Staying in Colombia beyond the initially estimated duration, but less than 90 days

Coming from Ecuador to Colombia, I declared at the .EC exit and .CO immigration offices that I was planning to stay in Colombia for a month.

I'm really liking Colombia and would like to extend my stay to 2 months. Do I need to do/declare anything?

The visa (rather stamp) in my passport doesn't have any visible duration on it (just what appears to be a signature scribble). 2 months is still well short of the 90 consecutive days period. Could I get in trouble (e.g. pay fines) when I leave that I overstayed that estimated duration, e.g. if they made an electronic record in they system?

Best Answer

The unreadable scribble on your passport, however unlikely, is really a number, and most likely it's a "90". When you enter Colombia, you get questioned about your intentions, then you get a stamp, and on that stamp, two scribbles. One is to indicate which of the 9 possible entry reasons applies to you (5 means tourism), a the other scribble is the amount of days, which per default is a "90".

You can renew it once while in Colombia, for 90 more days, for a fee which should be around $30, IIRC. You need to visit a DIAN office and be prepared to spend a whole morning there.

You cannot renew it twice.

If you overstay, be prepared to pay a fine which will be no less than half a minimum salary. Think of $120. It's an administrative sanction, it does not leave legal traces if you want to travel to Colombia again, but renewing is cheaper.

You will not be allowed to enter Colombia if, during the running year, you have already spent 180 days in the country, 180 days being the maximum cumulative amount of days allowed for tourism during a solar year.

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What happens if I stay in Colombia more than 90 days?

In order to extend this stay, a foreigner can leave Colombia for a while or renew his or her tourist visa at a local Migraci\xf3n Colombia office. If you stay in Colombia for more than 180 days, then you will have to pay a fine prior to leaving Colombia.

How many days can a tourist stay in Colombia?

More often than not, the time period is 90 days. If your original permit is due to run out and you want to extend your stay as a tourist that's not a problem. Under Colombian law, you are allowed to remain in Colombia as a tourist for up to 180 days in a calendar year (January 1 to December 31).

How can I stay in Colombia for more than 180 days?

If you want to stay in Colombia more than 180 days in a 365-day period, you need to get a visa. The Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores\u2014also referred to as the Canciller\xeda\u2014in Bogot\xe1 issues all visas. However, you can apply for a visa online or at any Colombian consulate in your home country.

How long can I stay in Colombia without a visa?

U.S. citizens do not need a Colombian visa for a tourist or business stay of 90 days or less or for cumulative stays of 180 days or less per calendar year. Before your 90-day stay expires, you may request an extension of up to 90 additional days from the Colombian immigration authority (Migraci\xf3n Colombia).

How To Extend Your Time In Colombia WITHOUT A Visa! (2020)

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Yender Fonseca, T, Camila Melo, Darren Lawrence