So you’re thinking about renewing your Colombian Visa? Here is my experience – it could save you some time and frustration.
Although I have been in Colombia for about 6 months now, yesterday was the first time that I had to renew my tourist visa. Luckily, I left the country twice over the six months, so I got a new stamp both times when I returned to Colombia.
The renewal process was a bit tedious but overall it was pretty straight forward. Now that I have done it once it will be much easier in the future – or so I hope. I have put together this post to help you avoid any hiccups when you have to go to do your first renewal.
The Basics About Colombian Tourist Visas
As a tourist (non-Colombian visitor) you are allowed a maximum of six months in Colombia each calendar year. When you enter the country, by land or air, your passport will be stamped and the immigration officer will most likely write ’60’ on the stamp. This means that you have been given a 60-day tourist visa. If you decide that you want to extend your stay past 60 days, which many people do, you will need to take a trip down to the nearest DAS (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad) office to get an extension. My understanding is that the agency DAS now goes by Unidad Administrativa Especial Migracion Colombia but most people still refer to it as the DAS.
You can get your visa renewed for 60 days twice more, but once you have been in the country for a total of 180 days your time is up and you must leave. It is up to the officer that is doing your visa renewal to decide whether he/she will give you a 30 or 60-day extension. Many people have gone in to do their renewal expecting to get 60 days but were only given a 30 days. Why? I am not sure, but it may have something to do with the fact that the agency receives 75,050 pesos every time you do a renewal, so more renewals equals more money.
I suggest asking ‘nicely’ for 60 days just in case they try to stick you with 30. Remember that the DAS clerks are not travel agents who want to make sure that you have a wonderful stay in Colombia, they are just there to process your renewal – that’s it. Treating the clerks with respect and using a friendly tone can only work in your favor.
Understanding The 180-day Maximum Rule
There is a lot of confusion regarding when the 180 day maximum starts and ends, so let me clarify with two examples.
Case 1: Let’s assume that you enter the country on Jan 1st 2012 and you are given a 60 day stamp. Sixty days later you do a renewal and are given 60 more days. After that you do another two renewals and you are given 30 days each time. Now you have been in the country for 180 days so you must leave and you cannot come back until Jan 1st of 2013.
Case 2: You enter the country on October 1st 2012 and you get a 60-day stamp. You renew your tourist visa 60 days later for another 60 days, so you are good until the end of January 2013. So here is the usual point of confusion – what if you renew your visa at the end of January for another 60 days, does this mean that you have to leave Colombia at the end of March? The answer is YES. You have to leave Colombia because you have been here for 180 days straight. However, unlike in Case 1, you can come back to Colombia for another 90 days in 2013 because you are allowed 180 days per ‘calendar year’ (starting on Jan 1st of every year). The reason you have to leave Colombia is because you have been in the country for 180 days in succession not because your time for the year is up. My friend Joseph had this exact case happen to him and he had to make a border run to Venezuela to check out of Colombia. Joseph actually did one of the most impressive border runs I have ever heard of. He flew from Medellin to Cúcuta near the Venezuelan border on an early-morning flight and was back in Medellin in the evening in time to party. Read how he did it.
The Renewal Process in Detail
There are a few things that you need to do before going to the DAS. These are the 7 official requirements as detailed by the DAS.
- Consignar $75,050 pesos en Banco Occidente cuenta corriente No. 263-05464-5, codigo 103 a nombre de Unidad Administrativa Especial Migracion Colombia. Traer consignación original con copia.In english, go to a Banco Occidente branch and pay 75,050 pesos to “Unidad Administrative Especial Migracion Colombia”. Tell the bank clerk that you want to pay 75,050 pesos to the DAS for your tourist visa. Since tourists must do the payment at a Banco Occidente branch the clerks will be familiar with the process.They will give you a little form to fill out. On the form you will be asked to provide the account number and a three-digit code. That’s the No. 263-05464-5 and 103! Be sure to copy these numbers down correctly because they cannot process your payment without them. I didn’t have the numbers, so I had to leave the bank, go across the street to a Juan Valdez coffee shop, buy a coffee, get a WIFI card and look up the numbers online – BIG pain in the ass. Copy the numbers down before you go to the bank.
