Asylum and refugee status in Colombia

Decree 1067 of 2015, as replaced by Decree 89 of 2025, uses three criteria. A refugee is a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside their country and cannot or will not seek its protection; a person forced to leave because their life, safety or freedom were threatened by generalised violence, foreign aggression, internal conflict, massive human rights violations or other serious disturbances of public order; or a person for whom there are well-founded reasons to believe they would face torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment if expelled, returned or extradited.

Claims are made in Colombia, either on arrival at an immigration post or after entering, and are addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Under Decree 89 of 2025 the procedure has these phases: assessment of whether the claim meets the requirements for admission; an interview, in person, virtually or by written format where appropriate; a substantive assessment under Article 62 of Law 2136 of 2021; procedural and final decisions; appeals under the Code of Administrative Procedure; and notifications. CONARE, made up of senior Ministry officials, studies cases referred to it and makes recommendations to the Minister.

The Ministry regulates the detailed requirements and deadlines by resolution. Under the earlier rules, a claim made inside the country had to be filed within two months of entry; check the current deadline with the Cancillería or UNHCR as soon as possible after arriving. Information given in the claim is treated as sensitive personal data. A pending refugee claim means any visa application you file will not be admitted until the claim is decided.

A recognised refugee applies for the M refugee visa, which is exempt from both visa fee stages, is valid for up to three years and carries an open work permit. After five years as holder of the M refugee visa, the person can apply for a resident (R) visa by accumulated time. Where CONARE recommends it, the Cancillería can also issue a one-off V complementary measure visa, valid for up to one year, to people who are not recognised as refugees but need protection; it is requested only inside Colombia.

The Ministry asks Migración Colombia to issue an SC-2 safe-conduct to the applicant and their beneficiaries. It is free of charge, valid for up to 180 days and renewable for equal periods until the claim is decided, and it allows the holder to carry out an activity or occupation in Colombia in line with labour, tax and immigration rules. The SC-2 is not a passport and cannot be used to leave or re-enter Colombia. Colombian law also protects applicants against return to a country where their life or freedom would be at risk.

Decisions on refugee claims can be challenged through the remedies of the Code of Administrative Procedure and Administrative Litigation, as Decree 89 of 2025 provides; the decision letter states the remedy and the deadline. UNHCR runs a help site for Colombia (help.unhcr.org/colombia) with information on the procedure, and Migración Colombia's service centres issue and renew the SC-2.