How to Extend Your Tourist Visa in Colombia (2026 Guide)

Last verified: September 2026. Immigration rules move fast — always double-check fees and deadlines on Migración Colombia's official site before you apply.

Your 90-day stamp is ticking down and you're nowhere near ready to leave Colombia. The good news hasn't changed: extending your tourist visa in Colombia is still possible once, entirely online, for a lot less hassle (and cash) than a border run to Quito or Panama City. Here's exactly how to extend your Colombia tourist visa in 2026 — including a fee change and a couple of corrections since we last checked this guide.

Quick answer: Most visa-exempt tourists get 90 days on arrival and can extend once, online, for up to 90 more — but never past 180 total days in a calendar year. The 2026 extension fee is COP 150,000 (about $48 USD), free for Ecuadorian and EU/Schengen citizens, and you must apply at least 5 business days before your stamp expires.

What changed since our last update: The extension fee is now COP 150,000 for 2026 under Resolución 0599 de 2026. Migración Colombia's own announcement describes this as part of an average ~5.1% CPI-linked increase across its 2026 fee schedule as a whole — we could not independently verify this specific fee's own prior-year amount from a primary source, so we're not restating one here. We've also tightened the timing guidance (the official rule is a 5-business-day-before-expiry deadline, not a fixed "10-15 day window"), updated the processing-time estimate to the official ~3 business days, and replaced the old flat "$150 overstay fine" with the real UVT-based penalty structure below — that figure was outdated and significantly understated the real cost of overstaying.

How Long Can You Stay in Colombia as a Tourist?

Most visa-exempt travelers — Americans, Canadians, most of the EU, Australians, and others — get a 90-day entry stamp for free at the border, with no paperwork required in advance. You can extend that once, for up to 90 additional days, through the Permiso Temporal de Permanencia (PTP). Migración Colombia caps total time in the country at 180 days per calendar year (January 1 to December 31), no matter how many times you enter and exit.

The math is simple: 90 days on entry plus a 90-day extension equals 180 days, your annual ceiling. There's no second extension once you've used the first — the calendar-year cap makes a second one pointless anyway.

How Do I Apply for a Colombia Tourist Visa Extension?

The entire process runs online through Migración Colombia's portal. You do not need to visit an office in person for a standard tourist extension. The flow:

1. Go to Migración Colombia's official portal and open Trámites y Servicios → Trámites Generales → Prórroga → Permiso Temporal de Permanencia (PTP).
2. Complete the FUT (Formulario Único de Trámites) with your details exactly as they appear on your passport — every accent mark and second surname matters.
3. Upload your supporting documents as a single combined PDF (checklist below).
4. Pay the fee online by card.
5. Wait for your approval PDF by email, then save it — some bus companies and hotels ask to see it.

Apply early enough that your approval lands before your current stamp expires — don't leave it to the last few days.

What Documents Do I Need to Extend My Colombia Tourist Visa?

Migración Colombia's official guidance calls for the FUT form plus a PDF of your passport or ID and any supporting documents tied to your entry category. In practice, applicants report the smoothest approvals come from having ready:

• A clear scan of your passport bio page
• A clear scan of your Colombia entry stamp page
• A digital passport-style photo (white background)
• A Colombian address (an Airbnb or hotel address works)
• A local phone number
• A card for online payment

Combine everything into one PDF, keep the file small, and use an actual scan or a scanning app with good lighting rather than a phone-camera photo — blurry uploads are one of the most common rejection reasons applicants report.

How Much Does a Colombian Visa Extension Cost?

The PTP/prórroga fee for 2026 is COP 150,000 (roughly $48 USD at September 2026 exchange rates), set by Resolución 0599 de 2026. Migración Colombia's own announcement frames the 2026 fee schedule overall as roughly a 5.1% CPI-linked increase; we could not independently confirm this specific fee's exact prior-year amount, so treat that percentage as schedule-wide context rather than this fee's own year-over-year change. Citizens of Ecuador and the European Union/Schengen area pay nothing. Exchange rates move constantly, so treat the USD figure as an estimate — the peso amount is what Migración Colombia actually charges.