- Pasaporte Original – Take the original copy of your passport.
- Una (1) fotocopia de los datos biográficos del pasaporteMake one photocopy of the page of your passport with all of your pertinent information. Photo, date of birth, etc.
- Una (1) fotocopia del sello de entrada al país.One photo copy of the entry stamp in your passport – that’s the stamp that the immigration officer put in passport when you entered Colombia.Photocopying:I did all of my photocopying across the road from the main Banco Occidente branch on Avenida Poblado at a Staples. They asked whether I wanted colour or black and white copies and I was stumped. I didn’t know if the DAS required colour copies but I decided to go the old el cheapo route with black and whites. Each B&W copy was 100 pesos while a colour copy was 1500 pesos. To be safe side, I made two copies of everything.NOTE: Although I did my copies at Staples, there are many shops right near the DAS where you can make cheap copies and get your photograph taken.
- Una (1) fotografía fondo azul 3×4One 3×4 profile photo with a blue background – In Canada official passport and government document photos have to be professionally taken and meet certain criteria. I had passport photos rejected in Canada because there was too much of a glare around my face. Here in Colombia, things are how should I say it – a bit simpler.I went into the photo store and sat on a stool in front of a crudely hung blue sheet. The shop owner asked a guy to go call Maria, the women who takes the photos. I waited for about five minutes and Maria showed up with a basic 1oMP point-and-shoot camera. She took two photos and asked which one I preferred, then she hooked the camera up to a little printer and out came my photos. She cut them with a pair of scissors and put them into a little plastic bag then charged me $5000 pesos and asked if I needed any photocopies – Simple!
- Diligenciar formulario de solicitud de trámites: Fill out application form
At the DAS you will present the copy of the payment slip from the bank, your photocopies of the two pages of your passport, the original passport and one 3×4 photo. You will be given an application form which is in both Spanish and English. Fortunately I speak Spanish so my communication with the clerk was pretty easy. I have been told that most of the clerks only speak Spanish so trying to communicate in English can be really difficult.Important:Other than the standard information like name, date of birth, address, citizenship, etc, you will be required to provide two other important pieces of information that threw me off. For one you have to provide a telephone number and address whether it is your hostel or a place you are renting.You also have to provide the name, address and telephone number of a Colombian that can testify to knowing you. I didn’t know the full name or address of any of my friends off the top of my head, so I had to leave the DAS to make a few phone calls. Figure out who you are going to use as your “known Colombian” before you get there. - Copia del tiquete de salida del país – Copy of ticket for leaving the country.Although it says that you are required to show your onward ticket, I wasn’t asked to show a ticket. As a matter of fact, I didn’t know that this was a requirement and I don’t have a ticket, so if they had asked me to provide a ticket I would have had a big problem.
DAS Offices in Major Colombian Cities
Most DAS offices are opened from 7:00 am – 3:30pm
Bogota DAS: Calle 100, 11B – 27; phone 601 72 00.
Cartagena DAS: Carrera 20B 29 – 18; ph 666 01 72; a 6,000 peso cab ride from the centro (downtown). Some people have claimed that they had to make an appointment to meet with an agent at this location.
Medellin DAS: Calle 19 80A – 40, in Bario Belen; ph 238 9252.
If you have any questions about visa renewals that haven’t been addressed in this post, just let me know and I will try to answer them. If you have any useful information that you want to share, leave a comment below.
Great info, thanks I’m sure we’ll be going through a few Colombian visas. Now to figure out the intricacies of vehicle permits which is usually the trickier issue for us.
I will let you know more about permits when I find the information. A friend of mine is trying to buy a motorbike here in Medellin and there are a few peculiar rules. I am not sure if it is something that applies throughout Colombia, but there is a rule called Pico Placa which puts a limitation on the hours you can use your car in afternoon based on your plate number. I have a friend who opened the first limo company here in Medellin, so I can ask him if he has any good source of information.
Hi,
Muchas gracias for this information. I thought you (or your readers) might like to know that 90 day extensions are also possible. I got 90 days at the airport when I entered, and a further 90 days at DAS last week (19/04/2012).
