October 23, 2026
If you hold a Colombian Resident visa issued before October 21, 2022, the visa transfer in Colombia, known in Spanish as traspaso de visa, is no longer something you can put off. The deadline is October 31, 2026, under Resolution 9316 of 2024 of Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería). It is not only for long-term residents, either: anyone whose passport is renewed, lost or stolen, or whose visa contains an error, must also transfer it.
This guide explains who must do it, what documents the Cancillería asks for, how much it costs in 2026 in Colombian pesos (COP) and US dollars, how long it takes, and what to do if the deadline catches up with you.
Important: October 31, 2026 falls on a Saturday. The Cancillería only treats an application as filed once the study fee is paid (Article 11, Resolution 5477 of 2022). If you have not transferred your visa yet, submit and pay this week, and keep every receipt.
A visa transfer is the procedure in which the holder of a Colombian visa asks the Cancillería to reissue it, under the same nationality used to obtain it, to update its data or move it to a new passport. It is not a new visa: the category and the authorized activities stay the same.
The procedure is governed by Articles 105 and 106 of Resolution 5477 of 2022, the regulation that currently controls every Colombian visa. It is decided by the visa authority: the Visa and Immigration Office of the Cancillería in Bogotá, or the Colombian consulate if you are abroad. Once the visa is reissued, you must apply for a new cédula de extranjería, the foreigner ID card issued by Migración Colombia, the migration control agency.
For Resident visas, whose right of stay is indefinite, the transfer is also how you renew the visa label (etiqueta), which is valid for five years. For other visas, a transfer updates the label but does not extend the visa's validity.
A visa transfer never changes your visa category. If you want to move from one type of visa to another, for example from a visitor visa to a Migrant visa, or from a Migrant visa to a Resident visa, you must file a new visa application with the requirements and fees of the new category.
This is the most common confusion among English-speaking foreigners, because "transfer" sounds like moving to a different visa. In Colombian law, traspaso only means reissuing the same visa. Changing type means a full new application: for instance, a Migrant Visa (Type M) holder who has accumulated the required time applies for a Resident visa, not for a transfer. Choosing the wrong option on the Cancillería platform is one of the mistakes we see most often.
Often yes, but with limits. You can only apply from inside Colombia if your immigration status is regular at the time of filing (Article 8, Resolution 5477 of 2022). And nationals of countries that need a visa for short stays who entered Colombia with a visitor (V) visa cannot switch to a Migrant or Resident visa from within the country (Article 29). Each new category has its own requirements, which we summarize in our guide to Colombia visa requirements. If you are unsure which route applies, a short review with a lawyer before applying saves a non-refundable study fee.
Resident visa holders whose visas were issued under the rules in force before Resolution 5477 of 2022, all residents every five years, and any visa holder who renews, loses or has a passport stolen, has uncorrected typos in the visa, or changes job title, company name or employer. The grounds are listed in Article 105 of that resolution.
This is the group facing the October 31, 2026 deadline. Before 2022, many Colombian Resident visas were issued with indefinite validity, and most holders only renewed their cédula over the years. Article 123 of Resolution 5477 required them to transfer their visas within a transition period. In September 2026, the Cancillería clarified that the obligation applies to Resident visa holders whose label has expired, is about to expire, or was issued with indefinite validity. A typical case: a U.S. retiree who obtained residency in 2014, has renewed the cédula twice and has never returned to the Cancillería. That person must transfer the visa. If you are still evaluating whether you qualify for residency at all, see our guide to the Resident Visa (Type R).
Under the current rules, the Resident visa label is issued for five years. Article 105 requires the holder to request a transfer every five years, at least one month before the label expires. If you became a resident after October 2022, this is the rule that applies to you, not the October 31 deadline.
A new passport is the most common reason for a transfer outside the transition regime. It applies when your passport expires and is renewed, or when it is lost or stolen. The new passport must be valid for at least six months when you apply and have blank pages if the visa is stamped (Article 24). For loss or theft, attach the police report or loss certificate to explain the reason in your letter. Note that a visa can only be transferred to a passport of the same nationality: visas obtained with one nationality cannot be moved to another (Article 24, paragraph 1).
If your visa contains errors and you did not request a correction within 15 calendar days of issuance, you must fix them through a transfer. A transfer also applies when your employer changes its company name but keeps the same tax ID (NIT), when you change position within the same company, or when you need to add another employer related to your authorized activity. In that last case, the new activities must be reported to Migración Colombia and the Ministry of Labor, and the addition does not extend the visa.
The Resident visa for Venezuelans under the Temporary Protection Statute (ETPV) was created by Resolution 5477 of 2022 itself, so those visas are not covered by the October 31 transition deadline; the five-year rule and the general grounds apply. Venezuelans holding a Resident visa issued before October 21, 2022 must meet the deadline. Cases involving expired passports or visas obtained with the Temporary Protection Permit (PPT) have special rules and should be reviewed before filing.
