This post may have affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you!) if you choose to purchase through them. Here's our Disclosure & Privacy Policy for more info.
Spread the love
Last Updated
Spread the love
Last Updated
Colombia officially reopened its borders for international tourism on September 21, 2020.
Colombia’s airports reopened on the 21st, initially connecting the nation with the USA, Ecuador, Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, Dominican Republic and Guatemala, as announced by the Ministry of Transportation.
On September 11, we published an article called “Colombia to resume international flights Sept 21 – what about tourism?” because at that time, the government of Colombia had given no signal if in-bound tourism would resume on the same date the airports were reopening.
Thankfully, we now have our answer. Foreign tourists from all nations are able to visit Colombia as of September 21st, after being locked out of the country for 6 months.
In an interview with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, government official Javier Andrés Escobar told Travel Off Path:
“Colombia will officially reopen its borders on the 21st of September. On the 19th there will be an inaugural Spirit flight coming from Fort Lauderdale. All nations are welcome after September 21st if they have a negative PCR test.”
Here is everything we know about Colombia’s official reopening for tourism, all entry requirements, countries allowed to visit, which flights will resume first, and more key information.
#Comunicado | Gobierno reactiva de manera gradual la operación de vuelos internacionales a partir del
— MinTransporte (@MinTransporteCo) September 16, 2020
próximo 21 de septiembre.
– Estados Unidos, Ecuador, México, Bolivia, Brasil, República Dominicana y Guatemala, serán los primeros países. ¡#VolamosJuntos! pic.twitter.com/LHLcmispmF
Monday, September 21, 2020
All nations.
As of Sept 21, Colombia will remove any covid-related entry restrictions and all nations can once again enter the country.
However, normal visa requirements are still in place. If you are a citizen of a country that normally requires a visa to visit, you will need to obtain one before your trip. Thankfully Colombia has a list of almost 100 countries that can visit visa-free, including: Canada, USA, UK, Australia, and all of the EU.
Credit: Gorden Cheng via Wikipedia Creative Commons
Here are the entry requirements and bio-security measures for Colombia as we understand them today:
Not Required
Update: As of November 4th, the PCR requirement has been removed.
Prior to November 4, all passengers into Colombia were required to bring proof of a negative PCR test, taken no longer than 96 hours prior to departure.
Not Required.
No mandatory quarantine is required.
Required.
All passengers need to fill out the online migration form called “Check-Mig” between 24 hours and 1 hour before the flight. This form will help pre-screen arrivals and speed up time at customs.
Required.
All arrivals will undergo a health screening, which will include temperature scans.
Required.
All passengers will need to wear a mask during their in-bound flight, at all times within the airport terminal, and on any transportation to their final destination.
Will not mandatory for entry, Travel Off Path always recommends having travel insurance when traveling abroad, especially a policy that covers COVID-19.
Flights will slowly return to Colombia’s four major international airports as airlines start to resume schedules. The Ministry of Transportation site states: “As countries open and lift their restrictions, new destinations will become possible.”
“It should be noted that the international air operation will be carried out with three prioritization criteria, first, the identification of those countries where there are openings of international flights, that is, there are activated routes. Second, that there is airport capacity to serve international flights complying with biosecurity protocols, and third, commercial viability, that is, the interest of the airlines to carry out the flights.”
Here are some of the flights that are scheduled to resume, obviously subject to change:
“Vamos a iniciar con 4 aeropuertos: Bogotá, Rionegro, Palmira y Cartagena, con todos los protocolos implementados, que establecen la toma de pruebas PCR (quienes ingresan al país), evitar aglomeraciones, uso permanente de tapabocas y restricciones de alimentación en los vuelos”
— MinSaludCol (@MinSaludCol) September 16, 2020
El Dorado airport in Bogota is the 3rd busiest airport in Latin America and handled almost 33 million passengers in 2018. When the borders shut down back in March, even transiting through El Dorado was restricted, hindering connectively throughout all of Central and South America. El Dorado is scheduled to once again have the most connectivity for international flights to Colombia throughout the fall.
Closed.
Earlier this month Colombia extended their land and sea border closure for another 30 days, until at least October 1.
San Andrés, a gorgeous island in the Caribbean Sea belonging to Colombia, requires one further bio-security measure not yet mandatory on mainland Colombia: A contact tracing app.
All visitors must download and use the government’s contact tracing app, called “Coronapp” to help keep the more vulnerable island safe.
Si deseas comprar un tiquete aéreo para realizar un viaje a San Andrés, es necesario que descargues previamente la aplicación CoronApp, registres allí tu deseo de viaje y tus síntomas. Para hacerlo, ingresa a https://t.co/HjTIkybmTD pic.twitter.com/K1ITtTUIJZ
— MinSaludCol (@MinSaludCol) September 15, 2020
Before the pandemic hit, Colombia saw a record number of tourists in 2019, totaling over 4.5 million visitors. The president was quoted saying his goal for 2020 would be 6 million tourists, however that dream was shattered by halting international flights and sealing up borders in March.
Now with tourism resuming during fall/winter season, Colombia is hoping American and Canadian tourists might choose Colombia over other more expensive Caribbean islands. However, with labs all over the USA and Canada backing up with requests, the 96-hour PCR test requirement might be a major hurdle for rebooting Colombia’s desperate tourism industry.
Read More: See which countries in Latin American have reopened for tourism, what companies are offering travel insurance that covers covid, and what nations are open for American and Canadian tourists.
Sources: Ministry of Transportation / Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism / direct interview with government official from Ministry of Tourism /
Disclaimer: Colombia’s reopening news is ever-changing and being updated constantly. We do our best to keep this article up to date with all the latest information, but the decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling.
↓ Join the community ↓
The Travel Off Path Community FB group has all the latest reopening news, conversations, and Q&A's happening daily!
This article was originally published on September 17, 2020 with updates