Moving to Spain from Colombia: Your Complete Residency Guide

Everything Colombian citizens need to know about relocating to Spain. Visa pathways, tax planning, and the fast-track to EU citizenship.

Why Colombians Choose Spain

The Colombian community in Spain has grown steadily for decades, creating one of the largest Latin American populations in the country. Roughly 300,000 Colombians hold Spanish residency, with many more having already obtained citizenship. This established community means arriving Colombians find support networks, familiar foods, and cultural touchstones throughout major cities.

Security concerns push many families toward the decision. While Colombia has transformed dramatically since the 1990s, certain professions and income levels still face kidnapping risks, extortion attempts, and general insecurity that Spanish cities simply don’t present. Walking Barcelona at midnight feels unremarkable; the same isn’t true in Bogotá’s wealthier neighborhoods.

Economic opportunity adds another dimension. Colombia’s economy has grown but remains constrained by regional limitations. Spain offers access to the entire EU market. For employment, for business, for investment. A Colombian entrepreneur in Madrid can serve clients across 27 countries without additional paperwork.

The shared language eliminates barriers that complicate moves to other developed nations. Colombians often describe landing in Spain as “coming home to a place they’d never been.” Cultural rhythms align more closely than with the US or UK. Family structures feel familiar. The transition from Colombian life to Spanish life happens faster than most international moves.

Two-Year Citizenship: The Colombian Advantage

Spain offers accelerated citizenship to nationals of former Spanish colonies, and Colombia qualifies. Where most nationalities wait 10 years for naturalization, Colombians can apply after just two years of legal residence.

This transforms the calculation entirely. Two years isn’t a waiting period. It’s a brief investment toward permanent European status. An EU passport opens 27 countries for residence and work. Your children become Europeans. Future generations inherit that mobility. Spain becomes not just destination but gateway.

The citizenship process itself is straightforward for native Spanish speakers. The required DELE A2 language exam feels trivial. You’ll likely score at C1 or C2 levels. The CCSE civics test covers Spanish history, culture, and government: 25 questions with a 60% passing threshold. Most Colombians pass on first attempt with minimal preparation.

Visa Options for Colombian Citizens

Colombians need Schengen visas for tourist visits (90 days within 180-day periods), and residency requires a long-stay visa from Spanish consulates in Colombia. You cannot enter as a tourist and convert to resident status from within Spain.

Digital Nomad Visa

Launched in 2023, Spain’s digital nomad visa has proven popular among Colombian tech workers, designers, and remote professionals. Requirements favor established careers:

• Employment with a non-Spanish company or freelance clients primarily abroad
• Minimum €2,760 monthly income (200% of Spanish minimum wage)
• At least 3 months with current employer or 1 year as self-employed
• University degree or 3+ years professional experience
• Health insurance covering Spain
• Clean criminal record

Initial visa grants one year, renewable for two-year periods. Critically, digital nomad visa holders can access the Beckham Law tax regime. A flat 24% rate on Spanish income versus progressive rates reaching 47%.

Non-Lucrative Visa

For Colombians with passive income. Retirees, investors, or those with accumulated wealth. The visa prohibits Spanish employment:

• €2,400+ monthly from passive sources (investments, pensions, rental income)
• No work authorization in Spain
• Comprehensive private health insurance
• Clean criminal record from Colombia
• No requirement to purchase property

Colombian retirees with dollar-denominated investments or pension income find this path straightforward. After the first renewal (year two), switching to work-authorized residency becomes possible.

Work Visa

Traditional work visas require Spanish employer sponsorship. The company must demonstrate they couldn’t fill the position with EU candidates. A bureaucratic requirement that limits options.

Tech companies and multinationals sometimes sponsor Colombians, especially for roles requiring Spanish language or Latin American market expertise. If you have a concrete job offer, this path works but takes longer than alternatives.

Entrepreneur Visa

For those relocating or starting businesses in Spain. Requirements include detailed business plans, proof of investment capital, and demonstration of economic benefit to Spain. The 2023 Startup Law created simplifyd paths for innovative ventures.

Tax Considerations

Both Colombia and Spain tax residents on worldwide income, creating potential overlap. The bilateral tax treaty addresses most double taxation scenarios, but planning before your move optimizes outcomes.

Spanish Tax Residency

Spain considers you tax resident if you spend 183+ days yearly there, or if your center of economic interests is Spanish. Once resident, Spanish authorities can tax all income. Including Colombian investments, rental properties, and business interests.

