Moving to Colombia in 2026: nomad visa, low cost of living and diversity

Article 10 of the Colombian tax statute treats as residents individuals who remain in the country, continuously or not, for more than from 183 days³ within a period of three hundred and sixty-five consecutive days.

Because the reference period is rolling rather than calendar-based, a stay spread over two calendar years can establish residence even if neither year exceeds the threshold. This mechanism needs watching by anyone who alternates stays.

The income tax scale for resident individuals is progressive and peaks at 39%⁴. A Colombian tax resident is taxed on worldwide-source income, which clearly sets Colombia apart from the territorial jurisdictions of the region.

Capital income and occasional gains

Dividends and shareholdings received by foreign companies and entities, as well as by certain individuals, are subject to a special rate set at 20%⁵ by article 245.

So-called occasional gains — a category that includes, in particular, capital gains on the disposal of assets held beyond a certain period, inheritances and gifts — are taxed at a single rate of 15%⁶ for resident individuals.

This single rate therefore covers both the sale of an asset and transfer on death, which makes Colombia markedly lighter than France on transfers, and comparable on disposals.

In addition, there is an annual wealth tax (impuesto al patrimonio), made permanent by Law 2277 of 2022. Under article 294-3 of the tax statute, it applies to individuals whose net wealth — assets minus debts — reaches at least from 72,000⁷ tax value units (UVT) on 1 January, a unit indexed every year. A resident is subject to it on worldwide wealth, a non-resident in principle on assets located in Colombia. The scale is marginal and progressive, with a partial exclusion of the main residence; we do not reproduce the rates, as we have not checked them against an official source.

Corporate income tax is set at 35%⁸ at the general rate, one of the highest in the region.

Sole proprietors, independent professionals and companies held by resident individuals may, below a gross income ceiling, opt for the simplified tax regime (SIMPLE), created in 2018 and made permanent in 2021. It replaces income tax with a single tax on gross income, depending on the activity group, which incorporates the national consumption tax and the municipal industry and commerce tax; VAT remains payable separately. The ceiling and the rates, expressed in UVT and progressive, are not reproduced here.

One correction to this reading is nevertheless necessary: the treaty concluded between France and Colombia allocates the right to tax and provides mechanisms for eliminating double taxation. A pension, French real estate income or a French-source dividend are not governed by the same rule, and Colombian worldwide taxation applies only after this allocation. The analysis therefore starts from the treaty, income by income.

Colombia has formalised a visa for remote workers, entrepreneurs and digital nomads, provided for by article 46 of the visa regulations.

It is intended for the provision of remote work or teleworking services from Colombia, for a maximum duration of up to 2 years⁹.

The applicant must show proof of resources, with a reference amount of around about $1,400¹⁰ per month. This level, far below that of most European nomad visas, explains part of the country's appeal to this population.

The interaction between this visa and taxation must be understood. Its maximum duration far exceeds the tax residence threshold: a holder who stays in the country becomes a resident, and is then taxable on worldwide income, including income paid by a foreign employer.

This is the point most often overlooked by applicants: the Colombian nomad visa does not come with a favourable tax regime, unlike what some competing schemes offer.

The other visa categories — investor, retiree, work — and their respective resource thresholds do not appear in our extracts: they must be verified with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

There is also a residence route through investment, notably in real estate, which grants a permit of longer duration. It targets a different audience from the nomad visa and requires the investment to be registered with the central bank, a condition that overlaps with the repatriation of funds discussed below.

The choice between these routes is not made on the amount required alone: it depends on the intended duration, on the ability to show regular income, and on whether one intends to settle for the long term. A short visa renewed several times often costs more, in paperwork and uncertainty, than a long permit obtained from the outset.

Acquisition by a foreign national is free and requires no prior authorisation. Registration of the foreign investment with the central bank is, however, a decisive formality: it determines whether the proceeds of a later resale can be repatriated.

The market is concentrated in Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena, each with its own dynamics. Medellín has seen strong foreign demand linked to the arrival of remote workers, with noticeable effects on rents in certain neighbourhoods and local tensions over short-term rentals.

Two checks are essential. First, the title deed and its history, in a country where some properties have a complex legal background. Second, the socio-economic stratification, which determines the tariff for household public utilities and is as much a budget item as an indicator of the neighbourhood.

We do not publish registration duties, the property tax (impuesto predial) or the taxation of Colombian rental income: they do not appear in the extracts of the tax statute available to us.

The Colombian cost of living is far below European levels, particularly for services, dining out and labour. It is one of the most favourable gaps among French-speaking expatriation destinations.

We do not publish a typical monthly budget: we have not found an official Colombian series measuring a basket of expenses comparable to that of an expatriate.

Three factors temper this finding. First, imported goods, which are heavily taxed. Then healthcare: the system is of good quality, but enrolment of a foreign national involves procedures, and many take out private coverage. Finally, exchange-rate risk, since income in euros and spending in pesos move independently.

Security, often highlighted, should be treated as a local matter: it varies sharply from one neighbourhood to another within the same city, and it should be assessed at neighbourhood level, not country level.

One last item deserves a provision: altitude and climate shape day-to-day expenses more than people tend to expect. Bogotá, high up and cool all year round, does not have the same energy budget or the same equipment needs as Cartagena, which is tropical and humid, and where air conditioning becomes a permanent expense.

1. Count your days over a rolling three-hundred-and-sixty-five-day window, not by calendar year;
2. obtain the Colombian tax identification number, which is a prerequisite for banking and property transactions;
3. register any foreign investment with the central bank, failing which later repatriation of the funds will be hindered;
4. file the visa application that matches your situation, bearing in mind that the nomad visa carries no tax advantage;
5. deal with your departure from France according to its own criteria and the applicable tax treaty.

The third point is the costliest one to neglect: the investment is registered when the funds enter the country, and it cannot easily be regularised after the fact.

We do not publish processing times for Colombian visas: we have no official source that is both quantified and dated.

• Colombia taxes residents on their worldwide income: it is not a territorial jurisdiction, unlike several of its neighbours.
• The nomad visa, valid for a maximum of up to 2 years⁹, leads automatically to tax residence if you stay on, with no preferential regime attached.
• Residence is assessed over a rolling window, not over the calendar year.
• Registering the foreign investment is a condition for repatriating the funds.
• The Colombian passport gives visa-free access to about 136¹¹: no mobility gain for a European national.

Finally, Colombia illustrates a frequent and poorly understood case: a country that is very attractive for its cost of living and the ease of obtaining a residence permit, but whose personal taxation is anything but a haven. For a remote worker who stays there long term, worldwide taxation at Colombian rates may prove heavier than the one they thought they were leaving behind.