So, you came to Colombia for three months—and suddenly it’s day 85. You’ve got two choices: panic-pack your bags and catch a flight home, or do what seasoned travelers do and extend your stay. And trust me, Colombia makes this easier than you think… if you know the rules.

After living this process more times than I can count, I’m here to walk you through exactly how to stretch those magical 90 days into the full 180 Colombia allows. From the paperwork and PDFs to the pitfalls and pro tips, this is your no-BS guide to staying longer in one of the world’s most addictive destinations.

When you land in Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, or that little Caribbean beach town you swore you’d only visit for a weekend, the stamp in your passport isn’t a visa. It’s a tourist permit. No consulate appointments, no embassy paperwork—just an ink stamp that gives you up to 90 days on arrival.

Here’s the key rule: Colombia lets you stay 180 days in a calendar year as a tourist. That’s January 1 through December 31—not a rolling 12 months. And you can’t just string it together across new years. If you arrive December 15 and try to roll into June, sorry amigo, it won’t fly.

So your reality looks like this: 90 days upfront + one extension for another 90 = max 180 days in a year. After that, you’ll need a real visa or a ticket out.

This is the classic move. Fly to Panama, Ecuador, or Mexico, spend at least 24 hours outside Colombia, and re-enter. Boom—fresh stamp, fresh 90 days.

But here’s the catch: the annual cap still applies. You can’t just border-hop endlessly. Think of it as a reset button for those who like quick trips anyway.

If you’d rather skip the flight and extend from the comfort of your Airbnb couch, Migration Colombia’s website lets you apply for a Permiso Temporal de Permanencia—a 90-day extension.

Here’s what you need:

⚠️ Files must be PDFs under 1 MB. Not JPGs, not screenshots. Colombia loves rules, and this is one they actually enforce.

Once you upload everything, Migration usually replies within 1–2 business days. If approved, you’ll pay about 125,000 pesos (~$30) online with Visa or Mastercard. If you’re from a Schengen country, congratulations—it’s free.

Within a few days, you’ll get a PDF with your shiny new expiration date. Print it, keep it in your passport, and you’re golden for another 90 days.

Let’s be real—sometimes the online system works perfectly, and other times it crashes harder than a night bus in the Andes. If that happens, you’ll need to make an appointment at your nearest Migration office (Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Cartagena, Barranquilla, etc.).

Pro tips from the trenches:

Overstay even one day, and you’re looking at fines starting around 1.3 million pesos (~$325) and climbing past six million. If your permit expires, you’ll also need a salvoconducto (temporary exit permit) to legally leave. That’s another 74,000 pesos plus your fine.

Bottom line? Don’t wing it. Migration Colombia plays nice—until you don’t follow the rules.

Fall in love with Colombia and want to stick around longer? You’ve got options:

The tourist permit is just the gateway drug. If you want a longer love affair with Colombia, visas are your next move.

Colombia gives you 180 days a year as a tourist—no more, no less. Get your paperwork right, apply at the right time, and you’ll enjoy half a year of beaches, mountains, arepas, and maybe even romance without immigration headaches. Miss the details, and you’re looking at fines big enough to fund a weekend in Cartagena.