Colombia Visa for Indians - Definitive Guide

Whenever you are planning to visit any foreign country, there are certain formalities that you need to take care of. If you are planning to visit Colombia, you will require a permit or a grant to be able to enter the country.  This kind of permit is what is known as a Colombia visa. With the possession of this visa, you will be able to tour the country, visit your friends and family in Colombia, or even do business or study in the country. There are different kinds of visas for different kinds of purposes. It is an electronic visa that is issued and the validity of the visa varies as per the type of visa and the applicant’s requirements.

At the time of application for Colombia visa, it is important that you ensure that you are eligible for the application. There are certain eligibility criteria that you need to meet to be able to carry on with the application process. Colombia visa process for Indians is an online and offline procedure. You can start with the process with a Colombia visa application online. There are options for an offline procedure as well. The steps for the process are given as follows:

• Online Procedure

1. Visit the official embassy website of Colombia and go to the visa section.
2. Fill out the Colombia visa application form as per the guidelines.
3. Choose a visa category and attach scanned copies of the required documents.
4. Submit the form to the embassy online.
5. Pay the Acknowledgement fees formulated by the Columbia Immigration.
6. Wait for the documents to get verified and approved.
7. You will then be asked to attend an interview for further procedures.

• Offline Procedure

1. You can start by downloading the application form.
2. Choose the visa type that you require.
3. Fill out the visa application form and other documents.
4. You can then collect the required documents.
5. Submit the documents to the Consulate.
6. You will be informed about other requirements if needed.
7. Wait until you get your application approved.
8. After approval, you can then pay the fee and attend the interview.

At the time of filling the form, it is important that you provide the correct information according to the documents that you have provided and the details on your passport. In case any false information is provided which cannot be verified, there are chances that the visa application may get rejected. Such a visa rejection will affect your future applications for visa to Colombia or any other country. Therefore, before applying, you must make sure that you know how to fill the form and what information is appropriate for what section.

After the completion of the application process, you can wait for the approval of the documents and the application form. Another set of fees is paid to the embassy at the time of the interview. This would in the case of an offline permit. The interview is conducted at the Embassy of Columbia, New Delhi. Post-interview, rest of the processing is done, after which the visa will be processed by the Columbia Immigration. Only the approved applications will be later processed to finally obtain permit. 

There are different kinds of visas that are issued to Colombia. The types are based on criteria, mainly the purpose of visit and the duration of stay. The three main categories of the visa are - Visitor, Resident and Migrant. They can be further explained as -

1. Visitor (V)
   It is a temporary type which is issued for several purposes like tourism, transit, business, exchange programs, internship, volunteer work, a medical consultation and others. It is a short term visa which mainly has a validity of about 90 days that may or may not be extendable depending on the purpose. The common types of visas that fall under this category are as follows:
• Tourist visa: This type will allow you to tour the country and even visit your acquaintances living in the country. The validity of the visa is for 90 days and can be extended if there is a reliable purpose for the same.
• Business visa: With this permit, you will be allowed to carry out business activities and other related errands. It requires proper commercial documents and bond with a company in the country.      
2. Resident (R)
   It is a type that provides temporary residency to the applicants in the country. There are different types that comprise this category. It is issued for the applicants who are looking forward to studying for a longer course in Columbia, getting employed in the country, or doing an investment. The validity and the duration of the stay will vary as per the purpose and type of Resident visa.
3. Migrant (M)
   This is a category that comprises all the long term and permanent migration type permits. These are provided to the ones who are willing to attain permanent residency in Colombia. The validity of this visa will normally be a lifetime but it may differ for certain types.

There are different kinds of documents required as per the type of visa. The general Columbia visa requirements for Indian citizens can be listed as follows:

• Online requirements

• An original passport valid for at least 6 months ahead of the date of travel.
• Coloured photographs as per the photo specifications
• Confirmed flight tickets
• Offline requirements

• An original passport valid for at least 6 months ahead of the date of travel.
• Visa application form, completely filled
• Coloured photographs as per the photo specifications
• A cover letter with all the required details
• Confirmed flight tickets
• Proof of accommodation - invitation letter, hotel reservation, etc.
• Proof of sufficient funds - bank statement or any other equivalent document.
• Income Tax Returns proof
• Proof of identification and nationality - PAN card, Adhaar card
• Letter of recommendation from the organisation where the applicant is working.
• Copy of valid older visas (if any) - USA, UK, Schengen, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Chile.

Note: The documents like bank statements, ITR, and other official documents must be translated into Spanish by certified translators and should have an apostille sticker as well if instructed by the Columbia Immigration, Bogota or the Embassy of Columbia, New Delhi. 

• Two copies must be provided
• Photo size: 1.5 inches x 2.5 inches.
• Coloured copy must be provided.
• The face must cover about 60-70% of the frame. 
• Head should well-centred.
• The picture must not be older than 6 months.
• The background must be white
• Neutral expressions
• Glasses are not permitted.
• Headgears are not allowed except for religious reasons.
• Clothing shouldn’t match the background.

The fees for the visa is paid in two parts. The first lot is paid at the time of application form submission and the second lot is to be paid after the approval. The total fee depends on several factors like the type of the visa, the dependency on the embassy, the service charges, and others. The fee may differ based on these factors.

Since the visa to Columbia is an electronic visa, it is quite easy to access the status of the visa processing. In order to check the status, you can visit the embassy website and go to the page of status check and fill out the required details and track where has the processing reached. You can even check when you have to attend the interview and how long will it take for the final E-visa.