"Tourist" Visa in Colombia, SA

[AndyLee]

A US Citizen holding a valid passport does not need a tourist visa to enter Colombia for up to 60 days. Length of stay is based on your reason for visiting Colombia and often depends on the schedule of your return flights and is in 30 day increments. For example, visiting a 3-day flower show in Medellin with confirmed reservations to return to the US 2 days later might warrant a 30 day stamp in your passport. IN my case, I've entered through Cartagena and Bogota each with 60 day stamps and through Medellin for 30 day stamp.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1090.html
The length of stay granted to travelers is determined by the Colombian immigration officer at the point of entry and will be stamped in your passport. Extensions may be requested by visiting an office of the Colombian immigration authority, known as the Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad, or DAS, after arrival in Colombia.

You can, with proper extensions, stay in Colombia for up to 180 days in any one year. You cannot cross the border to another country then return to Colombia to restart your countdown the way you can in Costa Rica. In Colombia, once your 180 days are up, you have to leave the country until January of the following year. This IS enforced by DAS and the fines, even for 1 day overstay can be enormous. Each 30 day extension costs 45,000 pesos and takes 4 to 8 hours to obtain, based on my experience at DAS in Pereira last year.

AL

[Jeff S]

Do they have a retirement visa like Belize and Mexico?

[AndyLee]

Do they have a retirement visa like Belize and Mexico?

Yes, the Pensionado Visa is actually free for US Citizens........saves us about $175, but for some reason, at the end of the process it sure doesn't feel like I "saved" anything.

[maritime04]

they probly have been cracking down on overstayed visa, colombia has seen allot of gringos coming into the country over the past 5 years.....not like the good old days when you left the country for a week, flew back in and got a new stamp, no questions asked

[AndyLee]

Two updates to the process.......the 30 day extension now costs 72,000 for each 30 days.
Also, please note that DAS does not accept money, they will give you a slip and you go to their bank and make a deposit in their account then take your receipt back to DAS to show you paid the money.