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Short term work in Colombia: technical assistance, service contracts, internships and working holidays

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

Foreign staff sent for a defined project use V (visitor) visas with a work permit limited to the project, entity and role: V Asistencia Técnica for technical assistance to a Colombian company and V Prestador de Servicios for temporary service, works or labour contracts. Both need the Cancillería contract summary form; the services visa also requires the contracting company to show average monthly income of 100 minimum wages (COP 175,090,500, about US$55,445) over six months. Each costs US$194, lasts up to two years, and does not count toward permanent residence; the hiring company must still report the foreigner in SIRE within 15 days.

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

V Asistencia Técnica: maximum stay per 365 days	180 daysResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 49, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
V Prestador de Servicios: employer average monthly income (100 minimum wages)	175090500 COPResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 54, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
V Prestador de Servicios: maximum validity	2 yearsResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 54, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Working holiday visa: maximum age	30 yearsResolución 5477 de 2022 art. 52, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. V Asistencia Técnica. To provide technical assistance to a legal entity in Colombia. Requirements: the company backing documents of art. 32 (motivated letter of the legal representative, foreign company certificate if applicable, three months of bank statements) and the contract summary form signed by the company and the foreigner; the authority may ask for the original contract. Valid up to two years with a maximum stay of 180 calendar days in each 365 days. The work permit covers only the registered activity for the requesting company; no beneficiaries. Exempt nationals do not need this visa for urgent assistance up to 30 days without a Colombian salary.
Cost to do it: US$194 visa fee (about COP 612,640).
Example: A Danish wind turbine specialist services a farm in La Guajira for two months a year over two years under one visa. / US$194 for up to two years.Resolución 5477 de 2022, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Art. 32 and 49, 2022-07-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. V Prestador de Servicios, Obra o Labor. For temporary work under a services, works or labour contract. Requirements: Cancillería contract summary form with start and end dates; employer motivation letter explaining suitability, tasks, training and why a Colombian is not hired; employer bank certificates for the last six months showing average monthly income of 100 minimum wages; apostilled and translated degree or work certificates; health insurance covering Colombia. In mining and energy, the authority checks the mining title with the national mining agency. Valid up to two years, allows beneficiaries, and the work permit covers only the role and entity. Public entities, international organisations and mixed economy companies only need a request letter.
Cost to do it: US$194; employer income test COP 175,090,500 a month (US$55,444.53).
Example: A Bogotá contractor hires a Peruvian welder for an 18 month plant expansion and shows six months of statements averaging COP 175.1 million. / About US$55,445 a month of employer income.Resolución 5477 de 2022, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Art. 54 and par., 2022-07-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. Internships, working holidays and FTA business persons. V Práctica Laboral is for nationals of visa exempt countries doing an apprenticeship or internship contract with a Colombian company, which must take responsibility for social security and departure; up to one year. V Vacaciones y Trabajo is for nationals aged 18 to 30 of countries with a working holiday agreement in force; it gives an open work permit for up to one year, once only, requires average bank balances above five minimum wages for three months (or the agreement limit), and is free of fees when the agreement so provides. V Empresarios TLC covers business persons under free trade agreements.
Cost to do it: Working holiday: free study and issuance where agreed by treaty; otherwise US$194.
Example: Working holiday applicants must show five minimum wages, COP 8,754,525 (US$2,772.23), as average balance. / US$2,772 average balance.Resolución 5477 de 2022 (art. 50, 52 and 53); Resolución 3969 de 2026 (art. 4.1 lit. i), Res. 5477 art. 50, 52, 53; Res. 3969 art. 4.1 lit. i, 2022-07-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. V visas and permanent residence. V visas are for temporary activities without domicile and do not count as time for the R visa, which accumulates only M visa time. A V visa holder from a country that needs a visa cannot switch to M or R inside Colombia.
Cost to do it: No direct cost; a later M visa costs US$260.
Example: An assignee who stays three years on V Prestador de Servicios visas has zero years toward residence. / Plan an M Trabajador visa (US$260) if the person will stay long term.Resolución 5477 de 2022, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Art. 23, 29 par. and 90 (text of Res. 10434 de 2023 art. 76), 2022-07-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

5. Reporting duty of the contracting company. Any person or company that hires, contracts or admits a foreigner in any paid relationship must check the visa and report the start and end of the activity to Migración Colombia in SIRE within 15 calendar days, and must pay return travel within 30 days of termination.
Cost to do it: Late or missing reports: 105.25 to 2,631.30 UVT, COP 5,512,364 to COP 137,811,706 in 2026.
Example: Report the welder in SIRE within 15 days of the contract start date. / Fine range about US$1,746 to US$43,640.Decreto 1067 de 2015; Resolución 2357 de 2020, Migración Colombia, Decreto 1067 art. 2.2.1.11.5.1 (and par. transitorio) and 2.2.1.11.5.7; Res. 2357 art. 3 and 7, 2015-05-26 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Visa	Use	Validity	Work permit	Beneficiaries
V Asistencia Técnica	Technical assistance to a Colombian company	Up to 2 years, max 180 days per 365	Only that activity and company	No
V Prestador de Servicios	Temporary services, works or labour contract	Up to 2 years	Only that role and entity	Yes
V Práctica Laboral	Internship or apprenticeship (exempt nationals)	Up to 1 year	Internship only	No
V Vacaciones y Trabajo	Working holiday under treaty, age 18 to 30	Up to 1 year, once	Open	No
V Empresarios TLC	Business persons under trade agreements	Up to 2 years	Registered services only	Yes

Short term work visas (Resolución 5477 de 2022; fee US$194 each unless a treaty waives it)

Worked example

A Colombian mining company contracts a Chilean geologist for a 20 month exploration project under a service contract.
The company files the contract summary form, a motivation letter and six months of statements averaging at least COP 175,090,500 (about US$55,445); the ministry checks the mining title. The V Prestador de Servicios visa costs US$194 (about COP 612,640).
Within 15 days of the start date the company reports the geologist in SIRE; the geologist registers with Migración and pays COP 294,000 (US$93.10) for the cédula de extranjería, since the visa lasts more than three months.

Step by step

Decide whether the assignment is short term (V) or long term (M Trabajador, which counts toward residence).
Prepare the Cancillería contract summary form and the company motivation letter.
Collect the company bank statements for the required period and the foreigner's apostilled qualifications.
File, pay US$56 study and US$138 issuance.
Report the start in SIRE within 15 days; report the end within 15 days and fund return travel within 30 days.

Common traps

Using a V Asistencia Técnica visa for an ongoing job: stays are capped at 180 days per 365 (art. 49).
Small or new Colombian entities may not meet the 100 minimum wage income test for the services visa (art. 54).
Changing employer or role needs a visa transfer or new visa; the permit is tied to the entity (art. 30 and 105).
Time on V visas never counts toward permanent residence.

Sources

← Business visitors and visa free entry to Colombia: what you can do, for how long and when you need a V visaM Trabajador: the Colombian work visa for employees hired by a local company →