Following the pandemic we experienced, here’s the 2023 information on covid in Colombia. You’ll find the latest news on the tourism situation and tourist sites to help you prepare your trip in times of coronavirus.
LAST UPDATED SEPT 2023
Since April 5, 2023, all health restrictions linked to Covid-19 have been lifted. You no longer need to present a vaccination certificate or negative test to enter the country.
The only requirement is to complete the Check-Mig between 72 hours and 1 hour before boarding closes.
Disclaimer: we apologize in advance for any grammatical or syntactic errors, as our native language is not English (we're a Colombian-French couple), so we hope you'll forgive us and still enjoy the information we share with you! Please note that all the information on our blog is based on our own experience, and is checked and updated regularly.
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Do you need a Covid test to enter Colombia?
Sumup of the main information for your trip to Colombia
In conclusion, here are the most important things to remember before leaving for Colombia.
- You must complete the Check-mig 72h to 1h before taking your flight to Colombia
- You don ‘t need to be vaccinated to enter Colombia
- It is not necessary to present a vaccination certificate
- It is not necessary to present a covid test if you are not vaccinated
Status of the covid 19 epidemic in Colombia
Travelling in times of Coronavirus
For the time being, the health situation in Colombia remains stable at low levels.
tourist activity has resumed normally, and the country is now open to international tourism without restrictions.
As everywhere else in the world, it is still advisable to follow the precautionary principle.
Graph showing the number of cases of Coronavirus in Colombia
Graph showing the number of people vaccinated against Covid in Colombia
Travel to Colombia and covid 19
Like all countries, Colombia is adapting day by day to the evolution of the epidemic. Here are the latest rules in place for foreign travellers entering Colombia.
Proof of vaccination no longer required for entry into Colombia
Good news for travelers! As of May 1, it is no longer necessary to be vaccinated to enter Colombia (Sources in Spanish)
Since April 05, 2023, negative tests for unvaccinated people are no longer required either.
Check-Mig / Mandatory immigration pre-registration
The obligation to complete the pre-registration form for Colombian immigration (Check-Mig) to facilitate customs clearance. This form must be completed 72 hours to 1 hour before flight closure.
Wearing a mask and social distancing
Wearing a mask is no longer compulsory anywhere. However, it is still advisable to wear a mask on public transport and in crowded public places, especially for people over 60.
Where to take a covid test in Colombia
Many of you have asked us where you can take a covid test, and how much it costs.
- Airports: Foreign travelers can take a covid test atBogota and Cartagena airports
- Laboratories: Synlab laboratories offer a network of sites easily accessible to travelers. You can see conditions, rates and testing locations on their website.
- Hotels: Some hotels offer on-site testing services. They sometimes work in alliance with local laboratories. Don’t hesitate to ask at your hotel reception if you need one
- Price of a covid 19 test in Colombia: The average price of a covid test is around $150,000 pesos for the antigenic test and $250,000 pesos for the PCR
Tourism recovery and covid in Colombia
VOyage en Colombiet et Covid 19
Covid certification
The “Check in Certificado / Covid-19 Bioseguro” label was set up by the government to ensure compliance with health standards in tourist destinations. It is up to tourism professionals to apply for this certification.
Tourism reopens
The country has returned to a normal rhythm of life. All tourist activities are back to normal.
The opening and closing of tourist sites may vary according to local conditions, as in the case of national parks, beaches, etc. Each municipality may decide to open or close its own sites.
Each municipality may decide to open or close its tourist sites depending on the situation. In the event of a change in the situation, specific rules may be put in place on a case-by-case basis.
Everything you need to prepare your trip to Colombia
On our blog you’ll find all the information you need to plan your trip to Colombia
Information sources
Travel in Colombia and Covid 19
The Colombian press regularly reports on the Covid situation in Colombia, and in particular on measures relating to tourism. If you understand Spanish, you can consult the major newspapers: El Espectador, El Tiempo, Las 2 orillas… For a different take on the news, listen to Daniel Samper Ospina.
Travel to Colombia and coronavirus: OFFICIAL COLOMBIAN INFORMATION SOURCES
Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Health
Contacts for the main embassies
US Embassy in Colombia
+57 (601) 275 2000
Canadian Embassy in Colombia
+57 (601) 657 9800
British Embassy in Colombia
+57 (601) 326 8300
Australian Embassy in Colombia
+57 (601) 657 8030
Hi, I’m taking the boat to Miami for a trip to Colombia. Do I need to take an antigen test? I am vaccinated
Hello, thank you for making the effort to read our article, it says it all! 🙂
Hello,
For non-vaccinated people, is it necessary to do an antigenic or PCR test for internal flights?
Thank you
Hello,
No, tests are not required for internal flights.
Hello
Where can we find this statement officially because we are in the process of validating our internal flights (3 flights over 15 days) and we are not vaccinated at all. Thank you
Hello, we have no idea what you’re referring to when you say “this claim” 🤷♂️. We give our sources in the article.
