Colombia is a country with visa-free access, allowing citizens to extend their stay by an additional 90 days through online or in-person applications. However, a 180-day visa is not required for stays of 90 days or less. Nationals from certain countries can enter and stay in Colombia without a visa for up to 90 days.
To apply for a Colombian tourist visa, travelers must preload all relevant information and apply online. Visa exempt entry into Colombia is free, and a 90-day extension costs $28. Foreigners not on the visa-free list must apply for a Tourist Visa in advance, which costs approximately $137.
The Colombian visa application process is simple and easy to understand, with most nationalities being exempt from visas. The Colombian visa application process is online, and an eVisa is issued. Passport holders can apply up to 6 months ahead of their trip, with a deadline of 45 days before their trip.
For travelers from India, a US or Schengen visa with a minimum validity of 180 days at the time of entering Colombia is not required. Indian travelers do not need a visa to enter Colombia if they have a US or Schengen visa with a minimum validity of 180 days.
To gain entry to Colombia, passengers must either have an onward ticket out of Colombia within 90 days of arrival or present a valid Colombian visa. If a foreign citizen is a passenger, they must have a transit visa and apply for it at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Tourist visas are required for certain countries, which can be processed at Colombian embassies and consulates abroad.
📹 Immigration Requirement To Enter Colombia
Do you need a visa to travel through Colombia?
Colombia allows visitors to visit for up to 90 days without a visa for business or tourism, provided they have an onward or return ticket valid within the 90-day period. If they have a valid Colombian visa with more than 90 days, they must register it at a Migración Colombia office or online within 15 days of arrival. Failure to register may result in a fine. Guests can extend their stay by up to 120 days by applying at Migración Colombia’s immigration office. Visitors cannot stay in Colombia for more than 180 days in a 12-month period.
Is it safe to travel to Bogotá right now?
Colombia has issued a Level 3 travel advisory, advising against travel due to crime and terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping. The advisory highlights areas like Arauca, Cauca (excluding Popayán), and Norte de Santander due to crime and terrorism. The Colombia-Venezuela border region is also at risk due to crime, kidnapping, and detention risks when crossing into Venezuela from Colombia. The country’s summary highlights widespread violent crime and organized criminal activities in some areas.
Do EU citizens need a visa for Colombia?
The majority of EU member states, in addition to a select few other countries, are permitted to enter Colombia for a period of 90 days without the necessity of obtaining a tourist visa. Similarly, nationals of the United States, India, China, Macau, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand are also eligible for visa waivers for tourism purposes.
Do I need a visa to Colombia if I have a Schengen visa?
Colombia allows its citizens to enter the country for up to 90 days without the necessity of a visa, provided that they possess a valid Schengen visa upon arrival. Croatia allows holders of various types of Schengen visas, including two- and multiple-entry visas. Third-country nationals intending to visit or transit through Cyprus with a valid Schengen visa are permitted to do so.
Do I need vaccinations for Colombia?
Hepatitis A and Tetanus vaccines are typically recommended, along with other vaccines like Diphtheria, Rabies, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever. Hepatitis B is selectively advised for those at highest risk. Risk is higher in countries with hepatitis A circulating or in areas with poor hygiene and sanitation. Risk is highest for those with underlying medical conditions, men with sex with men, drug users, and those exposed through their jobs. Risk is also higher for frequent, extended visits, visiting friends and relatives, children, and those requiring medical treatment during travel.
Do I need a visa to go to Bogota Colombia?
Travelers must complete Migración Colombia’s Online Check-Mig Form within 72 hours of boarding an inbound or outbound flight from Colombia, and there is no fee to complete the form. U. S. citizens without Colombian citizenship must present a valid passport to enter and leave Colombia. U. S. citizens do not need a Colombian visa for tourist or business stays of 90 days or less or for cumulative stays of 180 days or less per calendar year. Before your 90-day stay expires, you may request an extension of up to 90 additional days from Migración Colombia.
If you remain in Colombia longer than allowed, you may face fines and may not be able to leave until the fine is paid. Travelers entering with a Colombian visa with more than three months’ validity must register the visa within 15 days of arrival or face fines.
Do I need a yellow fever vaccine for Colombia?
At the time of writing, Colombia does not mandate the administration of vaccinations as a prerequisite for entering the country. Nevertheless, individuals intending to visit tourist sites, including Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park, Tayrona National Park, and Amazon reserves, are required to be vaccinated against yellow fever a minimum of ten days prior to their visit. The vaccination can be obtained in any of Colombia’s major cities. A comprehensive list of mandatory areas for yellow fever vaccination is available for reference.
Is it safe to walk in Bogota?
