Part one · 2 steps
Visa & residency
Start the Migrant (M) Visa — Pensionado (Retirement/Pension Visa) path
Colombia's route for retirees. Plan on roughly $1,691/month of provable income — pension, Social Security, dividends — and expect the consulate to want it documented. The current read:
From our Medellín research
As of 2026, requires a lifetime monthly pension of ≥3× Colombian minimum wage (~COP 5.25M ≈ $1,400/mo at ~COP 4,000/USD). A genuine pension certificate is required — savings, rental, or investment income do NOT qualify for the Pensionado (use the Rentista/investor M-visa instead). One pension can typically cover a married couple as dependents (no separate multiplier for spouse). Granted for up to 3 years, renewable; 5 years of M-visa residence leads to a Resident (R) visa. Cannot be used to work locally.
Read the full Medellín profile →Get key documents apostilled + certified-translated
Birth/marriage certificates, background checks — start early; it's slow, and every residency application wants them.
Our visa paperwork guide →Part two · 3 steps
Healthcare
Map your care in Medellín
Know where you'd go before you need it — the hospital for something serious, the specialist, the pharmacy that speaks English. Here's our current read:
From our Medellín research
Among the best in Latin America. Medellín hosts ~6 of the region's top hospitals; Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe is the standout (dedicated international-patient/health-tourism unit, English-speaking doctors and interpreters), with Clínica El Rosario, Clínica Las Américas, and Clínica Medellín–Quirónsalud also offering international support. Numbeo Health Care Index ~78.9 ("High," Jun 2026). Acute/emergency care in the expat areas is strong and very cheap by US standards (a workup that's ~$15k in the US can run ~$2-3.5k here). English is reliable at the top private hospitals but spotty in general clinics — budget for private insurance or the EPS/prepaid system.
Read the full Medellín profile →Know what Medicare does — and doesn't — cover abroad
Original Medicare generally doesn't cover care outside the US. Whatever your plan becomes, it has to answer that gap.
Medicare abroad, explained →Compare international / expat health insurance
See what international health plans actually cover — and what they cost.
Part three · 5 steps
Money & taxes
Pressure-test your Medellín budget
A comfortable month in Medellín runs about $2,886 for a couple, at current exchange rates. Build your own version on top of that base — your rent tier, your healthcare, your flights home — and see what's left over.
Build the real monthly number →Understand US taxes as an expat in Colombia
You still file US taxes abroad, and FBAR applies once foreign accounts pass $10,000. The country side matters just as much:
From our Medellín research
Territorial for non-residents, but WORLDWIDE income for tax residents (generally 183+ days in a 365-day period); progressive PIT up to 39%. Foreign pension income is exempt only up to ~1,000 UVT (~COP 52.3M ≈ $13k for 2026) — above that it's taxable. There is NO ratified US-Colombia income tax treaty (a signed convention remains unratified), so relief relies on US-side foreign tax credit/FEIE; a FATCA IGA is in force. Strongly advise a cross-border tax professional before establishing residency.
Read the full Medellín profile →Set up low-fee international money transfers
Bank wires quietly cost 3–5% in bad FX; specialists are far cheaper.
Have someone check the retirement math before you commit
Plan day-to-day cash + card access (and a backup card)
Check your cards' foreign-ATM fees before you go, and carry a backup card on a different network in case one gets swallowed.
Part four · 4 steps
The scouting trip
Book the Medellín reconnaissance trip
Not a vacation — a rehearsal. Rent in an ordinary neighborhood for a few weeks and live a normal week: groceries, buses, a doctor's appointment, a quiet Tuesday. Getting there and back:
From our Medellín research
Excellent US access: daily nonstops Medellín (MDE/Rionegro) to Miami (~3.5 hrs) on American, Avianca, and JetBlue (~21+ weekly flights each on the main carriers), plus seasonal/other routes to Fort Lauderdale and connections via Bogotá to most US hubs. Same/adjacent US time zone (no jet lag). Note: MDE airport is ~45 min up the mountain from the city.
Read the full Medellín profile →Compare trip insurance for the scouting trip
Read the safety picture for yourself
Medellín sits under a US State Department Level 3 (“reconsider travel”) advisory. Check the current one before you book, then weigh it against the on-the-ground picture:
From our Medellín research
US State Dept Level 3 "Reconsider Travel" (reissued Mar 31, 2026) for crime, terrorism, kidnapping; Level 4 zones are remote departments far from the city. The city homicide rate has fallen dramatically (~15/100k, below many US cities), and expat enclaves (El Poblado, Laureles, Envigado, Sabaneta) are genuinely safe with normal precautions. Real day-to-day risks are non-violent: phone snatching, scopolamine ("burundanga") drink-spiking in nightlife (Parque Lleras), and "express kidnappings" via street-hailed cabs/ATMs at night. Rule of thumb locals teach: "no dar papaya" (don't flash valuables); always use Uber/InDriver.
Read the full Medellín profile →Test the season, not the postcard
Every place has a month the brochures skip. If you can, scout in the worst one:
From our Medellín research
The "City of Eternal Spring" — sits at ~1,500m, so days are ~75-82°F and nights ~60-64°F essentially all year, no AC or heating needed. No true seasons; just drier and wetter months. Rainy season (roughly Apr-May and Sep-Nov) brings frequent afternoon showers and gray stretches. Not a beach climate — the coast (Cartagena) is a separate, much hotter trip.
Read the full Medellín profile →Part five · 6 steps
The move itself
Rent first — live a full season before you even think about buying
The single biggest regret-saver. The market isn't going anywhere.
Book a short-term furnished rental for your landing
Give yourself 1–3 months to find the right neighborhood.
Decide what to ship, store, or sell
Shipping a household is expensive; many movers regret over-shipping.
Re-home your US mail before you go
Banks, the IRS, Medicare — the mail keeps coming after you leave. Keep a US address you check from anywhere, or hand the whole job to a service.
Sort pet import + airline requirements early
Timelines for vaccines and paperwork can be months.
Our pet-move guide →Scan and cloud-back-up every key document
Passports, prescriptions, insurance cards, the marriage certificate — one folder you can open from any phone, anywhere.
Part six · 4 steps
Settling in
Find your people in Medellín
Loneliness is the #1 reason people move home — build the community before you build anything else. What's already there:
From our Medellín research
One of Latin America's largest and most established expat + digital-nomad hubs, heavily concentrated in El Poblado (most international, English-friendly) and Laureles (more residential/local, increasingly popular), plus Envigado and Sabaneta. Easy to find English-speaking community, meetups, and services — a genuinely soft landing relative to most of the region.
Read the full Medellín profile →Join the expat community before you arrive
Start the conversations months before the flight.
Our community guide →Set up a local SIM + home internet
If your phone's unlocked, an eSIM can cover you from day one; sort home internet once you have an address.
Start the language — even 20 words changes everything
Spanish is what your daily life will run in — the clinic front desk, the market, the neighbors. A head start pays off from day one.
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