Entering Colombia on a US passport: visitor stays and overstays

Most Americans who end up living in Colombia start with a visitor stay. You land with a US passport, the immigration officer gives you an entry permit, and you have a fixed number of days. The rules behind that permit are set by Migración Colombia, the migration authority, and they are more precise than the usual "90 days" summary. Knowing them helps you plan scouting trips, avoid an accidental overstay, and decide when you need a real visa.

No visa needed, but you get a permit

US citizens do not need a visa for a short stay in Colombia. The United States is on the list of visa-exempt nationalities set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Resolution 5488 of 2022. At the border, Migración Colombia issues a Permiso de Ingreso y Permanencia, usually called the PIP.

Migración Colombia describes the PIP as an authorization to enter and remain for short stays "sin vocación de domicilio ni ánimo de lucro": without the intention of settling and without profit-making activity. There are several types, chosen according to what you tell the officer you will do:

• Permiso de Turismo (PT): tourism and recreation, up to 90 days.
• Permiso de Negocios (PN): meetings, negotiations and commercial activities, up to 90 days.
• Permiso de Integración y Desarrollo (PID): specific situations such as academic visits, lectures, journalism or personal legal matters, with the number of days set by a table in Resolution 3167 of 2019.
• Permiso Otras Actividades (POA): other listed short-term activities.

The officer decides how many days you receive. Resolution 3167 adds an important detail: if your passport expires sooner than the permit would, you only get permission until the passport's expiry date. Check the days granted on your entry record before you leave the airport.

The 180-day annual cap

The central rule is a cap of 180 calendar days per calendar year. Article 14 of Resolution 3167 of 2019 states that Migración Colombia keeps count of the days each foreigner spends in the country under PIP and PTP permits so they do not exceed 180 calendar days, continuous or not, within the same calendar year.

Two practical consequences:

• The count resets on January 1, not 365 days after your first entry. A stay that runs from October into the following year draws from two separate annual allowances.
• The 180 days are a total. Several short trips in one year add up.

Extending your stay: the PTP

If your first permit gave you 90 days, you can ask for more time with a Permiso Temporal de Permanencia (PTP), also called a prórroga de permanencia. Migración Colombia's PTP page sets out the conditions:

• You must hold a valid PIP when you apply. An expired permit cannot be extended.
• The request has to be made at least 5 business days before the PIP expires.
• The process is virtual, with the possibility of presenting documents in person at a migration service center in exceptional cases.
• Migración Colombia lists the cost at COP 150,000 and a response time of 3 business days from payment.
• If you do not pay within the stated time, the request is treated as withdrawn.
• Filing a request does not mean it is granted.

A tourism permit can be extended by up to 90 calendar days, and never past the 180-day annual total. Permits granted for "other activities" can be extended only once a year for the same term as the original entry permit, with exceptions for technical assistance, transit and artistic events.

Working while you are a visitor

The PIP does not allow paid activity in Colombia. The Cancillería makes one practical exception clear: nationals of visa-exempt countries who work remotely can stay under the entry permit as long as their stay does not generate payments from Colombian companies and does not exceed 90 days, extendable to 180 days in the calendar year. If you need longer, or want to settle, the V digital nomad visa is the route. Taking a job with a Colombian employer requires a work-enabling visa. Our overview of Colombian visa routes for Americans compares them.

What an overstay means

Staying past the days granted puts you in an irregular migration situation. Migración Colombia sanctions irregular stays under its sanctions resolution, Resolution 2357 of 2020, which sets fines expressed in tax units and adjusts the amount according to how long the irregularity lasted and any aggravating or mitigating circumstances. There is no fixed fee per extra day in that resolution; the authority sets the fine case by case.

Beyond the fine, an irregular stay can complicate future applications. A pending visa application does not by itself make your stay regular: Resolution 5477 of 2022 states that filing a visa request does not grant regular status. If you plan to apply for a visa from inside Colombia, file it while your permit is still valid and keep track of the expiry date.

The safe approach:

1. Note the exact number of days on your entry permit.
2. Put the PTP deadline (5 business days before expiry) in your calendar.
3. Track your annual total across trips.
4. Leave, or have a visa granted, before your permitted time ends.

What to carry at entry

Migración Colombia and the airlines check documents before you board and when you arrive. Have these ready:

• A US passport valid for the whole stay. A passport close to expiry shortens your permit.
• Proof of onward or return travel, which airlines and officers commonly ask for.
• The address where you will stay.
• If you are traveling with children, documents showing the relationship and any required parental authorizations.

Migración Colombia also requires travelers to complete the Check-MIG pre-registration form online before entering or leaving the country. Fill it out within the window shown on the Migración Colombia site before your flight.

Entering on a dual passport or a visa

If you are both a US and a Colombian citizen, the Cancillería states that you must identify yourself as Colombian when entering, staying in and leaving Colombia. That means traveling with a Colombian passport or cédula, not your US passport, inside Colombia's immigration control.

If you already hold a Colombian visa, the PIP rules no longer govern your stay. Your visa type sets what you may do, and visas longer than three months must be registered with Migración Colombia within 15 calendar days of entry.

Check with the US Embassy too

The US Embassy in Bogotá publishes entry and exit information for American citizens and runs emergency passport services if your passport is lost or stolen during a visit. Enroll in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program before you travel so the embassy can reach you with alerts.

Common questions

How long can a US citizen stay in Colombia without a visa? The tourism entry permit is granted for up to 90 days. It can be extended, but total time on entry and extension permits cannot exceed 180 calendar days in the same calendar year.

When do I have to apply for the extension? Migración Colombia requires the PTP request at least 5 business days before your current permit expires, and you must hold a valid permit when you apply.

Does the 180-day count reset after a year from my first entry? No. Resolution 3167 of 2019 counts days within the same calendar year, so the total resets on January 1.

What happens if I overstay in Colombia? An overstay is an irregular stay, sanctioned with a fine under Migración Colombia's Resolution 2357 of 2020. The amount is set case by case according to duration and circumstances.