Hello,
My 16 year old daughter is going to Colombia in February for 2 weeks
She has one dose of vaccine and a certificate of recovery
Will she have to present a negative covid test when she boards the plane for Colombia or are the 2 compulsory doses of vaccines only for adults? Thank you for your help
Hello,
Normally these rules apply to adults. But since it’s quite large, perhaps you could check with the airline?
hello,
Currently traveling in Colombia
My return to France is scheduled for 07/01/2023 December
So can you tell me if it is necessary to fill out the Check-Mig document and if it is necessary to have a negative Covid test ( I have had the three doses of vaccine )
Thanks in advance.
Hello,
Yes, you can use the Check-Mig to leave the country, which saves time at immigration controls. As for France, no, at the moment there’s nothing special you need to show to enter the country.
Enjoy your trip to Colombia!
Hello, I will soon be traveling from Canada to Ecuador with a stopover in Bogota, Colombia. My question is: will I have to complete the Check-Mig document?
I’ve searched and haven’t found an answer..
Thank you
Hi, yes you have to fill in the check-big even for a stopover.
Bo jour, if one is “fully vaccinated” but the last dose of vaccine was more than 8 months ago, is one considered “fully vaccinated” under Colombian law, to be able to enter Colombia without a covid test? Because it says “last dose more than 14 days ago”, but nowhere does it specify whether the condition is “less than…”?
Hi Pat, if there’s no clarification on the “since less than…” conditions it’s because there simply aren’t any “since less than…” conditions so no test needed! 😊
Hello
I have to make a stopover in Bogota to go to Mexico. Do I need to be vaccinated? I am not vaccinated but I have a document proving that I had a covid 1 month ago is that enough? Do I need a transit visa? Do I need to do a PCR test?
Thank you
Hi, this is a special case that we’re not looking for information on, but it’s possible that you’ll have to fill in the CheckMig stipulating that it’s a transit and by filling in the form you’ll surely see what they ask you.
Hello,
We’re leaving in March, we’ve been vaccinated with 2 doses and it’s impossible for us to do the booster before our trip, because we’ve had the covid in the meantime.
I’ve seen that we need to have a full vaccination schedule, so it’s 2 doses, but a booster is not compulsory?
Do we need to do a PCR test before we fly to make sure we don’t have any worries?
Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Arthur
With 2 doses, you have a complete course, so there’s no need for a PCR.
Hello, I “ve been searching and searching without finding any answers. What about domestic flights back to Colombia? Do you have to do a PCR test before each flight?
Thanks a lot!
Hi, no PCR test for domestic flights.
Hello,
Apparently from December 14th, a full vaccination schedule will be required to enter Colombia. Will 2 doses be enough to enter? Or is the 3rd dose compulsory? I’m 31, so the 3rd dose seems quite unnecessary for me
Thank you
Hello Aurélien, from December 14 you’ll need to present a full vaccination certificate. We don’t yet know what this means in Colombia. But if it’s the same as in France, you’ll have to present a certificate with a 2nd dose less than 6 months old. As for us, we’re going to take our 3rd dose before we leave to be on the safe side.
OK, then,
I’m taking my 2nd dose in mid-December, so if I leave in January I shouldn’t have any problems entering the country? I hope that the PVT is still a valid reason to enter the country
If you take your second dose in mid-December, you’ll have no problem entering Colombia in January, PVT or not 😉
You can also go and come back with a complete French vaccination schedule, including, for those under 65, 1 proven cure equivalent to the first dose, and 1 single dose of vaccine equivalent to the 2nd dose in France, provided that the serum test carried out at the same time as the vaccine dose indicates that you still have traces of antibodies following cure at that time. Otherwise, you don’t have the full vaccination course, and you’re back to the compelling reasons for orange countries. What’s more, you now need to have had your last dose not 7 days but 14 days before departure. However, as I don’t know whether the complete French vaccination course is considered valid and complete for Colombia in all cases (the various official sources contradict each other on this point), I’m going to take the PCR less than 72 hours before departure as a precaution. And keep my fingers crossed that it’s negative, and that I’ll be able to access public places in Colombia, with my full French vaccination course made up of proven antibody results for the 1st dose, and a single equivalent ‘2nd dose’ in France… glups!
Hello, if Colombia becomes a green zone for Europe, it will be possible to go there and come back as a French citizen without any formalities if you have been cured of covid for less than 6 months and therefore have proof of cure, since this gives you the right to a 6-month European health pass (after that, a dose of vaccine is needed to extend the pass). But what are the conditions for the new Colombian health pass? Is it granted without further formalities to those who have been cured of covid for less than 6 months, for this 6-month period? Clearly, if Colombia goes green in the next few weeks, will a Frenchman who has been cured of covid for less than 6 months, and who presents a 6-month provisional health passport following recovery from covid, automatically be granted the Colombian pass for travel to Colombia? If not, what are the formalities? And if not, will he have to take his dose earlier than planned to have 1 complete vaccination course before traveling?
