“My husband and I had questions about our common-law union. Migraciones.co not only guided us through that process but also handled my Type M spouse visa with incredible efficiency. The visa arrived well before the official deadline.”
The Colombia Type M Spouse or Permanent Partner Visa is for foreigners legally married to or in recognized permanent union with a Colombian citizen. It includes an open work permit and provides the fastest track to Colombian permanent residency — just 2 years.
Colombia is one of the few countries in Latin America that gives full immigration recognition to both legal marriage and permanent union (unión marital de hecho). This means that whether you are formally married to your Colombian partner or you have built a shared life without a marriage certificate, the Colombian immigration system treats both relationships equally when it comes to the Type M Spouse Visa.
At Migraciones.co in Medellín, we have extensive experience guiding international couples through every stage of this process — from helping unmarried couples formalize and document their permanent union before a notary, to preparing and submitting a complete, clean visa file to the Cancillería de Colombia. We understand the nuances of cross-border relationships and the documentation challenges they bring.
Key benefits
Work in any legal activity in Colombia without employer restrictions. The Type M Spouse Visa is not tied to any specific company or sector.
Only 2 years with the Type M Spouse Visa to qualify for the Colombian Resident Visa (Type R) — the shortest qualifying period of any visa category in Colombia.
Colombia recognizes both legal marriage and permanent union (unión marital de hecho) for the purposes of this visa. You do not need to be married to qualify.
As a Type M visa holder, your legal residency in Colombia is anchored to your family relationship, providing strong and recognized legal grounds for your stay.
Requirements
The following documents are required by the Cancillería de Colombia for the Type M Spouse or Permanent Partner Visa. Migraciones.co prepares, reviews, and verifies every document before submission.
Important: All foreign documents must be apostilled or consularly legalized and officially translated into Spanish by a certified translator. Migraciones.co coordinates the full document preparation and verification process before submission to the Cancillería de Colombia.
Colombia’s Civil Code formally recognizes unión marital de hecho — a permanent union between two unmarried people who have lived together as a couple for at least 2 continuous years. To be used for immigration purposes, this union must be declared before a Colombian notary (notaría), which produces a public deed (escritura pública) that carries the same legal weight as a marriage certificate for visa applications. This recognition applies regardless of the nationalities of the partners involved.
At Migraciones.co, we regularly guide couples through the entire process: advising on whether the relationship meets the legal threshold, accompanying them to the notary for the declaration, and ensuring the resulting document is correctly formatted and officially translated before the visa application is submitted to the Cancillería de Colombia. If you and your Colombian partner are not married but have been together for at least 2 years, you are very likely eligible for the Type M Spouse Visa via this route.
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“My husband and I had questions about our common-law union. Migraciones.co not only guided us through that process but also handled my Type M spouse visa with incredible efficiency. The visa arrived well before the official deadline.”
FAQ
The Colombia Spouse Visa is a Type M (Migrant) visa issued to foreigners who are legally married to or in a recognized permanent union (unión marital de hecho) with a Colombian citizen. It grants an open work permit and accumulates time toward the Colombian Resident Visa (Type R) after just 2 years — the fastest path to permanent residency in Colombia.
Required documents include: valid passport of the foreign applicant, marriage certificate or proof of permanent union (apostilled and officially translated into Spanish), the Colombian spouse’s ID (cédula de ciudadanía), criminal background check from the applicant’s country of origin (apostilled and translated), passport-style photo, and proof that both parties are currently in the relationship. Migraciones.co prepares and verifies all documents.
Yes. The Type M Spouse Visa includes an open work permit, meaning the visa holder can work in any legal activity in Colombia without restrictions. They are not tied to a specific employer or sector.
The Cancillería de Colombia typically processes the Type M Spouse Visa in 15 to 30 business days. Preparing a complete and well-organized file from the start is the best way to avoid additional requirements that can pause the timeline. Migraciones.co specializes in building complete, clean files for the Cancillería.
Colombia recognizes permanent unions (unión marital de hecho) between unmarried couples who have lived together for at least 2 years and have declared this before a notary. This union is legally equivalent to marriage for immigration purposes. At Migraciones.co, we guide clients through the process of formalizing and documenting the permanent union before submitting the visa application.
With the Type M Spouse Visa, you can apply for the Colombian Resident Visa (Type R) after just 2 years — the fastest path to permanent residency in Colombia. After Type R residency, you are eligible to apply for Colombian nationality by adoption after an additional 2 to 5 years depending on your profile.
At Migraciones.co we guide international couples through every step — from notary declarations for permanent unions to full visa preparation and Cancillería submission. Book a consultation today and get a clear picture of your path forward.
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