Countries › Colombia › Guide › 8. Immigration › M Inversionista: Colombia's investor visa through direct investment or real estate

M Inversionista: Colombia's investor visa through direct investment or real estate

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

Colombia's investor route is the Visa M Inversionista: foreign direct investment registered with the Banco de la República above 650 minimum wages (over COP 1,138,088,250, about US$360,389), or real estate held solely in the investor's name worth at least 350 minimum wages (COP 612,816,750, about US$194,056) and registered as foreign investment. The visa lasts up to three years, costs US$260, allows family beneficiaries, and must be backed by keeping the investment throughout. Five continuous years on the visa lead to permanent residence; Colombia has no separate fast track golden visa.

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 Inversionista: registered FDI threshold (more than 650 minimum wages)	1138088250 COPResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 79, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
M Inversionista: FDI threshold in USD at TRM 3,157.94	360389.45 USDResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 79, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
M Inversionista: real estate threshold (350 minimum wages)	612816750 COPResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 79, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
M Inversionista: maximum validity	3 yearsResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 79, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
M Inversionista: years before an R visa	5 yearsResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 90, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. Requirements. For a foreigner who has made foreign direct investment or bought real estate in their own name and keeps it during the visa. For direct investment: a communication from the Banco de la República international exchange department showing foreign direct investment registered in the applicant's name for more than 650 minimum wages on the filing date. For real estate: the property title certificate (certificado de tradición y libertad) showing ownership exclusively in the foreigner's name, with a value of at least 350 minimum wages, plus the Banco de la República communication showing registration of the foreign direct investment for the purchase in the applicant's name. Also bank statements for the last three months showing means to stay, and health coverage in Colombia or private insurance.
Cost to do it: Visa US$260 (about COP 821,064). Thresholds: over COP 1,138,088,250 (US$360,389.45) for direct investment; COP 612,816,750 (US$194,055.86) for real estate.
Example: A Chilean investor buys an apartment in Medellín for COP 650 million in their sole name, bringing the funds through the exchange market as foreign investment. / About US$205,830, above the US$194,056 threshold.Resolución 5477 de 2022, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Art. 79 num. 1, 2, 3 and 5, 2022-07-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Keeping the investment and reporting changes. For second and later visas the investor must show the investment or ownership was kept during the whole previous visa. Any change of circumstances relating to the investment must be reported immediately to the visa authority, which will assess whether the visa stays valid; failing to report allows cancellation from the date of the change.
Cost to do it: No fee to report; cancellation bars new visas for 1 to 10 years (art. 116).
Example: Selling the apartment during the visa term must be reported at once. / Same.Resolución 5477 de 2022, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Art. 79 num. 4 and par., 84, 114 num. 12, 2022-07-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. Validity, family and residence. Valid up to three years, with visas for beneficiaries (spouse, permanent partner, dependent children under 25). The visa lapses automatically after more than 180 continuous days abroad within each 365 days. Five years of continuous M Inversionista visas allow an R visa by accumulated time.
Cost to do it: R visa US$239 after five years.
Example: An investor family of four pays four M visas, US$1,040 (COP 3,284,258). / US$1,040.Resolución 5477 de 2022, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Art. 65, 79, 90 (text of Res. 10434 de 2023 art. 76) and 93, 2023-12-28 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Worked example

A US retiree investor wants to live in Cartagena. Option A: buy a property for COP 700 million (US$221,665) solely in their name with the purchase registered as foreign direct investment; option B: invest over COP 1,138,088,250 (US$360,389) in a Colombian company.
With option A, the investor files the title certificate, the Banco de la República communication, three months of bank statements and health insurance, and pays US$260.
The investor keeps the property for five continuous years with renewals before expiry and then applies for an R visa (US$239).

Step by step

Decide between registered direct investment (company) and real estate.
Make sure the investment is registered with the Banco de la República as foreign direct investment in the investor's own name, since the visa file needs the bank's communication.
For property, take title solely in the investor's name and obtain a recent title certificate.
File online with the Banco de la República communication, statements and insurance.
Register with Migración within 15 days; renew before expiry; report any sale.

Common traps

Property held jointly with a spouse or through a company does not meet the sole ownership test (art. 79 num. 2).
Investments not registered with the Banco de la República in the investor's own name fail the visa test (art. 79 num. 1 and 2).
The threshold is measured in minimum wages on the filing date, so it rises every January with the wage.
The FDI route requires more than 650 minimum wages, not exactly 650.

Sources

← M Socio o Propietario: the Colombian visa for founders and shareholdersM Profesional Independiente: the Colombian visa for self employed professionals →