To retire in Colombia as a US citizen, you need a lifetime pension of at least three times Colombia's minimum wage: COP 5,252,715 a month in 2026, roughly $1,600 to $1,700. Social Security counts. You apply online for the pension (M) visa, prove the income with an apostilled award letter, carry private health insurance, then get your cedula de extranjeria, the foreign resident ID card.
That is the whole test. There is no savings deposit and no minimum age, and the visa runs up to three years at a time. Five continuous years on it opens the door to permanent residency. The figures below are as of November 2026 and come from immigration-firm and expat guides, which disagree on some details, so confirm with the Cancilleria or a Colombian immigration lawyer before you file.
The income requirement in pesos and dollars
Colombia ties the pension visa to its own minimum wage, the SMMLV, which is reset every year. For 2026 the minimum wage is COP 1,750,905 a month, so the bar is three times that, COP 5,252,715, according to Expat.com and ColombiaMove. The Rio Times adds a wrinkle: the decree that set the 2026 wage was suspended by a court in February and restored in July, and the wider legal challenge is still open.
The dollar number is where page-one guides go wrong. Some still print $970 or $1,200, which come from older wage figures. Others say $1,380 to $1,410 at an older exchange rate. At the late-2026 rates of roughly 3,100 to 3,260 pesos per dollar, the bar works out to about $1,600 to $1,700.
| Figure (2026) | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly minimum wage (SMMLV) | COP 1,750,905 | Reset each January |
| Pension visa minimum (3x SMMLV) | COP 5,252,715 | Per month, for life |
| In US dollars | About $1,600 to $1,700 | Moves with the peso |
| Safer target | About $2,000 or more | Leaves room for a stronger peso and next year's raise |
What counts: a pension guaranteed for life, such as Social Security retirement, a military pension or a defined-benefit company pension. Nexo Legal notes that 401(k) and IRA drawdowns generally do not qualify, and rental or investment income does not count toward this visa either. Couples where both spouses collect Social Security often clear the bar easily; if only one check qualifies, the other spouse can usually come as a beneficiary.
Colombia retirement visa documents checklist
Anything issued in the US must be apostilled and then translated into Spanish by a certified translator.
- Passport valid for at least six months, plus a scan of the photo page and your latest Colombian entry stamp if you are already there.
- Pension proof: your Social Security award or benefit letter showing the monthly amount, apostilled and translated. Some guides also ask for three to six months of bank statements showing the deposits.
- Criminal background check: for Americans, the FBI Identity History Summary, apostilled by the US Department of State. Guides say it should be recent, within three to six months, so order it last.
- Medical certificate of physical and mental fitness, which ColombiaMove ties to Article 77 of Resolution 5477 of 2022.
- Health insurance valid in Colombia for the whole visa term (more on this below).
- Passport-style photo on a white background, uploaded as a small digital file.
- Online application on the Cancilleria visa portal, with the study fee paid.
ColombiaMove puts State Department apostilles at $20 per document with four to eight weeks of processing, which is the slowest part of most applications.
What the visa costs
Fees are set in dollars and paid in pesos, and they were raised in March 2026, per The Rio Times. The guides disagree, so here is the range.
| Item | Reported cost | When you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Visa study fee | $55 to $65 | When you apply; not refunded |
| Visa issuance fee | $204 to $271 | Only if approved |
| Cedula de extranjeria | About $61 to $96 (COP 294,000 per The Rio Times) | After you arrive |
| US apostilles | $20 per document | Before you apply |
| Certified Spanish translations | Varies by translator | Before you apply |
| Immigration lawyer (optional) | Varies widely | Get a written quote |
Without a lawyer, the government fees alone come to a few hundred dollars per person. Add the first year of health insurance, which is often the largest single cost.
How to apply for the Colombian retirement visa, step by step
- Get your Social Security benefit letter from your my Social Security account or local office.
- Order the FBI background check, timed so it is still fresh when you file.
- Apostille both through the State Department, then have them translated.
- Buy qualifying health insurance for the full visa term and get the policy certificate.
- Get the medical certificate.