Thank you for your clarifications
Hello Agathe, please note that in Colombia you don’t need a Health Pass but a Proof of Vaccination. It’s a different matter. Perhaps things will change, in which case we’ll update our article, but for the moment you’ll need to provide proof of having received at least one dose of vaccine. We have no information on any special cases involving people who have already contracted covid.
In this case, does that mean that from December onwards you’ll need to have proof of 2 doses of vaccine, whereas in France you get a definitive pass with just 1 dose when you’ve had the covid? This seems excessive to me, since being cured for less than 6 months and having received 1 dose is equivalent to 1 complete vaccination course and gives you the definitive European pass. In Colombia, in addition to having been cured for less than 6 months, you’d have to have had 2 additional doses within those 6 months, and not just one from December onwards?
Hello, for the moment we don’t have any information about special cases such as people who have had the covid. What’s more, as we mentioned, this measure is mainly aimed at the Colombian population, so we’ll have to wait until it’s actually applied to see how they’ll handle all the situations involving foreigners.
It’s difficult to foresee every particular case… We’ll update the article in the coming weeks as soon as we know more.
OK, it’s still very complicated and risky to organize your imminent trip and book everything (knowing that for many things you need to do it well in advance…) based on suppositions and bets…because when the law is blurred it’s up to each person’s judgement, and according to the mood and integrity of those in control. But it seems to have become the rule… even you, who know all about these practices, don’t know any better… and neither the embassies nor the customs authorities seem to be able to answer any questions at the moment either… although it’s already been launched and implemented!
Yes, sometimes it’s difficult. However, there’s no reason why foreign vaccination certificates shouldn’t be accepted. We’re starting to get some feedback and it’s going smoothly, so we’ll be able to update the article in the next few days to get more feedback. This measure has just been put in place, and we’ll have more information in the next few days.
I’d also like to add that this measure will mainly concern the big cities, as I doubt that controls will really be put in place in rural areas.
Finally, I’d be more worried about the new European travel restrictions that could be introduced if covid levels continue to rise, than about the measures put in place by Colombia…
Thank you for your opinion…of course it’s like in France, in the countryside we’re freer…hopefully you’ll manage to get some clarification by the end of the year! I don’t think we’re questioning the principle of freedom to travel to countries other than “green” for those who have a complete vaccination course…but its completeness is not necessarily acquired, as for the over-65s who must now take a 3rd dose to keep their pass…
From December 4, anyone entering France, even if vaccinated, will have to present a PCR or antigenic test less than 24 or 48 hours old, depending on their country of origin outside Europe. So, to return from a trip to Colombia from now on, you need to take this test, and have it be negative, in order to be able to go back? 24 or 48 hours in advance (the day before or the day before your supposed departure)? What happens if the test is positive?
Thanks if you know…
Yes, in fact it will be compulsory to present a negative test to enter France from Colombia. Yes, 24 or 48 hours before departure. If the test is positive, we imagine they won’t let you board…
No idea what happens in that case.
To return from Colombia, it seems that an antigenic test (faster and less expensive, even if less reliable than a PCR, and more expensive than in France), is sufficient, 48 hours in advance. Except that the result seems to be given after an average of 2 hours, rather than 5 minutes as in France? So we’ll have to include this time slot in our vacation schedule…if you know of any testing centers in Bogotá or Cartagena that we can recommend for their reliability and speed, thank you!
https://mytriptocolombia.com/corona-virus-infos-et-consequences-pour-votre-voyage-en-colombie/#ou-faire-un-test-covid-en-colombie
So what do you do if you have a complete French vaccination course with only 1 dose of vaccine after recovery from covid? Do we fly and see where we are?
As stated in the article, if you have only one dose, you need a negative PCR test less than 72 hours old. Here you are
Hello,
Do you know where I can get vaccinated in Medellín?
I live in Colombia but don’t have an EPS.
Hi Fleury, we’ve put all the information we had in the article, including this link in the “where to take a covid test in Colombia” section: https: //www.ins.gov.co/Noticias/Paginas/coronavirus-laboratorios.aspx
If this link isn’t enough for you, since you live in Medellin, we’d advise you to find out more on the spot, as it’ll be more efficient for you 😉
Hello,
Is it possible to get to Colombia from Ecuador by bus? I can’t find any info on the borders… thanks in advance!
Laura
Hi Laure, yes of course it’s possible to cross the border on the road between Tulcan and Ipiales, you’ll just have to be patient as it can take quite a while. We talk quickly about border crossings here: https://mytriptocolombia.com/la-securite-en-colombie/#passages-de-frontieres-en-colombie
Hello,
I’m sorry perhaps the question has already been asked…
I had the Covid at the end of July, so I can’t get vaccinated until the end of October, but at the end of October I’m leaving for Colombia…
Where do I fit in? In the vaccinated so no need for a compelling reason or in the unvaccinated and I need a compelling reason?
