Make Medellín
Your Home

As a US citizen, you get 90 days on arrival and can extend once for another 90 days (180 days max per calendar year). For longer stays, the digital nomad visa (up to 2 years, requires ~$1,100-1,400/month income — 3x minimum wage in COP), investor visa, or retirement visa are the main options. Note: since mid-2025, the digital nomad visa has been restricted in practice to tech/IT workers, despite no change in the written law. Non-tech remote workers may face rejection.

A comfortable single expat can live well on $1,500-2,000/month — that covers a nice apartment in Laureles or Poblado, eating out regularly, gym, phone, and transport. Budget-conscious expats manage on $1,000-1,200. Luxury lifestyle runs $3,000+.

Generally yes. Stick to established neighborhoods, use common sense (no flashing valuables, use Uber at night, avoid isolated areas), and learn basic Spanish. Most expats report feeling safer than in many US cities. The biggest real risks are petty theft and scopolamine — awareness is your best defense.

You can survive without it in El Poblado, but your quality of life improves dramatically with even basic Spanish. For anything outside the tourist bubble — healthcare, banking, legal matters, genuine friendships — Spanish is essential. Budget for classes.

Yes. The digital nomad visa formalizes this, but many people work remotely on tourist visas. Medellín has excellent coworking spaces, reliable fiber internet (50-300 Mbps), and most cafés have solid WiFi. The timezone (EST/UTC-5) aligns well with US business hours.