Chinese Expats in Colombia 2026: Visa M, BMI Health & Apostille Guide | CoVisas Colombia

Country Overview

Why Chinese Nationals Move to Colombia

China is Colombia's second-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding USD 14 billion annually. Chinese entrepreneurs, construction engineers, mining professionals, and trade representatives have established growing communities in Bogotá, Barranquilla, and Medellín. Chinese companies have been active in Colombian infrastructure projects (roads, ports), energy, and telecommunications.

Colombia's Pacific Alliance membership makes it a gateway to Latin America's largest economies. Chinese nationals working in finance, import-export, and technology increasingly choose Colombia as their regional base, particularly following Colombia's bilateral agreement granting Chinese nationals simplified visa-free short-stay access. For professional relocation, the Visa M is the standard long-term path.

Embassy in Colombia 🇨🇴

For stays beyond 30 days or work/residence purposes, the Visa M below applies.

Visa M: Long-Term Legal Residence

All categories require: valid Chinese passport, an authorized health plan covering the 7 required areas, apostilled criminal record (无犯罪记录证明) from the Public Security Bureau with apostille (issued within 90 days), income documentation, and certified Spanish translation of all Chinese-language documents. Application fee: USD 255 + USD 232 issuance if approved.

Health Insurance: 7 Required Coverages

China operates a multi-layered health insurance system. Urban employees are covered by the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (城镇职工基本医疗保险), funded by employer (~6–10% of salary) and employee (~2%) contributions, with city-level pooling. Urban and rural residents are covered by the Urban and Rural Resident Basic Medical Insurance (城乡居民基本医疗保险), typically funded by individual premiums plus government subsidies. Benefits include hospitalization, outpatient care, maternity, and essential drugs on the national formulary. Private supplementary insurance is offered by PICC Health, Ping An Health, China Life, and international carriers like Allianz China and AXA Tianping.

Chinese BMI coverage is administered by city-level social insurance bureaus and is strictly territorial — valid only at designated hospitals within China. A Chinese national who relocates to Colombia must obtain health coverage in Colombia. Chinese private international plans may offer partial coverage but Cancillería requires an authorized Colombian plan.

Tax Considerations

There is no double-taxation treaty (DTT) between China and Colombia. SAT (State Administration of Taxation / 国家税务总局) administers Chinese income tax. China taxes tax residents on worldwide income. Tax residency in China is generally established by domicile (户籍) or by residing in China for 183+ days in a tax year. A Chinese national who relocates permanently to Colombia and cancels their Chinese household registration (户籍) or spends fewer than 183 days in China exits China's tax net for most purposes, though Chinese-source income (dividends from Chinese companies, Chinese real estate rental) remains subject to Chinese withholding tax at 10–20%.

Document Legalization — China Joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 2023

China acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention on March 8, 2023, with the Convention entering into force on November 7, 2023. This was a landmark change: prior to 2023, Chinese documents required full legalization through diplomatic channels (notarization → Ministry of Foreign Affairs → Colombian Embassy). Now, apostilles from designated Chinese authorities are accepted directly in Colombia, eliminating the Embassy legalization step.

Competent apostille authorities in China include provincial-level courts, notary offices, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外交部). Criminal record certificates (无犯罪记录证明) are issued by Public Security Bureaus (公安局) at the municipal or provincial level. All documents in Chinese must be translated into Spanish by an official translator authorized by Cancillería Colombia.

1. Obtain 无犯罪记录证明 (Criminal Record Certificate) from the Public Security Bureau (公安局) at the municipal or provincial level where you are registered. Must be issued within 90 days of Visa M application. Processing: 3–7 business days typically.
2. Apostille — Submit the criminal record certificate to the designated apostille authority (provincial court, notary office, or MFA). Since November 2023, this replaces the previous Embassy legalization requirement. Processing: 1–5 business days.
3. Certified Spanish translation — All Chinese-language documents (criminal record, income statements, contracts, birth certificates) must be translated into Spanish by an official translator authorized by the Colombian Cancillería. Translation of Chinese is complex and should be arranged with a certified ZH→ES specialist.