you can always access. All notifications (requests for information, decision, published visa) arrive there.
• Your intended address in Colombia and your current home details.
• Information about the job or activity you will carry out in Colombia and, for some categories, the NIT (tax ID) of the company or responsible person.
• A payment method for the visa review fee. The same method must be used to pay the issuance fee if the visa is approved.

Document rules under Resolution 5477 of 2022

Before scanning, review these general rules. Failing to meet them is the most frequent cause of requests for information and refusals:

• Format: documents are attached "duly digitized, in PDF file or whatever the Ministry of Foreign Affairs determines" (art. 8).
• Age: supporting documents, except the passport, must be dated "no more than three (3) months before the registration of the application" (art. 20).
• Apostille or legalization and translation: documents issued abroad require an "apostille or legalization, depending on the authority that issues or certifies them", and an official Spanish translation if not in Spanish (art. 21). See our guide on the apostille of documents for the visa.
• Accuracy: "any inaccuracy in the data provided in the form shall be grounds for denial or inadmissibility of the application" (art. 8).
• Health coverage: most categories require a health policy or plan with coverage in Colombian territory. For example, the tourist visa requires a "health policy with coverage in the national territory against all risks" (art. 34). You can verify your policy for Cancillería with us.

The visa form tab by tab

The following describes the form according to SITAC's official user guide (updated August 29, 2024) and the current form screen.

1. Initial screen: requirements, passport and personal details

1. Open the official form and choose the language (Español / English).
2. Read the requirements and tick "He leído" (I have read). Without that confirmation the application cannot be created. There is also an optional box for holders of a statelessness determination issued by the Colombian Government.
3. Fill in the document details: passport number, nationality, issue date, expiry date and issuing authority.
4. Fill in the personal details: first names, last names, date and country of birth, exactly as they appear in the passport.
5. Leave the Datos Solicitud (application data) section blank. That section is only used to correct or answer a request for information on an existing application.
6. Accept the privacy notice, complete the "I'm not a robot" check and click Continuar (Continue).

2. "Solicitud" (Application) tab

• Solicitud de (Application for): "Visa" for a new visa or "Traspaso" (transfer) to move a valid visa to a new passport due to damage, change or loss.
• Visa class and category: choose the class and the activity you will carry out in Colombia. This choice defines the documents the system will ask for later.
• Application type: "Individual" or "Grupo familiar" (family group) if you are the holder and will include beneficiaries.
• Applicant type: "Titular" (holder) or "Beneficiario" (beneficiary). In family groups, the holder is registered first.
• Processed by: the foreigner directly or an attorney-in-fact. If you choose an attorney-in-fact, their personal details are filled in too.

3. "Solicitante" (Applicant) tab

• Sex, marital status and, if you have one, another nationality. Names are already filled in.
• If you are married or in a de facto union, a section for the spouse or partner appears. It is searched by document; if they are not registered and their document is not a Colombian citizenship ID, names are typed in manually.
• If you have children, the "Otros menores" (other minors) section appears: search each child and click "Adicionar hijo" (add child).
• Education, birth details, home address in your country of nationality or current residence and intended address in Colombia.
• Expenses and social media sections.
• Email: use one you can access; all status updates are sent there.

If the system detects an active impediment from a previously denied visa, it shows a message and stops the application. Remember that after a denial you cannot register a new application within the following six months (art. 99).

4. "Visa" tab

• Employment information in Colombia: the fields change depending on the visa class (profession, activity or occupation, description, entity, family or investment). For beneficiaries, occupation in Colombia and, for students, the institution appear.
• NIT: some categories, such as worker, partner or owner, volunteer, intern, temporary service provider or intra-company transfer, require the NIT of the company or person responsible for the foreigner.
• Visa history: answer the questions about previous visas for Colombia. If you have had a visa, fill in its details. For transfers, the expiry date must be the same as or earlier than the registration date.

5. "Información adicional" (Additional information) tab

• Answer "Sí" (Yes) or "No" to each question. Every yes answer requires a brief explanation in the "Especifique" (specify) field. Answer with complete honesty: inaccuracy is grounds for denial or inadmissibility.
• Venezuelan nationals are asked about the Special Stay Permit (PEP).
• If you have had a foreigner ID card in Colombia, register its details.
• Relatives in Colombia: indicate the relationship and visa class of your relatives in the country, unless they are Colombian citizens.
• If you are outside Colombia when filing, additional fields appear.