- Apply online at the Cancilleria portal, upload everything and pay the study fee. You can apply from the US or from inside Colombia if you are there legally.
- Wait for a decision. Guides report roughly 30 days for the study, sometimes faster for a clean file, and four to six weeks overall.
- Pay the issuance fee and receive the electronic visa.
- Register for your cedula with Migracion Colombia within 15 days of the visa or of arriving on it.
Expat.com warns that opening a local bank account is very hard before the cedula arrives, so plan on ATM withdrawals and transfers for the first few weeks. Our guide to collecting Social Security abroad covers how to keep the deposits flowing.
Health insurance, EPS and Medicare
The visa requires a private policy that covers you in Colombia for the full visa term, including accident, illness, hospitalization and repatriation, per Nexo Legal and Golden Harbors. A short-term travel policy does not qualify, and ColombiaMove says joining Colombia's EPS system does not satisfy the visa rule.
Whether you can add an EPS plan later is where guides disagree. Expat.com and ColombiaMove say pension visa holders generally cannot enroll as primary contributors, while some other guides describe EPS as an option once you hold a cedula. We could not confirm the current rule from a government page, so ask a Colombian lawyer or an EPS directly before you count on it. Quoted private premiums run from about $80 to $300 a month on Expat.com, higher as you age.
Medicare is not a backup. AARP explains that Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the US, yet you still owe the Part B premium of $202.90 a month in 2026 if you keep it. Our page on whether Medicare works overseas weighs keeping Part B against dropping it.
Rules after you arrive
| Rule | What guides report |
|---|---|
| Validity | Up to three years, renewable. Golden Harbors suggests filing a month before it expires. |
| Family | A spouse or permanent partner, children up to 25 and children with disabilities of any age can come as beneficiaries. |
| Work | No paid work in Colombia. |
| Time away | Nexo Legal reports that more than 180 consecutive days outside Colombia can lead to cancellation. |
Taxes follow you too. Spending more than 183 days in any 365-day period makes you a Colombian tax resident, and the US still taxes your worldwide income. Bright!Tax notes there is no US-Colombia income tax treaty, while The Rio Times reports a large monthly exemption for foreign pensions. See our guide to US taxes for Americans retiring abroad and talk to an expat tax preparer.
The path to permanent residency
Five continuous years on the M visa lets you apply for the resident (R) visa, which removes the renewal cycle. ColombiaMove says there is no shortcut for pensioners; the faster tracks are for spouses or parents of Colombians and some Latin American nationals. Expat.com describes an investor route at 650 minimum wages, roughly $300,000 or more, that grants residency without the five-year wait. After five years as a resident, guides describe a path to citizenship.
What the visa buys you
Here is why the paperwork is worth it. ColombiaMove puts most retirees' budgets at $1,500 to $2,500 a month, with smaller cities like Pereira and Manizales at $1,000 to $1,500 and Medellin's upscale El Poblado at $1,800 to $2,500. By those numbers, a couple on two Social Security checks totaling $3,000 can live in El Poblado with a private health plan and still have room for extras like help around the house.
Our Medellin retirement guide breaks down neighborhoods and a full monthly budget, and the Cartagena guide covers the Caribbean side. If Colombia's income bar is too high, compare Ecuador's retirement visa or our list of the easiest countries to get a retirement visa. Everything else lives in the Live Abroad hub.
Who it fits, and who should skip it
It fits Americans already collecting a Social Security check comfortably above $1,700, who want a three-year visa with no savings deposit and like big-city care in Medellin or Bogota at a fraction of US prices.
Skip it, or plan more carefully, if your income is mostly IRA withdrawals, if you need to earn money locally, or if you plan to spend half the year back in the US. Check the State Department's Colombia page for current safety advice by region before you choose a city.
Figures are as of November 2026 and come from secondary sources (immigration firms, expat publishers and AARP). Colombia's government visa pages could not be reached for this review, so verify every rule and fee with the Cancilleria, Migracion Colombia or a licensed Colombian immigration lawyer. This page is general information, not legal, tax or medical advice.