During the day, avoid wandering too far, as muggings and armed robbery are dangerous, especially in tourist areas like La Candelaria and near the Montserrate cable car. Delightful areas are never too far from dodgy zones, so it’s best to consult your hostel or join a walking tour for safety. The north and east of the city are generally safe, but the south is more risky, especially in Plaza Bolivar. Ciudad Bolivar’s residential area should be avoided due to high robbery risks and potential flooding due to torrential rain.
Can I visit Colombia on Schengen visa?
Colombia allows its citizens to enter the country for up to 90 days without the necessity of a visa, provided that they possess a Schengen visa that is valid for 180 days upon arrival. Croatia allows holders of various types of Schengen visas, including two- and multiple-entry visas. Third-country nationals intending to visit or transit through Cyprus with a valid Schengen visa are permitted to do so.
Is Bogotá safe to visit?
Bogota is a safe urban area in South America with a lower violent crime rate than Indianapolis. It offers diverse neighborhoods with music, food, dance, and art, and is known for its coffee. Although not perfect, Bogota is becoming safer and more enjoyable. Medellin, a city with a history of cocaine use, has made significant progress. In 2013, it was named The World’s Most Innovative City and received the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize for urban development in 2016. Both cities offer unique experiences and attractions for travelers.
Which countries can enter Colombia without a visa?
Colombia has a tourist visa exemption for countries like Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Cyprus, and Romania. In 2021, nationals from 99 countries can visit Colombia without a tourist visa, while visa-free visitors can stay for up to 90 days, with the possibility of extension.
📹 Rejected Entry Into Colombia (don’t make my mistake) 🇨🇴
I wasn’t allowed to board my plane flying from Brazil to Colombia due to a requirement I never knew existed. Watch this video so …
Yes, this happened to my colleague where he had to go from Brazil to Colombia and wasn’t allowed in due to him not being vaccinated for yellow fever. He tried going to Miami to get the shot and then back into Colombia right away, but the ten days hadn’t passed. Good to know since I have to make that trip this fall.
What’s up David! As an expat who has been living in Colombia for many years, I was required to get the Yellow Fever shot before flying to India back in 2019. I flew from Medellin to Miami and visited a friend for 5 days. When I checked in at Miami Int’l with Qatar Airways, they asked me for the vaccine card and I had it so I was allowed to board the flight to India. India requires people coming from countries with Yellow Fever/Malaria cases to have the vaccine shot no matter what your nationality is. 💥💥💥💥The vaccine certificate has to be the one that is yellow in color.
Sorry to hear about that, but I’m glad to hear there’s a workaround that doesn’t take ten days. I think different airlines have different rules. I flew Spirit last week from the U.S. to Medellin, and even though I had proof on onward tickets to Ecuador and Mexico, they refused to let me on the plane unless I bought a return ticket to the U.S. Then, the next morning, it took me 90 minutes of arguing to get them to honor their 24-hour refund policy. From now on, I’m going to book a return flight through an onward ticket service and save the hassle.
Wow Brother…this happened to me back in March 2022. The plan was to stay in Brazil for 1 week then fly into Bogota for another week, nope ended up stay another few days in Rio, then back to Miami. I didn’t book through agency but I didn’t pay attention to requirements to enter Colombia from Brazil. Now I know, gotta go to Colombia first then Brazil after🤣🤣🤣. Great article man!
Happened to me, you should have bribed the first taxi driver you found at the temrinal to take you to the closest doctor’s office and for about $50 usd a doctor will give you a medical exemption – alergic to needles. Thats how I made it back to Colombia. You should know you are in the 3rd world, always a way out of these things.
David, I have a scheduled flight coming up in Brazil where I will be coming back to Colombia and I got this notification already so to your point I for one am grateful I got this message: “Todos los pasajeros llegando desde Brasil a Colombia o a República Dominicana deben estar vacunados contra la fiebre amarilla al menos 10 días antes de la fecha de llegada, por lo cual debes estar vacunado antes de tu viaje a Brasil.”
That would have gotten me too. I recently flew from the Medellin to Dominican Republic, and they wouldn’t give me a boarding pass because I didn’t have a return flight or alternative flight out of the DR. I just bought refundable tickets from DR to the US, and got my tickets. As soon as I landed I cancelled the tickets and got a refund.
