Italian Expats in Colombia 2026: Visa M, Taxes & Health Plan Guide | CoVisas Colombia

Country Overview

Why Italians Are Moving to Colombia

Italy has one of the largest diaspora communities in Latin America, with historic Italian immigration to Colombia reaching peaks in the early 20th century. Today, a new wave of Italian professionals and retirees is drawn to Colombia's favorable peso-euro exchange rate, warm climate, and cultural vibrancy in cities like Cartagena, Bogotá, and Medellín. Italian food culture has found strong resonance in Colombian cities, where Italian restaurants are consistently among the most popular foreign cuisine establishments.

Italian designers, architects, and fashion professionals have established significant presences in Bogotá's creative industries. Italy does not have a double taxation treaty with Colombia, which means Italian nationals must plan carefully when managing income from both countries — particularly for INPS pension income or Italian-sourced investment returns.

Embassy / Consulate in Colombia 🇨🇴

Visa M: Long-Term Legal Stay

All categories require: valid Italian passport, a compliant health plan covering the 7 Cancillería-required areas, a certificato del casellario giudiziale with Apostille within 90 days, and income documentation. Italian documents must be translated into Spanish by a Colombian-certified sworn translator. Application fee: USD 255 + USD 232 issuance if approved.

Health Insurance: 7 Required Coverages

Italy's SSN (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) is a universal public health system, structured at the regional level through ASL (Aziende Sanitarie Locali) offices. Every Italian resident receives a Tessera Sanitaria (health card with integrated fiscal code) that provides access to GP services, specialist referrals, and hospitalization at heavily subsidized rates. The SSN is funded through general taxation (IRPEF). Italy also has a significant private sector — Generali, Unisalute, FASI, and Previmedical among others — commonly used for faster specialist access. SSN coverage requires active Italian residency registration (iscrizione all'anagrafe del comune); EHIC/GHIC covers only EU/EEA countries.

The Tessera Sanitaria, ASL coverage, and Italian private health plans are suspended when you cancel your Italian residency registration. The Colombian Cancillería requires a plan from a Colombia-authorized provider covering all 7 areas above.

Tax Considerations

Italy and Colombia do not have a double taxation convention (CDI). The Agenzia delle Entrate (Italy's tax authority) and DIAN each apply their own domestic rules to determine tax residency and tax liability.

Italian tax residency exit. Italian tax residency is determined by residence in Italy's anagrafe (civil registry), habitual abode in Italy, or "domicilio" in Italy for the majority of the tax year (183 days). To exit Italian tax residency, an Italian national must: cancel their residence from their Italian comune's anagrafe; register with AIRE; and establish effective tax residence abroad. Italy applies a "presumption" rule: Italian nationals who deregister and move to countries with more favorable tax regimes are presumed to remain Italian tax residents unless they prove otherwise — however, Colombia is not classified as a tax haven under Italian law (Decreto Ministeriale 4 maggio 1999), so this presumption does not apply to Colombian relocations.

INPS pension income. Without a CDI, Italian INPS pension income is taxable in both countries under their domestic rules — Italy may apply a reduced withholding, while Colombia applies the new-resident exemption if applicable. Italian retirees receiving INPS pensions in Colombia should obtain a tax advisor's opinion on their specific situation.

Colombian new resident exemption. Colombian Law 2010 of 2019 grants new tax residents a five-year exemption on foreign-sourced income. For an Italian national who exits Italian tax residency cleanly, this provides a meaningful window to accumulate Colombian residence without paying DIAN on Italian-sourced income.

Document Legalization

Italy joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 1978. Apostilles for Italian documents are issued by the Prefettura (for most civil and criminal documents) or the Procura della Repubblica (for judicial documents). Italian documents are in Italian and must be translated into Spanish.

Certificato del Casellario Giudiziale — Step by Step

1. Request the Casellario Giudiziale certificate from the Ministero della Giustizia via the online portal (casellario.giustizia.it), in person at the Procura della Repubblica of your residence, or through the Italian Embassy in Bogotá. The General Certificate (tipo generale) or the Judicial Certificate (tipo giudiziale) may be requested. Must be dated within 90 days.
2. Request the Apostille from the Procura della Repubblica (for court-issued documents) or from the Prefettura-UTG competent for your Italian residence commune. Processing: 5–15 business days. The Italian Embassy in Bogotá can assist with Apostille procedures for Italian nationals abroad.
3. Certified Spanish translation by a sworn translator recognized by Colombia's Ministerio de Educación. Italian documents require full translation. Cost: approximately USD 70–120.