GoColombia Visa Requirements

Visa Entry

1、 According to Resolution No. 5477 issued on July 22, 2022, Colombian visas are divided into V category visitor visas (including courtesy visas), M category immigrant visas, and R category residence visas. For specific requirements for various types of visas, please visit the website of the Embassy of Colombia in China to inquire.

According to the bilateral agreement, Chinese citizens holding diplomatic or official passports (excluding ordinary official passports) can enter Colombia visa free and stay for 30 days. Holders of Hong Kong SAR passports can enter Colombia visa free and stay for up to 180 days within one year. Macao SAR passport holders need to obtain a visa before entering Colombia.

Colombia has unilaterally taken measures to facilitate the entry of Chinese citizens. Chinese citizens who meet one of the following conditions can enter Colombia without a visa and stay for 90 days (after entering, they can apply for an extension to the local immigration management bureau, and after approval, the stay can be extended for another 90 days):

1. Holding a valid residence permit from a Schengen member state;

2. Holding a valid US residence permit;

3. Holding a valid C or D Schengen visa;

4. Holding any type of valid US visa other than C1 transit visa.

It should be noted that on the day when Chinese citizens enter Colombia, the remaining validity period of their US or Schengen visa or residence permit must exceed 180 days.

2、 The border ports determined by the Colombian immigration management department are: Bogota, Barranquilla, Bucaramanca, Cali, Cartagena, Medellin and other airports; Ports such as Barranquilla and Cartagena; Arauca inland port, Kukuta and other land ports.

3、 Colombia stipulates that the following situations will be considered illegal entry:

（1） Enter at non designated border ports.  

（2） Evading or entering without inspection by immigration authorities at the place of entry.

（3） Entering without corresponding documents or with fake documents.  

（4） Overstaying after legal entry.  

Customs epidemic prevention and control

According to relevant laws, regulations, and departmental rules in Colombia, imported transportation vehicles, food, drugs, cosmetics, alcoholic beverages, healthcare equipment, cleaning and hygiene products, health products, agricultural products, other animal and plant products, security equipment, vehicles, etc. should be registered and obtain relevant licenses in advance with the Colombian Civil Aviation Administration, Food and Drug Administration, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Administration, Fisheries Administration, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Energy and Mines, Ministry of Transportation, Private Safety Administration, Ministry of Defense, and other institutions. Sensitive and technically standardized goods must undergo relevant inspection and quarantine procedures before shipment, and obtain official certificates of inspection and quarantine.

In order to prevent money laundering, Colombia implements a strict foreign exchange control system, and those who bring in and out of the country with a value of $10000 or more must declare it. Failure to declare beyond the limit will result in penalties such as partial confiscation, full confiscation, and imprisonment if discovered.

Colombia is a country with a yellow fever epidemic area. According to relevant regulations, foreigners entering Colombia must be vaccinated against yellow fever and show a valid "International Certificate of Vaccination or Preventive Measures" (commonly known as the "Yellow Book").

The relevant departments in Colombia have increased their investigation and control efforts, and there are often cases where our citizens are blocked from entering the country due to not being vaccinated or not carrying the "yellow book". Special reminder: Chinese citizens entering Colombia, especially those coming from other yellow fever endemic countries such as Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, etc., must receive the yellow fever vaccine at least 10 days in advance and carry a "yellow book" with them to avoid boarding and entry obstacles, causing unnecessary trouble and affecting your travel.

Colombia requires completion of the required information on the Colombian Immigration Check Ming website and receipt of confirmation within 1 to 72 hours prior to flight departure.

Residency and Naturalization

Colombia recognizes dual citizenship.  

Naturalists have the right to retain their original nationality. Joining another nationality does not automatically result in the loss of Colombian citizenship. Colombians with dual nationality must abide by the Colombian Constitution and laws within Colombian territory, and use Colombian citizenship for entry, stay, exit, as well as all civil and political activities.  

Colombian citizens have the right to renounce their Colombian nationality. The parties may submit a written application to the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Consulate.

