Residence Visa for Former Colombian Nationals Legal Services
Secure Your Residence Visa for Former Colombian Nationals Without Renouncing Your Current Nationality
If you have renounced your Colombian nationality but wish to live in Colombia again, the Residence Visa for Former Colombian Nationals is your pathway to returning. This visa allows you to establish residency in Colombia without giving up your current nationality.
Our experienced team will guide you through the application process, ensuring you have all the necessary documentation and support for a smooth transition. Enjoy the opportunity to reconnect with Colombia’s vibrant culture and lifestyle while maintaining your valued citizenship.
We have the right strategy for you! Send us a message with your goals and your case
Is the Residence Visa for Former Colombian Nationals Right for You?
This visa is ideal for you if you were a Colombian national who renounced your citizenship to obtain another nationality that you highly value.
You should apply for this visa instead of others if you want to establish residency in Colombia without having to renounce your current nationality and without needing to have family, investment, or employment ties in the country.
Visa Duration
5 years. The holder of the Permanent Resident (R) visa must apply for a transfer of their visa before it expires. This process should be carried out through the digital platform available on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Allows to Work in Colombia?
Yes, as a permanent resident, the holder is allowed to work in Colombia.
Allows Beneficiaries?
Yes, this visa allows beneficiaries according to the definition of Beneficiary Holder established in Article 3 of this Resolution.
Visa Application Costs
Government fees: $54 USD study + $400 USD issuance (R) + Cédula $294,000 COP.
Legal Services: Essential $450 USD, Protected $650 USD, Turnkey $2,900 USD all-in titular. Government fees not included except in Turnkey. Exact quote depends on your case.
Visa Restrictions
Visa Bennefits
Reside and carry out any legal activity in Colombia, without the need to renew the visa in 5 years.
Can you accumulate residency time?
Yes, for foreigners who have stayed in the national territory as holders of a Permanent Resident (R) visa, the time can be accumulated toward applying for citizenship. For this type of visa, the accumulation of time is 5 years.
Processing Time
Generally, from 2 to 5 weeks, but it may vary depending on the specific circumstances of each application.
Application Location
Can be applied for from within Colombia or from the applicant's country of residence or nationality.
Specific Requirements
Renunciation of Colombian Nationality: A copy of the document evidencing the renunciation of Colombian nationality.
Historical Context: For those who lost Colombian nationality due to the application of Article 9 of the 1886 Constitution of the Republic of Colombia, a letter of naturalization from a foreign country or a document proving the acquisition of another nationality before 1991 must be presented.
Visa Application Letter: A letter requesting the Permanent Resident (R) visa explaining the means of subsistence available abroad for remaining in the country.
Want to learn more about the Residence Visa for Former Colombian Nationals details, requirements, and benefits? Read our comprehensive guide below!
Why to choose us
Senior lawyers only
We are fully licensed immigration attorneys, not intermediaries or document runners. Led by Camila Ocampo — Universidad de los Andes 2007, 15+ years of practice, years leading high-volume immigration strategy for hundreds of foreign nationals at one of Colombia's leading business law firms in Colombia, and advanced specialization in Law and Migration at Los Andes 2025.
We only hire attorneys with more than 3 years of exclusive Colombian immigration experience, and the same senior attorney owns your file from first call to foreign ID in hand.
Sofi, your 24/7 immigration companion
Sofi is our private client app beside your attorney. She tells you in plain English what this visa needs and why, with templates and examples. Upload from your phone — she flags expired files, blurry photos, missing signatures or seals before lawyer review. Live status, deadline reminders, and everything in one ordered file, not scattered chats. Your senior attorney decides strategy and signs filings. Sofi removes waiting so senior hours go to winning.
Total price transparency
Immigration is stressful enough. You approve a fixed legal fee in writing before we start. Government fees are listed separately at official cost with receipts. Partner costs are fixed upfront. If extra work is needed, we explain why, quote it fixed, and proceed only with your approval. No surprise charges, ever..
