Colombia Student Visa for US Citizens
How Americans move from the 90-day tourist entry to a Colombia student visa: entry rules, apostilles, the acceptance letter and a program that fits.
Americans are the largest group of foreign students in our classrooms, and the path they follow is refreshingly simple. Here is how the Colombia student visa works when you carry a US passport, from the day you land as a tourist to the day study becomes the official reason you stay.
How US citizens enter Colombia
With a US passport you board the plane without any visa at all. At immigration you receive an entry permit, normally 90 days, and you can request an extension that takes you up to 180 days within the same calendar year. Direct flights help: Bogotá and Medellín connect daily with Miami, New York, Atlanta, Houston and Fort Lauderdale, so the trip from most of the East Coast is shorter than crossing your own country. Entry rules evolve, so confirm the current ones with official Colombian sources before you fly.
Where the tourist clock becomes a problem
Six months sounds generous until you are actually living here. Rent a real apartment in Laureles, find your gym, reach the level where Spanish conversations stop being exhausting — and the calendar year runs out with your Spanish halfway done. That is the moment the type V student visa exists for: it anchors your stay to a real study program at a licensed school, and it frees you from counting tourist days altogether.
| Question | For US citizens |
|---|---|
| Visa to enter as a tourist? | No — entry permit on arrival, normally 90 days, extendable to 180 per calendar year |
| When the student visa makes sense | Any plan where Spanish is the point: staying past the tourist ceiling, or anchoring a serious study routine |
| The key document | An acceptance letter issued directly by a licensed school — that is us, no agency in between |
| The program behind it | Our Visa Program: 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 |
Your documents, the American way
The application is filed online with the Colombian authorities, and your file is built around the acceptance letter plus personal documents from home: a valid passport, recent bank statements, photos, and apostilles where required. For state-issued US documents, apostilles come from the Secretary of State of the issuing state; federal documents, like an FBI background summary, go through the US Department of State instead. Either way it is a quick errand while you are still home, and an expensive headache once you are already in Medellín. If a document is not in Spanish, plan for an official translation.
Every paper, in the order you should get them.
The acceptance letter comes straight from the school
Mister Fox Spanish School is a government-licensed ETDH institution (Resolution 6784 of 2022) and our Spanish program, levels A1 to C1, is registered by Resolution 005093 of 2024 with the Secretaría de Educación Municipal de Pereira. Because we are the licensed institution, your carta de aceptación is issued by us directly: reserve your Visa Program with a 15% deposit and the letter gets moving. First package with us? The code PRIMERA15 takes 15% off.
Start from the couch, land ready
Bogotá keeps the same clock all year: it matches New York in winter and sits just one hour behind it during Daylight Saving. For Americans that is the luxury of live online classes with zero jet lag math — a 6 pm class in Medellín is a 6 pm or 7 pm class in New York, never worse. Most of our US students start online while the paperwork moves, then continue in person with the same teachers when they land.
US citizens ask us
Do US citizens need a visa to enter Colombia?
Not for a short stay: Americans receive an entry permit on arrival, normally 90 days, extendable up to 180 days within the calendar year. The type V student visa is for stays anchored to real study beyond that logic. Confirm current rules with official Colombian sources.
How do I get a Colombian student visa from the USA?
You apply online with the Colombian authorities. The anchor of your file is an acceptance letter from a licensed school — we issue ours directly once you reserve a Visa Program with a 15% deposit. Passport, bank statements, photos and apostilled documents complete the file.
Where do I get apostilles for US documents?
State-issued documents get theirs from the Secretary of State of the issuing state; federal documents go through the US Department of State. Do it before you travel — arranging apostilles from Colombia means couriers, delays and unnecessary cost.
Can I start classes before my visa is approved?
Yes. Our online classes are live with the same teachers as on campus, and Colombia sits at most one hour from New York time all year — no jet lag between you and your classroom. Many American students start online from home and continue in person after landing.
How much does studying Spanish in Colombia cost for Americans?
Our Visa Program starts from $1,700,000 COP per month for 40 hours of classes, with programs from 1 to 15 months. Government fees are set by the authorities and come on top. PRIMERA15 takes 15% off your first package.
The step-by-step guide, 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)
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