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Bringing family to Colombia: beneficiary visas, spouses of Colombians and the 2026 family unity decree

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

Holders of most M, R and some V visas can request beneficiary visas for a spouse, permanent partner and children under 25 who depend on them; beneficiary visas end with the main visa and do not allow work. Foreign spouses and partners of Colombians, and parents of Colombian children, have their own M visas with an open work permit and faster residence: three years for spouses and two for parents of Colombians, against five for partners. Decreto 989 de 2026 (in force 6 August 2026) extended the family unity principle to dependent parents over 60 of Colombians and of M or R holders; the visa resolution has not yet been updated to match.

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

Maximum age of dependent child beneficiaries	25 yearsResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 93, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Years on M Cónyuge (spouse of a Colombian) before an R visa	3 yearsResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 90, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Years on M visa as parent of a Colombian before an R visa	2 yearsResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 90, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Family unity decree: minimum age of dependent parents covered	60 yearsDecreto 989 de 2026 art. 3, as of 2026-10-27 · in force, implementation pending

The rule

1. Beneficiary visas. Beneficiaries are the spouse, permanent partner and children under 25 who depend economically on the main visa holder, or older children with a qualified disability preventing independence. Requirements: copy of the main holder's visa; civil records proving the relationship (apostilled and translated if foreign); a letter from the holder requesting the visa and assuming financial responsibility including health coverage; and six months of bank averages or an employment certificate showing sufficient income. A beneficiary visa cannot outlast the main visa, ends automatically when a child turns 25, stops depending on the holder, or the main visa ends, and does not allow work.
Cost to do it: Each beneficiary pays the visa fee of the type issued (US$194 V, US$260 M, US$239 R).
Example: An executive on an M Trabajador visa adds a spouse and two children aged 12 and 22. / Three M visas, US$780 (COP 2,463,193).Resolución 5477 de 2022, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Art. 93 and par. 1 and 2; art. 110, 2022-07-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Spouse or partner of a Colombian. The M Cónyuge visa (up to three years) requires the Colombian marriage registration issued in the last three months, a request letter from the Colombian spouse stating effective cohabitation, a notarised power of attorney and immigration movement certificates for both. The M Compañero(a) Permanente visa (up to one year) requires the union to have been formalised more than one year before the application. Both grant an open work permit. The Colombian spouse or partner must report the end of the relationship, which terminates the visa early.
Cost to do it: Visa US$260; immigration movement certificates COP 89,000 each (US$28.18, Res. 0599 de 2026).
Example: A foreign spouse of a Colombian gets an M Cónyuge visa and can take any job without employer sponsorship. / US$260 plus about US$56 for two movement certificates.Resolución 5477 de 2022, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Art. 67, 68, 81 and 109, 2022-07-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. Parents of Colombian children. The M visa for a parent of a Colombian by birth (up to three years, open work permit) requires the child's Colombian birth registration, a request letter, the visa the parent held at the time of birth, immigration movement certificates and six months of bank averages. Where both parents are foreign, the child is Colombian by birth only if a parent was domiciled in Colombia at birth, which is proved by having held a visa allowing settlement for three continuous years.
Cost to do it: Visa US$260.
Example: Two foreign managers on M visas for three continuous years have a baby in Bogotá: the child can be registered as Colombian. / Same.Resolución 5477 de 2022 (art. 70); Ley 2332 de 2023 (art. 4), Res. 5477 art. 70 and par.; Ley 2332 art. 3 num. 1 lit. a and art. 4, 2023-09-25 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. Family unity decree of 2026. Decreto 989 de 2026 (published 5 August 2026, in force 6 August 2026) added to Decreto 1067 de 2015 a right to family unity for foreigners linked to a Colombian or to an M or R visa holder: children under 18, dependent children aged 18 to 25, children with a certified disability, dependent parents over 60, parents of minor Colombian children and parents with a certified disability, plus the spouse or permanent partner. It does not apply to V visa holders or temporary special permits, does not limit state discretion, and orders the competent entities to adopt implementing rules; as of the verification date the visa resolution's beneficiary article still lists only spouse, partner and children.
Cost to do it: No fee set by the decree.
Example: An M Trabajador holder whose 65 year old dependent mother wants to join them should watch for Cancillería implementing rules. / Same.Decreto 989 de 2026, Presidencia de la República and Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Art. 3 (adding art. 2.2.1.11.10 to 2.2.1.11.10.4 to Decreto 1067 de 2015), art. 4 and 5, 2026-08-04 official text · verified 2026-10-27 · changed: New in August 2026: Decreto 989 de 2026 extends family unity to dependent parents over 60 and other relatives of Colombians and M or R visa holders; implementation by Cancillería is pending.

5. Minors. Applications for minors require proof of parentage and a written request from both parents (or those with parental authority) naming who will care for the child in Colombia. Foreign children aged seven or older with visas over three months need a minors' cédula de extranjería.
Cost to do it: Cédula COP 294,000 (US$93.10) per child aged seven or more.
Example: Two children aged 8 and 5: one cédula needed now, the second at age seven. / US$93.10 now.Resolución 5477 de 2022 (art. 25); Decreto 1067 de 2015 (art. 2.2.1.11.4.4), Res. 5477 art. 25; Decreto 1067 art. 2.2.1.11.4.4, 2022-07-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Route	Validity	Work	Years to R visa
Beneficiary of a visa holder	Up to the main visa	No	Follows the main holder; as R beneficiary, 5
M Cónyuge (spouse of Colombian)	Up to 3 years	Open	3
M Compañero(a) Permanente	Up to 1 year	Open	5
M Parent of Colombian by birth	Up to 3 years	Open	2
M Parent or child of Colombian by adoption	Up to 3 years	Not stated	2

Family routes (Resolución 5477 de 2022)

Worked example

A French executive on an M Trabajador visa brings a spouse and a 23 year old student son who depends on them.
Both qualify as beneficiaries. The executive files a letter assuming costs and six months of payslips; each visa costs US$260 (EUR 200 in the euro zone).
The son's visa ends automatically at 25; before then he must obtain his own visa (for example a student or worker visa). The spouse cannot work on the beneficiary visa.

Step by step

List family members and check ages and dependency.
Obtain apostilled civil records and translations.
File beneficiary visas after the main visa is issued.
Register each family member aged seven or more with Migración and obtain cédulas within 15 days.
Plan new visas before children turn 25.

Common traps

Beneficiaries cannot work; a working spouse needs their own visa (art. 93 par. 2).
Children's visas end at 25 automatically (art. 93 par. 1).
Partner visas need a union formalised more than a year before filing (art. 68).
Do not rely on the 2026 family unity decree for parents until Cancillería issues implementing rules.

Sources

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