Before you travel: FAQs
Travelling to Colombia for pleasure or work requires a spot of planning and preparation. This page runs through the essential things you'll need to think about and organise before embarking on your trip.
Is Colombia dangerous?
Ok, lets get this one out of the way. Well, yes, to some degree and in certain parts Colombia could be considered dangerous. The western media and Hollywood (and even Colombia's own film industry) have over the years cemented Colombia's reputation as a haven for drug barons, terrorist bombs and kidnappings. These are still serious problems in Colombia and chances are they will continue to plague the country for many years to come. The important thing, however, is to keep it all in perspective.
There was a time in the late 80s and through the 90s when Colombia justified its dangerous reputation. Even at the turn of the millennium areas around some of the country's biggest cities were considered too dangerous to travel through. Then came Alvaro Uribe. Many regard the current Colombian President, who has held office since 2002, as a saviour of the country for the strides in national security that have been made. However, his many detractors point to his alleged connections with right-wing paramilitary groups. Like him or loathe him the fact is that during his tenure the country has become more secure (at least in the areas that tourists are likely to visit). It is still very wise to check with the local authorities any time you are heading to anyway even slightly remote just to be on the safe side, but currently the situation is such that you'd be very unlikely to come acrop of the FARC or any other guerilla group.
There is a problem with delinquency, particularly in the big cities of Bogota, Medellin and Cali. but of course the same is true in many European or North American cities. The kind of loutish, often drunken violence that occurs in some of the more developed countries in the world is very rare here. Muggings are commonplace in Colombia's cities, but often don't involve a beating. Handing over your valuables will usually leave you unharmed. Resisting a mugging is probably the most stupid thing you can do. Take the usual sensible precautions of not flaunting your valuables, not walking in dodgy areas, especially alone and at night.
The bottom line to all this should be that in no way should you not come to Colombia because of the dangerous reputation. Act sensibly and enjoy the warmth and kindness of the vast majority of the Colombia people.
What are the Entry/Visa requirements?
Probably a good first step is to find out if your nationality is actually welcome in Colombia! Chances are you'll have no problem getting a tourist visa (often a simple stamp in your passport as you enter the country) but you should check with the Colombian embassy/consulate in your country to be sure.
If you don't require a visa you'll typically be granted either 30, 60 or 90 days stay as a tourist. If you're looking to stay longer than 30 days then try to explain this to the immigration official and they'll tend to oblige with 60 or 90 days. Some won't, of course, and there's not much you do about it, but you can easily get your stay extended in any DAS (Administrative Security Department) office in the country.
How do I apply for a temporary work visa?
Work visas can be a tad tricky, especially if you're doing things by yourself. With any luck your (prospective) employers will do a lot of the paperwork for you, but expect waits and frustrations along the way. Generally you'll need to do the following:
- Original work contract signed and notarized.
- Existence certificate or registration from the company or entity in Colombia. If it’s a private company, the certificate has to be from the Chamber of Commerce; if it’s a public entity the existence certificate has to be from the Ministry of Interior and Justice.
- Letter from the company stating the name and position of the applicant, detailed purpose of the trip, and the company's commitment to assume financial responsibility for the foreigner, including his return to the country of origin or last country of residence.
- "Certificado de Proporcionalidad" issued by the Ministry of Social Protection stating that the ratio of national and foreign workers has been respected.
- Bachelor's degree. The certificate must be legalized (usually referred to as "apostillized".)
The charge for the temporary work visa is currently US$205.
For more information on these or other types of visas contact your country's Colombian embassy/consulate.
Where can I book a flight to Colombia?
International Flights:
A large number of airline run flights to Colombia. It's best to check either on their websites or one of the many cheap flight sites such as Lastminute.com, CheapFlights.Com, Travelocity, Expedia, or SkyScanner.Net.
Internal Flights:
The following are the 5 main domestic carriers in Colombia. All of these airlines offer promotions, but they are sometimes very short-lived (often only 24 or 48 hours) so it's a good idea to register to receive notifications and check the site as frequently as possible.
Avianca is the biggest domestic airline in Colombia and covers the vast majority of the country. They have a well organised website (available in English) and accept online payments with international credit cards.
Aero Republica is another big carrier with an extensive number of routes. Another easily-to-follow website (available in English) which accepts payments online by international credit card.
Satena is smaller than the previous two airlines and their website (Spanish only) hardly inspires confidence, but it is worth looking at as their prices are sometimes quite reasonable. They can also be quite handy for some smaller destinations that the bigger airlines don't fly to. Payments can only be made at a Satena office.
Aires is another budget airline. It has slightly fewer routes than Satena. Its website (Spanish only) is simple, but clear to follow. Payments can be made online with international credit cards.
Easyfly is the newest of the 5 airlines and aims to offer the cheapest flights. Its routes are still somewhat limited, but it is well worth checking out their website (Spanish only) to see if you can snag yourself a bargain. Flights can be purchased online with international credit cards.
How much should I Budget for my trip?
How long is a piece of string? Etc etc. This obviously varies massively depending on the type of sojourn you're planning. If you're a shoestring backpacker you can probably survive in most places in Colombia on about $30,000 pesos a day if you sleep and cook in a cheap hostel and use public transport. Although to get the most out of cities and to take any tours you'll need to be prepared to loosen the purse strings a tad.
Bogota and Cartagena are the two most expensive cities, although in both places there are cheap alternatives. See the guides to these cities for some recommendations.
Do I need to get any vaccinations?
Visit the MD Travel Health website for detailed information on vaccinations and other health advice.
You should also consult with your doctor well before travelling.
How necessary is it to speak Spanish?
You should definitely try to learn at least the basics before you come to Colombia, or early on during your stay. Besides making life a lot easier for yourself in terms of getting around and avoiding scams etc, you'll also get much more out of your time here. Even a simple chat with the locals can offer you a tremendous insight into the culture. And if you're setting your sights of a bit of romance you'll increase your chances dramatically if you can actually communicate with your target! The 'language of love' will probably only get you so far.
That said, you'll find that in the bigger cities of Bogota, Medellin, Cali and especially the tourist sector of Cartagena that many people speak English. In fact occasionally it can actually be a struggle to practice your Spanish as people are keen to speak English with you, even if English isn't your first language.
If you're looking to learn Spanish once you're here then have a gander at the city guides on this site for recommendations of institutes offering classes.
What should I bring?
To some extent it depends on the trip you have planned. Assuming you'll take in at least the capital Bogota and the Caribbean coast then you'll need to bring warm clothes (a light jacket and sweater is probably enough for the cool nights in Bogota and other parts of Central Colombia), and summer clothes (shorts, sandals, sunglasses etc), although obviously there is the option of buying things here in Colombia.
Electronic goods are not really any cheaper here than in western countries so it's probably best to bring cameras, music players, laptops etc from your home country rather than waiting to buy them here.
A guidebook can be handy, and of course ColombiaTravelGuide.Net is here to help you as well.
More to follow soon...