I haven’t seen any instructions for this case… A travel agency told me that I’m considered vaccinated. But I’d like to be sure so as not to have any unpleasant surprises… Thank you very much. Thank you,
Hello Julie,
Your case is indeed special… we can’t answer your question because we’re not specialists. The best thing would be to either trust the agency, as they deal with this type of problem all the time, or perhaps contact the French embassy in Colombia?
I’m sorry I can’t be of more help
Julie, I’m like you 🙂 I just got the Covid 24/12/2021, I’m not vaccinated and I want to come to Colombia in March. Were you able to enter Colombia? Is it okay to have had the covid 3 months before entering the country? Thanks 🙂
Hello everyone,
Thank you very much Samuel and Angelica for the quality of the article, all the important information is there and well summarized 😉 I’m taking the liberty of leaving a comment to present my case and perhaps get some feedback from people in a similar situation
I’m French and my partner is Franco-Colombian. We’re planning to go to Colombia in mid-July to visit her family. At the moment, there’s no problem for her, since as a Colombian she won’t be prevented from going to Colombia, and as a Frenchwoman she won’t be prevented from coming back to France. For me, on the other hand, it looks more complicated, as I don’t have a compelling reason. So I’d like to know if any of the readers of this article are in a similar situation to us and have any information/advice to offer. I would also like to point out that
1) We’re going to receive our 2nd dose of vaccine at the end of June, so our vaccination cycle will be completed by the time we leave
2) We’ve been civil partners for almost a year. For a foreigner coming from a “red” country, being married or in a civil union with a French person is a compelling reason to travel to France. On the other hand, the reverse is not valid, the logic of our beloved France..
Thanks in advance!
Hi Thomas,
Thanks for your message 🙂
It’s a good question indeed, and one we can only answer by referring to the texts in force. According to these texts, only Colombian nationals are authorized to “re-enter” Colombia, and then we move on to the list of compelling reasons. From that point on, everyone will find their own tricks to make their trip a success… We’re in exactly the same situation as you (French-Colombian couple), but we won’t be leaving before the end of the year, so we won’t be able to give our personal experience before this trip, and by then things will surely have changed.
Hello, my French son, who is in a civil union with a Colombian woman, wants to come and visit us in France in November. What are the health requirements for crossing French soil, as she has been vaccinated but my son has not!
Hello,
All travelers arriving from a country on the red list must justify a compelling reason (as he is French, no pbm) and present to the transport company and border control authorities a negative PCR or antigenic test dated less than 48 hours before departure (departure of the first flight in the case of travel with connections). Children under the age of 11 are exempt from testing.
Unvaccinated travellers must undergo an antigenic test or biological examination on arrival in mainland France, and will be systematically subjected to a quarantine or isolation order issued by a prefectoral decree on arrival in mainland France for a period of ten days, with restrictions on departure times from the isolation zone (except in the case of transit in an international zone).
We advise you to consult the FAQ of the French Embassy in Colombia: https://co.ambafrance.org/FAQ-Deplacements-France-Colombie
Hi Thomas!
Aah French logic… We were faced with this problem while preparing our trip to South America and finally came up with the following solution: departure from France (for us, Basel-Mulhouse) to Spain and then a dry flight from Madrid to Bogota.
I hope you were able to find a solution in any case :).
Hello ! And thank you so much for the hope you bring us
We’ve planned a 4-month road trip and it’s all falling apart with this compelling reason story..
We were also thinking of leaving from Madrid, but do you have a website with real-time information on Spanish restrictions? Initial departure from Paris on 26/07 with a stopover in Madrid..
Many thanks
Hello everyone, I’m French, married to a Franco Colombian and our son is French, so we’ve been able to travel. We arrived yesterday in Bogota. We had no compelling reason. My wife’s dual nationality, in fact, is a compelling reason. What you need to know to go through the Air Police is that, in our case, they check whether we have our certificates, whether we’ve been vaccinated with 2 doses and that’s all. I understand that if we had been vaccinated, it might not have worked. A friend of mine at customs asked his police colleagues beforehand, and they told him that leaving the country isn’t really the problem, it’s more a question of returning to France. You have to prove that you live there, that you’re both French, accept 7 days of controlled quarantine, etc. In short, I hope I’ve given a little hope to those who are hesitating. For us, it worked, but we’re talking about 2 French people, not about a partner who’s only Colombian, and that’s for sure not going to work, especially for re-entry
hello,
feedback
we had tickets with lufthansa, marseille/frankfort then frankfort/medellin and medellin/bogota on july 13(yesterday). and no problem, they didn’t even ask us for the vaccination certificate, we just have to remember to do the check migration for colombia that lufthansa asked us to do at check-in in marseille
feliz viaje to all
jean-marc
Hello Jean Marc,
Are you French or Colombian? I’m leaving Frankfurt with Lufthansa on August 1st but I have the shuttle bus from Strasbourg. Won’t Lufthansa ask me for a compelling reason?