Anyone who watches davids website should pay attention. He seems to have experienced a lot and has good advice . One of the best articles he made explains if youre going to move and have a home or stuff that your going to sell and not keep, rent or pay storage . Give yourself time and think about selling your stuff well in advance. People dont pay what used stuff is worth bc theres a million others selling the same stuff. 2 . If your going to move somewhere with intention to stay long term if may be worth taking things like tools, kitchen stuff and making a pallet and have it shipped from miami. To get it to miami rent a uhaul or pay a shipping company if you can afford it. Its better than needing to spend 10 – 20 k for tools and all new cooking utensils . Obviously learn spanish is the most important thing. At least get to a b1 level be4 thinking of living in south américa or it wont go well unless you are one that stays in expat community or have a bilingual spouse. Even with that its not comfortable when you dont understand what people are saying around you. Look at the positive things in different places rather than focusing on the negatives or comparimg to what your acostomed.
Thank you for sharing this with us. It’s perfect timing for me because I’m flying into Colombia from Mexico and hadn’t thought about different restrictions since I’ve only entered from the US directly. And thanks for the tip about calling the airline directly for restrictions info. I’ll be in Medellin at the end of April and would enjoy having a coffee or meal of the day with you. Again, thank you for sharing this
I had an Airbnb booked for a UK flight recently and i wasn’t able to go because my appointment to deal with my passport got backed up, so I asked my Airbnb host if he would let me change the dates to some later date since I didn’t want to get refunded and he agreed. And it let me request to change the dates, I picked new dates, and the host approved the date change request. I normally keep my reservations and don’t no show, but what a life saver.
As a former Diplomat/Commercial Attache, the US Embassy will not help you, unless of course you would of gotten me myself and I on the phone, and I would of gone the extra mile for your brother! I used to get into trouble being TOO customer service oriented or my fellow travelers who have gotten stuck in situations like yours!!! Blessings and keep on truckin Dude!
I just had same experience. I had to leave Colombia because of my 180 days and to renew my passport. I went to the USAA for 6 weeks and decided to travel to the Philippines for a few months to pass time before I return to Medellin. No covid test required there but the flight passed through Taiwan where I changed planes at the Taipei airport. Found out after an hour and a half wait at the ticket counter I needed the test……cost me 6 dats time and over $1,000, Not easy flying these days!
For example the German Federal Foreign Office (~Embassy) has it in their travel information about Columbia: “Travelers entering from or via Brazil (and other countries), or who have spent more than 24 hours in transit there, must currently provide proof of yellow fever vaccination, without which transport from airports in Brazil is often already refused, see also Health – Vaccinations.”
I NEARLY had the same bs situation. Flying from Colombia to the Dominican Republic. My flight had a stopover in Panama City, and no vaccination card was required, but the direct flight from Colombia to Santo Domingo DID require that yellow fever card! Brazil is the country that seems to be targeted the most for this yellow fever thing.
It’s a government thing. This nearly happened to me, luckily if you’re in Brazil for less than 5 days you don’t need a yellow fever vaccine. I got my yellow fever vaccine only 3 days before my flight but luckily there’s this loop hole that if you’re in Brazil for less than 5 days you can fly into Colombia at least. I was also flying onto Aruba from Colombia so having that yellow fever vaccine was a requirement for me. I’ve got my yellow card now.
I flew from U.S. to Brasil back in 2011 and wanted to go to other countries prior to Rio like Venezuela, but If I just flew and landed from the U.S. to Brasil I was fine and didn’t need any vax for other things. If I went to other countries first I would have needed yellow fever and possibly something else, but don’t remember exactly. So I just ended up just going to Rio and came back to the U.S. I did do my research prior to booking a flight thankfully. Yes it does get tricky depending on the country regulations. Sorry you got stuck and had to change plans to get back to Colombia.
From what I understand it’s a requirement and most airlines are required to check.. Not sure if they all do. I have a friend that went to brazil a few years ago before the pandemic and he also had to get the vaccine, but I think he knew the requirement ahead. Edit: Don’t call the embassy, go to the state department’s website in the country of your destination. I learned this since covid and it saves a lot of headaches if you travel internationally frequently. But sometimes it’s not clear or up to date so you need to check the cancileria/consulate/embassy website of the country of your destination too. It’s a headache. American Airlines (I think) or delta has a good third party tool from sherpa that has up to date entry requirements. The problem is since covid many countries are still in their “state of emergency” phase and the president/congress can issue a decree and change the requirements very quickly and the websites don’t get updated… but thats for covid so yellow fever, dengue, and whatever other vaccine requirements should be current. Best of luck on future travels. It’s always a learning experience no matter how much you have traveled.
Kiwi is not going put all the restrictions about vaccines and stuff of all the countries they sell tickets to. It’s a decision from the government and yes, Brazilian usually have their vaccines updated when they travel to those places which is required to have the yellow fever shot. It’s valid for 10 years. Because we are here the information comes easy.