Beckham Law Opportunity

Digital nomad visa holders and certain employees can opt into the Beckham Law regime for six years:

• Flat 24% tax rate on Spanish-source income
• Foreign income potentially exempt from Spanish taxation
• Foreign assets excluded from wealth tax calculations
• Must not have been Spanish tax resident in prior 5 years

For Colombians earning from US or international clients, this creates significant savings. Spanish-source income faces the flat rate; foreign income stays outside Spanish taxation entirely.

Colombian Tax Considerations

Colombia taxes residents on worldwide income and continues taxing non-residents on Colombian-source income. Establishing Spanish tax residency doesn’t automatically end Colombian obligations. Colombian rental properties, investments, and business interests continue generating Colombian tax requirements. Though the treaty prevents double taxation on the same income.

Spanish Consulates in Colombia

Visa applications must be submitted in person at the consulate covering your Colombian residence:

• Bogotá Embassy: Calle 94A No. 11A-70, Chicó. Handles Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Meta, Casanare, Boyacá, Huila, Tolima, Caquetá, Amazonas
• Medellín: Calle 15 No. 35-52, El Poblado. Covers Antioquia, Córdoba, Chocó, Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío
• Cali: Calle 6 Norte No. 1-46, Granada. Serves Valle del Cauca, Cauca, Nariño, Putumayo
• Barranquilla: Carrera 54 No. 72-102, Alto Prado. Handles Atlántico, Bolívar, Cesar, Guajira, Magdalena, Sucre, San Andrés
• Cartagena: Honorary consulate for tourist assistance

Bogotá processes the highest volume with corresponding wait times. Often 4-6 weeks for appointments. Smaller consulates may offer faster availability. Book appointments early and gather documents well in advance.

Required Documents

Standard Requirements (All Visas)

• Valid Colombian passport with 1+ year validity
• Completed national visa application form
• Recent photographs meeting specifications
• Private health insurance covering Spain
• Criminal record certificate (Certificado Judicial) from the Policía Nacional
• Proof of accommodation in Spain
• Financial documentation (bank statements, income letters)

Apostilles

Colombian public documents need Hague Convention apostilles from the Ministry of Foreign Relations (Cancillería):

• Birth certificate (registro civil de nacimiento)
• Criminal record certificate
• Marriage certificate if applicable
• University degrees (title and academic transcript)
• Professional certifications

Since both countries use Spanish, most documents don’t require translation. Some consulates may request terminology adjustments for specific forms. Apostilled Colombian documents work directly with Spanish authorities.

Healthcare Access

Spanish healthcare ranks among Europe’s best, with universal coverage for those contributing to social security.

Public System

Once employed or self-employed in Spain and contributing to social security, you receive a Tarjeta Sanitaria granting full public healthcare access. General practitioners, specialists, hospitals, emergency care, and prescriptions (with co-pays) are covered. Quality typically exceeds Colombian EPS systems.

Non-lucrative visa holders without work authorization must maintain private insurance and cannot access the public system initially.

Private Options

Many Colombians maintain private insurance for faster specialist access. Spanish private insurance costs €70-150 monthly for comprehensive coverage. Less than comparable Colombian prepaid plans. Sanitas, Adeslas, and DKV offer extensive networks.

Citizenship Path

Two years of legal residence, then citizenship application. Requirements:

• Two years continuous legal residence
• DELE A2 Spanish exam: Native speakers pass easily at much higher levels
• CCSE civics exam: 25 questions about Spanish history and government
• Clean criminal record
• Proof of integration: Tax records, municipal registration, stable address

Dual Citizenship

Spain allows dual citizenship with Iberoamerican countries. Colombians who naturalize as Spanish citizens retain their Colombian nationality without any renunciation required. You maintain both passports, both sets of rights, both identities.

Frequently Asked Questions

We Handle Everything

The two-year citizenship path makes Spain uniquely attractive for Colombians among European destinations. But navigating visa applications, tax optimization, document preparation, and Spanish bureaucracy takes expertise and time you’d rather spend on your new life.

That’s where Legal Fournier comes in. We don’t just advise. We handle everything. Visa applications, NIE registration, tax planning with both Colombian and Spanish implications, social security enrollment, even finding housing. You tell us where you want to end up; we manage every complex step to get you there.

Our clients don’t stress about appointments, paperwork, or deadlines. They focus on their families, their work, and their new Spanish lives. We handle the bureaucracy that would otherwise consume their first months in Spain.

This guide provides general information about moving from Colombia to Spain. Immigration requirements and tax regulations change regularly. For advice tailored to your specific situation, contact our team for a comprehensive consultation.