Entry Requirements
Visa requirements for Colombia depend on which passport you hold. Check the Traveller visa tool to see whether your passport needs a visa and, if so, how long you can stay.
Check if you need a visa for ColombiaEmergency Numbers
- General
- 123 (police)
- Ambulance
- 125
- Fire
- 119
Currency
- Name
- Colombian Peso
- Code
- COP
- Symbol
- $
ATMs in cities and towns. Cards accepted in major cities. Cash preferred in rural areas and smaller towns. The peso offers good value — Colombia is affordable by South American standards. Always use ATMs inside banks or malls for security.
Power Outlets
- Outlet types
- Type A, Type B
- Voltage
- 110V
- Frequency
- 60Hz
Time Zone
COT (UTC−5) — no daylight saving
Best Time to Visit
December–February and June–August are the dry seasons. Medellín (now one of Latin America's most innovative cities, transformed from the world's most dangerous to one of its most visited), Cartagena (colonial walled city on the Caribbean), the Coffee Region (Salento — wax palms, coffee farm tours), Bogotá (Gold Museum, La Candelaria, Monserrate), and the Cocora Valley are the highlights. December is the best overall month.
Tipping Customs
| Venue | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 10% | Propina voluntaria (voluntary tip) is sometimes pre-added — check and confirm it was for service you received |
| Taxis | Round up | — |
Dress Code
- Casual throughout
- Smart casual for Bogotá's Zona Rosa and Medellín's El Poblado
Social Etiquette
- Colombia's transformation story is one of the most extraordinary of the 21st century — Medellín went from the world's most dangerous city (murder capital, Escobar era, 1980s–1990s) to a UNESCO Smart City with urban cable cars linking formerly violent hillside barrios to the city centre
- Gabriel García Márquez (the Nobel Prize-winning author of One Hundred Years of Solitude) was born in Aracataca — the novel's fictional Macondo is based on this Colombian town
- Colombian coffee (the Zona Cafetera, growing regions of Huila, Nariño, and Tolima) is genuinely among the world's finest — single-origin Colombian coffee at source is a revelation
- Colombians are extraordinarily warm, proud, and outgoing — the parce (friend/buddy) culture of Medellín, the costeño humour of Cartagena, and the rolo formality of Bogotá are all distinct regional characters
Local Laws
Laws change. Verify current rules with your country's official travel advisory before departure.
- Cocaine is illegal — despite Colombia's association with cocaine production, carrying or using cocaine as a tourist carries serious legal risk
- LGBTQ+ rights: same-sex marriage legal since 2016; generally progressive in cities though conservative in rural areas
Common Phrases
| English | Local | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (Colombian Spanish) | Hola! / Quiubo | OH-lah / KYOO-boh — 'quiubo' (from '¿Qué hubo?') is the ultra-casual Colombian greeting |
| Friend (Colombian slang) | Parce / Parcero | PAR-seh / par-SEH-roh — the Medellín word for friend/buddy |
| What's up? (Colombian) | Que mas? / Todo bien? | keh MAHS — 'what else?' used as 'how are you?' |
| Cool (Colombian slang) | Chévere / Bacano | CHEH-veh-reh / bah-KAH-noh |
| Cheers! (Colombian) | Salud! | sah-LOOD — with aguardiente (the national anise spirit) or Colombian coffee |
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