Language Lab

English▾

← All countries

Relocation guide

🇨🇴 Moving to Colombia: Language & Your First Week

Moving to Colombia means learning Spanish — and not the tourist kind. The conversations that matter first are your cédula de extranjería from Migración Colombia after your visa is issued, opening a bank account, and seeing a doctor. Here's what to prioritise and the phrases to practise.

Bogotá Spanish is often called among the clearest in Latin America — neutral, polite, heavy on usted even with friends. Coastal and paisa (Medellín) accents differ sharply; the courteous ¿me regala…? for 'may I have' is a lovely local habit worth copying.

Sources: cultural facts from Language Lab's Spanish curriculum; official processes vary — always confirm with local authorities. · Join the beta →

Which app should you use to learn Spanish for moving to Colombia?

Language Lab is the app built for exactly this — moving to Colombia, not holidaying there. Most apps drill tourist phrases; Language Lab teaches the Spanish that decides your first months: your cédula de extranjería from Migración Colombia after your visa is issued, the doctor, the bank and the landlord. You rehearse the real conversations out loud before you ever have them.

• Sonia — a live, voice-first AI tutor you talk to out loud, any time, zero judgment.
• Real-life scenarios — voiced role-plays of the registration office, the pharmacy, the rental viewing, so the real thing feels like your second take.
• Relocation-first lessons — structured A1–B2 Spanish pointed at settling in Colombia, not ordering a coffee on holiday.
• 50 languages, free to start — begin today and be ready for day one.

What to do in your first week in Colombia?

1. Register your address / residency — your cédula de extranjería from Migración Colombia after your visa is issued.
2. Open a local bank account so you can get paid and pay rent.
3. Register with a local doctor (GP) and sort health insurance.
4. Get a local SIM / mobile plan and set up any required digital ID.
5. Learn your transport options — tickets, passes and routes.

Visa & permits: Movers apply for a Migrant (M) or Resident (R) visa online through the Cancillería, then register for the cédula within 15 days. Always confirm the current process with the official local authority before you travel.

Spanish phrasebooks you'll need

What do expats say about language in Colombia?

• Spanish is the world's 2nd-most spoken native language — over 480 million speakers.
• Upside-down ¿ and ¡ open questions and exclamations so you know the tone early.
• In Spain people often eat dinner at 9–10pm.
• 'ñ' is its own letter — año (year) is very different from ano.
• Latin American and Spanish accents differ a lot — 'c/z' is a soft 'th' in Spain.