I posted the full story on my blog (http://lablogotana.blogspot.com/2012/04/das.html) but I’m afraid I have no idea why I got such long visas. It can’t hurt to ask for 90 days though 🙂
Thanks for the added info Zoë. You are absolutely correct – 90 day extensions are also possible. As I was once told – ‘you can never know the answers if you don’t ask the questions’.
I was lucky enough to be granted 90 days at the airport too. And I will definitely be asking for another 90 when my time is close to being up.
GREAT – Good luck with getting 90 more days. You never know what you’ll get unless you ask. Many people don’t ask for 90 days, they just go in and hope for the best.
Great article man! This is extremely comprehensive and up-to-date!
Zoë is correct. I was given 90 days originally at the airport and then this DAS man told me the other day (27-04-12) that I would receive 90 more days with my extension. HOWEVER, I was instructed to return to the office a few days later in order to receive my stamp. The change the rules and procedures quite often. This is my fifth time to get an extension here in Medellín and almost every time there is a new procedure.
Word to the wise… make sure you pay the correct amount. When I was there I met another traveler that paid $75,000 pesos and not the correct amount of $75,050 pesos. Those 50 pesos only add up to 2.5 pennies but they didn’t care. He has to wait to return to the bank after the weekend to pay it and then return to the DAS office to receive his stamp.
VERY IMPORTANT… they will not accept any photocopies that are cut in any way. Every photo copy must be in full letter size paper. The guy at the photocopy place made two copies of my passport on the same page and then cut them. I had to go down to the photocopy place down then street from the DAS office to photocopy everything again.
Many places (websites) say that you need TWO copies of all the documents. You only need ONE photocopy of each document.
IN BOGOTA – Be aware that they will not allow you to enter the DAS office unless you are the actual person/traveler getting the extension. This creates a big problem in Bogotá. Most travelers show up with a bilingual Colombian friend/girlfriend in order to help them translate. At the door they stop anyone that is not getting an extension… which means that you are on your own! I ended up translating for about 5 people the last time I was in the DAS office of Bogotá. Go figure – a place that is full of foreigners in where they can’t have anyone help them translate and then the DAS office doesn’t have a single employee that is bilingual to help!
RESETTING YOUR TIME AT THE BORDER – Be aware that there is Colombian law which states that you must leave the country for a minimum of 24 hours before returning. If you return within 24 hours than you will just simply continue to use up your 180 consecutive days. It looks like Joseph got lucky in Venezuela! I, on the other hand, did not get lucky. It turns out that there is another law in Panamá which states that you must be in Panamá for a minimum of 72 hours before they will give you an “exit stamp”. BUT if you enter Panamá from the border (from Sapzurro, Colombia to the town of Obaldía, Panamá) you will not be given a stamp to visit Panamá. Panamá allows you to travel around their border without a stamp. In order to receive a stamp you present $500 USD to the immigration office when you enter and show proof that you wil be going to Panamá City (by having a plane ticket). Panamá City is the only place that will give you the proper “exit stamp”. TAKE SPECIAL NOTE that even if the boss of the immigration office agrees to give you a stamp to “help you out” it is simply a scam. I was caught in this scam. After we talked with him for an hour he decided to allow us to have an “entrance stamp” and told us to return in 72 hours to receive the “exit stamp”. Instead, when I returned, he told me that he had no idea who I was and that I was trying to “cheat the system”. I received a “void” on top of my “entrance stamp” and simultaneously became an illegal traveler in both Panamá and Colombia at the same time (since I had used up my 180 days in Colombia for the year)! Luckily, Colombia is great and the immigration officer in Capurganá, Colombia took care of me. He told me that the boss in Panamá pulls that scam all of the time. I even met a Venezuelan girl at the same time that had it happen to her. She even bought a ticket for $300 USD to show to the Panamá boss in order to get the stamp (because he said he would give her a stamp if she bought the plane ticket) then he changed his mind and wouldn’t give her the stamp in which she simply wasted money for nothing and had to return illegally to Colombia!
Now that I think of it… I think I need to start a travel blog of my crazy stories! Haha.
Thank you very much for this, very useful indeed.
A few add ons for the filling the bank slip.
