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M Socio o Propietario: the Colombian visa for founders and shareholders

Last verified: 2026-10-27 · Status: Stable

A foreigner who sets up a Colombian company or buys into an operating company with paid in capital of at least 100 minimum wages (COP 175,090,500, about US$55,445) can obtain a Visa M Socio o Propietario for up to three years. The work permit covers only the company the holder owns, the stake must be kept for the whole term, and shares bought on the secondary market do not qualify. The visa costs US$260, allows family beneficiaries, and after five continuous years leads to permanent residence; renewals require proof the company is active and solvent.

USD figures use the TRM (tasa representativa del mercado) of COP 3,157.94 per US dollar valid on 27 October 2026, from the official TRM series of the Superintendencia Financiera on the national open data portal (datos.gov.co). Peso thresholds use the 2026 minimum wage of COP 1,750,905 (Decreto 1469 de 2025) and fines use the 2026 UVT of COP 52,374 (DIAN Resolución 000238 de 2025). Visa fees are fixed in US dollars or euros; Cancillería sets its own peso conversion rate every four months, so peso amounts for visa fees are orientation only.

Key facts

M Socio o Propietario: minimum paid in capital (100 minimum wages)	175090500 COPResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 75, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
M Socio o Propietario: maximum validity	3 yearsResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 75, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
M Socio o Propietario: years before an R visa	5 yearsResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 90, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. Requirements. For foreigners who have incorporated a company or acquired a stake in the capital of an operating commercial company. The applicant files a letter with the company name, domicile, tax number (NIT), main activity and number of direct jobs; proves incorporation, participation or acquisition of paid in capital, or registration of the foreign investment, of at least 100 minimum wages on the filing date, with bank statements; for share companies, a certificate of shareholding signed by a public accountant stating the paid capital owned by the applicant; for mining and energy companies, the mining title. For second and later visas, proof that the company is active and solvent: bank statements for the last three months, income tax return, social security payments, lease and/or municipal industry and commerce tax receipts.
Cost to do it: Visa US$260 (about COP 821,064); minimum stake COP 175,090,500 (US$55,444.53) at the 2026 minimum wage. Accountant certificate and company incorporation costs extra.
Example: A Mexican founder capitalises a SAS with COP 200 million paid in and registers the investment. / About US$63,333 of paid in capital, above the US$55,445 threshold.Resolución 5477 de 2022, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Art. 75 num. 1 to 5, 2022-07-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Scope and conditions. Valid up to three years, conditional on keeping the stake throughout. The work permit applies only in the company of which the holder is partner, shareholder or owner, and regulated professions still need licensing. Buying shares on the secondary market does not qualify. The holder must report to the visa authority any change in the circumstances that justified the visa, attaching the cédula de extranjería. Failing to report a change allows cancellation from the date of the change.
Cost to do it: No extra fee to report changes; cancellation leads to a 1 to 10 year bar on new visas (art. 116).
Example: A shareholder who sells half the stake below the threshold must notify Cancillería at once. / No direct cost; failure risks cancellation.Resolución 5477 de 2022, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Art. 75 (vigencia, restricciones and par.), 84 and 114 num. 12, 2022-07-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. Path to permanent residence. Five years of continuous M Socio o Propietario visas, each issued before the previous one expires, allow an application for an R visa by accumulated time.
Cost to do it: R visa US$239.
Example: Two visas of three and two years, renewed on time, reach the five year mark. / US$239 for the R visa.Resolución 5477 de 2022, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Art. 90 (text of Res. 10434 de 2023 art. 76) and par. 2, 2023-12-28 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Route	Threshold	COP 2026	USD	Work permit	Years to R
M Socio o Propietario	100 minimum wages of paid in capital	175,090,500	55,444.53	Own company only	5
M Inversionista (FDI)	Over 650 minimum wages registered FDI	over 1,138,088,250	over 360,389.45	Not specified in art. 79	5
M Inversionista (real estate)	350 minimum wages property, registered as FDI	612,816,750	194,055.86	Not specified in art. 79	5

Owner and investor routes compared (Resolución 5477 de 2022; 2026 minimum wage COP 1,750,905; TRM COP 3,157.94)

Worked example

A Spanish entrepreneur forms a SAS in Cali and pays in COP 180 million (US$57,000) from Spain, registering it as foreign direct investment.
A public accountant certifies the shareholding. The M Socio o Propietario visa costs US$260 (Spanish nationals pay no visa fees under Res. 3969 art. 4.1 lit. j).
For renewal three years later, the SAS shows three months of bank statements, its income tax return, social security payments and municipal tax receipts.

Step by step

Incorporate or acquire the stake; pay in capital of at least 100 minimum wages in the applicant's name.
If the stake was funded from abroad, keep the Banco de la República foreign investment registration, which the visa accepts as evidence (art. 75 num. 2).
Obtain the accountant certificate (share companies) and bank statements.
File online, pay fees, register with Migración and get the cédula within 15 days.
Keep the stake and the company active; report changes to Cancillería.

Common traps

Subscribed but unpaid capital does not count; the test is paid in capital owned by the applicant.
Shares bought on the stock exchange secondary market do not qualify (art. 75 par.).
The owner can work only for that company; consulting for other clients needs another visa.
Renewals fail if the company cannot show activity: keep tax returns and payroll in order.

Sources

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