Didn’t they ask for a compelling reason at the start?
Thank you!
Hello everyone,
Thanks for your feedback! 🙂 Good news, I’m writing to you from Colombia, so I’ll take this opportunity to tell you how our trip went last week
My partner has a friend whose mother is a notary, and she had made me a “convocation” to allow me to have a compelling reason (administrative convocation). I admit I was afraid it wouldn’t go through, but we wanted to give it our best shot to be able to leave. We flew from Lyon to Paris, then Paris-Bogota
When we arrived in Lyon, at check-in, the staff only checked that we had fulfilled Colombia’s requirements (i.e. had filled in the CheckMig form and downloaded the CoronaApp). No verification of the compelling reason to leave France! In Paris, when we boarded our flight to Bogotá, staff only checked our CheckMig form
That’s how it went for us, I don’t know if we were lucky or if the controls to leave France are really light… I hope I’ve been able to enlighten you a little 🙂
Have a nice day!
Hello !
Thank you for your superb blog, and for your incredible patience in responding to every comment we leave you!
I have a ticket from Paris to Bogotá with a stopover in Amsterdam on July 3, to join my Colombian girlfriend with whom I’ve been in a relationship for over 2 and a half years and who I haven’t seen for 6 months.
In the unfortunate event that I’m denied boarding for lack of a compelling reason, do you think it’s possible for me to get a full refund on my ticket? I’m going to give it a try, but I’d like to be sure that the savings I made to buy this ticket aren’t lost forever
Thanks again for your help, and have a nice day!
Simon
Hello Simon,
Thank you for your message and your compliments on our blog and our work! We appreciate it 🙂
Frankly, we’re not experts at all in this field. We have no idea how the controls work…
To find out if you can be reimbursed, you’d better contact your airline.
Sorry we can’t help you more
Hello Simon,
I’m in the same situation as you except I’m supposed to leave in August. After looking for information on the Amsterdam airport website, I think it should be fine. Even if they don’t recommend going there, they don’t seem to require any reason to leave. Could you please tell me if you can get through?
Thank you! 🙂
hello Simon,
i hope your trip will be a success
we have the same problem as you
departure marseille francfort/francfort bogota mid july
could you please keep us informed on this forum
thank you
Jmarc
Hello, Simon,
So you finally managed to leave?
Hello,
We booked a year ago for August 1st from Frankfurt on the Main but we take the Lufthansa shuttle from Strasbourg. Is the flight from France or Germany? The difference being that we don’t have a compelling reason, but if the flight departs from Germany we don’t need one? Do we?
Thanks and great blog!!!
Unfortunately we’re not specialists in this field and can’t answer your question… perhaps you should contact your airline to find out which departure is taken into account?
Thank you for your compliments on our work 🙂
Hello,
Hello,
In your opinion, if I leave from Madrid to go to Medellín (return ticket), will they let me through or refuse me entry on the plane because I’m French and therefore ask me for a reason? Normally there shouldn’t be any problems, I don’t think
Thank you for your help.
Hello Guillaume,
In my opinion, logic would dictate that you shouldn’t have a problem because Spain, unlike France, has no restrictions on travel to Colombia. But as we’ve already told other people, we’re not specialists in this field, and we don’t know Spain’s health policies. So the best thing to do is to ask the airline, which will be able to give you a better answer than we can 🙂
Hello,
I’m French and I’m flying from Spain to Colombia but I’m stopping over in Paris. As the border control is done in France, can I do it without a compelling reason knowing that I come from Spain but I’m French.
Hello, We’re not sure how things work in these cases… Maybe you should contact your airline?
Sorry about this…
Hello,
Thank you very much for your clear and precise information
Travel from France is currently impossible, except for compelling reasons
Is it nevertheless possible to travel to Colombia from another European country (Spain or Germany for example)?
Do you know when the restrictions on leaving France will be lifted or updated?
