Entry Requirements

A valid passport is required to visit Colombia. Visas are not required if you are a citizen of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, or the United States. You will automatically be granted permission to stay in the country for 60 days upon entering Colombia. If you plan to spend more than 60 days in the country, you will have to get permission from the Colombian Security Department (DAS) office in any departmental capital, though most tourists do so in Bogotá. To receive this 30- to 60-day extension, you will need to deposit COL$60,400 to Bancafé (account #056-99020-3, code 103), and then present your passport, your plane ticket (showing date of departure), four color passport pictures (3cm*4cm), two photocopies of your passport picture page, two copies of your passport entry stamp page, two copies of the Bancafé deposit slip, and two copies of your plane ticket. The process usually takes 1 to 2 hours, but you will be given the extension on the spot. You can repeat the process until you've been in the country 180 days. The Bogotá DAS office, at Calle 100 no. 11B-27, Edificio Platino (tel. 1/601-7200), is open Monday through Thursday 7:30am to 4pm and Friday 7:30am to 3pm. If you stay in Colombia more than 60 days without a visa extension, you can be fined $60 to $1,600 (depending on how long you overstay).

Colombian Embassy Locations

In Australia: 161 London CCT, Level 2, CPA Bldg., ACT 2601 (tel. 02/6230-4203; fax 02/6257-1448)

In Canada: 360 Albert St., Ste 1002, Piso 10 K1R 7X7, Ottawa, ON (tel. 613/230-3760; embajada@embajadacolombia.ca)

In New Zealand (consulate): PO Box 17072, Karori Wellington (tel. 644/4769-857; fax 644/4769-779)

In the U.K.: 3 Hans Crescent, London, SW1X OLN (tel. 020/7589-9177; fax 020/7581-1829; www.colombianembassy.co.uk)

In the U.S.: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202/387-8338; www.colombiaemb.org)

Customs

Upon entering Colombia, you will be asked to complete a Customs form detailing your personal effects. There is a regularly updated limit on cash and goods you may take out of the country. Because of strict drug-trafficking laws, do not try to take more money out of Colombia than you claim -- at a minimum, this could result in heavy questioning. For more information regarding this limit, call tel. 1/546-2200 or 1/457-8270. Usually, there's a limit of about US$10,000. When leaving the country, you must pay an airport departure tax of about COL$114,520, though this tax is often included in your airline ticket.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.