Retiring in Colombia: Pensioner Visa, Pension Required, Tax on a French Pension and Access to Healthcare

The 90-day visa-free stay, extendable by 90 days, suits a first scouting trip. To settle, the retiree applies to the Cancillería for a suitable visa, online, before departure; resolution 5477 of 2022 defines the categories.

• M pensioner visa: reserved for foreigners who receive a pension paid by a State or by a private pension fund. The Cancillería assesses each application on the strength of the pension certification provided.
• V rentier visa: for periodic and variable income from a lawful source of at least 10 minimum wages a month (about €4,710), with a health policy; valid for up to two years, with no work authorisation.
• M visas for partners or investors: for those who invest in a company in Colombia, with minimum amounts expressed in minimum wages.

The guide to living in Colombia details the cédula de extranjería, arrival formalities and host cities, and the retirement insurance abroad page gathers the social protection benchmarks.

The pensioner visa requires a certification that recognises the monthly payment of a lifetime pension of at least three minimum wages, or COP 5,252,715 at the minimum wage of COP 1,750,905 in force since 1 January 2026 (about €1,413 at the CLEISS rate). It comes from a competent entity, or from the diplomatic or consular mission of the country that granted the pension.

• Criminal record: certificate from the countries of residence over the last three years, with apostille or legalisation and an official translation.
• Medical certificate: a certificate of psychophysical fitness issued by a Colombian medical authority or one from the country of origin.
• Health: proof of cover in Colombia, or of a policy valid across the territory against all risks: accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalisation, death and repatriation, for the length of the planned stay.
• Documents in French: certifications and bank statements may be presented without apostille or official translation when written in an official language of the Organization of American States, which includes French.
• Fees: resolution 3969 of 2026 sets €200 for an M visa requested from the euro area (€44 for processing and €156 for issuance), or USD 260 in the rest of the world.

The visa lasts up to three years and does not allow work in Colombia. Its holder can apply for visas for their beneficiaries: spouse or permanent partner, children under 25 and dependent disabled children.

The M pensioner visa lets you accumulate time towards the resident (R) visa: at least five years as the holder of valid M visas. The file includes copies of the successive visas, a certificate of immigration movements from Migración Colombia, a letter explaining the source of income and a copy of the cédula de extranjería. The authority may check the applicant’s compliance with social security obligations, and seniority does not guarantee that the R visa is granted automatically (article 90).

The cédula de extranjería is requested within 15 calendar days of entering Colombia or of the visa being issued locally. The checklist for the first 90 days helps you put the formalities in order.

• Payment: the pension is paid into a bank account in France or abroad by transfer, with possible bank charges. The guide to receiving your pension abroad details the options.
• Life certificate: a retiree living abroad receives a life certificate every year to return, failing which payment may be suspended (Assurance retraite, the French pension fund).
• Address and bank: any change of address or bank details is reported by letter to the regional fund before departure.
• Suspended benefits: the solidarity allowance for older people (Aspa) and the supplementary disability allowance are no longer paid to anyone who moves abroad.

The guide to retirement abroad completes these benchmarks; the S1 form, specific to Europe, is presented in its user guide.

The treaty signed in Bogotá on 25 June 2015 entered into force on 1 January 2022 and applies to income from 1 January 2023 (BOFiP, the French tax authority’s official doctrine). It divides the right to tax between the two countries.

• Private pensions (article 17): pensions and similar remuneration paid to a resident of one State in respect of past employment are taxable only in that State. A retiree who is a Colombian tax resident therefore declares their pension in Colombia; a retiree who remains a French tax resident declares it in France.
• Public pensions (article 18, paragraph 2): pensions paid by a State, a local authority or a public-law entity in respect of services rendered to that State are taxable only in that State, except for a person who is a resident of the other State and holds its nationality without holding that of the first. A former French civil servant of French nationality remains taxed in France.
• Residence: in case of dual residence, article 4 looks to the permanent home, then the centre of vital interests, then habitual abode, then nationality. The DIAN (the Colombian tax authority) treats as resident anyone present for more than 183 calendar days in a period of 365 consecutive days.
• Double taxation: article 22 provides, for France, a tax credit on income taxable in Colombia.

In Colombia, a resident declares worldwide income; pension income and general income are added together before the progressive scale is applied, which starts at 0% up to 1,090 UVT and reaches 39% above 31,000 UVT (DIAN). The combination of resident status, the nature of the pension and the date of departure is specific to each case: tax advice and the French tax administration confirm the treatment before settling in.

The retiree has no automatic scheme. Outside the EU, EEA, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, their healthcare costs are no longer covered by the French Assurance Maladie (national health insurance); they check with the local institution how their care can be covered, join the CFE or take out private insurance. The M pensioner visa does not allow enrolment in the Colombian system, except under a bilateral or multilateral agreement, and requires cover valid in Colombia.

• CFE (retirees’ plan): reserved for holders of a pension from the French basic scheme, with no professional activity, no medical questionnaire and no exclusion possible after enrolment. Cover is immediate if enrolment takes place before departure or within three months of moving; otherwise a waiting period of three months under 45 or six months from 45 applies. Reinstatement in France takes place without delay.
• International first-euro insurance: reimbursement of actual costs within ceilings, direct billing possible in clinics, evacuation and repatriation; the medical questionnaire and prior history determine the exclusions.
• Temporary stays in France: a retiree of the general scheme living outside the EU is reimbursed if they have at least 15 years of contributions in France, through the Cnarefe (the fund for retirees living abroad); spouses are in principle excluded.

See the guide to healthcare reimbursement in Colombia, the guide to retiree health insurance abroad and the guide to the Colombian healthcare system.

A retiree’s budget depends mainly on the city, the housing and the health cover. The minimum wage of COP 1,750,905 a month (about €471) gives a reference scale, and the peso floats: a budget in euros moves with the exchange rate. The official statistics consulted do not rank cities by their appeal to retirees; here are the criteria that matter.

• Altitude: Bogotá lies at about 2,700 metres, where some travellers experience altitude sickness (France Diplomatie, the French foreign ministry); lower-lying cities, such as those on the Caribbean coast, offer other conditions, to be discussed with your doctor.
• Health infrastructure: only the largest cities have facilities able to handle every type of emergency, often private clinics with payment up front. Housing close to a full-service hospital counts for more than a slightly lower rent, especially for an older person.
• Safety and earthquake vigilance: France Diplomatie advice varies by neighbourhood, and vigilance is increased in Pereira, Manizales, Armenia and Cali after the earthquake of 10 August 2026. The guide to living in Colombia summarises them city by city.

Healthcare cost benchmarks can be found in the guide to budgeting for health abroad.