Colombia Student Visa for Dutch Citizens
The Colombia student visa for Dutch citizens: visa-free entry, court-issued apostilles, the acceptance letter and why English alone is not enough here.
Dutch travellers arrive with excellent English and discover, often in the first taxi, that South America politely declines to use it. Spanish is the entry ticket to the continent. Here is how the student visa works for Dutch citizens.
Entering Colombia with a Dutch passport
Amsterdam connects to Bogotá with direct flights, and Medellín or Pereira are one domestic hop away. Airlines usually ask for proof of onward travel at check-in, so keep a return or exit ticket at hand.
Why the Dutch English reflex fails here
In the Netherlands English opens every door; in Colombia it opens a hotel lobby. From the market to your landlord, daily life runs in Spanish, Paisa humor included. Living in the language is the fastest teacher, provided you pair it with structure. Groups of five students at most keep you speaking, a class hour of 55 minutes is spent on the language you will use that same evening, and each level closes with an evaluation and a certificate.
| Question | For Dutch citizens |
|---|---|
| Visa to enter as a tourist? | No: entry permit on arrival, normally 90 days, extendable to 180 per calendar year |
| Apostilles | Yes where required: in the Netherlands, apostilles are issued by the courts (rechtbanken), 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, from 1 to 15 months, in Pereira, Medellín or online |
| What it costs | From $ 1.760.000 per month, plus government fees set by the authorities |
Paperwork before Schiphol
Your application is filed online with the Colombian authorities, built around the acceptance letter plus a valid passport, recent bank statements, photos and apostilled documents where required. Any rechtbank issues the apostille, without a detour through a ministry, and documents not in Spanish need an official translation.
The acceptance letter comes from the school
We are a licensed ETDH institution (Resolution 6784 of 2022); the Spanish program is registered by Resolution 005093 of 2024 with the Secretaría de Educación Municipal de Pereira and listed in SIET. Reserve your Visa Program with a 15% deposit and the school issues your carta de aceptación directly. The letter names you, the program, its duration and its monthly hours, with the school’s registration details. We guide you through the process and answer your questions about the file, while the decision stays with the Colombian authorities. Your first package gets −10% off on selected plans, applied automatically.
Start from the Netherlands
Colombia sits six to seven hours behind the Netherlands depending on the season, so our morning classes land in your afternoon, after work or lectures. A common pattern is a level or two online from home, after the level test on our site, then campus classes at Pereira, Laureles or Belén with the same teachers and the same level record.
This page is not legal advice: check current rules with official Colombian sources, or hand the application to our optional lawyer service (400 USD).
Dutch citizens ask us
Do Dutch citizens 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. The extension is a separate request to Migración Colombia, made before the first permit ends. For a longer stay built around study, the type V student visa applies.
Where do Dutch documents get apostilles?
At the Dutch courts (rechtbanken), and it is far easier before departure than from Colombia, where the same request means couriers and weeks of waiting. Only the documents the file asks to be authenticated need one, so check the list before you send everything you own.
Can I really not get by with English in Colombia?
Outside tourist bubbles, daily life runs in Spanish, which is why immersion here works so well. Pair it with structured classes and the progress compounds quickly. Colombians are patient with learners and speak clearly compared with other accents of the continent.
Can I start classes from the Netherlands first?
Yes: live online classes with the same teachers, at hours that fit an afternoon or evening in the Netherlands, with the same evaluations as on campus. Your online level record carries into the campus group when you arrive, so the classes continue from where you stopped instead of from the alphabet.
Program prices plus the fees the government sets.
A plan for every goal and every schedule
Group classes from $ 420.000 $ 378.000 a week, flexible private packages valid for 6 months and live online at the same price.
Your Spanish starts today (and your first class is free)
Your first package gets −10% off on selected plans, applied automatically. See you in Medellín, Pereira or online.