The deadline is October 31, 2026. It was set by Article 3 of Resolution 9316 of 2024, which extended the original two-year period in Article 123 of Resolution 5477 of 2022. It only applies to residents whose visas were granted under previous regulations; everyone else follows the five-year rule.
| Date | What happened | Regulation |
|---|---|---|
| July 22, 2022 | New visa regulation issued | Resolution 5477 of 2022 |
| October 21, 2022 | It takes effect; the two-year transition period starts | Art. 123, Res. 5477 |
| October 21, 2024 | Original deadline (never applied) | Art. 123, Res. 5477 |
| September 30, 2024 | Deadline extended; safe-conduct (salvoconducto) requirement removed | Resolution 9316 of 2024 |
| March 24 and September 15, 2026 | Cancillería reminds the deadline and clarifies who must comply | Official announcements |
| October 31, 2026 (Saturday) | Transition deadline expires | Art. 3, Res. 9316 of 2024 |
As of this update, no new extension has been announced. The regulation says holders must "carry out" the transfer by that date, and the Cancillería has not clarified whether filing is enough or the transfer must be approved. Our advice is practical: if you have not done it, submit a complete application and pay the study fee before October 31, and keep your application number and payment receipt. Do not wait for the last weekend, when the platform tends to get congested.
The regulation sets the date but does not expressly say what happens to those who miss it, and the Cancillería has not announced an official consequence or a new extension. The practical effect is clear: without the transfer, Migración Colombia will not issue your new cédula de extranjería. The prudent step is to file as soon as possible and document your case.
The Cancillería has stated that the transfer is an essential requirement to update the Resident visa label and for Migración Colombia to issue the cédula. That consequence is certain, and it matters. With an expired cédula, residents run into problems opening or keeping bank accounts, signing leases and property deeds, enrolling in the health system, updating employment records or applying for Colombian nationality.
We do not recommend assuming your residency is lost, nor assuming nothing will happen. If you missed the deadline, take these steps:
Is your Resident visa older than 2022 and the deadline is days away? An incorrectly filed application gets rejected and costs you time you do not have. Our immigration lawyers in Colombia review your documents, draft your letter and file the transfer with you, in English. Message us on WhatsApp at .
Under Article 106 of Resolution 5477 of 2022, as amended by Resolution 9316 of 2024, you must meet the general requirements for any visa and submit a copy of your visa and cédula, a migration movements certificate, a document proving your activity in Colombia and a letter stating the reason for the transfer.
| Requirement | Where to get it | Common pitfall |
|---|---|---|
| Online form, digital photo and copy of a valid passport (general requirements, Art. 24) | Cancillería visa platform | White background photo under 300 KB; passport valid for at least six months |
| Copy of the visa to be transferred and of your cédula de extranjería | Your personal documents | Scan both sides of the cédula and the full visa label, legibly |
| Migration movements certificate (certificado de movimientos migratorios) | Migración Colombia, online | Must be issued no more than three months before filing (Art. 20) |
| Proof of your activity in Colombia | Employer, Chamber of Commerce, pension fund, school, as applicable | It must match the activity you declare on the form |
| Letter stating the reason for the transfer | You write it (Spanish is recommended) | Cite the specific ground in Art. 105, not a generic explanation |
All documents are uploaded as PDF files. Documents issued abroad must be apostilled or legalized and, if not in Spanish, officially translated (Article 21). Resolution 9316 of 2024 removed the safe-conduct (salvoconducto) requirement for Resident visa transfers.
Many long-term residents no longer have a copy of the original visa. The paragraph of Article 106 lets them replace it with a sworn letter explaining why they cannot provide it, plus an extended migration movements certificate covering the year the visa was issued and the last cédula issued to them in Colombia. Request the extended certificate early: it is usually the slowest document in these cases.
The transfer is filed online on the Cancillería visa platform: choose the "traspaso" option, upload your documents and pay the study fee within ten days. The Cancillería decides within up to 30 calendar days; if approved, you pay the issuance fee and then apply for your cédula at Migración Colombia.
There is only one official channel: the Cancillería visa platform at tramitesmre.cancilleria.gov.co. No appointment is needed and you do not have to visit an office; the Cancillería recommends applying directly and personally to prevent fraud. The authority may still ask for original documents or an interview (Articles 8 and 19). The platform is in Spanish, so these are the terms you will see:
| Spanish term on the platform | What it means |
|---|---|
| Traspaso | Visa transfer. The option you must select |
| Solicitud de visa | New visa application. Do not choose it for a transfer |
| Oficina en Bogotá | The Bogotá visa office, for applicants inside Colombia |
| Tasa de estudio / Expedición | Study fee / issuance fee, the two payment stages |
| Requerimiento | Request for additional or corrected documents |
| Inadmitida / Negada | Rejected for incomplete documents / denied on the merits |
| Certificado de movimientos migratorios | Migration movements certificate from Migración Colombia |
If you are abroad, you file on the same platform but address the application to the Colombian consulate of your country of residence, and pay the fees there in US dollars or euros. You will still need to be in Colombia to obtain your new cédula.
