[Fractal]

Hello fellow forum members,

During my stay in Medellin I have meet several people who would be interested in obtaining the Colombian TP-7 Investment Visa which gives the right to stay for 5 years in Colombia. Therefore I have decided to become a specialist in this area.

One might ask why someone should need a Colombian visa. Here are some valid points:
-With a visa you can obtain a cedula (Colombian ID)
-With a cedula you can open a Colombian bank account and could lead to establishing a credit history in Colombia
-Your bank and other assets in Colombia will be denominated in Colombian pesos not US Dollars
-You can pay bills on line with a Colombian bank account
-You can stay in country for up to 365 days per year if you wish
-You may save on travel costs as tourist visas are typically only good for 60-90 days and 180 days per year, perhaps forcing you to make extra flights out of Colombia
-TP-7 Visa qualifies you for a public Health Care in Colombia.
-Visa is the key to obtaining a Colombian Passport. It takes five years to obtain permanent residency with a Special Temporal Visa. After five years of having a TP-7 visa this can be converted to a resident visa, which is good for five more years. After 10 Years in Colombia it is possible to apply for citizenship and a passport.

There are several options to appy for investor visa.
1. Property Investment: purchase real estate or make an investment in a corporation of 650 x minimum wage which today is about $150,000 USD will get you a five year investors visa
2. Property Investment: purchase real estate at 350 x minimum wage or about $88,000 USD and receive a TP-7 Temporary Investors visa which needs an annual renewal and can go permanent in five years
3. Business Investment: purchase or invest 100 x minimum wage or about $25,000 USD in a corporation and receive the TP-7 visa above.

Happy to discuss!

[Yeti]

Thanks for this info. How much might one pay for the TB-7 investor's visa, including lawyer's fees?

Is it possible to do business in Colombia (invest in property, run a business) on just a regular visitor's visa?

Is there any penalty for overstaying one's visitor's visa?

[Onto]

According to this site the TP-7 visa is a Pension visa and the resident investor visa is $200,000. The Pension visa seems to be the way to go.

http://www.colombiavisas.com/gov-docs/Ty...Visas.html

[Fractal]

(07-01-2015 06:28 PM)Onto Wrote:  

According to this site the TP-7 visa is a Pension visa and the resident investor visa is $200,000. The Pension visa seems to be the way to go.

http://www.colombiavisas.com/gov-docs/Ty...Visas.html

You are right, there are 2 types of TP-7 visa. But I am not talking about pension visa, (I assume the guys in this forum are not that old yet) but about Business Owner or Associate (Socio Propietario Visa) - TP7 visa

I quote from your link: Partner or Owner of a Commercial Establishment or Corporation in Colombia Visa. To meet this requirement you must purchase shares in a corporation or own a business outright that shows your investment to be equal to or greater than 100 minimum salaries. For the year 2012 that is 57 million pesos or more per person. This option has a lower requirement than an investor visa, but it is another form of investing in Colombia. Additional Services offered by our company set up SAS, SA, and Sole Proprietor businesses for foreigners and Colombians.

[Onto]

(07-01-2015 09:06 PM)Fractal Wrote:  

(07-01-2015 06:28 PM)Onto Wrote:  

According to this site the TP-7 visa is a Pension visa and the resident investor visa is $200,000. The Pension visa seems to be the way to go.

http://www.colombiavisas.com/gov-docs/Ty...Visas.html

I am talking not about pension visa, (I assume the guys in this forum are not that old yet) but about Business Owner or Associate (Socio Propietario Visa) - TP7

I quote from your link: Partner or Owner of a Commercial Establishment or Corporation in Colombia Visa. To meet this requirement you must purchase shares in a corporation or own a business outright that shows your investment to be equal to or greater than 100 minimum salaries. For the year 2012 that is 57 million pesos or more per person. This option has a lower requirement than an investor visa, but it is another form of investing in Colombia. Additional Services offered by our company set up SAS, SA, and Sole Proprietor businesses for foreigners and Colombians.

Geez, I didn't notice there was a TP-7 and a TP7. Thanks for pointing that out. My eyes are getting old. I wonder how old you have to be to qualify for the Pension visa? I didn't see anything on that site that mentioned it.

[Fractal]

(07-01-2015 05:49 PM)Yeti Wrote:  

Thanks for this info. How much might one pay for the TB-7 investor's visa, including lawyer's fees?

Is it possible to do business in Colombia (invest in property, run a business) on just a regular visitor's visa?

Is there any penalty for overstaying one's visitor's visa?

Thanks for feedback Yeti. You need to invest around $ 25.000 USD It might cost you 1-2% to open a brokerage account to be able to invest here.

You need to distinguish between buying property and investing in Colombia.
Buying property requires $150,000 USD with option one and $ 88,000 USD
Investing is another thing. When you invest you participate as a Business Owner or Associate and this qualifies you for a $ 25,000 USD investment TB-7 visa.

Regarding overstaying ones visitor visa. The internet is saying that in 2013 the fine was between 300,000 and 4,000,000 COP depending how long you overstaying.

I have contacts in a solid investment company who might help to invest $ 25,000 USD into real estate commercial property.

