--- title: "What Follows You to Colombia: A Veteran's Compliance Guide" description: "VA disability, Social Security, tax filing, and FBAR reporting for US veterans living in Colombia. What the law requires and what planning recommends." date: "2026-03-25" author: "David Gómez" category: "immigration-legal" url: "https://raquelmejia.com/en/blog/us-affairs-from-abroad" lang: "en" alternate: "https://raquelmejia.com/es/blog/asuntos-de-eeuu-desde-colombia.md" --- Your VA disability compensation, Social Security benefits, and right to vote all follow you to Colombia without reduction or interruption. So do your tax filing obligations. This guide covers the key compliance areas for US veterans living abroad — what the law requires and what smart planning recommends. > This is general information for educational purposes, not tax, legal, or financial advice. Rules change frequently. Consult a cross-border tax advisor or attorney before making decisions based on this information. ## Your benefits continue overseas **VA disability compensation is fully payable worldwide** and remains 100% tax-free regardless of where you live. Two federal statutes — [26 U.S.C. § 104(a)(4)](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title26-section104&num=0&edition=prelim) and [38 U.S.C. § 5301(a)](https://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/) — establish this exemption with no geographic limitation. The VA offers International Direct Deposit to Colombian bank accounts, with funds typically available within 1–2 business days. No annual eligibility verification is required for disability compensation — just keep your address current with the VA. **Social Security retirement benefits are also fully payable in Colombia.** Colombia appears on the SSA's [Country List 1](https://www.ssa.gov/international/countrylist1.htm) (unrestricted payments) and [Country List 6](https://www.ssa.gov/international/countrylist6.htm) (international direct deposit). One important obligation: the SSA mails Form SSA-7162 to beneficiaries abroad annually or biennially. You have **60 days** to complete and return it — failure to respond results in benefit suspension. The **VA Foreign Medical Program** covers treatment abroad for service-connected conditions. You choose your own provider, need no referral or pre-authorization, and file claims using [VA Form 10-7959f-2](https://www.va.gov/health-care/foreign-medical-program/). ## Tax obligations never stop The US taxes citizens on worldwide income regardless of residence — one of only two countries that does this. If you meet standard income thresholds, you must file a federal return every year from Colombia. **VA disability compensation requires no tax action on your part.** It's excluded from gross income by federal law. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion doesn't apply to it — not because it fails to qualify, but because there's nothing to exclude. It was never taxable. **Other income is where it gets complicated.** There is no tax treaty between the US and Colombia. Veterans who become Colombian tax residents — present 183 or more days in any rolling 365-day period — may owe taxes to both countries on non-VA income. The US [Foreign Tax Credit](https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-514) (Form 1116) helps offset this, but it only works where there's a US tax liability to offset. For VA disability specifically, if Colombia treats it as taxable worldwide income, there may be no US-side relief mechanism. This is a question for a Colombian tax professional. ## FBAR and FATCA: the reporting requirements If your Colombian bank accounts exceed **$10,000 in combined value at any point during the year**, you must file [FinCEN Form 114 (FBAR)](https://www.fincen.gov/report-foreign-bank-and-financial-accounts). It's free, filed electronically, and the deadline is October 15. The $10,000 threshold is aggregate — a savings account with $6,000 and a checking account with $5,000 puts you over. [FATCA](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/corporations/summary-of-fatca-reporting-for-us-taxpayers) (Form 8938) has much higher thresholds for expats: **$200,000 at year-end or $300,000 at any point** for single filers abroad. Many veterans with standard Colombian bank accounts fall below these thresholds. FBAR and FATCA are separate obligations — filing one does not satisfy the other. **If you haven't been filing:** The IRS offers [Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/delinquent-fbar-submission-procedures) — file the late reports with an explanation, and for veterans who've paid all taxes owed, no penalties apply. Colombian banks already report US-held accounts to the IRS under a [2015 FATCA agreement](https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/131/FATCA-Agreement-Colombia-5-20-2015.pdf), so voluntary compliance is far better than waiting to be noticed. ## Voting from abroad The [Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA)](https://www.fvap.gov/info/laws/uocava) guarantees your voting rights from anywhere. The process: submit a Federal Post Card Application at the start of each year — this registers you and requests a ballot — then receive, complete, and return your ballot by your state's deadline. If it doesn't arrive in time, the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot covers federal races. The US Embassy in Bogota has a Voting Assistance Officer who can help. Contact the [Federal Voting Assistance Program](https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter) at 1-800-438-VOTE or vote@fvap.gov. ## Decisions that need professional guidance Three areas are too individual for general advice — but too important to ignore. **Medicare Part B** doesn't cover healthcare outside the US. Keeping it costs roughly $2,400 per year (as of 2026) for coverage you can't use abroad. Dropping it triggers a permanent 10% late-enrollment penalty for each full year without coverage if you re-enroll later. Premium-free Part A has no downside to maintain. The Part B decision depends entirely on your likelihood of returning to the US for care — talk to someone who understands the numbers for your situation. **Power of attorney** is not legally required, but it's the only way someone in the US can manage your bank accounts, sell property, or handle emergencies while you're 2,500 miles away. A US power of attorney used in Colombia needs an apostille and a certified Spanish translation. The [US Embassy in Bogota](https://co.usembassy.gov/services/notarials/) offers notarial services by appointment ($50 per seal). **Estate planning across two countries** requires two separate wills. Colombian law mandates forced heirship — only 25% of an estate is freely disposable, regardless of what a US will says. More urgently: review your beneficiary designations on VA life insurance, retirement accounts, and bank accounts. These designations override your will. ## Sources - [IRS: US Citizens and Residents Abroad — Filing Requirements](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/us-citizens-and-residents-abroad-filing-requirements) — who must file and when - [IRS: Foreign Earned Income Exclusion](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/foreign-earned-income-exclusion) — FEIE eligibility and limits - [FinCEN: Report Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts](https://www.fincen.gov/report-foreign-bank-and-financial-accounts) — FBAR filing requirements - [IRS: Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/delinquent-fbar-submission-procedures) — catch-up filing without penalties - [IRS: Summary of FATCA Reporting](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/corporations/summary-of-fatca-reporting-for-us-taxpayers) — Form 8938 thresholds and rules - [VA: Veterans Living Overseas](https://www.benefits.va.gov/persona/veteran-abroad.asp) — benefits available abroad - [VA: Foreign Medical Program](https://www.va.gov/health-care/foreign-medical-program/) — FMP eligibility and claims - [SSA: Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States](https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10137.pdf) — Social Security abroad - [FVAP: Citizen Voter](https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter) — overseas voting registration and ballots - [Medicare.gov: Travel Outside the US](https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/travel-outside-the-u.s.) — Medicare coverage limitations abroad - [US Embassy Colombia: Notarial Services](https://co.usembassy.gov/services/notarials/) — apostille and notary appointments