That yellow fever vaccine is important. You never know when you are going to need it so it’s best to just get it – it’s good for life. I know someone who almost got stuck in a country on a layover because she left the airport to do a tour and when she came back they asked her for it. I don’t know what she told them but she was eventually allowed to get on her next flight.
It’s a normal procedure -Brazil has a high level of yellow fever -so anytime you leave Brazil for certain countries ( like Colombia) you MUST show them the vaccine card within 10 days –what you’ve said about the flight from Peru to Panama isn’t correct though –bc if you get a well-experienced border agent(immigration officer) he/she can take a look at your passport and be able to track that you coming from Brazil ( stamps) in your passport. but it is a good try I guess –another thing is a kayak and other travel agencies ( besides Skyscanner) are owned by Expedia and they have that information under travel requirements section –you enter depart & destination country and they tell you.
Same thing happened to me!! Tried to fly from Brazil to Costa Rica. Showed up at the airport and couldn’t fly! And it happened to someone the night after, when I was at the airport for a flight back to the US instead of Costa Rica. I feel your pain! This happened to me with COPA! Nothing to do with middle man kind of agency, unfortunately.
Hey David my Son went through the same experience earlier this year he picked up his girlfriend from Columbia they both flew to Brazil stood for a few days when it was time to fly back was denied access because he didn’t have that vaccine lost his money from the ticket. They make a big emphasis on covid but nothing on yellow fever
My wife is Colombian and I got quarantined when I arrived back in Australia 10 years ago because I had not had a yellow fever vaccine. I got the vaccine in Colombia next time I went as it is much cheaper like about $10 or $15 ves about $120 in auz. If you come to Colombia then the best thing to do is get a yellow fever vaccine especially if you are going to a country where it can be warm even if you are not going to that part of the country.
David, I appreciate your intellectual and emotional transparency and your humility and gratitude. Before I started traveling full-time 8 months ago, I went to a “travel vaccine clinic.” They took me through all the potential vaccines to consider for the countries I said I might visit. They were very thorough and in my opinion, expensive. One of the vaccines I took was yellow fever. I was recently thinking about that and wondered to myself if it was all really necessary, as I have yet to be asked for any vaccine proof other than COVID. Because of your mishap, and your openness about it, I now understand why I carry an international vaccine card with me everywhere, that includes yellow fever. Thank you and keep on keeping on!
This happened to me as well, I was in Brazil and flying to Paraguay. When I made it to the checkin counter, they asked for my Yellow Fever vaccine document and I was completely confused, I lost about $600. I ended up getting my YF vaccine when I made it back to the US, but when you travel to countries that are considered “higher risk” for contracting Yellow Fever then other countries (across Latin America) will require proof of a vaccine upon entry.
Yup! Happened to me. Canadian here. Booked a flight from Bogota to Aruba. I have been to Aruba so many times flying from Canada without issues but I was denied boarding because I did not have the yellow fever vaccine. I did get a refund even though my ticket was nonrefundable, which I really don’t know how that could possibly be. So now I’m back in Colombia and the first thing I did when I landed in Bogotá was go to the clinic there to get my yellow fever vaccine. There is a clinic at the airport on the second floor and it’s free. You need that yellow fever vaccine to go to Tyrona park in Santa Marta as well. Nothing to be ashamed of, I bet it happened to so many people. Ps I booked through Avianca and they really did not make it obvious in regards to the requirements when I booked the ticket. Only the day I checked in online I saw the pop up that said I needed the vaccine but I dismissed it thinking I’m Canadian and not Colombian .. learned my lesson.
This is a very unnecessarily convoluted story. There was a requirement upon entry to Colombia from Brazil to have a Yellow Fever Vax. You didn’t have it. You found a way around it by going to another country and then flying to Columbia through Panama first. Good for you!! Even though you didn’t plan it this way – you found a very creative way around the restriction.
I had a similar experience but I was traveling from Medellin to Jamaica. I was flying American Airlines and the agent in Medellin told me that I needed my Yellow Fever vaccines card to get into Jamaica. Fortunately, I did have it so I was good when I got into Jamaica (which by the way asked for the Vaccine card when they realized I was coming from Colombia). But to your point I only found out about the requirement when I went to the airport.
Man, sorry to hear of your troubles. I had an issue last week flying from Lima to CDMx and had to leave my large suitcase at the airport in Lima (luckily a friend was nice enough to pick it up the same day and hold it for me until I return). Regarding your issue, I use 3rd party apps to check flight prices but always go to the airline website to book travel. I know it’s a bit shady but it’s always much better to buy direct from the airline (for many reasons). Glad you figured it out and thx for the content.
