Colombia Digital Nomad Visa (Nómada Digital) vs Mexico Temporary Resident Visa

About Colombia Digital Nomad Visa (Nómada Digital)

Colombia's Digital Nomad Visa (Nomada Digital) is among the world's most affordable remote-work visas, letting foreigners with foreign-source income live in Colombia. The income bar is modest: three times Colombia's monthly minimum wage (roughly COP 4,000,000, about USD 900 per month) earned from foreign employers or clients, with an application fee near USD 60 and processing of about a month. A spouse or partner and dependent children can be added as beneficiaries on the same application. It is a V-type visa capped at two years; holders must reside in Colombia while it is valid and may not work for Colombian employers or run a business targeting the Colombian market. It does not lead directly to permanent residency or citizenship, but time can count toward the broader five-year legal-residence path (two years for nationals of Latin American countries and Spain) if you switch to an M-visa. Staying more than 183 days in a calendar year makes you a Colombian tax resident, taxed on worldwide income, and Colombia participates in CRS and FATCA reporting.

About Mexico Temporary Resident Visa

Mexico's Temporary Resident Visa (Residente Temporal) is a consulate-issued permit — it cannot be obtained from within Mexico on a tourist entry — for retirees, remote workers, and digital nomads showing roughly $1,620+/month in income from any source, or approximately $27,000+ in savings held over the prior 12 months; both thresholds track Mexico's minimum wage and adjust periodically, so applicants should confirm current figures with their consulate. Each additional adult dependent adds roughly $540/month to the income requirement. Typically issued for up to 4 years, the visa must be exchanged for a residence card at Mexico's immigration institute within 30 days of entry, and the consular sticker itself must generally be used within 180 days of issuance. After 4 years as temporary resident, holders qualify for permanent residency; citizenship follows at 5 years (2 years for Ibero-Americans or spouses of Mexican citizens). Spending 183+ days/year in Mexico, or otherwise centering vital interests there, triggers tax residency and worldwide income taxation, an increasingly enforced area under expanding CRS/FATCA reporting.