禁漫天堂

"...Petro is simultaneously getting rid of

the EPS system."

---

Attribution needed.

cccmedia

When I handled my own visa I had to get police records and other "Garbage". It was a written part of he procedure at the time. I recently applied for a parental visa and was asked for a lot of information that is not listed as needed on the embassy site. The local attorney in Medellin indicated that he had never been asked for that kind of stuff. So it varies and you may get milage from a local helping you.

lpd

Despite it being Oct 22nd today, the link for initiating your visa application online appears not to be working. I guess the beginning of "the first day of your life" (Geno P茅rez, San Gil Colombia influencer) will have to wait until at least Monday.

Origins of famous sayings.

Today is the first day

of the rest of my life,

I wake as a child

To see the world begin...

聽 -- Opening line of the

聽 聽 聽 聽John Denver song Sugacity (1969)

聽 聽 聽 from his Rhymes and Reasons Album

Hello, so Oct 22 has come and gone Any news on digital nomad visa? My concern is that several websites state, 鈥渢he visa is valid for up to 2 years and allows you a stay of up to 180 days a year鈥� which i supposed people are lazily copying and pasting without realizing how it makes no sense. I gather that the visa is available for those who can enter as tourists for up to 180 days and not for nationals who need short-term visa聽 聽Does anyone here actually have the digital nomad visa now?

Hello! So the date has come and gone, and does anyone have the digital nomad visa now? Would love to find out some info!! Thanks

@Gorhan sorhan

I noticed James L. has a new blog post on the digital nomad visa as of November 16th. I assume James L. needs no introduction (or link).

I think James L. is dodging the health insurance issue on his website for first time applicants of M visas under the new resolution. He says you need EPS to renew M visas, regardless of what private insurance you might have, but doesn't touch first time applicants. Of course, Expat Group says to buy a one years policy from Assist Card, but that goes against the long established practice of the gran Qi to recommend a 3 month private policy (Hey Mondo!) until your visa is approved and you secure your c茅dula, followed by the acquisition of EPS.

In any case, we need clarity. James L, are you listening?

This is an excerpt from the Medellin Guru's insurance associate, Angele Berrios dated in September 2022

Migrant Visas (M)

This type of visa is granted to foreigners who want to establish permanent residence in Colombia.

Individuals with migrant visas are typically covered under the EPS system, but the government sometimes asks for additional proof of insurance when renewing your visa or when switching to a different type of visa.

What? How about some consistent rules Colombia.....No wonder James L. doesn't want to address health insurance for first time applicants of M visas.

Per James L website regarding EPS for pensioner's via applicants (M).:

With the new visa rules ( Resolution 5477), the pension visa has various new requirements. EPS health insurance is no longer valid insurance for the pension visa.

Or

Pension visa holders are now exempt from this requirement as the new visa law prohibits them from obtaining this insurance.

Isn't it time that the Gran Qi (Quindio Influencer) address this issue with his viewers, whom he has told for years, to get 3 months of traveler's insurace (Hey Mondo!) until they get their visa and cedula, followed by EPS insurance for the rest of their lives? This should affect thousands of Expats in Colombia I would think, most of whom are underreporting their income on their applications for EPS..... probably.

I sent an email to James:

Does the following text from a recent blog post on your website, apply to the pensioner鈥檚 M visa as well?

鈥淭odas las renovaciones de visa requerir谩n que las personas demuestren que tienen un seguro de salud de EPS P脷BLICO requerido por el estado para visas donde las personas viven en Colombia鈥�

He better reply with a good answer or I will never use or recommend his visa service.

I was reading the comment section from Expat Group where they repeatedly say EPS can't be used for renewing a pensioner's visa, including the following comment by Diana Gomez:

Hi, Julia, it is correct according to Resolution 5477 if you apply for a Retirement visa you will not be able to access eps, that is why it's necessary to have a Health Insurance

While I have no reason to doubt that is how the Ministry of exteriores may be interpreting resolution 5477, I personally see nothing in the text of the resolution that excludes EPS from being used fora pensioners' visa renewal. Therefore, I left a comment with Diana Gomez asking her specifically point out the language in resolution 5477 that leads her to that conclusion:

Here is the text of my comment. Let's see if she replies:

<blockquote>

Hello,

Could you clarify something for me? Article 77 of resolution 5477 says the following:

1,) Demostrar que cuenta con cubrimiento de salud en Colombia, o

2.) con p贸liza de salud con cobertura en el territorio nacional contra todo riesgo en caso de accidente, enfermedad, maternidad, invalidez, hospitalizaci贸n, muerte o repatriaci贸n, por el tiempo previsto para su permanencia en eI pais;

This a case of either or, or one or the other.

To me, enrolling in EPS, demonstrates that a persona has health coverage in Colombia. In other words, to me, EPS meets the requirement "Demostrar que cuenta con cubrimiento de salud en Colombia".