Same damn thing happened to me 2 month ago. Flight via LATAM SP to Medellin. Was denied boarding on the gate for the lack of YF vaccine cert. Crazy thing – I did have digital copy of my yellow fever vaccine, however they needed a physical one. I nodded, smiled, booked another night in SP and flew next day via Miami. Stuff that happens when you travel and you need to just shake it off.
This is a little funny to me because I learned about this restriction during my research for travel to Colombia from the US. It would be nice if customer service would advise their patrons before, but it is true, it’s up to you to do the research. There is no need to call the embassy; it’s all on the DOS website.
Tough break. It happens to everyone eventually if you’re traveling more than the average guy. I definitely don’t agree that it was completely your fault. It seems like at some point that the airline, your travel agent or even Immigration should’ve raised the alarm. Instead they let you find out at your expense. Sometimes these unnecessary lessons make you paranoid about traveling.
Having lived in Medellin for exactly 1 year before moving to Ecuador and now I have been here in Peru for over 5 years, as you know or at least I do, Medellin had 1 of the best Thai restaurants in South America in Parque Lleras but in Lima, there is Bangkok House in Lince!!! This should not be passed on if you like Thai food!!!
That sucks! You have a good case though, maybe try one more time with kiwi and have them escalate your complaint to a supervisor who can approve a refund, because if they didn’t call out that restriction anywhere, how would a normal person know they need something like a yellow fever vax 🤔. I’ll def be more mindful when booking on third party sites because i use kayak too. Btw do you know any good digital nomads/expat community groups to join? I’m planning to go down to Medellin for the month of august and try working remotely but wanted to get a head start in finding other digital nomads to socialize. So far I just joined a meetup group for language exchange on Tuesday but wondering if there’s other popular communities in Medellin for expats
I wasn’t allowed to board my flight from the U.S.A. to Medellin back in 2021, since I didn’t have a “colombia check MIG” form. My plane ticket had never said anything about it. Thank God I convinced the airline to let me reschedule my flight for the next day, so I could get the check mig form filled out online.
Going from Montevideo to Los Angeles several years ago on Taca Airlines I had a stop in Lima connecting to a 2nd leg to San Jose, Costa Rica then on to LAX. I wasn’t allowed to board because CR requiref a yellow fever vaccine to even connect. Airline booking knew my itinerary and never told me anything about a shot. Taca was great, they got me a hotel in Lima and rebooked me through El Salvador the next day. Plus they upgraded me to business.
It happened to me. There is a hack. On Avianca, buy a full fare one way ticket to Quito, Ecuador. It has a layover in Bogota. During transit, go thru immigration. Immigration usually will not ask about the yellow fever vaccine proof. At the baggage claim, cancel your flight to Quito. Luggage retrieval took an hour. Avianca will give you a flight credit.
Bro that same thing almost happened to me. I was leaving Panama headed to Brazil and they asked me here in Panama if I had the Yellow Fever Vaccine. I said, “no”. They were not going to allow me to board the plane here in Panama at first. Then they asked my how long I was going to be in Brazil. I told them i will be there 7 weeks. Then they instructed me to get the Yellow Fever vaccine while in Brazil at least 14 days before returning to Panama and show the International Certificate at the airport in Brazil before trying to board. I did exactly that. Went got the vaccine during my stay in Brazil at least 14 days out, returned to the airport and was able to enter Panama with no problem. The vaccine cost approximately $10 to $15 dollars in Brazil. There are a few countries out there that will asked for it depending on where you have traveled. Just know that if leaving Brazil coming to Panama, they will not let you enter the country without that Yellow Fever International Certificate.
Hey David I’m a U.S. Citizen as well I travel to Colombia often. It’s not your fault. MigCheck should of flagged or prompted you to upload your flu documents or provided you with those specific restrictions. When you enter Brazil Avianca flight # to Colombia, MigCheck should of denied you ahead of time this way you had no last minute surprises at the airport.
Yeah it happened to my girlfriend. Copa Airlines ask her if she had received yellow fever vaccine to return to Colombia from Brazil. Lucky getting a yellow fever vaccine in easy down in Latin America not like the states you have to find a doctor who give yellow fever vaccine. Also I would like to add is not just in Latin America but many countries around the world you need certain vaccine to enter the country. I remember when I got deployed to eastern Africa to live for a year I was given so many vaccine just as a requirement to enter the country I was staying (Djibouti) and yellow fever was one of them.
I guess, according regulations that you may see online, that may be the case. But, in my experience, it seems Avianca ate a little more strict… I am from Barbados originally and have lived in Medellín for many years. Avianca used to fly from Bogotá to Barbados and they stopped many people in Bogotá from boarding saying the Barbados requires a yellow fever vaccine certificate for entry. It was never true unless you were travelling from the Amazon region… Copa now flies to Barbados and have never asked for a yellow fever vaccine certificate.