[samsamsam]

So all you need to do is invest it, right?

If you lose your 25k, you still have fully addressed the requirements, right?

[Sherman]

If buying $25,000 of stocks on the Colombian stock exchange qualifies you for a visa, Colombian oil companies may be a good buy to hold for the long term. Would holding Colombian government bonds also qualify? The issue here is how to find the maximally safe investment in a foreign country. Not an easy thing to do.

[scotian]

Another option to get a Colombian visa would be to marry a Colombian woman or have a child with one and be registered as the birth father, I would say that the option the OP has presented here would be the easiest and least stressful of the three.

[Phoenix]

(07-01-2015 10:22 PM)samsamsam Wrote:  

So all you need to do is invest it, right?

If you lose your 25k, you still have fully addressed the requirements, right?

Until it comes time to renew the investor visa. Your business will have to report each year (and the renewal will likely need 'going concern' accounts proof), and if your 'business' has spent all of its money on partying, it won't make capital thresholds anymore.

[Fractal]

(07-01-2015 10:22 PM)samsamsam Wrote:  

So all you need to do is invest it, right?

If you lose your 25k, you still have fully addressed the requirements, right?

You will need to take at valuation of your business and if it less than 25k say 24.5k, you will need to invest into business another 500 USD.

(07-01-2015 11:12 PM)Sherman Wrote:  

If buying $25,000 of stocks on the Colombian stock exchange qualifies you for a visa, Colombian oil companies may be a good buy to hold for the long term. Would holding Colombian government bonds also qualify? The issue here is how to find the maximally safe investment in a foreign country. Not an easy thing to do.

As far as I know buying stocks and bonds does not qualify you for Business Owner or Associate (Socio Propietario Visa) - TP7 visa. It may qualify you for Resident Investor Visa but in this case you need to invest USD 200k. The easiest way is to be a partner in a real estate project and invest USD 25k. PM me for more info

[Phoenix]

(07-02-2015 06:45 AM)Fractal Wrote:  

The easiest way is to be a partner in a real estate project and invest USD 25k.

Or just buy an existing cafe or bar (or something else easy) worth more than the threshold right?

[FoxRocks]

Is the public health system any good? That could be a major benefit to going this route.

Dealing with health insurance seems like a major stumbling block to a nomadic lifestyle and this could be one of the more effective ways to solve that problem.

[Fractal]

(07-02-2015 11:41 AM)FoxRocks Wrote:  

Is the public health system any good? That could be a major benefit to going this route.

Dealing with health insurance seems like a major stumbling block to a nomadic lifestyle and this could be one of the more effective ways to solve that problem.

In Medellin the health care is good. One of best south american hospitals is located here.

[Fractal]

(07-02-2015 07:55 AM)Phoenix Wrote:  

(07-02-2015 06:45 AM)Fractal Wrote:  

The easiest way is to be a partner in a real estate project and invest USD 25k.

Or just buy an existing cafe or bar (or something else easy) worth more than the threshold right?

Depending on the legal structure of your partnership. You will need to clarify legal details as well as find a solid a reliable partner or an organization. You can also became an associate in a company which invest an manages commercial real estate.

[LINUX]

Can you buy a house for 60k and put 28k into fixing it up or do you have buy it for 88k?

[Sherman]

You can get a TP-7 rentista visa if you can show income of greater than 15 times the minimum wage which is about $3660/month. You could do that if you were, for example, a consultant programmer who could work at home. Note the below website is old and says 10x minimum, but the Colombian Gov website says 15 x minimum.

It is good for one year, and can be accumulated to obtain residence in 5 years.


Foreigner with a Monthly Financial Income (Rentista)

This is another temporary (non-resident visa) and it would be best suited for people with a stable monthly income that comes from qualified sources.

Proof of your monthly income can be:

•A certificate issued by a public entity, bank, financial company, social security institution, insurance company or any other private enterprise recognized by the respective government, that shows the applicant receives a monthly income of 10 minimum Colombian monthly salaries (around USD 3,300 in 2012).

•A contract with your employer showing you are earning a salary that is not less than 10 Colombian minimum monthly salaries.

Holders of a Rentista visa can invest and work without restrictions, provided that they don't work in regulated professions (i.e. law, medicine, architecture, etc).

http://www.internationalman.com/articles...bia-part-3

Office Colombia Government Website
https://www.gobiernoenlinea.gov.co/web/g.../maximized

Another website
http://globalcolombia.co/es/visa-de-rentista/

[Fractal]

(07-02-2015 07:00 PM)LINUX Wrote:  

Can you buy a house for 60k and put 28k into fixing it up or do you have buy it for 88k?

Linux, you will need to by a property worth ca 85,000 USD

[not_dead_yet]

(07-01-2015 09:17 PM)Fractal Wrote:  

When you invest you participate as a Business Owner or Associate and this qualifies you for a $ 25,000 USD investment TB-7 visa.

...

I have contacts in a solid investment company who might help to invest $ 25,000 USD into real estate commercial property.

Does anyone have any advice for a U.S. citizen looking to find business opportunities for investment in Colombia that aren't total bullshit?