Colombia Travel Requirements 2026: Visa, Check-Mig and Documents

Colombia Travel Requirements 2026: Visa, Check-Mig and Documents

Landing in Colombia without knowing whether you need a visa, or finding out at the check-in counter that a form is missing, can derail the start of any trip. Migration rules shift slightly every year, and unofficial websites that charge for free procedures only add to the confusion.

This guide covers the requirements in place for 2026: who needs a visa, how to fill out the Check-Mig form, which documents immigration officers may ask for, and how long you can legally stay in the country.

Do you need a visa to enter Colombia?

Citizens of more than 80 countries can enter Colombia visa-free for tourism, as long as the stay does not exceed 90 days and the trip does not involve paid work in the country. The list includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, the United Kingdom and most European Union countries.

If your passport is not on the exemption list (Haiti, Vietnam and several African or Asian countries, for example), you will need to apply for a visa before traveling at the nearest Colombian consulate. The full, updated list is on the official Migración Colombia website.

Check your specific case before booking your ticket: it is your passport’s nationality, not your country of residence, that determines whether you need a visa.

The exemption is not automatic if you declare an activity other than tourism, such as paid work in Colombia or long-term studies. Those cases fall under specific visa categories, different from the temporary visitor one.

What is the Check-Mig and why do it before you fly?

The Check-Mig is the online pre-registration form that Colombia’s immigration agency, Migración Colombia, requires from every traveler, Colombian or foreign, entering or leaving the country by air. It is free and has nothing to do with your visa.

Border checks have become less strict, but several airlines ask to see proof of the Check-Mig before boarding and can deny boarding without it. Treat it as mandatory to avoid trouble at the counter.

How to fill out the Check-Mig step by step

• Go to the official site, apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co/pre-registro (avoid sites that charge a fee, the real form is free).
• Fill in your personal, passport and flight details.
• Save the confirmation as a PDF or screenshot.
• Show it at check-in if the airline asks for it.

You can complete it anywhere from 72 hours before your flight up to one hour before departure. Everyone traveling needs their own registration, children included.

You need it to leave Colombia too

The registration is not just for arrival: Migración Colombia asks for the same form for outbound flights, even if you already filed one weeks earlier when you landed. Check your return flight and complete a new Check-Mig between 72 and 1 hour before that departure.

If your itinerary includes a layover in another country before you get home, the same rule applies: it is tied to the flight leaving Colombian territory, not your final destination.

Documents you should bring

• A passport valid for your entire stay in Colombia.
• A visa, only if your nationality requires one.
• Proof of onward or return travel.
• Proof of where you will be staying.
• Proof of funds to cover your trip, in case the immigration officer asks for it.

In practice, immigration at José María Córdova International Airport tends to move quickly for tourists with their paperwork in order. Still, keep the key documents saved locally: a downloaded PDF gets you through even without signal.

Yellow fever vaccine: do you need it to enter?

Since March 2026, Colombia strengthened its yellow fever vaccination requirements for international travelers, under the International Health Regulations. The rule mainly targets travelers heading to high or very high risk municipalities, as defined by the Colombian Ministry of Health.

If your plan is to stay in Medellín and take day trips to nearby towns like Guatapé or Santa Fe de Antioquia, check whether your itinerary touches a risk zone and get vaccinated at least ten days ahead, the time it takes to build immunity. Some airports and terminals in the country have vaccination stations.

Since the requirement changed recently and could keep evolving, check the official information before you travel, especially if your itinerary goes beyond Medellín.

How long can you stay in Colombia?

On arrival, the immigration officer grants an entry permit that is typically valid for up to 90 days, though the exact length is at their discretion and depends on the purpose of the trip you declare.

The permit does not depend on nationality but on the officer’s assessment at the moment of entry. Having your return itinerary or accommodation booking handy helps settle any questions quickly if asked.

Extending your stay with a PTP

If you need more time, you can request a single extension of up to 90 additional days, for a maximum of 180 days within the same calendar year. The process runs through the Migración Colombia website and is usually resolved within about three business days.

The official recommendation is to start the request about ten days before your first 90 days are up. The 2026 fee is around 150,000 Colombian pesos, though it is worth confirming the exact amount on the portal before paying, since fees are updated yearly.

Staying beyond 180 days without the corresponding permit leaves you in an irregular immigration status, with the risk of penalties when you leave the country. If you are planning a longer stay, it is worth looking into other visa categories with an immigration lawyer.

Common mistakes that complicate the trip

• Paying for the Check-Mig on a site other than the official Migración Colombia one: the real process never has a fee.
• Mixing up the Check-Mig with the visa: they are separate procedures and neither replaces the other.
• Keeping the confirmation only in an email, without downloading it: with no airport wifi, it helps to have it on your phone or printed.
• Not checking whether your passport covers your entire planned stay.
• Leaving the stay extension for the last day, when the process can take up to three business days.

Going through this list a couple of days before flying out avoids most of the migration hiccups first-time visitors to Medellín run into.

Arriving in Medellín: what happens after immigration

Once your passport is stamped, the next step is getting out of José María Córdova Airport and into the city, roughly an hour’s drive to El Poblado. After a long flight and the immigration line, a private airport transfer means you skip hauling your bags to a taxi line or waiting on a ride-hailing app in the arrivals area.

Once your visa and Check-Mig are sorted, the next step is planning how you will move around the city from minute one. Book your airport-to-hotel transfer with us or message us on WhatsApp and we will help you plan the rest of your itinerary.