🇨🇴 Flying to Colombia
Visa · Health · Arrival · Flights — everything you need before you fly.
Content under review. Entry requirements and health rules change frequently. Information marked [VERIFY] has not yet been confirmed against authoritative sources. Do not rely on this page for travel decisions until verified content is published. Always check IATA Travel Centre and your government's travel advisory.
Last verified: July 22, 2026
Sources: www.gov.uk, www.visaverge.com, wwwnc.cdc.gov, www.decconsultores.com, apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co
Avi's Insider Tip
Nobody warns you about the altitude. Bogotá's at 2,640 meters and I felt it — mild headache, out of breath walking uphill to my hotel. Take the first evening slow, drink water instead of pisco, and you'll be fine by day two.
Travel essentials
Scannable data for the efficient traveler.
Sources: www.gov.uk, www.visaverge.com, wwwnc.cdc.gov, www.decconsultores.com, apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co
Visa-free entry
Colombia gives visa-free entry to around 100+ nationalities, including the US, Canada, UK, EU, Australia, and most of Latin America. On arrival you'll typically get a 90-day stamp, extendable once for another 90 days at a Migración Colombia office — up to 180 days total per calendar year.
Colombia does not run a separate paid visa-on-arrival system for its visa-exempt list — eligible nationalities simply receive the 90-day entry stamp.
Health & vaccines
No vaccines are legally required for most travelers arriving directly from the US, Canada, UK, or EU. Hepatitis A, Typhoid, and routine vaccines are commonly recommended.
Colombia has its own domestic yellow fever risk zones — this is not just an "arriving from elsewhere" rule. A certificate IS required if arriving from Angola, Brazil, DR Congo, or Uganda (including transits over 12 hours). For Bogotá specifically: vaccination is NOT recommended for travel limited to the city, since Bogotá sits above 2,300m elevation, too high for the mosquito that transmits yellow fever, and it is explicitly excluded from CDC risk maps. It's also not recommended for Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena, or Medellín. It IS recommended if your itinerary extends to lower-altitude jungle, Amazon, or rural risk areas — and CDC/WHO have flagged newly affected border areas in Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru since 2025, so check current maps for anywhere outside the main cities.
Customs
[VERIFY: general personal-goods duty-free allowance figures for Colombia vary by source — confirm current limits with DIAN before travel.] Cash: amounts up to $10,000 USD (or equivalent) require no declaration; anything above that must be declared on DIAN Form 530. Failing to declare cash over the threshold can result in a 30% fine on the excess and confiscation of the undeclared portion.
🛂 Entry requirements
⚠️ All travelers, regardless of nationality, must complete the free Check-Mig registration (apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co/check-mig) between 72 hours and 1 hour before each flight into or out of Colombia — airlines increasingly require proof of submission before boarding.
💉Health & vaccine requirements
⚠️ Health requirements sourced from the CDC Yellow Book. Always confirm with your doctor or a travel clinic before departure, especially if traveling beyond Bogotá to lower-altitude regions.
Essential local apps
Download these before you land — tap a card to open the real app or site.
Uber
Ride-shareLegally operates in Bogotá as a "car rental with driver" service (a workaround Uber adopted in 2020 after a brief ban) — works fine day to day, though the legal framework is still debated locally.
inDrive
Ride-shareA fast-growing local favorite where you negotiate the fare with the driver — widely used across Colombia alongside Uber and DiDi.
Nequi
PaymentColombia's own hugely popular digital wallet (backed by Bancolombia) — mostly for domestic transfers/QR pay, and only useful to you if you set up a local account; otherwise pay by card or cash.
Arriving at El Dorado International Airport (BOG)
SIM & connectivity
Claro, Movistar, and Tigo counters are inside El Dorado, past security. Tourist SIMs from any of the three run roughly 30,000–50,000 COP ($7–$12 USD) with 500MB–2GB of initial data — city-center shops are typically cheaper than the airport.
Colombian Peso (COP). ATMs widely available in Bogotá; card payments are broadly accepted in the capital, less so in smaller towns.
Getting into town
El Dorado is about 15km from central Bogotá. TransMilenio (bus rapid transit) has a station inside the airport — the direct K86 line runs to Calle 26/Centro Internacional (~7,000 COP for the reusable Tullave card plus ~3,200 COP per ride), or take the free airport feeder to Portal El Dorado and connect to K86. Journey is roughly 45 minutes. Taxis from the arrivals queue to La Candelaria run 60,000–80,000 COP, 30–45 minutes — white taxis are prepaid/booked at a counter, yellow taxis are metered. Uber/inDrive pickup is also available, typically 40,000–100,000 COP depending on demand.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit Bogotá?▼
US, Canadian, UK, EU, Australian, and most Latin American passport holders can enter visa-free for a 90-day stamp, extendable once for another 90 days — up to 180 days total per calendar year.
What is the Check-Mig form and do I really need it?▼
Yes — every traveler, regardless of nationality, must submit the free Check-Mig form online between 72 hours and 1 hour before each flight into or out of Colombia. Airlines increasingly check for it before boarding, so don't skip it even though enforcement has historically been inconsistent.
Is yellow fever vaccination required for Bogotá?▼
No — Bogotá sits above 2,300m elevation, too high for the mosquito that carries yellow fever, and is explicitly excluded from risk maps. It's only relevant if your trip extends to lower-altitude jungle, Amazon, or rural areas, or if you're arriving from a handful of at-risk countries (Angola, Brazil, DR Congo, Uganda).
Is altitude sickness a concern in Bogotá?▼
Bogotá sits at roughly 2,640m (8,660ft) — some visitors feel mild effects (headache, breathlessness) for the first day or two. Take it easy on arrival, stay hydrated, and go light on alcohol the first night.
What's the cheapest way from El Dorado airport to La Candelaria?▼
TransMilenio's K86 line, accessible from inside the airport (or via the free feeder to Portal El Dorado), is cheapest at a few thousand pesos and takes about 45 minutes. A metered taxi is faster and costs 60,000–80,000 COP for a 30–45 minute ride.
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