Photo and supporting documents: exact specifications

To upload, click Seleccionar (Select) on each requirement, choose the file and confirm. The magnifying-glass icon shows the uploaded document. If the photo will not upload, the cause is almost always size or format.

Confirmation and choice of office or consulate

In the "Confirmación" (Confirmation) tab you will see the application summary. Review it calmly and use Atrás (Back) to correct. Then select the consulate or office that will process the visa and click Guardar (Save). In group applications, the office chosen when registering the last member applies to the whole group. When you save, a confirmation message appears and you receive an email with the application number. Keep that email: the number is essential to check the status and to answer requests for information.

If you will process the visa at a consulate, find the missions in our guide to the official directory of Colombian embassies and consulates abroad.

Paying the visa review fee

When you save, the system opens the review fee settlement and emails you payment instructions in Spanish and English. The options described in the official guide are: PSE (Colombian bank account enabled for online payments), credit card through the Credibanco gateway, Banco Sudameris branches or Servibanca ATMs with a reference number, Banco Agrario in specific cities and payment at the consulate if you are abroad.

• Payment is made within the following 10 calendar days; otherwise the application is deemed withdrawn (Res. 5477).
• The review fee "is non-refundable and does not commit to granting the visa" (Res. 5477).
• The payment method for the review fee must be the same one you use to pay for the visa if it is approved.

We explain fees, payment methods and payment mistakes in our guide on visa fees and payment.

Family group applications and beneficiaries

The group option is for families and also for artistic, cultural, sports and worker groups. The official rules are:

• Family group: the holder must already have the visa approved; the other members are beneficiaries.
• Artistic, cultural, sports and worker groups: all members are holders.
• The holder is registered first in "Búsqueda de la solicitud" (application search) and then each member, saving each form.
• In the group table you can Crear (create), Actualizar (update) or Eliminar (delete) members, and at the end click Terminar (finish) and choose the payment method.
• If you remove a member who already paid the review fee, their application becomes inadmissible; if they had not paid, it is cancelled.

For the beneficiary, the system lets you search the holder by passport number and nationality; if their application has already been processed, the data load automatically. We expand on this in family visa and medical plan for beneficiaries.

Transferring a visa to a new passport

If you renewed or lost the passport containing your visa, you do not need a new visa: you request a transfer through the same form, choosing "Traspaso" under "Solicitud de". Article 106 of Resolution 5477 requires the general application requirements, a copy of the visa, a certificate of migration movements and a letter explaining the reason. See the guide on visa transfer and foreigner ID card.

Modifying the application after submitting it

The modify option is used when you receive a request for information or need to correct data or add documents. You log in with the same original data and the Número de registro de solicitud (application registration number) from the email; without that number you cannot update. Remember that the visa type and category cannot be changed. If you are answering a request for information, follow the 6 official steps to answer a request. After saving, check the status in the official status check form.

Mistakes that cause refusal or denial (and how to avoid them)

1. Choosing the wrong category. It cannot be corrected through a modification. Confirm it before you start.
2. Different names across passport, policy and documents. One letter of difference triggers requests and delays.
3. Outdated documents. More than three months old at registration (art. 20).
4. Foreign documents without an apostille or official translation (art. 21).
5. A policy or medical plan that does not cover Colombia or the whole period.
6. Incomplete or contradictory answers in "Additional information": inaccuracy is grounds for denial or inadmissibility (art. 8).
7. Not paying the review fee in time (10 calendar days) or paying the issuance fee by a different method from the review fee.
8. Using an email you do not check and letting a request expire: inactivity is treated as withdrawal (art. 97).
9. Running out of space: going over 20–25 pages, uploading illegible files or over-compressing. With the 35-page and 5 MB limit, and no way to delete uploads, you can run out of room to answer a request.
10. Showing up at the visa office without a summons. The form says you should not go to the Bogotá Visa Office unless the authority requires it.

No administrative appeals are available against inadmissibility or denial (art. 100). That is why the quality of the file from the first submission is what defines the result.

Official sources: Official visa application form (SITAC) · User guide "Solicitar Visa en línea" (08/29/2024) · User guide (01/13/2020) · Resolution 5477 of 2022 · Cancillería – Visa. Informational content; does not replace personalized advice.