How to Stay 180 days in Colombia without a visa (2025 Guide)
Welcome to Colombia
In recent years, Colombia has become a top destination for travelers, digital nomads and Spanish language learners. Tourism is booming, with international arrivals growing by 23.4% in 2023 and another 8.5% in 2024 the number of visitors to Colombia has reached a staggering 6.7 million.
Alto Selva regularly hosts first-time guests who come to Medellin to explore the city and culture, only to fall in love with it and want to stay longer. But many aren’t sure how long they can legally remain in the country. This blog to explain everything you need to know about the Tourist Permit: what it is, how to extend it and how to stay compliant while making the most of your time in Colombia.
TL;DR : most travelers can stay up to 180 days per calendar year.
Do I need a Visa to Enter Colombia?
North America:
United States, Canada
Europe:
United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, among others
Latin America:
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay
Asia-Pacific:
Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore
Others:
South Africa, Israel, Turkey, United Arab Emirates
How Long Can You Stay in Colombia?
When you arrive in Colombia and pass through immigration, your passport will be stamped with a Permiso de Ingreso y Permanencia (PIP-90) and a handwritten “90” indicating a 90-day stay.
This is commonly referred to amongst English speaking visitors as a Colombian Tourist Permit stamp, or simply "Tourist Permit", which is how we’ll refer to it throughout this article.
The Tourist Permit allows an initial stay of 90 days and can be extended once for an additional 90 days, giving you a maximum of 180 days per calendar year (January 1 to December 31). You may enter and leave the country multiple times, but the total number of days spent in Colombia within the calendar year must not exceed 180.
Keep in mind that both your arrival and departure dates count toward your total stay. For example, arriving on a Monday and leaving on a Tuesday counts as two days.
Limits and Restrictions
180 Days Per Calendar Year:
This is the most important rule, you may only stay in Colombia for a total of 180 days within a calendar year, January 1 to December 31. Exceeding this limit can lead to penalties.
No Local Work Allowed:
You are not permitted to be employed by a Colombian employer or contract services to Colombian companies whilst on a Tourist Permit. However, you may do remote work for foreign companies, as many digital nomads do, without a problem. When you enter the country it's recommend that you say you're coming for tourism, not to work online, just to avoid any problems.
Overstays:
Staying beyond your permitted time places you in “irregular” immigration status and may result in significant fines, depending on how long you’ve overstayed. Repeat violations can lead to deportation, entry bans and complications with future visa applications.
Multiple Entries:
You can enter and exit Colombia multiple times in a year, but all days spent in the country, regardless of the number of trips, count toward your 180-day annual limit.
How to Extend Your Stay
Extending your Tourist Permit is relatively straightforward, but it does require some planning:
When to Apply:
Submit your extension request at about 7 -10 days before your initial 90-day period expires. Waiting too long may result in complications or rejection.
Where to Apply:
Extensions are submitted online through the Migración Colombia website.
The form to apply for the Tourist Permit extension can be found here:
There is an option to switch the form to English (some people have reported that it works more consistently in Spanish). The option you need to choose is highlighted below.
What You Need:
- A scanned copy of your passport bio page and current Colombian entry stamp
- Justification for the extension ("tourism" is sufficient)
- A valid email address to receive communication and approval
- Payment method (usually a credit card)
- Proof of onward travel
Fees:
The extension typically costs around $30–$40 USD (approximately 140,000 to 180,000 COP) though it may vary slightly based on changes in exchange rates or policy.
Processing Time:
After submitting your request, make sure you take a screenshot so that you have evidence of your submission. Theoretically you should receive a response within 2–5 business days, however it may be longer depending on the office you chose. Medellin seem to be always backlogged so it might be beneficial to use an office in a smaller town such as Armenia or Manizales.
Be sure to check your spam/junk email folder for notifications from Migración. Once approved you just need to print the approval document and keep it with your passport, you do not need to go to Migration Colombia, nor get a new stamp.
Calculating Your 180 Days in Colombia
Planning your stay can be confusing, especially if your travel spans two calendar years. There are some rules that you need to take into account which makes extending a Tourist Permit much easier to understand.
TOURIST PERMIT EXTENSION RULES:
- A Tourist Permit can only be extended once (90+90 days). You cannot extend an extension.
- The only way to reset the allowance for a new year is to leave and return.
Example 1: Standard Stay
John is due to arrive on 1 January 2026 and plans to use the maximum allowance
- Initial 90 day stamp = 1 January to 30 March 2026
- On the 20th March 2026 John should apply for an extension
- Online extension validity = 31 March to 28 June 2026
In this example John has to depart on the 28 June 2026.
Example 2: Stays spanning 2 calendar years
Douglas plans to arrive on 10 November 2026 and wants to stay as long as possible
- Initial 90 day stay = 10 November 2026 to 07 February 2027
- On the 28 January 2027 Douglas should apply for an extension.
- 90 day online extension validity = 8 February to 8 May 2027.
- At this point on the 8th May, Douglas has been in the country 128 days and has 52 days remaining of his 180 day allowance for 2027.
- However since the Tourist Permit cannot be extended a second time Douglas must leave the country on the 8th May.
- When Douglas returns anytime after 8th May, Migration Colombia will stamp his passport with 52 days. Once those 52 days are used Douglas will not be able to spend more time in Colombia in 2027 without obtaining a formal Visa.
Example 3: Hack the System to get 1 full year in Colombia
Maria plans to arrive mid 2026 and with some careful planning she plans to stay in Colombia for a complete year (with a mini break half way through)
- Initial 90 day stay = 1 July to 28 September 2026
- On the 20 September 2026 Maria should apply for an extension
- Online extension validity = 29 September to 27 December 2026
- On the 27 December 2026 Maria's allowance for the year expires. Maria plans to travel home for New Years during the period 27 December 2026 to 6 January 2027
- Maria plans to return on 7 January 2027. She will receive a new Tourist Permit stamp in her passport based on the 2027 allowance for the period 7 January 2027 to 6 April 2027
- On the 27 March 2027 Maria applies for an extension
- Online extension valid = 7 April to 5 July 2027
In this example Maria has stayed a year from 1 July 2026 to 5 July 2027, with a mini break in the middle to reset her annual allowance. With some careful planning and flexibility to start in July this is a great option to stay for one year without having to apply for a visa.
When Should You Consider a Visa Instead?
While the Tourist Permit is ideal for short and medium-term travelers, it may not be suitable if you wish to stay long term.
Consider applying for a Visa if:
- You want to stay more than 180 days in a year (without using the hack above)
- You plan to work remotely or freelance as a digital nomad
- You're interested in investing, getting married or work legally for a Colombian company
Of all the various types of visas, one of the easiest and most common is the Colombian Digital Nomad Visa which allows you to stay for up to two years. If you are able to work online and earn about USD1,000 a month then it's the logical option. Check out our guide:
How to Apply for the Colombian Digital Nomad Visa (2025 Guide)
We recommend consulting an immigration lawyer or visa agency to review your options and give you some guidance as to the best visa option.
