Colombia's Retirement Visa (M Pensionado): 2026 Requirements

Last verified: Oct 19, 2026 (all official pages below were checked on this date)

General information, not legal advice. Medellín Basic is an independent guide, not a law firm or visa agency, and is not affiliated with the Colombian government. We summarize official sources; we don't know your situation, and this page is not a substitute for the advice of a lawyer. Rules change and officials decide each case. Before you apply, travel or pay, check the official source linked below and, for your own case, ask a licensed Colombian immigration lawyer (abogado).

Información general, no asesoría legal. Medellín Basic es una guía independiente; no somos una firma de abogados ni una agencia de visas, y no tenemos relación con el Gobierno de Colombia. Resumimos fuentes oficiales, no conocemos su caso y esta página no reemplaza la asesoría de un abogado. Las normas cambian y cada autoridad decide caso por caso. Antes de solicitar, viajar o pagar, verifique la fuente oficial enlazada y, para su caso particular, consulte a un abogado colombiano.

Short answer (checked Oct 19, 2026): The M Pensionado visa is for foreigners with a lifetime pension of at least 3 monthly minimum wages, which is COP 5,252,715 a month in 2026. It lasts up to 3 years, doesn't let you work in Colombia, and costs US$56 to apply plus US$279 if it's approved. Source: Cancillería, Visa M Pensionado; Cancillería fee page.

Who is the retirement visa for?

The visa is for a foreigner who has a steady monthly income from a pension paid by a government or by a private pension fund. (Res. 5477/2022, art. 77; Cancillería, Visa M Pensionado)

It's a migrant (M) visa, not a visitor visa. It's valid for up to 3 years, it doesn't allow you to work in Colombia, and it doesn't let you join the Colombian social security system, except under a bilateral or multilateral agreement. (same sources)

Rule last checked Oct 19, 2026 on Resolución 5477 de 2022, art. 77. If the official page says something different, the official page is right.

Is your pension big enough?

The pension certificate must show a lifetime monthly pension of at least 3 monthly minimum wages (3 SMLMV). (Res. 5477/2022, art. 77, no. 1)

The 2026 minimum wage is COP 1,750,905 a month (Decreto 1469 de 2025, art. 1), so the 2026 bar is COP 5,252,715 a month (3 × 1,750,905). At the official exchange rate (TRM) of COP 3,174.67 per US$ in force on Oct 19, 2026, that is about US$1,655 a month. (Banco de la República, TRM) The dollar figure moves with the exchange rate; the peso figure is the one that counts.

Two things can move the bar:

The 2026 minimum wage decree is still under review by the Consejo de Estado. On Oct 9–10, 2026 the Labor Ministry said COP 1,750,905 remains in force (Portafolio, Oct 10, 2026, press report).
A new minimum wage applies from Jan 1, 2027. If you apply after that date, the bar will be 3 times the 2027 figure.

What documents do you need?

These are the requirements specific to this visa, from article 77:

Pension certificate. It must show a lifetime monthly pension of at least 3 SMLMV, issued by the competent authority, apostilled and translated. Instead, it can be issued by the diplomatic or consular mission of the country that granted the pension.
Criminal record certificate from the authority of every country where you lived in the last 3 years, apostilled or legalized, and officially translated into Spanish if it isn't in Spanish.
Medical certificate showing you are physically and mentally fit (aptitud psicofísica), from a Colombian doctor or from the health authority of your home country.
Health coverage: proof that you have health coverage in Colombia, or a policy that covers you in Colombia against all risks of accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death or repatriation, for your whole planned stay. See health insurance for visas.

Sources: Res. 5477/2022, art. 77; Cancillería, Visa M Pensionado.

Cancillería adds that bank certificates and statements can go without an apostille or official translation if they're written in one of the official languages of the Organization of American States and the visa office can read them clearly. (Cancillería, Visa M Pensionado, note)

On top of these, every visa application has general requirements: the online form, a recent color photo on a white background, and a passport valid for at least 6 months. Documents other than the passport must be issued no more than 3 months before you apply. (Res. 5477/2022, art. 24; Cancillería, ABC de visas)

What does it cost, and how do you apply?

	US$	EUR
Study fee (paid when you apply, non-refundable)	56	44
Visa fee (paid only if approved)	279	191

Source: Cancillería, Migrante – Pensionado fee page. The page shows "10/06/2026" as its posting date.

Fees last checked Oct 19, 2026, 5:32 PM ET, on the Cancillería fee page. If the official page says something different, the official page is right.

How the process works, according to Cancillería:

Fill in the online visa form on Cancillería's site and upload your documents as PDFs and your photo as a JPG (max 300 KB). If you're outside Colombia, choose the consulate nearest your country of residence. If you're in Colombia with a regular status, choose "Oficina en Bogotá".
Pay the study fee within 10 calendar days of creating the application. If you don't, the application is treated as withdrawn.
Cancillería has up to 30 calendar days to decide once the application is complete and paid.
If the visa is approved, pay the visa fee within 10 calendar days.

Source: Cancillería, ABC de visas.

What doesn't the visa allow?

Work. The visa "no permite trabajar en territorio nacional". (Res. 5477/2022, art. 77)
The Colombian social security system. Holders can't join it, except where a bilateral or multilateral agreement says otherwise. (same source)
Long absences. An M visa ends automatically if you're out of Colombia for more than 180 continuous days within each 365 days counted from the date it was issued. (Cancillería, Necesito una visa)

Can your spouse or children come with you?

Yes, as beneficiaries, if they depend on you financially: your spouse or permanent partner, children up to age 25, and a child of any age with a physical or mental disability. (Cancillería, Visa M Pensionado)

What happens after you get the visa?

Cédula de extranjería. Visas longer than 3 months require registering with Migración Colombia and getting a cédula de extranjería. See our cédula guide for the deadline and the 2026 fee.
Residence. After 5 years as an M Pensionado holder, you can apply for a resident (R) visa for accumulated time. (Res. 5477/2022, art. 90, as modified by Res. 10434/2023)
Taxes. Your visa doesn't decide your tax status. Days in Colombia do. See tax residency: the 183-day rule.

Is there an age requirement?

Article 77 doesn't set a minimum age. What it asks for is a lifetime pension of at least 3 SMLMV. (Res. 5477/2022, art. 77)

What we couldn't confirm

Which pensions count. The rule says a pension "granted by a State or by a private pension fund". We found no official list. For example, we couldn't find out whether US Social Security alone always qualifies, or whether two smaller pensions can be added together.

Exchange rate. We didn't find which exchange rate the consulate uses to compare a foreign-currency pension with the peso bar.

Fee page date. The fee page shows "10/06/2026" and doesn't say whether that's June 10 or Oct 6.

Processing in practice. The 30-day limit is Cancillería's rule. We have no data on actual waiting times.

Social security agreements. We didn't check which bilateral agreements would let a pensionado join the Colombian system.