Colombia currently has one red (extremely high-risk) area, 17 orange (high-risk) areas, and all other areas are blue (low-risk). Specifically, as follows:

Red region: North Santander Province. Orange region: 17 provinces including Arauca, Santander, Boyaca, Meta, Tolima, Uira, Risararda, Antioquia, Guajira, Nari ñ o, Cesar, Magdalena, Sucre, Choco, Bolivar, Cauca Valley, Caquet á. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminds Chinese citizens not to travel to the province of North Santander in Colombia in the near future. Personnel and institutions in the area have been evacuated as soon as possible. Cautiously travel to 17 provinces including Arauca Province. Local personnel and institutions have closely monitored the development of the situation, maintained high vigilance, strengthened security precautions and emergency preparations, and ensured personal and property safety. Personnel in other regions should also strengthen prevention and pay attention to safety. In case of emergency, please report to the police in a timely manner and contact the Chinese embassy or consulate in the local area.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and overseas embassies and consulates will continue to closely monitor changes in the overseas security situation, dynamically adjust relevant risk assessments, and release and update corresponding security reminders in real time on platforms such as the China Consular Service Network. Please continue to pay attention.

public security

In 2016, the Colombian government signed a peace agreement with the largest anti-government organization, the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), and began implementing it. In December 2022, peace talks were initiated with the National Liberation Army (ELN). At present, the overall security situation in Colombia is still not optimistic, with illegal armed groups and criminal organizations still active, social security unstable, and a surge in theft and robbery cases.

In case of any unforeseen circumstances, one should remain calm and ensure personal safety first, report to the local police in a timely manner, and contact the Chinese Embassy in Colombia.

natural disaster

Most parts of Colombia have a tropical climate, especially the northern coast and southern tropical rainforests, which are hot and rainy all year round. Due to their high altitude, cities such as Bogota and Medellin have a pleasant climate with spring like weather throughout the year.

The main natural disasters include floods, mudslides, earthquakes, etc.

Urgent Help

air traffic

European routes: Air France, Lufthansa, Iberia Airlines, etc., flying to Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid and other places.

American airlines such as UA and AA offer direct flights to destinations such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Houston.

Latin America route: Airlines such as LATAM, COPA, IBERIA, and AVIANCA from Colombia fly to various countries in Central and South America.

Colombian AVIANCA Airlines has flights to Madrid, New York, and Los Angeles.

AVIANCA Airlines in Colombia is one of the earliest established airlines in Latin America and the largest airline in Colombia, operating with 17 countries.

There are over 70 airports in Colombia, including 14 international airports. Mainly El Dorado Airport in Bogota city; Jos é Mar í a C ó rdova Airport in Medellin and Rafael N úñ ez Airport in Cartagena.

The main way to travel to and from the airport is by taxi.

Airport inquiry: 2662000.

Book a taxi: 2221111.

land transport

The total length of the railway is 3368 kilometers. Passenger transportation ceased in 1992, and currently only some tourist trains remain.

The total length of the highway is 206500 kilometers, with a total of 21 million motor vehicles.

water communication

The navigable mileage of inland rivers is 24725 kilometers.

The main seaports are Buenaventula, Santa Marta, Cartagena, and Barranquilla.

Urban transportation

The main public transportation system in Bogota, the capital of Colombia, is the "TRANS MILENIO" rapid transit line, which has a wide coverage and fast speed, with a ticket price of 2950 pesos. The remaining bus fare is 2750 pesos.

major city

1、 Bogota

The capital of Colombia, the largest city, and the political, economic, and cultural center of Colombia. Founded in 1538, the total area is 1578 square kilometers, with a city area of 307.4 square kilometers and a population of over 8 million. Located in the valley basin at the foot of Mount Everest and Mount Guadalupe, with an altitude of 2645 meters, it is like spring all year round, with an average annual temperature of 14 degrees Celsius.

2、 Cartagena

The capital of Bolivar Province, founded in 1533, has a population of approximately 1.02 million, an area of 709 square kilometers, and an average temperature of 32 degrees Celsius. Received the glorious title of "Hero City" for repeatedly resisting pirate invasions in history. Due to its beautiful tropical beach scenery and well preserved colonial castle architecture, it was declared a "cultural heritage of humanity" by UNESCO in 1984.

