Colombia Student Visa for UK Citizens
How Brits turn a Colombia trip into a real chapter: visa-free entry, FCDO apostilles, the acceptance letter and a Spanish program built for the student visa.
British travellers have quietly become some of our most committed students: they arrive for the coffee region or the Medellín climate, and they stay for the Spanish. If your UK passport is the one thing you have sorted, here is everything else — entry rules, apostilles from the FCDO, and the student visa that turns months into progress.
Entering Colombia on a UK passport
UK citizens enter Colombia visa-free for short stays: an entry permit at the airport, normally 90 days, extendable up to 180 days in the calendar year. London connects to Bogotá with direct flights, and Medellín or Pereira are a short hop from there. Rules evolve, so check the current position with official Colombian sources before you book anything expensive.
Six months goes faster than you think
A tourist permit suits a season; it does not suit a project. Real Spanish — the kind that survives a Paisa taxi conversation — is a several-month build with a schedule behind it. The type V student visa exists precisely for that: your stay is anchored to a registered program at a licensed school, your study load is real and verifiable, and the tourist calendar stops dictating your plans.
| Question | For UK citizens |
|---|---|
| Visa to enter as a tourist? | No — entry permit on arrival, normally 90 days, extendable to 180 per calendar year |
| Apostilles | Yes for documents that need authentication — issued by the FCDO Legalisation Office, before you leave the UK |
| The key document | An acceptance letter (carta de aceptación) issued directly by our licensed school |
| The program behind it | 40 hours of classes per month, about 10 hours a week, from 1 to 15 months |
| What it costs | From $1,700,000 COP per month, plus government fees set by the authorities |
Paperwork with a London postcode
Your application is filed online with the Colombian authorities. The file is anchored by the acceptance letter and completed with your passport, recent bank statements, photos, and apostilled documents where required — for UK papers, that is the FCDO Legalisation Office. Handle apostilles and any official translations before departure; doing it from Colombia means couriers and lost weeks.
Every paper, in the right order.
A licensed school, not a letter shop
Mister Fox Spanish School holds a government ETDH licence (Resolution 6784 of 2022) and our Spanish program, A1 to C1 on the CEFR, is registered by Resolution 005093 of 2024 with the Secretaría de Educación Municipal de Pereira — you can find us in SIET, the Ministry of Education registry. The carta de aceptación comes from us directly once you reserve your Visa Program with a 15% deposit. First package? PRIMERA15 takes 15% off.
Start in the UK, continue in the Andes
Colombia sits five to six hours behind the UK depending on the season, which turns out to be convenient: a morning class in Medellín is early afternoon in London. Plenty of our British students begin online — same teachers, same method — then land with the basics done and let their first week in Colombia be about arepas rather than the alphabet.
UK citizens ask us
Do British citizens need a visa for Colombia?
Not for a short stay: UK passport holders receive an entry permit on arrival, normally 90 days, extendable to 180 within the calendar year. For a longer stay built around study, the type V student visa is the right tool. Confirm current rules with official Colombian sources.
Where do UK documents get apostilled for a Colombian visa?
At the FCDO Legalisation Office, before you leave the UK. Documents not in Spanish will also need an official translation for your file.
How do I get an acceptance letter from a Colombian school while in the UK?
Online, start to finish: pick a Visa Program, reserve with a 15% deposit, and we issue the carta de aceptación directly — we are the licensed institution, no agency involved.
Can I study online from the UK before my visa is decided?
Yes, and it is the smart move: live classes with the campus teachers, at hours that land comfortably in a UK afternoon or evening. You arrive already conversational instead of starting from zero.
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.