So my question is: Where in Resolution 5477 does it say EPS doesn't qualify for the renewal of a pensioners' visa?

Thanks

</blockquote>

The update visa requirements for a pensioner visa M as listed on the are very specific and have been updated on their site. The specific language related to health insurance comes directly from resolution 5477.

Demostrar que cuenta con cubrimiento de salud en Colombia, o con p贸liza de salud con cobertura en el territorio nacional contra todo riesgo en caso de accidente, enfermedad, maternidad, invalidez, hospitalizaci贸n, muerte o repatriaci贸n, por el tiempo previsto para su permanencia en el pa铆s

The statement "Demostrar que cuenta con cubrimiento de salud en Colombia" translates to:

• Demonstrate that you have health converage. in Colombia. (EPS=Health Coverage!!!!!!!)

The visa gurus such as**** are LYING when they say resolution 5477 denies expats from using EPS for their pensioner's visas.

****

@N.Barley Is that for the first application or for a renewal? Just asking. As to the requirements of the cancilleria...You can be asked for addition information or requirements. This was explained to me by two different attorneys and I can verify that from personal experience.

lpd

@N.Barley Is that for the first application or for a renewal? Just asking. As to the requirements of the cancilleria...You can be asked for addition information or requirements. This was explained to me by two different attorneys and I can verify that from personal experience.
lpd
-@Lpdiver

Both. Private insurance is supposedly required for the initial application and the subsequent renewal of pensioner's M visa.聽 In recent years, private insurance was needed only for the initial application, for a short period (say 3 months), until they got their visa approved and received their cedula.

I wouldn't call this an "additional requirement".聽 This is a new requirement created by the current administration, that apparently is being applied across the board to all pensioners' visas (M). An additional requirement to me, would be something like requesting an expat to prove that they can support themselves when there is no requirement for it the requirements of a marriage visa.聽 Resolution 5477 was created by the prior administration, and there is no language that explains the change. But yes, they have the right to arbitrarily impose new and additional requirements.

This is a big deal, since many Colombia expats reported the minimum income ($1,116,000 pesos) on their EPS application, which means at an exchange rate of $4,500, their monthly EPS premium was like $13 U.S. a month. Also, pre-existing conditions were not taken into consideration.

Check this out. A Canadian influencer received his pensioner's M visa and cedula a month ago. He apparently only received a 6 month visa, because he submitted a 6 month traveler's insurance he received through Canada Blue Cross. He intended to enroll for EPS after receiving his 6 month visa. Someone asked him if he got enrolled in EPS. Here was his reply:

EPS is no longer available for Pensionado Visas....I am currently applying for SURA....waiting for a response....approx cost is $400 CAD per month but cheaper if you pay for the whole year up front. And of course the cost will increase as you get older...I'm currently 62 y/o

@Lpdiver

By the way Lpdiver, that Canadian I referred to above, uses the same visa attorney as you.

@N.Barley Good to keep track of these things. At $400/month for one person combined with the "need" to keep one's medicare active due to the dynamic political/monetary issues in Colombia may ultimately cause me to decide it is not the best choice for me. I will observe during this transition period and see what settles out. It seems on one hand that Petro is trying to keep the gringo dollars flowing in with the supposed recent "clarification" that pensions from outside the country are not taxable...up to the legal limits (whatever the hell that even means). Of course the next election could result in a perpetual "transitory" period. Sigh.

lpd

I hear you. I should point out that was $400 per month Canadian, so $300 U.S. at current exchange rates.

Also, while I haven't dug into the details yet, the visa website I will refer to as EG, shows different private insurance policies with a price range of $800-1200 for a one year term.

Our favorite law firm, whose name is an amalgamation of its founder's name, is interviewed for an article about new visas in 2023.

Check out the Bogota Post.

I wonder if those expats who have been renewing their M visas like the Gran Qi and Nico Peligro, can enroll for EPS again if they get an R visa? Clearly, they should be able to, if they become citizens.聽 In any case, Peligro may not be pooh-poohing the value of a second passport in Colombia anymore.

@N.Barley I just made an inquiry about this on the other forum and was shot down in flames. LOL.

@N.Barley I just made an inquiry about this on the other forum and was shot down in flames. LOL.

@Lpdiver

I would think in your particular case, you should be able to piggyback on your wife's EPS and not have to worry about it.

It sounds like those of us who are applying for retirement visas may have to reconsider. The insurance policy requirement could be a hefty cost. Especially when we are already paying more than $2000 per year to Medicare for insurance we can鈥檛 use outside the states. My advice to those who can cover heavy costs upfront engage a facilitator or immigration law firm to find out the exact requirements. Pay up if you can and if not , move on or keep doing visa runs without the expectation that you will really be able to settle here. The confusion around this issue makes my head spin. I turned 76 on Monday.聽 It seems that my age might exclude me from most insurance. God forbid any pre-existing conditions. My husband and I traveled for three years to find a place we both liked. We like Medellin. Now it seems like we have to keep looking.