In: “Nombre cuenta o beneficiario” you need to put Migracion Colombia
In: “Total efectivo” + “Total consignacion” you need to write the amount: 75.050
Thats all
R
Thanks for the tips. I am trying to get a business visa now so I will have to do a second post about going from a tourist visa to a business visa. I am happy you found the post useful.
Just to add to Shaun’s comment about the Bogota DAS; the DAS office in Medellin will not normally allow residents to enter either. My girlfriend asked very nicely and was allowed to enter once but was also denied twice. They do, however, speak English.
I’d also add that if you do go over your 180 days you’ll get a fine (around $150) and you’ll need to go back to DAS to pay it before you leave. I’ve heard of people being turned away at the airport because they haven’t paid the fine. They are fairly relaxed if you go over by up to 30 days but then things can get a bit hairy (and expensive).
With regards to photocopies, photos, etc; there is a really helpful place about 100m past DAS (on the left) called Gesticol. They do everything very cheaply. I’ve used them 3 times now and when I went to get my special visa I came out of DAS with a long list of things that I needed but Gesticol did them all in about 15 mins. I’m sure the other places are good too but I can’t vouch for them!!
Joel if you need any help with your visa give me a shout (I’m a friend of Vlad and Albert).
Thanks for the really practical and helpful info Jason. You comment was lost in a bunch of spam comments that I received and I just found it.
DAS office… oh how you will loath that place if your in Colombia very long! lol Things I learned from the 14months I lived in Medellin.
Bogotá: BOG and Medellin are the 2 worst DAS office to visit. Joe was correct, in BOG they won’t let anyone into the office so bringing a local friend isn’t going to help and once inside they hate to talk English (I was actually told that by one guy working there). Nothing you can do about it but on a plus side BOG gives out 60 day extensions more then anyone else. The office is small and it’s a long line usually. Show up right as they open unless you want to spend the whole day there messing around waiting. Do your documents the day before and have everything in order… you don’t want to have to leave and come back!
Medellin: is the 2nd worse place. I have heard all kinds of stories about it, dealt with them 10x at least and each time it’s a 50/50 chance you’ll get someone who is nice and helpful. Expect zero English here as well but at least you can bring a friend in to help you translate.
– You will also need a cell phone or another ID to leave at the counter to enter. They will give you a badge/neckless that you wear while inside the complex and when you leave they will trade it back to you for your ID or cell phone. Remember your passport won’t work because you have to have that to process your paper work.
– Everything you need done for your visa extension you can have done across the street at the DAS office in Medellin; passport photo, copies, some shops will even take your money to the bank and deposit it for you for a small fee which is super easy and nice, as you can sit and have a drink while you wait. I have never been screwed over by this because I wait at the shop where I am at to do it. It’s just another service some people provide that makes life easier for you. Make sure to check that the deposit is stamped by the bank and then you’ll know your good.
– Expect only to get 30 day visa extensions here. Out of all the times I went I only got one 60 day extension. If you speak Spanish you can get 60 days if you ask nicely and smile a lot but don’t expect it.
Best advise is to go to places like Manizales, Santa Marta exc to extended if possible. The people there are more friendly, it will take you less time to get in and out and overall a better experience. These smaller DAS office don’t see as many gringos so they are much happier to help.
– Also note that each year the bank changes as to which one you need to deposit your money into. If you deposit the money into the wrong account, good luck getting it back (unless you have 2 months to kill and speak perfect Spanish). So don’t assume around Jan/Feb time that it’s the same bank, ask first!
– The first time you extend your visa is the worse part. They have to finger print you, run a background check on you and enter your info into the database. You’ll normally be asked to return the next day to pick up your passport for the first time because so. After that, once you renew it’s a pretty straight forward process and they just verify your documents exc and stamp you another 30 or 60 days.
– If they ask you where your airline ticket is my advise is to tell them your going to exit via bus to Ecuador and will purchase it when the time has come (which you should know the date of when you are leaving). I always make up a dummy ticket the first time I go in just because I know they don’t verify it and just want to see something.