I booked an AirBnB for a month in Laureles once. It was non-refundable, too. And it also cost the same as yours (700 EUR). The apartment turned out to be quite bad and we wanted to leave early. The host agreed for us to leave early (after 7 days or so) without any problems and gave us back the money for the rest of the month.
Just leaving a comment here on a similar subject – for other travelers heading to Colombia. About the ‘6 month rule’. My passport expires in 3 months and I wanted to fit in a trip to Colombia before heading back to Europe. I was in Argentina until a couple days ago and I have entered Colombia with no issues. I was stressed as hell about the supposed rule of needing 6 months validity on the passport to enter the country, a rule that many many countries do have. There is SO much false information online that this rule exists in Colombia. It does not. If you’re in this situation, you’ll be fine. It was also fine for Chile and Argentina. I avoided Peru and Bolivia specifically because there is clear information that they do have that rule, but I couldn’t get a straight answer on Colombia. Figured I’d just try to check in and see. No problem at immigrtion, they just wanted evidence of a flight leaving the country before the passport expires. (*UK passport, no visa, tourist entry). Oh and they still require COVID vaccination certificate. No Yellow Fever vaccine needed from Argentina.
I think it’s a Columbia thing. I was so close to having this problem. I bought a ticket from the U.S. to Brazil for the end of July, and I bought a second ticket from Brazil to Columbia for the week after. I’m going with my friend. He went to a clinic to get all of the vaccines here in the U.S. (I didn’t because I’ve already flone to Brazil and assumed I met all the vaccine requirements), and they told him it was a requirement to get into Columbia because he was passing through Brazil. So I got super lucky that I didn’t find out last minute
Hola David, crazy I feel you. Dec 6 2021 I was in Cali CO to return to LAX on Avianca lol. I was rejected at the Gate. Apparently USA changed the 72 hour CV test to the 24 Hr test, My bad right. Avianca told me I needed to book a new ticket as you did extra $300 usd. Things happen, I was in Cali to see my fiance. Now I am flying back in Oct. 22 to seal the deal with my fiance, You are inspirational and I appreciate the go for it attitude with common sense. Thanks, Jack
A couple of years ago I flew roundtrip to Medellin from Costa Rica on Avianca. They told me when checking in I didn’t need a yellow fever card to go to Medellin, but I would need a yellow fever vaccine for the return to Costa Rica. Luckily I was in Colombia for a month, so plenty of time to take care of it. Got the jab in Medellin, but they never asked for the card when going back to Costa Rica.
It is all airlines that must follow country rules about yellow fever or they are fined. I worked for 2 major airlines. The yellow fever rule is from governments.. South Africa for example had a rule that you could. not even connect to third parties if you were in Brazil within 10 days, you had to get the shot and wait 10 days. I handled lots of irate calls about this. Unfortunately, it is the passenger’s responsibility. The airlines are not responsible, but we still advised the passengers about the restrictions. If they had questions we referred them to the embassy. Bonne chance!
They tried doing that to me once but I told them my dr didn’t recommend it since I was allergic to the ingredients and who law says it’s recommended not obligatory I spent like about 30 min wasted talking to the dude to about 45 min I showed him both my passports also that I had dual nationality and asked him if he only does this too Americans and then finally he let me go and gave me a subway voucher…
03/Aug/2023 update. Bogota international airport offers free yellow fever vaccination. However as a 60 plus years old I was refused the shot. No yellow fever vaccination will be administered to 60 and older. Good news is that if you are in this age group you are exempted from yellow fever vaccination requirement when entering Colombia from Brazil. Verified in person this info with Avianca Bogota office.
Hey David I don’t think that’s true because I am an American just like you and I traveled from Río de Janeiro to Barranquilla Colombia using a US passport never told anything about a yellow fever certificate or vaccine but you want to hear the weird part my cousin is from Venezuela tried to leave Venezuela back to the states he is also American showed his American passport in Caracas airport couldn’t get on board because he needed a yellow fever certificate or vaccine. This is a new law in Venezuela set this year 2022. I believe in Brazil must be few years recently but what I mentioned before was back in 2007.
The exact same thing happened to me ten years ago, but I was flying from Medellin to San Jose,Costa Rica, who I had no idea that they required a yellow fever vaccine for anyone coming from Colombia,what I did is that I flew back to the States the next day and that same afternoon I flew to San Jose from Miami,because I fly business class,it cost me about $1,000 to make the changes
Almost happened to me. Had a connecting flight in Brazil going to Colombia, and I had to claim my luggage and check it in again. I literaly spent 20 minutes inside the borders and they demanded the yellow fever vaccine. Lucky the person behind the desk talked to a nice manager who sympatized with the situation. Very stressful.