When Should I Apply for My Colombia Visa Extension?

Officially, you must submit your request no later than 5 business days before your current entry stamp expires — miss that window and Migración Colombia expects you to leave the country instead. That's a hard deadline, not a suggestion.

In practice, we'd recommend applying with more buffer — roughly 1-2 weeks ahead — so you have time to fix a rejected document or blurry scan and resubmit before the official cutoff.

What Happens After You Submit Your Application?

Migración Colombia's official processing time is 3 business days after your payment is confirmed. Treat that as the baseline: some applicants in high-volume cities report longer waits during busy periods, so don't cut it close. Check your spam folder for the approval email, and download or screenshot the PDF as soon as it arrives.

What Happens If You Overstay in Colombia?

Overstaying isn't a flat fine — it's a migratory infraction that Migración Colombia sanctions in UVT (Unidad de Valor Tributario), a tax-value unit the government resets every year and that's worth COP 52,374 in 2026. Minor, first-time overstay infractions are generally assessed between 26.31 and 210.50 UVT — roughly COP 1.4 million to COP 11 million (about $440 to $3,500 USD) — with the exact amount set case-by-case by the reviewing officer based on how long you overstayed and the circumstances. Longer or repeated overstays are classified more seriously, with steeper consequences than this range.

Before you can leave the country, you'll typically need to regularize your status at a Migración Colombia office, pay the assessed fine, and get a salvoconducto (exit permit), which carries its own service fee (around COP 88,000 in 2026). None of this runs on a fixed, published day-by-day table, so if you've overstayed, go to an office — or a licensed immigration lawyer — rather than trusting a specific number you saw online. As of September 2026, confirm directly with Migración Colombia before you plan around any figure.

Common Mistakes That Delay or Reject Your Application

• Blurry uploads. A photo taken with your phone flashlight at midnight won't cut it. Use a real scanner or a scanning app with good lighting.
• Multiple separate files. Combine your documents into a single PDF instead of uploading several.
• Browser auto-translate. It can break form fields. Keep the site in Spanish and translate manually if you need to.
• Waiting too long. The 5-business-day cutoff is real. Set a reminder the day you land, not the week your stamp expires.
• Assuming a second extension exists. It doesn't — once you've used your one PTP extension, the 180-day annual cap is your hard limit.

What Are Your Options When You Hit the 180-Day Limit?

Once you've maxed out your 180 days for the year, here's what longer-term Colombia residents typically look at next:

• Digital Nomad Visa: For remote workers who can show consistent monthly income of roughly 3× Colombia's minimum wage — about $1,650-$1,700 USD/month at current exchange rates, since both the minimum wage and the exchange rate move every year. Approved applicants can stay up to two years.
• Student Visa: Enroll in a qualifying program — Spanish-school programs typically need to meet a minimum weekly hour requirement — and combine studying with living in Colombia long-term.
• Investment Visa: Buy Colombian real estate above a threshold tied to the minimum wage, currently in the ballpark of $190,000+ USD. The exact peso threshold (and its dollar equivalent) shifts every year, so confirm the current number with an immigration attorney before making an offer.
• The Marriage Route: Marrying a Colombian citizen opens a path to a spousal visa.

Quick Recap: Extending Your Colombia Tourist Visa in 2026

1. Confirm your stamp's expiry date and set a reminder for at least 2 weeks before.
2. Gather your documents into a single PDF.
3. Apply online through Migración Colombia's portal — no later than 5 business days before expiry.
4. Pay the COP 150,000 fee, or confirm your exemption if you're Ecuadorian or EU/Schengen.
5. Wait for your approval PDF, save it everywhere, and keep exploring.

Immigration rules change. This guide reflects our research as of September 2026, but it isn't legal advice — always confirm current fees, deadlines, and requirements directly on Migración Colombia's official site before you make plans, and talk to a licensed immigration attorney for anything beyond a routine tourist extension.