Commitment to Success
We only accept your case after a viability check — no legal path, no fee. Once we accept, we fight for approval. Decisions are discretionary, so if officers request more or deny, we dissect the reasoning, strengthen evidence, and re-file. Your proposal states what adaptation is included; anything extra is fixed-quoted upfront. Never abandoned, never surprised — that is why clients refer us and reviews mention denials turned into approvals.
Reputation you can verify before you pay.
Word-of-mouth is our main source of clients. Find our client reviews on Google and Lawzana. — real cases, including prior denials turned into approvals — and our public guides and newsroom where we publish real costs, shifting Ministry criteria and timelines. We are a private Colombian law firm, members of Colbar, operating 100% online with formal agreements, upfront payment, careful handling of your data, and zero tolerance for false documents or bribery.
Camila Ocampo & Mariangela Colmenares
What services do we offer for this visa?
You don't need a lawyer to get a visa in Colombia. Let's start there.
The entire process is online and no platform requires a legal representative. That is why most foreigners don't hire one: the process itself is already costly, there is free information on the web, YouTube, Facebook, and AI explains the process and requirements quite well.
But for cases that mean reuniting with loved ones, a one-time investment, medical treatment, retiring in the country or the long-awaited life change, the barriers invite hiring an immigration lawyer:
Officers with discretionary power to request documents not required by law or to declare inadmissible even a complete file.
Three different platforms (SITAC, Migration Single Form and the Migration Colombia appointment system) that reflect the country's bureaucracy.
Expiring tourist permits or a visa about to expire.
Or the very complexity of meeting the requirements of some visas.
Our mission is twofold:
For those who don't hire, we publish updated guides with real experiences by consulate, nationality and visa type.
For those who do need to delegate their immigration strategy, we designed a service to break down those barriers without promising the impossible.
From fee per visa to case complexity
For years we worked with a flat fee per visa type. Now the fee also reflects the complexity of the case.
Everything starts with an initial consultation. There we locate the complexity and the strategy with a real chance of success. At the close of the consultation a visa and a hiring option are recommended:
Essential Plan — complete and verified filing. The most affordable ($450 USD) with fewer services. Includes strategy, checklists and templates, preparation and review, guidance on certificates, translations, legalization and insurance, SITAC filing, regular tracking, registration guidance and our 24/7 guide app. Government fees are paid by the applicant. Responses, re-filings, extensions or ID appointments, if needed, are fixed-quoted per event.
Protected Plan — for what the process normally requires ($650 USD). Includes the same as Essential, plus: 1 extension request (government payment separate), up to 2 translations, up to 2 requirement responses, up to 1 re-application for inadmissibility without legal fees, up to 2 ID appointments. Government fees separate.
Turnkey Plan — zero friction with third-party payments. Includes the same as Protected and we also handle and pay for the main applicant the covered fees and services per written proposal: studies, issuance, extensions, safe-conducts, ID card, marriage registrations, U.S./Canada background checks plus apostille where applicable, required translations, appointments, pickup with power of attorney and international shipping. Flat fee 2,900 USD, 50% at signing and 50% at filing. Dependents always separate.
Official fees for this visa in the Costs box. 54 USD non-refundable study at filing. Issuance only if approved (V 177 / M 270 / R 400 USD). ID card 294,000 COP. Each dependent requires its own study, issuance and ID, plus 350/200/100 USD fees according to the main applicant's plan.
If the case has a clear legal path, we say so in the consultation. If it doesn't, we say so too. No impossibles, no surprises: every additional item is fixed-quoted and only moves forward with prior approval.
Hire us to legally assist you from only $450 USD, ensuring expert guidance and support throughout your journey.
Ready to Get Started?
Contact Us Today for a Consultation and Let Us Ensure Your Success.
Partner with Colombian Passport and experience peace of mind knowing that your visa application is in expert hands. As your trusted our Immigration Lawyers in Colombia, we're dedicated to turning your visa challenges into successful opportunities.