Apply for your cédula de extranjería Colombia within 15 calendar days of entering the country or of your visa being issued in Colombia. At Colombia Desk, we help foreigners settle in Medellín and Bogotá.
The cédula de extranjería is the foreigner identity card issued by Migración Colombia. You complete an online form to generate a 17-digit number, schedule a free in-person appointment at a service center, present your passport and visa, and pay the COP 294,000 fee.
How to Get the Cédula de Extranjería
Apply to Migración Colombia within 15 calendar days of entering Colombia, or of your visa being issued if you were already here. The registration is mandatory, and the first step is the agency’s web portal, before any visit in person. Confirm the current rules with Migración Colombia.
The procedure requires four main actions:
- Fill out the online FUT form on the Migración Colombia portal. Once submitted, the portal issues a unique 17-digit registration number.
- Book a free appointment through the scheduling system. Migración Colombia opens new appointment slots Sunday through Thursday from 17:00.
- Attend your appointment at a migration service center (CFSM). Bring your visa and passport.
- The fee is COP 294,000. The 2026 fee comes from Resolución 0599 of 2026.
How long the physical card takes is not published here, so ask Migración Colombia at your appointment.
The receipt you get at your appointment is called a contraseña. Bancolombia does not accept this receipt to open an account, so plan for the wait.
Who Must Get the Card and Who Is Exempt
Every foreign national age 7 or older holding a Colombian visa with a validity longer than three months must obtain a cédula de extranjería. This applies to both main visa holders and their beneficiaries, as detailed in reply 181428 from Migración Colombia.
Under article 118 of Resolución 5477 of 2022, visa categories are treated differently:
- Must obtain a card: holders and beneficiaries of visas longer than three months, such as the M visa, according to Migración Colombia. Article 118 also lists digital nomad visa holders; verify your own visa class with Migración Colombia.
- Exempt from the card: visitor visas (Turismo, Negocios, Tripulante, Eventos and some courtesy visas).
Holders of M visas, such as those in our retirement visa and investor visa guides, must register. Article 118 also lists the digital nomad visa among those that need the card, so confirm your own visa class with Migración Colombia.
Fees and Card Validity Rules
The fee for the card is COP 294,000 in 2026. A duplicate costs COP 293,000. These charges are distinct from the visa processing costs paid to the ministry of foreign affairs, Cancillería. Under Resolución 3969 of 2026, an M visa costs USD 260 in ministry fees and an R visa USD 239.
The card is valid for the same period as your visa. A resident-visa card is renewed every 5 years. Ask Migración Colombia what applies when your visa is renewed.
Urgent Deadline for Old Permanent Resident Visas
Holders of older permanent resident visas face a firm deadline. According to a press release from Cancillería dated 24 March 2026, holders of old permanent resident visas must transfer (traspaso) the visa before 31 October 2026 to be issued a cédula.
This deadline is close, so verify your status with Cancillería or a Colombian immigration lawyer if you hold an older resident visa.
What the Physical Card Unlocks
Banks generally require a visa and usually a cédula de extranjería, and EPS health plans and lenders ask for it too.
| Feature | Passport Only | Cédula de Extranjería |
|---|---|---|
| Mandatory visa registration | Does not satisfy requirement | Satisfies legal registration |
| Bank accounts | A visa is needed as well; Bancolombia lists a passport or a cédula | Usually expected by banks |
| Digital banking (Nu Colombia) | Not accepted | Accepted, with a Colombian mobile number |
| Public health enrollment (EPS) | Frequently refused in practice | What EPSs work with in practice |
| Colombian mortgage underwriting | No bank mortgage on a passport alone | Lenders ask for it, plus a visa with time left |
Bancolombia’s page, dated December 2023 and so nearly three years old, asks foreign applicants for a visa, a passport or cédula, and a second photo ID, in person with originals, and does not accept the contraseña. Nu Colombia accepts a cédula de ciudadanía, a PPT or a valid cédula de extranjería, and a Colombian mobile number, but not a passport.
Enrollment in an Entidad Promotora de Salud (EPS), Colombia’s contributory public health system, also asks for local ID. Article 2.1.3.5 of Decreto 780 of 2016 lists acceptable identification as a cédula de extranjería, passport, diplomatic card, or safe-conduct permit. In practice, EPS administrators work with the cédula de extranjería. Attempts to enroll with a passport alone are often refused, and refusals have led to legal injunctions (tutelas) to resolve.
Financing property also depends on this status. A legal analysis from Nexo Legal indicates that no Colombian bank underwrites a residential mortgage on a passport alone. Lenders look for a valid card, a visa with meaningful time remaining, and verifiable income. Our cost of living in Colombia guide covers the monthly budget once you are settled.
Comparing Identity Documents for Foreigners
Three documents come up for most visa holders. The table shows what each is used for.
| Document | Issuing Agency | Primary Function | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign Passport | Country of citizenship | Identity at the border | Not accepted by Nu Colombia; a passport alone is often refused by an EPS |
| Contraseña (receipt) | Migración Colombia | Receipt from your appointment | Bancolombia does not accept it to open an account |
| Cédula de Extranjería | Migración Colombia | Identity card for foreign visa holders | Valid as long as the visa |
When to Involve an Immigration Lawyer
Talk to a Colombian immigration lawyer if any of these apply:
- You missed the 15-day application window after landing in Colombia.
- You hold an older permanent resident visa and must process a transfer (traspaso) before the 31 October 2026 cutoff date.
- An EPS rejects your enrollment paperwork or demands documentation not required by Decreto 780 of 2016.
- A commercial bank or credit entity disputes your residency status or refuses valid proof of local identification.
A Colombian lawyer can also advise on a tutela if an EPS refuses you.
Who Does Not Need This Card
The cédula de extranjería is the wrong document to pursue if you plan to visit Colombia for short-term travel. Visitors on a visitor visa are exempt from registration.
Business and events visitors are in the same exempt group. If your stay is brief, your passport stays your identity document.
Our advice would change if the exemption list in Resolución 5477 or the Migración Colombia fee list changes.
Complete Your Colombian Residency Setup
At Colombia Desk, we line up the steps in the right order for movers, from the lawyer to the bank. Our relocation concierge works on your side, so contact us if you want help.
To start, check your 15-day deadline, generate your 17-digit code on the FUT online portal, and book your appointment to receive your cédula de extranjería Colombia.
Once you hold the card, see opening a bank account in Colombia as a foreigner.