Japanese Expats in Colombia 2026: Visa M, National Health Insurance & Apostille | CoVisas Colombia

Country Overview

Why Japanese Nationals Are Moving to Colombia

Japan has one of the world's largest Japanese diaspora communities in Latin America, concentrated historically in Brazil and Peru. In recent years, a younger generation of Japanese remote workers, entrepreneurs, and creative professionals has shown growing interest in Colombia, attracted by the country's time zone compatibility with North American clients, its growing technology sector, and a cost of living dramatically lower than Tokyo, Osaka, or Yokohama. Japan's deflationary stagnation and high tax burden on middle-income earners have made the Colombian lifestyle arbitrage increasingly attractive.

Colombia is home to a small but established Japanese community, particularly in Bogotá and Cali, where several Japanese-Colombian commercial alliances operate in automotive distribution, manufacturing, and retail. The Japanese Embassy in Bogotá serves the consular needs of Japanese nationals throughout Colombia and parts of the Andean region.

Embassy / Consulate in Colombia 🇨🇴

Visa M: Long-Term Legal Stay

All categories require: valid Japanese passport, a compliant health plan covering 7 Cancillería-required areas, a 犯罪経歴証明書 (Hanzai Keireki Shōmeisho / Criminal Record Certificate) with Apostille, dated within 90 days, and income documentation. Japanese documents must be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator authorized by the Colombian Cancillería. Application fee: USD 255 + USD 232 issuance if approved.

Health Insurance: 7 Required Coverages

Japan operates a universal health insurance system under the National Health Insurance Act. Every resident of Japan must enroll in one of two tracks: the National Health Insurance (国民健康保険 / Kokumin Kenkō Hoken, NHI), administered by municipalities for the self-employed, freelancers, and those not covered by employer plans; or the Employee Health Insurance (健康保険 / Kenkō Hoken), which covers company employees through the Japan Health Insurance Association (全国健康保険協会 / Kyōkai Kenpō) or company-specific health insurance unions (健康保険組合 / Kenkō Hoken Kumiai). Both systems cover roughly 70% of medical costs, with patients paying a 30% co-pay. The elderly (over 75) are covered by the Late-Stage Elderly Medical Care System (後期高齢者医療制度).

Japanese National Health Insurance and Employee Health Insurance are strictly territorial. When a Japanese national deregisters from the municipal resident register (住民票 / Jūminhyō) upon emigrating from Japan, their NHI or Kenkō Hoken coverage ends. The municipal deregistration (転出届 / Tenshutsu-todoke) must be filed with the local ward or municipal office before departure.

Japanese NHI/Kenkō Hoken has no validity in Colombia. The Cancillería requires a plan from a Colombia-authorized provider covering all 7 areas above.

Tax Considerations

There is no double taxation treaty between Japan and Colombia. Japanese nationals moving to Colombia must manage their tax obligations independently.

Japanese tax residency exit. Japan taxes residents on worldwide income and non-residents only on Japan-source income. A Japanese national who transfers their registered domicile (住所 / jūsho) outside Japan becomes a non-resident for Japanese tax purposes. Japanese non-residents are taxed only on Japanese-source income, typically at withholding rates. The National Tax Agency (国税庁 / Kokuzei-chō / NTA) administers Japanese tax. Japanese nationals who own property or receive dividends from Japanese companies remain subject to Japanese withholding tax (typically 20.42% on dividends) as non-residents.

Document Legalization

Japan joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 1970. Apostilles are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外務省 / Gaimushō) for most documents, and by prefectural governors for documents issued by prefectural authorities. An online Apostille application system is available for certain document types through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Criminal Record Certificates are issued by the National Police Agency through prefectural police headquarters.

犯罪経歴証明書 (Criminal Record Certificate) — Step by Step

1. Request the 犯罪経歴証明書 (Hanzai Keireki Shōmeisho) from the prefectural police headquarters (都道府県警察本部 / Todōfuken Keisatsu Honbu) of the prefecture where you are registered. The application requires a valid Japanese passport and the Jūminhyō (住民票) showing the current address. Cost: JPY 700 per certificate. Processing: 3–5 business days. Must be dated within 90 days. Japanese nationals abroad can apply through the Japanese Embassy in Bogotá.
2. Obtain the Apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外務省 / Gaimushō) — Main Office (Kasumigaseki, Tokyo) or regional offices in Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, and Fukuoka. Online applications accepted for some document types. Cost: free. Processing: same day (in person) to 3 business days (online/postal).
3. Certified Spanish translation. The Japanese Criminal Record Certificate must be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator (traductor oficial / jurado) authorized by the Colombian Cancillería.