If you live in Colombia on a permanent resident visa issued under the old rules, you have until 31 October 2026 to transfer it to the current visa system. Colombia’s Foreign Ministry (Cancillería) set the date in Resolution 9316 of 2024 and confirmed it on 24 March 2026.
Apply online with the Visa Authority before 31 October 2026. The ministry says the transfer is mandatory and is a requirement for your cédula de extranjería, the foreigner ID card issued by Migración Colombia. Gathering the documents takes time, so start now.
Who has to do it
The transfer is for holders of a Residente Permanente visa granted under the regulations that applied before the current visa system, set up by Resolution 5477 of 2022. If your resident visa was issued under the current system, this deadline doesn’t apply to you.
The transfer moves an existing status into the current format. It isn’t a new residence application.
How the deadline came about
- 2022Resolution 5477 introduces the current visa system and a window to transfer old permanent resident visas.
- 2024Resolution 9316 extends that window to 31 October 2026.
- 24 March 2026The Cancillería reminds residents that the transfer is mandatory and sets out the deadline again.
- 31 October 2026Last day to transfer.
The documents you need
According to the Cancillería, a transfer request needs:
- The general requirements for any visa application.
- A copy of the visa you’re transferring and of your cédula de extranjería.
- A certificate of your migration movements (certificado de movimientos migratorios) from Migración Colombia.
- A document that shows the activity you carry out in Colombia.
- A letter explaining why you’re requesting the transfer.
The safe-conduct (salvoconducto) is no longer required. If your visa was issued before 2000 and you can’t produce the activity document, you can file a sworn letter explaining why, with an extended migration certificate covering the year your visa was issued and your most recent cédula.
It comes from Migración Colombia, not the Cancillería, so it’s a separate request. Get it before you open the visa application.
How to apply
The whole process is online, with the Visa Authority, on the Cancillería’s visa platform: go to cancilleria.gov.co, then Trámites y Servicios, then Visa. The ministry recommends applying yourself, without intermediaries, to protect your personal data.
The March announcement doesn’t state the cost. Check the current fees on the Cancillería’s visa page before you pay.
If you miss the deadline
The ministry hasn’t said publicly what happens on 1 November. What it has said is that the transfer is mandatory and that you need it for your cédula. Without a valid cédula, everyday things get hard: bank accounts, leases, health cover. The deadline was already extended once, so don’t count on a second extension.
Your other Colombian limits
Residents still have day limits to watch. A Migrant (M) visa ends if you spend more than 180 continuous days outside Colombia within any 365 days, and a Resident (R) visa lapses after two years away. You also become a Colombian tax resident after more than 183 days in any 365-day period, counting the days you arrive and leave. See Colombia’s rules for the full detail and official sources.
How Noverstay helps
Noverstay logs the country you’re in each day and counts both sides of life in Colombia: the days you’re away in a row, against your visa’s absence limit, and your days in the country, against the 183-day tax threshold. It warns you before either limit, so a long trip home doesn’t cost you your residence.
Sources
Not legal or tax advice. Rules change; check the official sources above or a qualified adviser.
