Country
Passport Required?
Visa Required?
Return Ticket Required?
Passport valid for at least 6 months required by all.
Not required by those travelling for touristic purposes for
up to 90 days except nationals from countries listed below who
do require a visa. A visitor’s permit will be issued on
arrival and a 15-day extension to this period may usually be
granted. All visitors must provide proof on arrival of
sufficient funds to cover their stay.
Nationals of all CIS member countries and nationals of
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh,
Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei
Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia,
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China
(PR), Comoros, Congo (Dem. Rep. of), Congo (Rep. of), Côte
d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Dominican
Republic, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia,
Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,
Haiti, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati,
Korea (DPR), Kuwait, Laos, Lativa, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia,
Libya, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall
Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestinian National Authority
Region, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda,
Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Sao Toma e Prancipe, Senegal, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South
Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab
Emirates, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Taiwan (China), Yemen, Yugoslavia,
Zambia and Zimbabwe do require visas, whatever the
purpose of their visit.
Tourist: $30 (depends on nationality).
Business: $120. Temporary working: $160.
Technical Assistant: $140. Journalist: $120.
Religious: $120. Student: $30. Spouse of
Colombian National: $130. Public performance: $130.
Depends on purpose of stay.
Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy).
(a) 3 recent passport-size photos. (b) Completed
application form. (c) Onward or return tickets. (d) Valid
passport. (e) Proof of sufficient funds. (f) Fee. (g) Proof of
address. For visas other than tourist visas other
documents are required. These will need to be translated into
Spanish, and some of them will need to be legalised by the
Consulate. There is a fee of $25 per document for this. Most
applications will need to be supported by documents from the
relevant organisations/the relevant ministry in Colombia and
in the applicant’s country of origin. Contact the nearest
Colombian Consulate/Consular section at Embassy for further
details.
2 for nationals resident in the UK who require a visa; in
all other instances 10-15.
Carrera 13, No 28-01, Piso 15, Santa Fe de Bogotá, DC,
Colombia
Tel: (1) 350 5500. Fax: (1) 350 5791.
E-mail:
[email protected]
Vaccination is recommended for travellers who visit the
following areas considered to be endemic for yellow fever:
middle valley of the Magdalena River, eastern and western
foothills of the Cordillera Oriental from the frontier with
Ecuador to that with Venezuela, Urabá, the foothills of the
Sierra Nevada, eastern plains (Orinoquia) and Amazonia.
Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera
vaccination certificate is not a condition of entry to
Colombia. However, there may be a risk of cholera in this
country; autochthonous cases were reported in 1996, and
precautions should be considered. Up-to-date advice should be
sought before deciding whether these precautions should
include vaccination as medical opinion is divided over its
effectiveness. See the Health appendix.
Malaria risk exists throughout the year in rural areas
below 800m. There is high risk in the following regions: Urabá
(Antioquia and Chocó Dep.), Bajo Cauca-Nechi (Córdoba and
Antioquia Dep.), Magdalena Medio, Catatumbo (Norte de
Santander Dep.), whole Pacific Coast area, eastern plains
(Orinoquia) and Amazonia. The malignant falciparum form
of the disease is reported to be highly resistant to
chloroquine and resistant to sulfadoxine/pyrimethaine.
All water should be regarded as being potentially
contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or
making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise
sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled.
Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make
sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy
products which are likely to have been made from unboiled
milk. Only eat well cooked meat and fish, preferably served
hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk.
Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.
American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), as well
as cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis
occur in Colombia. Hepatitis A and B occur. For
further details see the Health
appendix.
Rabies is present. For those at risk,
vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are
bitten, seek medical advice without delay.
Health facilities in the main cities are good. In rural
areas, services can be very limited. Travellers are strongly
advised to take out full medical insurance. There are nine
firms in Colombia offering prepaid medical care and medical
insurance which may be purchased from travel agents, a list of
which is available from the Embassy.
Jan 1 New Year’s Day. Jan 6 Epiphany.
Mar 19 St Joseph’s Day. Mar 28 Maundy Thursday.
Mar 29 Good Friday. May 1 Labour Day. May
9 Ascension Day. May 30 Corpus Christi. Jun 7
Sacred Heart. Jun 29 Saint Peter and Saint
Paul.Jul 20 Independence Day. Aug 7 Battle of
Boyacá. Aug 15 Assumption. Oct 12
Columbus Day. Nov 1 All Saints’ Day. Nov 11
Independence of Cartagena City. Dec 8 Immaculate
Conception. Dec 25 Christmas Day. Jan 1 2003 New
Year’s Day. Jan 6 Epiphany. Mar 19 St Joseph’s
Day. Apr 17 Maundy Thursday. Apr 18 Good Friday.
May 1 Labour Day. May 29 Ascension Day. Jun
19 Corpus Christi. Jun 27 Sacred Heart. Jun 29
Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Jul 20 Independence
Day. Aug 7 Battle of Boyacá. Aug 15 Assumption.
Oct 12 Columbus Day. Nov 1 All Saints’ Day.
Nov 11 Independence of Cartagena City. Dec 8
Immaculate Conception. Dec 25 Christmas Day.
Holidays which fall on a weekday are normally observed on
the following Monday.
Destination Guide – Colombia
Passport and Visa Application
Health
Holidays
Passports
Visas
Note
Types of visa and cost
Validity
Application to
Application requirements
Working days required
Addresses
1
2
3
4
Other risks
Health care
Public Holidays
Note
| British | yes | no | yes |
| Australian | yes | no | yes |
| Canadian | yes | no | yes |
| USA | yes | no | yes |
| Other EU | yes | no | yes |
| Japanese | yes | no | yes |
| Ministerio de Desarollo Economico (Ministry of Economic Development) |
|
|
|
|
| Health Precaution | Special Precaution | Certificate |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Fever | 1 | no |
| Cholera | 2 | no |
| Typhoid and Polio | yes | n/a |
| Malaria | 3 | n/a |
| Food and Drink | 4 | n/a |