You are not wrong in your thinking however these agencies are all about money at the end of the day. I work in this domain and it is the passengers responsibility but if they did not give you Yellow fever sickness vaccination information meanwhile they put COVID information. You could have used the return ticket to pay for a change in destination to use the value because it’s on the same ticket to a new one, you would have paid the difference in the fares plus a change fee the airlines charge. That’s it really. Sometimes those can be more costly than new tickets but Avianca is quite cheap to fly and they are reasonable. Next time just buy one ways in that case using Skiplagged, just give yourself enough time to connect and go through inmigración and pick up your bag and go recheck in for the next flight so like 3 hours in between with two different airlines also works. Next time a guy like me can be resourceful for you buddy
Yes as travelers we should look into these kinds of things but still, you asked a 100% valid question. Why wouldn’t you add in the restrictions that you need to provide a test for yellow fever.. it’s crazy because wouldn’t you think they would start to get tired of having people come to them with the same complaint, which I imagine is probably frequent. Just add it into the restrictions.
Its not your fault….it happen to me in Ecuador 5 years ago…it was so common for gringos not know the requirements bc no one tells until you check in…..lucky that the baggage guy pull me aside and say I can get you the yellow fever form sign by doctor for extra $20 surcharge with a clinic across the street from the airport…when with him to get it and it was legit form…I was able to get on my flight..lucky i had gone to airport early.
I wish I saw this article a month earlier. my case I didn’t book 3rd party, Copa Air, and it only mentioned covid restrictions. Denied boarding to Medellin stayed in SP, Brazil and had an blast for another week. Best mistake I’ve made. Also Copa was kind and gave a me a voucher for same amount of flight good for 1 yr
David, bargain price equals bargain service, I am usually in agreement with most complaints against unfair practices but when you use these discount travel sights you are essentially buying a ticket and nothing more, no customer service or additional help, so in this instance, I agree with the discount company, you need to know the restrictions and requirements, they are only ticket brokers,.
This happened to me…I could not find the information where I needed the yellow fever vaccine for my flight and even the airport staff had a difficult time finding the information to show me. They finally found it and I had to stay and get the vaccine. From what I saw this happens a lot there because I was not the only one who was surprised.
There are so many requirements to get on an airplane these days, it doesn’t surprise me that you didn’t have one of them. The requirements change constantly. I guess a good travel agency would call you up if there are new requirements, but most online ticket sellers with very thin profit margins don’t bother. Calling the airline to confirm a couple days before you go to the airport is standard practice as far as I know. But even then you would have been eight days too late. Would have saved you a trip to the airport though!
I looked at what I needed for Colombia. I even called the injection nurse at my health care place to make sure I get what I need. I wasn’t sure if I needed the yellow fever vaccine coming from the USA, but I did the vaccine anyway just incase. You never know. Now I am at SFO waiting to board. Cartagena here I come. Lol
Hey david, i realize it is what it is however that doesnt make much sense . Just because you went to peru first you can enter Colombia without the yellow fever shot after being in brazil. ? I would think they would see on your passport that you you bypassed the regulation by hopping another country. Good on you just surprised they ( colombia arent on to that. )Moreover . Theres not much info on line with peoples experience with shipping thier tools and some household stuff to Colombia without needing to buy all new stuff and end up giving all stuff away or getting next to zero as you explained about should have starting selling your stuff a year ahead of moving. Im just curious of the best shipping methods and taxes on personal items . Like carpentry /mechanical tools that would cost at least 10k and track down versus shipping your own stuff if your going to need / use it . Cant get many answers other than theres a couple reputable shippers from miami to Colombia if you can get stuff there on a pallet or two and may be hung up with shipping customs for a couple months but may be worth it ??? What do You know about this David? Asking for a fríend.
This didn’t happen to me but I did have an issue with Kiwi. Like you, I bought my ticket on Kayak whom redirected me to Kiwi. While I was checking in, the agent told me that my travel site (Kiwi) had canceled my ticket just before I checked in. When I called Kiwi, literally while I was at the check-in counter, Kiwi stated it was a computer glitch and they couldn’t do anything about it. I was forced to buy another ticket at the last minute for over 1k, while the original ticket was about $300. Stay away from Kiwi.
David I’m so grateful you made this article because I’m planning to go to Colombia from Brazil in December and I didn’t have a clue about that. The one part I’m not clear on is can I get the yellow fever card here in the UK a few months before, or is it only accepted if it’s done in Brazil within a certain time frame before I leave – like within a month, including the ten day wait? Thanks for making such great honest articles, they are really helping me out. Sending you love from Scotland💜
Avianca has been strict on me. I got denied flying to Costa Rica directly from Bogota. I ended up going back to Medellín. I later flew from Bogota to Panamá, then flew to Costa Rica. Even when trying to go to Panamá and Costa Rica the lady said I’m not staying in Panamá long enough. She got her supervisor and he said just let me go.