Yours sincerely
Joshua
Hello Joshua, in fact, under the current rules, travel to Colombia from France without a compelling reason is prohibited. And we have no idea when these restrictions will be lifted…
However, we do know that people travel via Spain, for example, but in practice we don’t know the regulations in other countries…
Hello, I don’t understand, we’re told that tourism is picking up and so are flights, but you need a compelling reason to leave the country 🤦♂️
Hi, yes that’s it… 🤷♂️ it’s pretty weird indeed… that said, you have to expect things to move quickly. There’s nothing to say that by the end of June the rules won’t have changed… we know that some people are travelling at the moment, but on this subject we’re just trying to give you the official information about travelling, we can’t really do more, after that it’s up to each person to decide how they want to interpret all this…
Hello, my little Colombian darling would like to come and visit me in France this summer. Is this possible? If so, under what conditions? will she be able to do her quarantine at my home? Thank you
Hello,
you can get the answer to your questions by consulting the FAQ of the French Embassy in Colombia. This is the official information. 🙂 https://co.ambafrance.org/FAQ-Coronavirus-Colombie
Hello,
Thank you very much for your very useful and clear blog
I’d like to know one thing, I’m going to do an internship this summer in Colombia as well as a university exchange which will last 5 to 6 months, do I need to apply for a student visa in order to enter without any problems or is there no point, the 6 months as a tourist will be enough? I’m especially afraid that the borders will be closed but I know that applying for a visa can take a long time and I don’t know if I have enough time between now and July, when my internship starts. Maybe if I have all the documents and contracts for the internship and the university with me, that will be enough?
Best regards and thanks again
Hello Diego,
Like everywhere else, to do an internship you need to apply for a visa. At the moment, you can apply online, and if you take a quick look at the consulate website, it’s relatively quick. You’ll find all the information you need here: https://paris.consulado.gov.co/newsroom/news/2019-05-23/20042
And to apply for a visa, go to: https://www.cancilleria.gov.co/tramites_servicios/visa/requisitos
Hello,
first of all, a huge thank you for your site, which is an inexhaustible source of information for organizing a trip to Colombia! We’re leaving this summer (end of July) for 3 weeks with our family.
Apart from the unknown epidemiological situation at the time, I’m puzzled about the “social” situation: I’m hearing about demonstrations and violence. What are your thoughts on this? We’re planning to go to Bogota, the coffee region, Medellin and the north coast… Thanks for your feedback. Noa
Hello Noa,
Thank you so much for your message and your compliments on our blog 🙂
Indeed, in relation to Covid, you’ll have to continue respecting barrier gestures and local measures if there are any at the time of your trip. But that won’t stop you from traveling and doing activities.
As far as the social situation is concerned, this is indeed a critical time for the country. However, the violence is mainly concentrated in the southern part of the country.
There are still major mobilizations in the biggest cities, but these are concentrated in specific neighborhoods/areas of the cities.
If it’s any consolation, our local contacts tell us that tourist activity remains assured. Even at La Candelaria in Bogotá…
The only thing that will be difficult, I think, is getting around by bus or car, as many roads are blocked. Your itinerary is quite standard and I don’t think you’ll have any problems. We’ll just have to see how things develop in the meantime. But we sincerely hope that by the end of July the climate will have calmed down a little.
Thank you very much for your message 😉
We are so looking forward to being there and discovering this wonderful country!
We were thinking of travelling overland between Salento and Manizales and then from Manizales to Medellin… Is private transport safe enough? Or do you think it’s better to cancel the stopover in Manizales and go directly from Salento to Medellin?
As for the Caribbean coast, we had planned to rent a car. Do you think we should change our plans for this area too? Thank you for your valuable advice.
Noa
Hello Noa,
Concerning your questions, in normal times yes, road travel is “safe” as you say. We’ll have to see at that point how the situation goes, at the moment there are some blockages but it’s not everywhere either. As far as the Caribbean coast is concerned, I think it should be fine. But it’s really very difficult to give an answer like that. What’s more, we’re not on the spot, so we can’t tell you for sure.
Thank you very much for your reply. I’ll check with the locals 😉 Have a nice day
Hello,
I have the possibility of studying in Santa Marta from August to December, but with distance learning
Is it worth accepting the project given the current situation?
My fear is that I’ll end up going to a country without being able to visit it or meet people
Thank you in advance
Hi Nina, that’s a tough question to answer. Who knows what the situation will be like in Colombia next August? That’s a very difficult question to answer. Hopefully, with vaccination, things will improve?
“Hello”
Could you please tell me if departures from Cali or Bogota airport to Europe are currently possible despite the health situation
If not, when will it be possible to travel again according to government dictates.
Hello, from Bogota to France yes it’s possible, from Cali no idea.
Hello. I’m going to Colombia from the 8th to the 29th. Do you know the cities where the restrictions are the least and what would be your advice for these three weeks in terms of activity. Thank you 🙂
Hello Corentin, as we explained in our article, we can’t give out such precise information. Each locality, each region, applies different rules and this can change from one day to the next. On the whole, it’s in the big cities that the number of contaminations is highest. As for activities in three, there’s so much to do! We suggest you browse our blog and get inspired to see what you feel like doing 🙂
Here are some useful links:
– Bogota and surroundings
– Medellin and surroundings
– Cali and surroundings
– Cartagena and surroundings
– Santa Marta and surroundings
– La Guajira
– Santander
– The coffee region
– Boyaca
– Guaviare
– Casanare
– The Pacific
– Cordoba & Uraba
i’d like to know what time the curfew is in valle del cauca cali colombia thank you
Hello Pierre, as we specify in our article, we can’t give out such precise information. Each locality, each region, applies different rules and this can change from one day to the next. Having said that, we note that in most cases curfews are currently in place from midnight to 5am.