– DAS is closed on holidays, which in Colombia it’s pretty much every other Monday, note this when planning on going because you don’t want to wait till your last day to extend only to find out they are closed that day. Also don’t try extending unless it’s a week until expired. I got turned away at the BOG DAS office because I tried to extend 10 days out and the guy was being an asshole and told me I was there to early, even though I called the DAS office before to asked and they said it was fine. In the end, it doesn’t matter who you talk with except the guy at the counter who is doing your paper work. He/She can make life hard for you if they want, so be nice, smile a lot and pray you get a nice person.
– Showing up at the DAS office at 3pm or later is just freaking dumb! By that time of the day the people are stressed out, tired of dealing with people who don’t speak their language and they just want to go home. Hey it’s government work, they don’t care about you, believe me. Be there 15min after they open and I have found that is the best time to go as most of the people are nice still and the line isn’t as long, so you’ll be in and out in no time. Show up at noon and expect to wait 1.5-3hrs.
Wow Troy thanks for taking the time to write this out in such details. I am sure that anyone who stumbles over this post will find your recommendations really helpful. I have only extended my Visa at the Medellin DAS, so I have nothing to compare it to. To be honest, I never had any issues there since I speak spanish. That probably gave me some brownie points. Now I have a business visa which I got to say is the best thing since sliced bread. I check in and out of the country as I like and all I get is warm welcome. Thanks again for your wealth of information my friend – hope to see you back in Medellin soon.
Yesterday we extended our visa in the Barranquilla DAS office. There was very little queue and they gave me and my partner both 90 days (telling us this is now standard) and we were able to pay by credit card in their office. Incredibly smooth process, surprising for Colombia!
Great news Chris. Hopefully this is country wide and not just in Barranquilla.
Just a note for those that need to renew a visa in Barranquilla: They ask for a picture with a white background. Luckily the people at the copy shop told me. I don’t know what they would have done with blue background pictures but the guy I inicially talked to was kind of cranky…
I got my extension today and received 90 days without asking (like Chris said, I think it’s standard). It’s important to speak Spanish but with how lax security is I wouldn’t be surprised if you could bring somebody with you to translate. Overall a smooth, simple process.
Thanks for the tip. It sounds like Barranquilla is the place to get extensions. It’s probably worth a weekend trip to the coast to get renewals done. In the long run it would be cheaper to take the one trip to get a 90 day stamp versus applying 3 times.
Hi! I was wondering if you could help me. Please 🙂
When I arrived in Colombia I was given 90 days. I thought this would be fine however I’ve since realised that my return flight is 91 days. Will this be a problem? Will I need to extend my tourist visa to cover me for the extra day? I arrived in Colombia on the 4th of December and I leave on the 4th of March. I was hoping that because it is exactly 3 months they would count it as 90 days, or am I wrong? HELP!
Sammy – I am not 100% on this rule. I think that when you pass immigration at the airport they have the discretion to be lenient with you for one day. I don’t think that you should extend your visa for that one day. I think that there is a fine that you can pay – assuming that the officer is being a hard ass that day. As far as I know the fine should be less than the cost and pain of applying for an extension for just one day. Let me know what happens.
Hi,
I have a question I was hoping you would be able to answer! I have been in Colombia since December the 13th 2012 and was given a 90 day visit visa on arrival. I renewed my visa for anouther 90 days in March so my visa is until the 9th of March.
I now have to leave the country on the 9th of April to go to the UK. I have booked return flights and will arrive back in Colombia on the 7th of June. As I understand it because I will leave the country in April, I will only have used 120 days of the total 6 months allowed on a visit visa in the calendar year, and so should be granted anouther 60 visa on my return. I asked a guy at the DAS office this and he said that you get 180 days in the year and so I will be able to return, but didn’t seem to sure of himself. Have you come across this? Will I be able to entre and get a further 60 day visa as I will ave an exit stamp showing that I have only had 120 days in Colombia?
Thanks for any advice you have! I can’t find anything on the DAS website and just want to make sure!
Emma – You are legally entitled to 180 days (6 months) each calendar year as a tourist. Meaning your clock gets reset every January 1st. So if you were to leave on April 9th you would have used 99 days (31+28+31+9 days) according to my calculation. As far as I know, you are still legally entitled to 81 more days in the country. You will be able to enter the country and get 60 days since your stamp out will show April 9th which means you you have only used 99 of your days for this year. I think you can even get another 30 day extension after the 60 but you will have to leave in 20 days since you would have used up all 180 at that point. Let me know if this makes sense. But the answer is YES – you will be able to enter.
