Colombia is one of the countries in the world with the greatest biodiversity. It has paradisiacal beaches, mountains, plains, and Amazon jungle, becoming one of the most sought-after destinations in South America. In this post, we tell you some tips and requirements to travel to Colombia as a tourist. How to get a visa for Colombia? How long can you stay traveling as a tourist? Discover it here!
Who Needs a Visa for Colombia?
If you need to know who needs a visa for Colombia, just check the following list. If you have a passport or legal residence in one of the following countries, you can process an e-visa.
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Angola
- Bahrain
- Banglades
- Belarus
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- Comoros
- Congo Republic
- DR Congo
- Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haiti
- India
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Macao
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea (DPRK)
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste (East Timor)
- Togo
- Tonga
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
What Documentation Do you Need to Travel to Colombia as a Tourist?
Access by air is the fastest and most comfortable. Colombia has international airports such as in Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena, San Andres, or Santa Marta and companies that operate domestic flights to regional and international destinations.
The requirements to get the Colombia online visa are the following:
- Copy of Passport with a validity minimum of six months. A photocopy of the first page of your valid passport showing your biographical information. The photocopy can be in color or black and white
- Copy of your residence permit document in case you are in a country other than yours with a validity minimum of three months before being in Colombia
- You must download the DP-FO-67 form, fill it out and sign it
- 2 current photos of 3 x 3 cm size in JPG format, with a white background, with a neutral face, eyes open looking towards the camera, and the face must be clear
- Document that certifies financial solvency for the period of time that you will be in Colombia
- Electronic or photocopy of the return flight reservation ticket
- Hotel reservation showing the days of your stay, name, address, telephone, etc.
- Negative Covid-19 certificate
If you are from a country belonging to Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay), you can enter only with a valid ID or passport in good condition.
It should be clarified that this visa will allow you to be in the country for 90 days, although the stay can be extended for an additional 90 days, presenting yourself at the Office of Migration Affairs or applying it again online. In this way, a foreigner who does not need a visa in Colombia will be 180 days. Still, you should know that in case authorities find any fraudulent activity, you can be deported.
What About The Colombia Visa on Arrival?
The Colombia visa on arrival is for those who belong to countries that are not on the list mentioned above and visa-free. It is not even like a visa, but just whether you are traveling for tourism or for business reasons, as long as your entry to Colombia is temporary, upon arrival at the airport, you will receive a document/permit specifying that you can be in the country for 90 days by showing your passport.
How to Get a Visa for Colombia?
Citizens of countries that require a prior visa to enter Colombian territory can start the process online. This also applies to those citizens who do not have a Colombian Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence.
You must attach the aforementioned documents in PDF format (you have to scan the copies) when you are going to apply for a Colombia visa. The processing time for your visa can take from 3 to 10 business days. In any case, depending on your nationality, it may happen that you be called for a personal interview with the Consul at the Colombian embassy closest to your residence.
Also, when you apply for Colombia visa, you must make the corresponding payment of the same.
How Much is Colombia Visa?
The Colombia visa fees are divided into two parts: the first one is for the visa process, which cost US $52 (if you are applying within Colombia or from a non-European country), and you will have to make a second payment of $82 once they notice that your visa is ready. On the other hand, if you are from Europe or Cuba, the Colombian visa fees change. The first payment it’s US $40, and the second payment it’s US $63.
Keep in mind that both the first and second payment must be made by the same mean, i. e., if you made the first payment by credit card, the second payment must be by credit card as well.
Also, to know your Colombia visa status, you will receive an email (the email with which you have registered to apply for the Visa) notifying you of its status, or you can check it online.
The Colombia visa status can appear as:
- Approved (you must make the second payment)
- Required (you will need to send additional documents)
- Rejected (your Visa has not been approved)
- Inadmissible (you have been rejected, but you can reapply before 6 months)
What are The Colombia Visa Types?
You will find 3 different Colombia visa types, which are:
1. Visitor visa (type V)
This Visa allows foreigners to stay in the country temporarily for the following reasons:
- Tourism
- Business management
- Academic exchange, studies in art or trades, and postgraduate degrees
- Medical treatment
- Administrative procedures and/or judicial
- Boat crew or coastal platform
- Participation in events
- Internships
- Volunteering
- Audiovisual and/or digital production
- Journalistic coverage
- Temporary service provider
- Official or commercial representative of a foreign government
- Vacation-work and courtesy program
2. Resident Visa (type R)
This Visa is for those who aspire to establish their permanent address in Colombia for the following reasons:
- Having renounced Colombian nationality previously
- Being the father of a Colombian national by birth
- Accumulated time of stay
- Foreign direct investment
3. Migrant Visa (type M)
According to the Colombian Government “, this visa is for the foreigner who wishes to enter or remain in the national territory with the intention of establishing himself, and does not meet the conditions to apply for a type R visa.”
People who are in the following condition may apply for this visa:
- Spouse or permanent partner of a Colombian national
- Father or son of a Colombian national by adoption
- Migrant under the Mercosur Agreement
- Refugee
- Job
- Entrepreneur
- Exercise profession or independent activity
- Religious
- Primary, secondary, middle, and undergraduate students
- Real estate investor
- Retiree or rentier
- To know how much is Colombia visa for any of those visa types; you can check the PickVisa policy section.
Do I Need to Get Vaccinated to Enter Colombia?
Among the vaccines to travel to Colombia, although it does not appear in the list of requirements to obtain the Visa, depending on where you travel within the country, you must have the certificate of the yellow fever vaccine, and you must have it at least 10 days before the start of the trip.
This vaccine is recommended for those who travel to the departments of La Guajira, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, and regions such as the Llanos Orientales, the Amazon, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Tayrona National Park, and the entire Atlantic Coast. On the contrary, for destinations such as San Andres, Bogota, Cartagena de Indias, Medellin, Cali, and Barranquilla, this vaccine is not necessary.
If you plan to visit jungle regions or natural parks, it is recommended, in addition to the yellow fever vaccine, to have the tetanus vaccine. Vaccines for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, triple virus, and diphtheria-tetanus are also recommended.