Hello,
What do you think of the option of leaving from Madrid to travel to Bogota?
Regarding the return flight, can I take a Bogota-Paris flight even without a compelling reason (since I’m French?). Do you know what I “risk” if French customs sees on my passport a Madrid-Bogota trip 2 weeks earlier (my outbound flight)?
Thank you very much for your valuable and detailed information! 🙂
Hi, thanks for your message and we’re delighted that our blog can help you! 🙂 Sorry, but we really don’t have much of an opinion on how to get around government restrictions 😉
Hello
I have to go to Colombia for a job interview. Unfortunately, the French police told me that the reason was too light
Isn’t there any other way to get there? Through another country?
If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them, because it’s important
Thank you very much
Hello, That may seem a flimsy reason, since maintenance can be carried out virtually today without any worries… We’d have to look at routes from other European Union member countries, but in that case we’d have to check on a case-by-case basis. I’ve read that flights have been cancelled from Amsterdam, and we’ve heard that from Spain too… But all this has to be confirmed, as we can’t be certain of the information…
Hello,
Who did you contact in France to find out if your reason was valid? Merci beaucoup d’avance.
Hello, we’re returning to France on February 28 and need to do a pcr test on cartagene
Avez vous un bon plan pour pas payer trop chère
Thank you
Hello,
Thank you for your message, unfortunately no, we don’t have a specific plan for PCR testing in Colombia. Sorry
We hope you had a nice stay, welcome back!
Thank you very much, in the end, the best thing is to postpone it, as it’s more responsible towards Colombians and less frustrating from a personal-tourist point of view. As we say, Inch Allah for June-July, we’ll replace the carnival with Nuqui in the organization. Thanks again for the help
Thanks to you! And choosing Nuqui is a great option! Plus in July it’s the start of whale season! A sight that’s really worth seeing! Fingers crossed that things will be calmer by then indeed!
Hello and thank you for your site which, for my part, is much better realized and seems more serious, updated than others; bravo
For my request, sorry I’ll try to be as clear as possible without making a novel
I’m leaving, for the first discovery of this country, the whole month of February, the first ten days around Leticia and the rest of the month, the Caribbean coast (from Carthagena to Guajira)
1- Is the round trip on the Amazon from Leticia to Manaus and/or Iquitos still a possibility, given the border closures? (In practice, on the spot, is it possible to cross the borders by river via an organized “cruise”? the answers I’m getting from my contacts are “vague”)
2- Are there any restrictions on the major cities in the Caribbean? (closures of leisure activities-snorkeling-beaches-sports-national parks, curfews or lockdowns, suspension of carnival…)
3- Is it still possible and/or wise to travel to San Andres? Do planes take tourists there, and if so, is there anything to stay for?
I don’t expect to get all the answers, but I’d like to thank you for your input
Keep up the good work
Hello Philippe,
Thanks for your compliments on our blog! We really appreciate it 🙂 Indeed we try to keep ourselves informed with local sources and keep the info we share up to date.
To answer your questions:
1. River borders will remain closed in Colombia until March 1, 2021. So no, it won’t be possible to cross the border to Brazil or Peru
2. Yes, major cities in the Caribbean have restrictions: Access to certain beaches with reservation, At the moment curfews possible from 10pm in general, obviously, the carnival in Barranquilla has been canceled. Restaurants are operating normally with biosafety protocols. As here, the situation evolves very quickly and is often case-by-case, depending on the city.
3. Yes, it is still possible to travel to San Andres, but not to Providencia. Tourist activity is still maintained with Covid-related restrictions, for example: access to the beach is limited until 5pm.
that’s all I can tell you today.
Please allow me to comment on the graph you have attached. You could at least check the sources, as they are extremely dubious given the complaints against this university.
Wikipedia EXCERPT: “In January 2019, the American justice system agreed to open a lawsuit against Johns-Hopkins University for its participation in the 1940s in an experimental program conducted by the United States in Guatemala. Nearly 700 guinea pigs, including children, had been contaminated without their consent to test the effectiveness of penicillin on sexually transmitted diseases.”
When you see the misinformation we’ve been subjected to in France about a virus that kills less than the flu, and the gene therapy (it’s not a vaccine) they’re feeding us with their pseudo virus, all the data on which is distorted to serve a global plan (easy to demonstrate), my friends, we’re in trouble…
Thank you for this site which, in terms of organization, has enabled me, with all the information available, to cross Colombia alone by bike in November 2019.
Hello Sylvestre, we use this graph because it’s the only “open source” graph that offers the possibility of giving case evolution figures in real time. These data are exactly the same as on all the news sites, they are official figures, and we check their accuracy regularly by cross-checking sources. It’s simply for its “real time” aspect and the raw data of the figures and accessible to all that we propose this graph.