@Tortoise Unbroken

Move to Mexico.

@Tortoise Unbroken So Tortoise, what locations have you investigated other than Colombia?

lpd

@N.Barley i am probably a bad guy,cuz I first got Medicina Prepagada 11 or 12 years ago, as a tourist, before I got my visa, but at that time, no EPS was required by law. But later , I found out that they wont give you the Medicina Prepagada without having EPS..allthough in my case, they never check and force me to get EPS. Coomeva keep accepting money and paying the few bills and treatment sI have had.Expensive Yes ot is a little under $300US a month.

My last 2 visas were only 1 year (bad luck of the draw) and they made me get an EPS account, mysemf as the principle, regardless of having Medicina Prepagada.

What they do in the future, espescially the "R"visa, I will find out on couple months.

At any rate, other than Bolivia, which is only good for mountains , Colombia is the cheapest place in South America

And has relatively good healthcare

One of the problems with a post on the website EG concerning traveler's insurance, is that the author, abogada D.G., does not provide the coverages required by the government when applying for visas, particularly the pensioner's visa (M), since that is the category no longer eligible for EPS, apparently.

The late Medellin guru had an article on health insurance, pre-resolution 5477, that showed the coverages need for different type of visas. I would imagine they are still in effect:

FAQ #4 鈥� Is health insurance needed for a visa?

Colombia requires health insurance when applying for Colombian visas with minimum coverage of:

$35,000 USD for Visitor (V) visas

$60,000 to $70,000 USD for Migrant (M) visas

$100,000 USD for Resident (R) visas

You can use travel insurance or comprehensive health insurance plans (prepagada) or EPS insurance to meet this insurance requirement.

Since, our very own Nico Peligro still has Prepagada, which is private insurance, I can't help but wonder if he would be allowed to renew his pensioner's M visa with it, despite the fact to get Prepagada, you need to be enrolled in EPS.

@N.Barley

We fly on the 9th to Mexico. I am sad that we may not be able to live Colombia. We would have had a few things to contribute to our new country. I am a certified English teacher and I collected the numbers of 10-15 Uber and taxi drivers as well as mall employees to offer English classes for workers at times when they could make them, offered for free because I am retired. My husband is a software engineer who will gladly share his expertise to others so inclined. We are cheerful and positive with a community spirit rather than a sense of entitlement. We are learning to love 鈥渇utbol鈥�. We will, of course, from Mexico continue to explore insurance options for a 55 year old and a 75 year old to see if there is any way we can obtain Colombian residency. If not, we will do the same in Mexico!

You never really shared your experiences with the visa application process in Colombia, making me skeptical about your legitimacy.

Assuming your story is real, good luck in Mexico

@Tortoise Unbroken M茅xico cost of living is probably at least 50% higher than Colombias on an Apple to Apple basis.

You could probably make it on EPS.

Seems you didnt make enough effort to give the country a chance.

Saying that, Mexico not a bad place to retire also.

Good luck

The blogging visa wars between visa gurus James and EG continue:

Today, James announces that applicants for visas will be required to get a medical examination in Bogota before their visa interviews, that includes a physical exam, blood tests and x-ray. These examinations must be done in Bogota and are valid for 6 months. James does not mention whether a digital rectal exam, but it is a good question to ask ahead of time.

James does not mention whether these medical examinations apply to a certain class of visa (M,R,V) and/or whether it is only for new applicants, or whether it includes expats renewing their visas.

@N.Barley Does this apply to Digital Nomad Visa, or just M-visas?

聽 聽 -@ChineduOpara

It is not clear to me whether the blog post is addressed to Colombians headed to the U.S. or north Americans headed to Colombia.聽 One would think if it is written聽 in English it is directed to North Americans. Once we know that, then we need to know what visa categories.

@N.Barley it wont be any different than the last聽 2 times I needed EPS ..as the principle..not as a dependent

N.Barley it wont be any different than the last 2 times I needed EPS ..as the principle..not as a dependent

-@nico peligro

It is not all about you Nico, but about people who may want to retire in Colombia and enroll in EPS.聽 There clearly are people who recently obtained their pensioners visa that were told they couldn't enroll in EPS and therefore had to get private insurance.

@N.Barley well its a catch 22 , you cant get EPS (or at least it is hard to do so) without a visa so obviously they will need some type of private insurance

@nico peligro

We are not talking about about the initial visa application for pensioners, which has required private insurance over the past few years. We are talking about the ability to enroll in EPS after acquiring one's visa/c茅dula and then renewing one's M visa in the future.聽 Let us know your personal experiences with renewal when it occurs; not before.