🇨🇴 Colombia visa for British citizens
United Kingdom passport holders can enter Colombia visa-free for up to 90 days. No application, no fee, just a passport valid for at least six months.
The verdict
For United Kingdom passport holders specifically
United Kingdom passport holders get 90 days visa-free on arrival in Colombia. This period can be extended once for another 90 days, for a total of 180 days per calendar year. You don't apply for this in advance; it's granted at immigration upon entry.
Most UK citizens get the full 90 days without issue. The most common pitfall is not having proof of onward travel. Immigration officers frequently ask for a return or onward ticket out of Colombia within your intended stay. Failure to produce this can lead to your entry being denied, or at best, a much shorter stay granted than you expected. While there's no official fee for the visa-free entry itself, be prepared to show sufficient funds to support yourself.
Colombia visa, the full picture
Most passport holders get 90 days visa-free in Colombia. That includes citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and the EU. Don't plan on working on that stamp.
Who gets in visa-free and for how long?
If you're from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, or the EU, you usually get 90 days on arrival. This can be extended for another 90 days, but you can't stay longer than 180 days in a calendar year. That's a hard stop. For citizens of many other Latin American countries, it's the same deal.
However, some nationalities will need to apply for a visa beforehand. This typically includes citizens of some African and Asian countries. Check the Colombian embassy or consulate website for your specific nationality if you're not from a visa-exempt country. It's always best to have the official word.
Overstaying your welcome in Colombia
That 90 or 180-day limit is serious business. Overstaying can lead to fines, deportation, and bans on future entry. The daily fine for overstaying is usually around 0.5 minimum daily legal wage per day of overstay. As of early 2024, the minimum wage is around 1,160,000 COP, so that's roughly 19,000 COP per day. It adds up fast.
Also, pay attention to your entry and exit stamps. If you leave Colombia and want to re-enter shortly after, immigration officers might flag it. They want to see you’re not just hopping in and out to reset your 90 days. There's no hard rule on how long you need to be out, but a few weeks is generally safer than a few days.
Working remotely on a tourist stamp: a grey area
Working remotely while on a tourist stamp in Colombia is a legal grey area. Officially, you're meant to be a tourist, not employed within Colombia. However, enforcement is often lax, especially for digital nomads. Most people working online don't encounter issues.
Authorities are more concerned with actual employment within the country or serious visa violations. As long as you're not trying to pass yourself off as a local worker or engaging in illegal activities, you'll likely be fine. Just don't expect to get official work permits or social security benefits on a tourist stamp. That's not what it's for.
What's new with Colombian visas?
Colombia rolled out an eVisa system in late 2023 for some visa categories, aiming to streamline applications. However, for short tourist stays, the visa-free entry for many nationalities remains the primary route. The digital nomad visa is still a separate, more involved process, not something you get by default on arrival.
Fees and requirements can change, so always verify with official Colombian government sources or the nearest consulate before making firm plans. The good news is that for short stays, the process hasn't become more complicated for most nationalities. The most significant change for digital nomads is the ongoing discussion and potential formalisation of remote work visas across Latin America, which Colombia is part of.
How other passports enter Colombia
The rule changes entirely with the document. Open the row that matches yours.