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Traveling to Colombia

Colombia Entry Requirements: Visa, Passport and Stay

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Educational information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with a licensed Colombian lawyer or certified public accountant, and with a licensed tax professional in your country of residence and, where relevant, a licensed lawyer in that country.

Foreign visitors need a valid travel document and a visa unless an exemption covers their nationality and visit. Migración Colombia decides admission and the permitted stay at border control (entry requirements; visa exemptions).

Start with your nationality and reason for travel. Use the visa-exemption steps below to check your route. For the travel form itself, see the Check-MIG form guide.

What it is

These are the general entry checks for a short visit. A visa exemption does not guarantee admission. A tourism entry permit (permiso de turismo, PT) differs from a visa. The visa guide covers visa types and applications.

Who it applies to

Nationality, travel document and purpose determine the entry route. A residence permit from another country does not always remove the visa requirement. Colombian dual nationals have separate document rules below.

How to check whether you need a visa

  1. Open Cancillería's current visa exemption rules.
  2. Find your nationality in the short-stay list in article 3.
  3. Check the passport category and conditions beside any exemption.
  4. Read the conditional exemptions if your nationality is not in the general list.
  5. Confirm an unclear result with a Colombian consulate before travel.

The rules include conditions linked to certain foreign visas or residence permits. They do not cover every holder of those documents. If no exemption applies, the appropriate visa must precede travel. The text checked on 25 October 2026 includes Resolution 12189 of 2026. That amendment took effect on 4 September 2026. Use the current text and its conditions.

Article 3 covers listed passport holders on airport transit or short stays. The activities must not generate service payments, wages or salary in Colombia. Visa-free tourism does not grant general permission to work. For a treatment visit, see medical tourism entry checks.

Steps

  1. Check the nationality and activity rules before booking.
  2. Check the expiry date and condition of the travel document.
  3. Prepare the travel evidence listed below.
  4. Review the free, optional Check-MIG form before the trip.
  5. Present the documents at an authorized immigration checkpoint.
  6. Answer the officer's questions about the visit.
  7. Check the entry record and the number of days granted.
  8. Complete the customs checks that apply to the luggage and money.

Resolution 3167 of 2019, articles 4–8, sets the general border-control rules, with exceptions. On arrival by land, sea or river, the UK entry guidance stresses the need for an immigration stamp.

At the airport: Biomig and e-gates

Automated gates have eligibility rules. Migración Colombia's Biomig guidance allows adult foreigners to use regular Biomig for departure only, without prior enrollment. It does not offer that route for a foreign visitor's arrival. Follow the signs for the applicable immigration channel.

Costs

Check-MIG is free. Visa charges depend on the application; consult the visa guide. Customs charges depend on the goods and the applicable rules.

Documents

Passport validity

Migración Colombia requires a valid, unexpired passport or an accepted alternative travel document. Treaty rules can permit national identity documents for eligible travelers from the Andean Community (CAN) or Mercosur. The exception does not cover every foreign identity card.

Under article 14 of Resolution 3167, permission cannot exceed the validity of the passport, travel document or visa presented. For full British citizen passports, FCDO states that the passport must be valid on entry. It also reports a recommendation for six months' validity after the planned departure. That recommendation is distinct from the stated entry requirement.

What officers may ask for

Article 8 of Resolution 3167 allows officers to request paper or digital evidence of the planned activity. Examples include:

  • Purpose: an invitation or other evidence of the visit.
  • Accommodation: the place of stay, such as a booking or host address.
  • Funds: evidence of money to support the stay.
  • Departure: the return or onward travel ticket.

The entry instructions list a visa, departure ticket and proof of funds where applicable. For British visa-free visitors, FCDO specifies an onward or return ticket within the permitted visit. This guide sets no fixed minimum bank balance.

Customs and cash

Check-MIG does not replace a customs declaration. DIAN's Form 530 covers specified baggage, cash and monetary instruments. In 2026, cash above USD 10,000 or its equivalent triggers declaration; family-group rules also apply. See cash declarations and the separate monetary-instrument threshold. Goods and pets can trigger declaration even below the cash threshold.

For goods, phones and resale, see Colombia baggage allowances and Form 530.

Deadlines

For a general tourism permit, article 14 allows up to 90 calendar days. The actual grant can be shorter. The general limit for entry and extension permits is 180 days in the same calendar year, counting separate visits together. Leaving and returning does not erase those days.

This is not an automatic 180-day grant. Special permits and treaty rules can differ. Maritime tour groups follow the vessel's stay. A shorter document validity also limits the grant. The extension and overstay guide explains the separate extension process.

Use Colombia Clocks to review the immigration and tax day counts. They are separate rules. Check-MIG's filing window appears in the form guide.

Common mistakes

  • Using an old nationality list: check Cancillería's current text and its conditions.
  • Assuming every visitor gets the maximum stay: check the actual entry record.
  • Treating Check-MIG as permission: the form does not replace admission or a visa.
  • Confusing immigration with customs: each authority has separate checks.
  • Planning only the arrival: children, pets and onward destinations can need departure documents.

For plans after arrival, see safety checks in Medellín.

Exceptions

Vaccines and health documents

Check MinSalud's traveler guidance for the route and destination. Its yellow-fever advice depends on local risk and includes medical conditions and exceptions. A health recommendation and a certificate requirement are different. This is not medical advice. Ask a licensed health professional about your case. See vaccines and regional health controls.

Arriving with children

Children need their own accepted travel documents under Migración Colombia's entry rules. Colombia also has separate permission rules for a child's departure. Nationality, residence status and the accompanying parent matter, with exceptions. Review the return trip before travel. See child exit permits and exceptions.

Colombian dual nationals

Migración Colombia says a person with Colombian nationality must identify as Colombian on entry and exit. Holding a foreign passport does not remove that rule. See accepted documents for Colombian dual nationals.

Pets

The agricultural authority (ICA) sets separate entry documents and inspection steps for dogs and cats. A passenger's immigration permission does not cover the animal. See ICA documents and pet travel deadlines.

Sources

Checked 25 October 2026: Migración Colombia entry instructions; Cancillería visa exemptions; Resolution 3167; Check-MIG; Biomig; UK entry guidance; DIAN customs; MinSalud travelers; children's departure rules; ICA pets.

Educational information, not legal or tax advice. Ask a Colombian lawyer or accountant for your case.

Next step

After reviewing the entry rules, check your travel dates in Colombia Clocks. Keep your immigration stay and tax-residency review separate.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa to enter Colombia?

It depends on nationality, travel document and activity. Check the current Cancillería exemption list and its conditions. If no exemption applies, obtain the appropriate visa before travel.

Does Colombia require six months on a passport?

Migración requires a valid, unexpired travel document. A shorter document validity limits the permitted stay. For full British citizen passports, FCDO states validity on entry and reports a six-month recommendation after planned departure. Check the rule for your document.

Does everyone get 180 days on arrival?

No. A general tourism permit allows up to 90 days. The actual grant can be shorter. The general 180-day calendar-year limit includes separate visits and extensions; special rules can differ.

Is Check-MIG mandatory to enter Colombia?

Migración Colombia describes Check-MIG as free and optional for entry and exit. It does not replace immigration control or any required visa.

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