Visa Information – Colombia

UK, EU, US, Canada and Australia & New Zealand citizens do not require a visa for Colombia.

Please click the links below for up-to-date visa and entry requirements for British nationals travelling to Colombia:

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/colombia/entry-requirements

Passport validity

Please make sure your passport is valid and up to date. In general terms, your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from your date of arrival into all South American countries.  

Yellow fever

Evidence of Yellow Fever vaccination may be required for travellers who are going to or have recently been to countries where there is a risk of yellow fever transmission.

Travelling with children

Single parents or adults travelling with children under the age of 18 are required to provide notarised documentary evidence of parental responsibility, or consent to travel from those with parental responsibility. Such documentation is often required before being allowed to enter Latin American countries and, in many cases, before permitting children to leave the country.  

Local airport taxes International and domestic airport taxes may be payable locally if it is not included with your airline tickets. This is usually payable in US dollars and it may not always be possible to pay by credit/debit card.

Tourism Health Information – Colombia

Hepatitis A; Tetanus are usually advised. Diphtheria, Hepatitis B, Typhoid and Yellow Fever are often recommended. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is mandatory for travellers aged 1 year arriving from Angola, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda and for travellers having transited for more than 12 hours in an airport in those countries.

If you have a health condition, or you are pregnant, you may need specialist healthcare abroad. Check whether your destination country can provide the healthcare you may need and ensure you have appropriate travel insurance for unexpected medical evacuation or local treatment.

At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the latest country-specific health advice from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) on the TravelHealthPro website. Each country-specific page has information on vaccine recommendations, any current health risks or outbreaks, and factsheets with information on staying healthy abroad. Guidance is also available from NHS (Scotland) on the FitForTravel website.

General information on travel vaccinations and a travel health checklist is available on the NHS website. You may then wish to contact your health adviser or pharmacy for advice on other preventive measures and managing any pre-existing medical conditions while you’re abroad.

The legal status and regulation of some medicines prescribed or purchased in the UK can be different in other countries. If you’re travelling with prescription or over-the-counter medicine, read this guidance from NaTHNaC on best practice when travelling with medicines. For further information on the legal status of a specific medicine, you’ll need to contact the embassy, high commission or consulate of the country or territory you’re travelling to.

Weather & When To Go To Colombia

Weather/when to go

We recommend March and mid-November – for the perfect combination of weather and low visitor numbers, with June-July a close second.

The Caribbean and Andes – the two most visited areas are driest December-March with heavy (usually afternoon) rainfall August-October in the Caribbean, and in April and October in the Andes. On the Pacific Coast in rains all year round but is driest January-March. The Amazon lowlands are driest in July and August.

Lowland temperatures are in the mid-20s to low 30s Centigrade all year round, temperatures in Bogotá and the Andes never get above much 20C and can drop close to or below freezing at night. Temperatures in Medellín, which is known as the ‘City of Eternal Spring’, peak in the mid-20s all year round and never drop below 15C.

Christmas, New Year and Easter are very busy with domestic and international tourists – especially in the tourist hotspots of Cartagena and the Caribbean Coast.