Colombia Student Visa for Australians
How Australians get the Colombia student visa: visa-free entry, DFAT apostilles, the acceptance letter — and why a trip this long deserves real months.
Nobody flies from Australia to Colombia for a long weekend. The distance itself makes the case for doing this properly: enough months, a real program, and a visa that matches the plan. Here is how the student visa works for Australian citizens, from Sydney paperwork to a Medellín classroom.
Entering Colombia with an Australian passport
Australian citizens enter Colombia without a visa for short stays: an entry permit on arrival, normally 90 days, extendable to 180 days within the calendar year. The journey routes through Santiago, or through the US West Coast — long either way, which is precisely why Australians rarely come for less than a season. Verify the current entry rules with official Colombian sources before booking.
When you have flown 15,000 kilometers, stay properly
The tourist window fits a South America loop; it does not fit the deeper plan most Australians arrive with — actually learning Spanish, living in one neighborhood long enough to belong. The type V student visa anchors that plan: a registered program at a licensed school, real tracked study, and a stay that no longer negotiates with the tourist calendar. Our Visa Program runs 40 hours of classes per month, about 10 hours a week, from 1 to 15 months, in Pereira, in Medellín (Laureles) or live online.
| Question | For Australians |
|---|---|
| Visa to enter as a tourist? | No — entry permit on arrival, normally 90 days, extendable to 180 per calendar year |
| Apostilles | Yes where required — issued by DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), before departure |
| The key document | The acceptance letter, issued directly by our licensed school |
| The program behind it | 40 hours of classes per month, CEFR A1 to C1, 1 to 15 months |
| What it costs | From $1,700,000 COP per month, plus government fees set by the authorities |
Paperwork before the long-haul
The application is filed online with the Colombian authorities, so geography does not slow the process itself. What geography punishes is forgotten paperwork: Australian apostilles come from DFAT, and arranging one from the other side of the Pacific is the definition of avoidable pain. Passport, recent bank statements, photos, apostilles and official translations where needed — all packed before the airport.
Every paper, before you fly.
The acceptance letter, issued while you sleep
We are a government-licensed ETDH institution (Resolution 6784 of 2022); our A1-C1 program is registered by Resolution 005093 of 2024 with the Secretaría de Educación Municipal de Pereira and listed in SIET. Reserve a Visa Program with a 15% deposit and the carta de aceptación is issued by the school directly — often literally overnight, given the time difference. PRIMERA15 takes 15% off a first package.
The one honest note about time zones
Colombia sits around 15 hours behind the Australian east coast, so live online classes from home require commitment: our afternoon sessions land in an Australian early morning. Plenty of students do exactly that with a coffee in hand — but for Australians more than anyone, the full-immersion move pays fastest: land, settle in Laureles or Pereira, and study where the language lives.
Australians ask us
Do Australians need a visa to enter Colombia?
Not for short stays: an entry permit on arrival, normally 90 days, extendable to 180 within the calendar year. For a season of real study, the type V student visa is the tool. Confirm current rules with official Colombian sources.
Where do Australian documents get apostilles?
From DFAT, before departure. Arranging apostilles from Colombia across a 15-hour time difference is the expensive way to do it.
Can I do the whole application from Australia?
Yes — the acceptance letter is issued online after a 15% deposit, and the visa application itself is filed online with the Colombian authorities. Distance affects the flight, not the process.
Are online classes realistic from Australia?
They work if you like early mornings — our afternoon classes land around an Australian sunrise. Most Australians prefer to start on campus and let immersion accelerate everything.
From choosing a program to a decision.
A plan for every goal and every schedule
Group classes from $370.000 COP/week, flexible private packages valid for 6 months, and online at the same price. No hidden fees — and 15% off your first package.
Your Spanish starts today (and your first class is free)
Enroll in minutes, pay securely with Wompi and enjoy 15% off your first package. We are waiting for you in Medellín, Pereira or online.