Colombia Student Visa for Canadians
What Canadians need for the Colombia student visa: visa-free entry, the 2024 apostille change, the acceptance letter and a study plan that escapes winter.
Every January our classrooms gain a few more Canadians, and nobody wonders why: eternal spring in Medellín, coffee country in Pereira, and a currency that stretches. If your plan is longer than a holiday, here is how the student visa works for Canadian citizens — including one recent change that actually made your paperwork easier.
Getting in is the easy part
Canadian citizens enter Colombia without a visa for short stays: an entry permit on arrival, normally 90 days, extendable to a total of 180 days in the calendar year. Toronto and Montreal connect to Bogotá and Medellín with direct or one-stop routes year-round. As always with immigration, confirm the current entry rules with official Colombian sources before booking.
The 2024 change that simplified Canadian files
For years, Canadian documents needed the old chain of authentications because Canada was not part of the Apostille Convention. That changed in January 2024: Canada joined, and Canadian documents now receive a single apostille from Global Affairs Canada or the competent provincial authority, depending on the document. One stamp instead of three offices — get it done while you are still in Canada, because arranging it from abroad is the classic expensive mistake.
| Question | For Canadians |
|---|---|
| Visa to enter as a tourist? | No — entry permit on arrival, normally 90 days, extendable to 180 per calendar year |
| Apostilles | Yes since 2024 — one apostille from Global Affairs Canada or your province, no more chain legalization |
| The key document | An acceptance letter issued directly by our licensed school |
| The program behind it | 40 hours of classes per month, about 10 hours a week, 1 to 15 months, Pereira, Medellín or online |
| What it costs | From $1,700,000 COP per month, plus government fees set by the authorities |
Why Canadians choose the student visa
The tourist ceiling of 180 days per calendar year fits a winter escape, but it fights against the thing most Canadians actually come for: enough continuous months of Spanish to keep it for life. The type V student visa flips the logic. Your stay is anchored to a registered program at a licensed school, your attendance is real and tracked, and the question stops being how long can I stay and becomes which level do I want to reach.
The acceptance letter, without an agency
We are a government-licensed ETDH institution (Resolution 6784 of 2022), with our A1 to C1 Spanish program registered by Resolution 005093 of 2024 before the Secretaría de Educación Municipal de Pereira, listed in SIET. Your carta de aceptación is issued by the school itself: reserve a Visa Program with a 15% deposit and it gets moving. PRIMERA15 gives you 15% off your first package.
Every line item, including the ones we do not control.
Study from Canada first, land fluent-ish
Bogotá sits at most one hour from Eastern Canada all year round, so a live evening class in Medellín is an evening class in Ottawa and only a small shift from Vancouver. Many Canadian students do exactly this: start online in the fall, apply during the paperwork weeks, and land in January already holding B-level conversations while their friends shovel snow.
Canadians ask us
Do Canadians need a visa to visit Colombia?
Not for short stays: Canadians receive an entry permit on arrival, normally 90 days, extendable to 180 within the calendar year. Staying longer with study as your declared purpose is what the type V student visa is for. Confirm the current rules with official Colombian sources.
Do Canadian documents need an apostille for the Colombia student visa?
Yes, where the file requires authenticated documents — and since January 2024 Canada issues true apostilles (Global Affairs Canada or the provincial authority), which replaced the old chain legalization. Get them before you travel.
How do I get the acceptance letter from Canada?
Entirely online: choose your Visa Program, reserve it with a 15% deposit, and the school issues your carta de aceptación directly. We are the licensed institution, so there is no agency between you and the letter.
Can I start Spanish classes from Canada before moving?
Yes — live online classes with the same teachers you will meet on campus, in a time zone that matches Eastern Canada most of the year. Starting online while your application moves is the single best use of the waiting time.
Six quick questions, one honest answer.
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.