Visitor (V) visa — Tourism: Chinese citizen in China → Colombia
Chinese citizens need a Visitor (V) visa for tourism in Colombia — applied for online through the Cancillería's visa system — unless they hold a residence permit for the US or a Schengen state, or a US or Schengen visa still valid at least 180 days on the day they enter Colombia.
Colombia's Visitor (V) visa for leisure, tourism or cultural interest (Resolución 5477 de 2022, Artículo 34) — valid up to one year, multiple entries, with an authorised stay of 90 days extendable to a maximum of 180 days per 365-day period. Applied for online through the Cancillería's visa system.
- Validity
- Up to one (1) year (Vigencia: Hasta un (1) año)
- Entries
- Multiple entries and transits (all Colombian visa types permit multiple entries)
- Max stay per visit
- 90 days, extendable by another 90 — non-extendable once 180 days are reached within 365 days of the visa's issue
When to start
Start 45 days–2 months before your travel date.
Colombia's exemption list does not include China for ordinary passports, so you need a visa for tourism. One big exception applies: you can enter visa-free (short stay) if you hold a valid residence permit for the United States or a Schengen-area state, or a US or Schengen visa with at least 180 days of validity left when you enter Colombia.
Collect the documents for the V Turismo visa: passport, a letter explaining your visit, bank statements for the last six months, an all-risk health-insurance policy covering your whole stay in Colombia, and round-trip ticket reservations.
Complete the electronic visa application form online — nationalities that are not visa-exempt must apply online. You will need a photo (3x4 cm, colour, white background, JPG, max 300 KB) and your supporting documents as PDFs (max 5 MB in total).
After you submit the form and documents, the platform generates a payment reference — pay the visa study fee within the next 10 calendar days (USD 56 in most of the world; 44 euros in Europe and Cuba) or the application lapses. This fee is not refundable.
Once the application is complete and the study fee is paid, the Visa and Immigration Authority has up to 30 calendar days to issue its decision; it can take longer if other entities must be consulted.
If the visa is authorised, pay the issuance fee (USD 82 for V Turismo; 63 euros in Europe and Cuba) within 10 calendar days — otherwise the application is treated as withdrawn. The whole process continues online unless the Visa Authority asks you to present documents in person.
What you'll need
- Valid passport (6 months + free pages) — A passport, travel document or Laissez Passer valid at least six (6) months at the time of application, in good condition and with free pages; include a copy of the main page with your personal data. ✓ verified
- Electronic visa application form — The visa application form completed electronically on the Cancillería website (SITAC). ✓ verified
- Digital photo (white background, ≤ 300 KB) — A recent colour digital photo with a white background — face front-on with neutral expression, sharp and well resolved, JPG, no larger than 300 KB. ✓ verified
- Letter explaining your visit — A written communication identifying you fully and explaining the activity you plan to carry out in Colombia — details, participants, duration, schedule and locations. ✓ verified
- Bank statements (last 6 months) — Bank statements for the six (6) months before the application showing monthly income of at least ten (10) Colombian legal monthly minimum wages (smlmv) — from you and/or the person inviting you. ✓ verified
- All-risk health-insurance policy — A health-insurance policy with coverage in Colombia against all risks — accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalisation, death or repatriation — for the time you plan to stay. ✓ verified
- Round-trip ticket reservation — A reservation of tickets into and out of Colombia; at entry the border authority will also ask you to show you hold an outbound ticket. ✓ verified
- Host invitation (only if invited) — If a Colombian host (or a foreign holder of a Permanent Resident (R) visa) invites you: their signed and fingerprinted written request with contact details, the relationship, and their assumption of financial responsibility for your trip and stay. ✓ verified·
Where you'll apply
You apply online in the Cancillería's electronic visa system from China; the process continues online, and you only present documents in person (at the Visa Office in Bogotá or the Colombian consulate serving your area) if the Visa Authority requires it by email.
Apply on the official site (tramitesmre.cancilleria.gov.co) →
Fees
| Visa study fee (all V-visa applicants) | USD 56 |
| Visa issuance fee — V Turismo | USD 82 |
Gotchas to watch
- If you hold a US or Schengen residence permit, or a US/Schengen visa valid at least 180 days at entry, you do not need a Colombian visa for a short tourist stay.
- The V Turismo visa does not allow you to work in Colombia.
- You can stay 90 days, extendable by another 90 — but never more than 180 days in the 365 days counted from the visa's issue date.
- The study fee is not refundable and paying it does not guarantee the visa will be granted.
- A visa does not guarantee entry — at the border, migration officers make the final decision and will ask for your outbound ticket.