In 2026 a visa transfer costs US$112 at the Cancillería: US$56 for the study and US$56 for issuance (Resolution 3969 of 2026). Paid in Colombia between September and December 2026, that is COP 192,080 per stage, COP 384,160 in total. The migration certificate and the new cédula are paid separately.
| Item | Regulation | Cost paid in Colombia (Sep.–Dec. 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer study fee | Res. 3969 of 2026 (US$56) | COP 192,080 |
| Transfer issuance fee | Res. 3969 of 2026 (US$56) | COP 192,080 |
| Migration movements certificate | Res. 0599 of 2026, Migración Colombia | COP 89,000 |
| Cédula de extranjería | Res. 0599 of 2026, Migración Colombia | COP 294,000 |
| Estimated total of official fees | COP 767,160 (about US$224) |
Peso amounts are based on the exchange rate the Cancillería sets every four months: COP 3,430 per US dollar for September to December 2026 (Resolution 12176 of 2026). A new rate will apply from January 1, 2027. Applicants abroad pay at the consulate: €88 in the eurozone and US$112 elsewhere. Fees exclude stamp tax where applicable, translations, apostilles and additional certificates. The study fee is non-refundable, even if the application is rejected or denied.
The Cancillería has up to 30 calendar days to decide, counted from when the application is complete and paid. It can take longer if other agencies must be consulted or documents are requested. Migración Colombia then issues the cédula in about ten business days from payment.
Total time depends on three things: filing a complete application from the start, how fast you answer document requests, and platform congestion, which peaks in the weeks before October 31. You must keep a regular immigration status while the application is under review (Article 13).
| Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing a new Resident visa instead of "Traspaso" | You are asked for new-visa requirements and may lose the study fee | Check the option before paying |
| Not paying the study fee within ten days | Application considered withdrawn | Pay the same day you get the reference |
| Certificates older than three months | Document request or rejection | Request certificates right before filing |
| Generic letter without a legal ground | Request for clarification | Cite the specific ground in Art. 105 |
| Passport valid for less than six months | Rejection | Renew your passport first |
| Not checking the registered email | Missed deadlines for requests or payments | Use an email you check daily |
| Not applying for the cédula afterwards | You still lack an updated ID | Start the cédula as soon as the visa is issued |
Hiring a lawyer is not mandatory: the transfer is a personal online procedure. If your case is complex, choose a licensed Colombian attorney who specializes in immigration, gives you a written engagement with clear fees, communicates in your language and never promises to "speed up" the Cancillería.
Searches for the "best agencies" or "companies that offer visa transfer services" return many intermediaries. Use these criteria to separate them:
Affirma Law is a Colombian law firm with a dedicated immigration practice. For visa transfers we review whether you are required to transfer and under which ground, check your documents and draft the reason letter or sworn statement, file with you and follow up on document requests, and design a strategy for missed deadlines, pre-2000 visas or inconsistent migration records. We also support companies relocating employees to Colombia that need to update several residents at once. Consultations are virtual and in English.
For Migrant and Visitor visas, no: a transfer updates data or the passport but keeps the original validity, and adding an employer does not extend it either. For Resident visas, whose right of stay is indefinite, the transfer renews the visa label, which is valid for five years and must be renewed again before it expires.
Yes. All visa applications are filed on the Cancillería platform, and applicants outside Colombia address them to the consulate of their country of residence, paying US$112 in total, or €88 in the eurozone. You will need to be in Colombia afterwards to obtain your new cédula de extranjería at Migración Colombia.
Each person with a visa has their own label. If your spouse or children hold Resident visas as beneficiaries issued before October 21, 2022, review each one separately and file every transfer that applies. Each dependent aged seven or older also needs an updated cédula de extranjería after the transfer.
No. A transfer only works with the same nationality used to obtain the visa. Paragraph 1 of Article 24 of Resolution 5477 of 2022 states that visas obtained with one nationality cannot be transferred to another. If you want to use your other passport, you need to evaluate a new visa application with a lawyer.
A rejection (inadmisión) means the application did not meet requirements or formalities, not that your residency was denied. Read the reason in the email you received, correct the documents and file again, paying a new study fee. If your visa is denied on the merits, see our guide on what to do if your visa is denied in Colombia.
Yes. Once your visa is reissued, you must renew your cédula de extranjería at Migración Colombia. The process starts online, costs COP 294,000 in 2026 and ends with an in-person appointment. Do it as soon as you receive the visa: immigration rules set a short window to register after issuance.
A visa transfer in Colombia is a short procedure when it is well prepared, and a long problem when it is left for the last weekend. If your Resident visa predates October 2022, you renewed your passport, or you are unsure whether you are required to transfer, act before the platform gets congested or your cédula expires.
Our immigration lawyers in Colombia review your case, prepare your documents and guide you until you have your visa and your new cédula. Book your consultation, message us on WhatsApp at , or tell us about your case. We attend clients in English.
Follow us on Facebook as: Affirmalegal, on Instagram as: @Affirmalegal and on TikTok as: @affirma_legal
Reviewed by the immigration law team at Affirma Law.
Our mission is to forge a path of trust and excellence in the legal field. We are a team of lawyers and high level professionals, united to create a firm that represents our core values: Honesty, Commitment to the Client, Effectiveness, Security and Experience.