If anyone else would is following this conversation has something else to offer to Emma please feel free to chime in.
So that everybody knows, currently the cost is 76.850 pesos (July 19, 2013)
Hi,
All this information is great. Thank you.
I just wanted to ask and make sure that all this information is relevant for UK citizens?
Thanks
Harriet
Harriet – I would assume that all of this is relevant for anyone who is required to have a visa in Colombia.
A few comments:
1) As far as I know, 90 days is standard when entering the country. In fact, I once asked for 60 days and the woman at the airport yelled at me “Tourists get 90 days!!!” and slammed her stamp down on my passport.
2) I once got a 120 day extension in Bogota, meaning that I spent 210 consecutive days in Colombia. I went back to the office several times to make sure this was going to be okay and was reassured that it was fine. Still have no idea why they have me 30 extra days.
3) Contrary to what other posters have said, it is certainly possible to enter the Bogota office with residents. My Colombian girlfriend accompanied me to the office to help me with the language barrier and she had no problem getting in. In fact, the guards pay little attention to who enters the office…they generally just ask the purpose of your visit so they can direct you to the correct line and do a cursory bag check.
4) Contrary to what someone said above, 9 am is probably the WORST time to go to the Bogota office. That’s when everyone goes! I once went at 11 am and no one else was there. I went right to the front of the line.
Just to confirm what’s already been written: I got a 90 day extension in Barranquilla without any problems. There was hardly anybody there but the staff. I did have a Spanish speaker with me, so that might have helped. Plus I had all the documents and had paid the 76,850 at Bank de Occidente the day before. They didn’t ask for onward travel evidence.
Another scenario to put out there:
I arrived in Bogota on 18th nov 2013 and given a 90 day visa which I guess would expire on 18th March 2014, today is the 21st March 2014, but the reason I haven’t been to a DAS office yet is because the owner of a hostel I’m volunteering at is adamant that on the 1st jan 2014 my 90 day visa would have reset giving me until 31st march on my initial visa, which i can then extend to the end of June. Does anyone know if this is true, can’t find any info through colombian gov websites, if not I need to get myself to s.marta or barranquilla sharpish. Thanks. Phil
I arrived in Bogota on 18th nov 2013 and given a 90 day visa which I guess would expire on 18th Feb 2014, today is the 20th Feb 2014, but the reason I haven’t been to a DAS office yet is because the owner of a hostel I’m volunteering at is adamant that on the 1st jan 2014 my 90 day visa would have reset giving me until 31st march on my initial visa, which i can then extend to the end of June. Does anyone know if this is true, can’t find any info through colombian gov websites, if not I need to get myself to s.marta or barranquilla sharpish. Thanks. Phil
Phil – Here’s the thing. I would head to the DAS if I were you. The owner of the hostel is correct on one thing. On Jan 1st the clock is reset and you are allowed 180 days for the calendar year to be in the country. However, as far as I know, your visa date is different. If it is expired you have to extend it at the DAS because it doesn’t automatically extend. You can extend the visa to a maximum of 180 days in 2014 but you need to keep the date stamped in the passport up to date. If not, When you are leaving the country if you are have an expired visa you can/will be penalized financially. Does this make sense. Anyone else on this chain can comment but I think that you are required to have a valid visa with the date being in the future.
Hi, I don’t know where your hostel owner got that information from and doubt it is true, you need to contact DAS directly or your embassy.
I have found DAS in Barranquilla to be very friendly and helpful if you can communicate in Spanish.
Hope this helps.
The 180 consecutive days rule no longer exists. It is just 180 days per Calendar year now.
My visa expires 28th of July 2014 but i am receiving a money transfer for the process
But didn’t reach In time so please can I go the next day
i went and renewed my tourist visa last week in Bogotá and it was a bit different than above.
i (already) wrote a little description about it, so here’s the link
http://hunterstanford.com/renewing-a-tourist-visa-in-colombia-2015/