We could easily take screenshots of the figures from the Colombian government, or other official sites, but it would be a real hassle to have to update this article every day with a new daily image. In the end, since the figures are the same, and since it’s these figures that we’re interested in here to see the evolution of cases, we’ll continue to use this handy graph.
As far as the authors of this graph are concerned, Johns Hopkins University, we’re discovering that lawsuits have been opened for particularly serious offences, if true, but which have virtually nothing to do with the subject of this article. We will let justice do its work, and we hope that if the facts are proven, those responsible will be prosecuted and punished for their misdeeds.
Finally, regarding your view of current misinformation, our blog is absolutely not the place to discuss such theories. We have decided to publish your comment as you posted it, but we in no way validate this kind of theory and ask you to respect the themes of the blog, travel in Colombia, in your future exchanges with us.
To finish on a positive note, we’re really pleased to know that our blog was able to help you realize your bike trip, which must have been a scarce experience! We’ll always be here to answer your questions, help you organize your trips and share all our information about Colombia with you.
Thank you Sylvestre for your answer, but of course, all the figures are manipulated and erroneous . For the Colombian authorities, this virus is a blessing from heaven to muzzle the population and its opponents. In France, it’s the same. Look at the Nice matin newspaper, where the health agency multiplied the number of positive cases by 2 in a single day. It’s a real scandal. I’d like to go to Colombia, a country and a people I adore, in February, but I’m afraid of being confined to a hotel. I don’t know what to do! Nabil
Hi, I’m planning to travel to Colombia for 2 weeks in mid-January. Apart from the oblogatory test, the hotels are telling us that a curfew has been put in place again
Do you know if this applies to the whole country or just certain cities?
and finally, is everything open, stores, public places, restaurants, bars, parks, beaches etc etc?
Thanks in advance
Hello Nathalie,
Yes, I saw on the press today that the department of Antioquia (Medellin and area) went into curfew from 10pm, and some areas of Bogota into Quarentaine. Colombia is currently going through its second wave… It’s not the whole country, but it’s possible that other cities will follow suit. It will depend on how the situation evolves, but according to our sources, the situation is complicated in the biggest cities, with saturated hospitals. For the moment, tourist activities have not been affected. Choose quiet areas close to nature
Hello, I am French and my girlfriend is Colombian, I would like to join her in Colombia in February 2021, do you know if it is possible for us French tourists to go to Colombia? Thank you
Hello, As we said in the article, yes, Colombia has given the green light for tourism in the country. For the moment, the only country with restrictions is England. So there’s no problem for French travellers. We’ve just updated the article, the native PCR is once again compulsory.
From 12/01, Colombia gives travellers some time to prepare! 🙂
Thanks! Yes, I thought I understood that too. We’ll put it on the article 🙂
Hello,
merci pour toutes ces infos, je suis Colombienne et je proveois d’aller en Colombie dans 2 semaines avec mon compagnon (Francais) j’ai des amims qui ont voyagé en Colombie, Mexique, et Ecuateur dans les derniers semaines, mais ils sont tous natifs. From this we think that I will have no problem to leave but my boyfriend we do not know. Do you know if it is possible for the French to leave at this time? Thanks a lot!
Hello Laura,
Merci pour ton commentaire. There are no entry restrictions for French nationals. The difficulty will be more in the availability of airline tickets, as the commercial routes are not yet established on a regular basis. As we said in the article, there are a few flights available and scheduled for December, but after that we have no news about possible returns. It’s up to you to confirm all this with the airlines. But in any case, there are no restrictions on returning to Colombia.
Hello
A big thank you…thanks to you and your suggestions we are confined with our 2 daughters to necocli, a welcoming haven of peace!
We’re delighted if you’ve found a safe place to confine yourself 🙂 Say hello to our friends in Necocli!
Thank you a thousand times over for this monthly letter,
continue to write, to inform us, to share with us all the beautiful things
of this magnificent country
Thank you so much !!!! Your message goes straight to our hearts and makes us very happy!!! especially at this time! Thank you for following us 🙂
Hello
We returned from Colombia last Thursday, March 12, after a change of flights due to numerous cancellations. We had a big “Scottish shower” on our return home, but that didn’t stop us from keeping our heads full of magical memories of our stay
Our thoughts are with all the Colombians and French Installes in Colombia who shared their passion for this country with us
Thanks for your message! And stay safe at home!
Thank you for all this information , and good luck to you and to all Colombians . For my part, my trip is planned for September and October and I hope that the situation will be greatly improved for everyone 😉
Thanks again 👍
Thanks a lot! Fingers crossed!
Update: today, Sunday March 15, the Minister of Transport announced the restriction of entry for travelers from ALL countries, not just Europe and Asia 🙂
Hello Lucie, yes we saw it this morning when we got up, thank you! We’ve updated the article.