Colombia Forum

mtbe
Joined 2015
Posts: 802

5 years ago

Work Visa vs waiting for Residency, then working

5 years ago

Wife and I are moving to Colombia. Will be there in about 6-8 months. Currently in the process of selling condo, selling stuff and storing a few things.

I turned in my notice at work, and they didn't accept it. They want me to continue working part time, which is great! I'm not quite ready to retire yet anyway.

Been married 17 years in the US and we registered our marriage in Colombia back then too.

Question is:

How long does it take to get residency in Colombia for me to be able to legally work there....or at least work FROM there? The actual work would be for international projects.

Is it best to apply for a work visa, with my company being the 'sponser', even though the projects are not in Colombia?

My company has a small office in Bogota (never been...don't know anything about it). They've also asked about transferring me to that office and would like to know how soon I would be able to legally work in Colombia after moving there.

My company HR department is working on this as well....just thought I'd ask around to see if any of you knew the process.

I know there are tax implications and all, and I'll be taking that into consideration if I really want to do this or not.

I just don't know how long it takes to get residency where I wouldn't need a work visa vs just getting a work visa.

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