Damnit boy me and my colombian girlfriend flew to panama 3 weeks ago i was flying via the UK and her via bogota. Theres very conflicting stories online regarding if you need the yellow fever vaccine or not so she called the airline and they said she did. But the panama government website says you dont. Would be great to just get some clear clarification but whatever. we got there ok anyway but appreciate the article as we plan to go brazil in january and for sure it would catch me out 🤣 and booking through agencies they are always gonna bone you pay the extra for the official airline then you atleast have a chance of getting $$ back
The same thing happened to me years ago, but going from Bogotá to São Paulo. It was totally AV fault for not informing me. However, I resolved it easily. I purchased an onwards ticket to Buenos Aires (refundable). When I landed in Brasil, the official that asked me for my yellow fever card. Got a Transitando reply from me. I passed him and proceeded to passport control. However, since then I always keep a Yellow Fever vaccine card, when Traveling into or around South Am. Asia or Africa!
Avianca is the worse… try to avoid. Every time I travel to Colombia they make my life so difficult. They don’t know other countries immigration conditions, usually I travel from Bogota to MX to exit Colombia they wont let me board unless I present paperwork showing that I’m exiting MX ( there is no such paper)…the only thing close to exit paper is immigration slip of entry and exit. but that only applies when you enter and exit MX. So you cant get that paper unless you have entered MX, so kinda hard when your in a different country. I asked once for a sample of this magical paper, and right then and then I was issued a boarding pass. Yes please read and be aware of the immigration conditions for entering and exiting countries, cause getting stuck in a foreign country sucks..
I’m a little late to the party here but something similar happened to me while leaving Peru. We had to get covid tests to re enter the states but one of the people in our group tested positive because they had covid only a few weeks prior. But since it’s a 3rd world country, $50 later we had a negative test.
Yes..yellow fever vaccine stamp in your yellow card is a must have if you travel to/from south america, africa, india, usa, …just good to have for this reason not because im concerned about yellow fever. I got my last shot and stamp in Kericho Kenya, on my way to Uganda…because US can require the stamp after travel to central Africa.
Dave, try to write to the company asking for some voucher or something… Me and my girlfriend missed a Wingo flight last year from Bogota to Lima just because we were late, and still the company returned as all the airport taxes and other expenses which were like a half of the price of the ticket. Btw, yellow fever is a very common request in most of the south/central american countries. It’s just that they almost never ask for that sh*t.
Agree I had the same thing happen to me when I went to bolivia couple months ago only I called and checked online for all requirements First avianca tried and tell me I had to be vaxed (wrong) Then I get to bolivia and I had to have everything printed out and there was a bunch of people that had the same problem mostly Americans lol
👋 David, Your not the only one ☝️ this happened too. The same exact thing happened to me as well about 6 months ago. I was completely dumbfounded @ São Paulo’s airport. I ended up getting a ticket credit for another flight ✈️. Nobody says anything about the Yellow Fever Vaccine 💉, but you find out real quick LOL. It’s a dumb rule if you ask me
Things happen all the time but I will tell you in my opinion Avianca is the worst airline I personally hate them. I fly often to Medellin they just make everything so difficult. They’re very petty for little things unfortunately lately not many airlines fly from New York to Columbia direct. It really sucks and their prices are crazy.
I live in Europe. I travel a lot! 😂 Responsible travelers KNOW to ALWAYS have their vacc!ne yellow book UPDATED. ALWAYS!!!! I always update on the most required vacc!nes: yellow fever, Hep A & B, DTP and I get a cholera stamp. I even have my C0V!D shots in the yellow book. Since C0V!D I have my digital C0V!D-19. I NEED to have or do the following to make sure I will enter the country: 1. Valid passport => minimum 6 months from departure (exit) date from the country; 2. my UPDATED vacc!ne yellow book with UPDATED vacc!nes; 3. my C0V!D-19 documents and; 4. a proof that I am getting out of the country; 5. And always call the country’s embassy asking if I need a visa for the amount of days I am staying in the country. We live, we learn! A traveler cannot be an anti-vaxx3r. You need to be safe. ❤
I don’t trust Avianca. A couple of years ago I was flying to Spain (I am colombian) and Avianca said “no, you can’t board the plane because your Spanish citizenship has expired” then they called somebody from the spanish government or whatever and they said I could go to Spain because a citizenship is still valid even if it has expired