What documents do I need to enter Colombia?
Most visitors enter Colombia visa-free for up to 90 days with a valid passport, an onward ticket and a completed Check-Mig form. Here is the full document list.
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Entering Colombia - what you need
Colombia is one of the more straightforward South American countries to enter. Most tourists need nothing beyond a passport, a ticket out of the country and an address to give the officer, which your trip1 booking confirmation provides.
- A passport that is valid on the day you arrive, with at least one blank page for the entry stamp. Colombian immigration suggests six months of validity beyond your planned departure.
- A completed Check-Mig registration for your flight.
- An onward or return ticket dated inside your permitted stay.
- The name and address of the place you are staying. Your trip1 booking confirmation has both.
- A yellow fever vaccination certificate if you are arriving from a country with transmission risk, or heading into certain national parks and jungle areas.
Do you need a visa for Colombia?
Most tourist nationalities do not. Colombia grants visa-free entry of up to 90 days at a time, capped at a cumulative 180 days in a calendar year.
The officer decides your exact number of days and writes it on the stamp, so read it before you leave the airport. If you want longer, you can request a 90-day extension from Migracion Colombia before your first period expires.
Nationality lists change, so confirm the rule for your own passport on Migracion Colombia's official site rather than a third-party visa service.
The Check-Mig form, explained
Check-Mig is Colombia's free online pre-registration for people crossing its borders. You fill it in on Migracion Colombia's own website, usually in the window between 72 hours and 1 hour before you travel, and you get a confirmation by email.
Official guidance differs on how strictly it is enforced. Some sources describe it as required for air passengers and others as an optional step that speeds you through the border, so the safe move is to complete it either way. It takes a few minutes and costs nothing.
Use only the official Migracion Colombia site. Look-alike pages charge money for a form that is free.
Important: Staying past the days written on your entry stamp results in a fine you have to settle before Colombia lets you leave the country.
Hotel check-in in Colombia
Bring the same passport you entered on. Colombian hotels register foreign guests with Migracion Colombia, so the front desk needs to see your passport and usually your entry stamp.
Many hotels also apply a VAT exemption on room rates for non-resident foreign visitors, and they can only do that if your passport and entry stamp support it. Keep both to hand at the desk.
Your trip1 booking confirmation is your proof of accommodation. A digital copy on your phone works at the border and at the hotel, but save it offline in case you have no signal when you land.
Entering Colombia - FAQ
Yes, you should complete Check-Mig, Migración Colombia's free online pre-registration, between 72 hours and one hour before your flight. You get a confirmation by email. Official sources describe it differently, with UK advice calling it optional but recommended, so the safe move is to fill it in. Use only the Migración Colombia website, because look-alike sites charge for it.
UK government advice describes Check-Mig as optional but recommended, and Migración Colombia says it speeds up the immigration interview and cuts waiting time. Skipping it can therefore mean a slower passage through the border. Because guidance has varied, completing it for free between 72 hours and one hour before your flight is the simplest way to avoid problems.
US citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. Bring a passport valid on the day you arrive with a blank page for the entry stamp, a completed Check-Mig, an onward or return ticket inside your permitted stay, and your accommodation address, which your trip1 booking confirmation shows. A yellow fever certificate is needed if you arrive from a country with transmission risk.
Up to 90 days per entry, at the immigration officer's discretion, with a cap of 180 days a year. The officer writes your permitted days on the entry stamp, so check it before leaving the airport. To stay longer, ask Migración Colombia for an extension before your first period runs out. Overstaying means a fine you must pay before leaving.
Colombia only requires your passport to be valid on the day you arrive, with at least one blank page for the entry stamp. Colombian authorities still recommend at least six months of validity after your planned departure, and airlines can apply stricter checks, so six months is the safe target.