3、 Medellin

The capital of Antioquia Province, the second largest city in Colombia, with an altitude of 1495 meters, an area of 382 square kilometers, a population of nearly 2.5 million, and an average annual temperature of 22 degrees Celsius.

4、 Barranquilla

The capital of the Atlantic Province, with an area of 154 square kilometers and a population of approximately 1.2 million, has an average annual temperature of 27 degrees Celsius and is an important port and transportation center in Colombia.

Commodity prices

Agriculture and mining are the pillar industries. Natural resources are abundant, with coal, oil, emerald, and gold as the main mineral deposits. Emerald reserves are the world's largest, and it is the world's second largest exporter of fresh flowers. Banana and coffee exports rank third in the world.

The inflation rate in Colombia as of September 2023 is 10.99%.

Insurance Medical

Since 1991, Ge has provided free medical care to infants under the age of one nationwide, and implemented a medical insurance system for others. Each person is required to pay a medical insurance premium of about 4% of their salary per month, and can choose different levels of hospitals for treatment according to their economic affordability. Colombia does not impose medical insurance on foreigners entering the country.

The medical conditions and standards in Colombia vary greatly, with different regions, social classes, and types of insurance. Its medical system mainly consists of public hospitals, private hospitals, and various specialized clinics. There are a total of 1010 public, private, and social insurance hospitals nationwide, with 53796 doctors and 61954 nurses; On average, there are 33 healthcare workers per 10000 people, and there are a total of 75000 hospital beds in the country.

Customs taboos

1、 Holidays and festivals

Colombia is a country where multiple ethnicities and cultures intersect and blend together. The main holidays include New Year's Day (January 1), Labor Day (May 1), Independence Day (July 20), Boyaca Campaign Memorial Day (August 7), Race Day (October 12), Cartagena Independence Day (November 11), as well as religious holidays such as Holy Week in April and Christmas Day (December 25).

2、 Social etiquette

The main ways of greeting in daily life are shaking hands, hugging, and kissing the cheek. I like to be referred to by others as my degree (PhD, Master's) or professional title.

Wearing a suit or white ethnic clothing in social occasions - "Guayapela".

Colombians like the number "7" and avoid "13".

3、 Dining customs

（1） Be cautious in arranging the invitees to dine at the same table, and if possible, try to arrange for people of equal social status and educational level to sit together.

（2） It is not recommended to use chopsticks before the dishes are served.

（3） Chew lightly and swallow gently. When eating, do not open your mouth wide to chew or make noise.

（4） You can break bread by hand, not cut it with a dining knife.

（5） Smoking is prohibited indoors.

4、 Funeral customs

Death is seen as an irreparable loss. Not everyone needs to offer condolences, only those who are closest to the deceased or have close relationships with their relatives should participate in the condolences, and those who have close relationships with the deceased's relatives should accompany them throughout the funeral process. If you are a colleague at work and have a distant relationship, you can attend the funeral and express condolences near the body or during burial after the Mass ceremony.

Dress code requirement for attending the funeral: wear black clothing. If you don't wear black clothes, at least choose dark clothes and don't expose your shoulders. It is best for men to wear a black suit, while women should wear less jewelry, avoid dazzling jewelry, avoid heavy makeup, wear mid heeled shoes, and preferably ankle boots.

Communications Power

Power interface type: American standard power plug.

Standard voltage: 110V.

The main telecommunications operators in Colombia are: Bogota Telecommunications Company (ETB), Medellin Public Company (EPM), Cali Company (EMCALI), Colalao Communications Company (CLARO), and Mobile Star (MOVISTAR) telecommunications company.

Dialing method: landline 601+phone number

Mobile phone number 0057+

Charges: Both landline and mobile phones cost approximately 100-150 pesos per minute.

contact information

Presidential Palace website: www.presidencia.gov.co

Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: www.cancilleria.gov.co

Immigration website: www.migracionColombia.gov.co

Export Promotion Committee: www.procolombia.co