Colombia Entry Requirements for Medical Travelers (Check-Mig, Stays, Extensions)

Colombia's entry requirements for medical travelers from the U.S., Canada, and most of Europe are simpler than most people expect — but there are two friction points that trip up first-time visitors. Here's what actually matters.

The short version

For citizens of the U.S., Canada, the U.K., EU member states, Australia, and roughly 100 other countries, entry into Colombia for medical treatment requires:

• A passport valid for at least six months from the date of entry
• Proof of onward or return travel
• A completed Check-Mig form within 72 hours before arrival
• No pre-arranged visa for stays under 90 days

That's it. Colombia does not require a specific medical visa for the vast majority of medical tourists. The standard tourist entry stamp — issued free at immigration — covers medical care as long as you're not being paid to be in Colombia.

The Check-Mig form (mandatory, easy to miss)

Check-Mig is Colombia's online migration form, hosted at apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co. Every traveler entering or leaving Colombia must complete it within 72 hours before the flight. It's free, takes about 10 minutes, and generates a QR code you'll need for airline check-in and Colombian immigration.

What the form asks for:

• Passport details (number, nationality, expiration)
• Flight information (airline, flight number, arrival date)
• Colombian address for the first night (hotel or clinic name is fine)
• Contact information (email, phone)
• Basic health declaration

Passport validity — the six-month rule

Colombia enforces the standard six-month passport validity rule: your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your date of entry. If your passport expires within six months of when you're planning to be in Colombia, renew before you book. U.S. passport renewal currently runs 6–13 weeks for routine service, 3–5 weeks for expedited service. Don't book flights based on a passport that renews after your trip.

Proof of onward travel

Colombia can technically ask for proof of onward travel — a return ticket or ticket to a third country — at immigration. In practice, U.S. and European passport holders are rarely asked. Still, have your return ticket printed or accessible on your phone; showing it takes 30 seconds and saves an escalation you don't want in the immigration line.

How long you can stay on a tourist entry

The default tourist entry (PIP-5 stamp) is 90 days per calendar year, often stamped as an initial 60 or 90 days depending on immigration officer discretion. If the officer gives you 60 and you need 90, you can request the additional 30 days in-country at any Migración Colombia office.

The 90-day tourist stamp is renewable for another 90 days within the same calendar year, for a total of 180 days per year. Extension is done at a Migración Colombia office, requires a form (Prórroga de Permanencia), a modest fee, and proof of funds and continued purpose.

When you need a medical visa (rare)

Colombia offers a Medical Visa (Tipo M-9) for patients requiring extended medical care beyond what a tourist stamp accommodates. It's relevant for a narrow set of situations:

• Treatment requiring more than 180 days in Colombia (rare — even multi-stage complex care rarely exceeds this)
• Treatment that requires the patient's family or caregivers to accompany them for extended periods
• Highly specific cases where insurance or legal proceedings require documented medical-visa status

For a standard elective procedure — cosmetic, dental, bariatric, IVF, LASIK, orthopedic — the tourist stamp is what you use. The medical visa is not routine.

Vaccinations and health entry requirements

No vaccinations are required for entry into Colombia from most countries. Yellow fever vaccination may be requested for travelers arriving from or going to certain regions of Colombia (Amazon, Sierra Nevada, and certain Pacific coast areas). For medical tourism to Bogotá, Medellín, or Cali, no yellow fever certificate is required.

What your surgeon may require (separately from entry rules): recent flu vaccination, COVID vaccination for elective surgery, and clearance for any active infections. These are surgical requirements, not immigration requirements.

Common friction points

Same-day flight extensions

If your surgeon extends your stay beyond your originally planned return date but still within your tourist stamp, no immigration action is needed — just change your flight. If the extension pushes you past your initial stamp period (e.g., surgeon extends you from a 45-day trip to a 70-day trip but you were stamped for 60 days), request an in-country extension at Migración Colombia before your original stamp expires.

Overstaying by a few days

Overstaying carries a fine — typically 0.5 to 4 monthly minimum Colombian salaries, depending on the length of overstay. Overstays of a few days for medical reasons (documented) are often waived or reduced on presentation of medical documentation. Don't overstay intentionally, but if a medical emergency forces it, document everything and be prepared to explain at exit.

Bringing prescription medications

Personal prescription medications for the duration of your stay are permitted, in original packaging with a copy of the prescription in English (a Spanish translation helps but isn't required). Colombian customs occasionally inspects; having everything organized in one bag saves time.

Controlled substances (opioids, benzodiazepines, ADHD stimulants) require additional documentation — a letter from the prescribing physician on letterhead, and quantities appropriate to trip length. For narcotics prescribed for post-op pain in the U.S., generally leave them home; your Colombian surgeon will prescribe appropriately for post-op care in-country.

Traveling with a companion — do they need anything different?

Companions accompanying medical travelers to Colombia enter under the same standard tourist entry stamp — no special visa or documentation is required to travel with a patient. Each traveler completes their own Check-Mig form. Companions do not need proof of the medical purpose of the trip; they simply need to meet standard entry requirements (passport, onward travel, six-month validity).

For companions staying longer than 90 days to support extended recovery, the same tourist-stamp extension procedure applies — they can extend in-country for another 90 days at Migración Colombia. The Medical Visa (M-9) can also include accompanying family members in specific extended-care situations, though this is rare for standard medical tourism.

Insurance considerations

Colombian entry does not require travel or medical insurance for tourism-purpose entries. That said, travel medical insurance is worth considering for any medical-tourism trip — not to cover the planned procedure (which insurance almost never covers abroad) but to cover unrelated illness, injury, and evacuation during the trip. Colombian private hospital emergency care is high-quality but not free, and uninsured evacuation to the U.S. for a serious event can cost $50,000 or more.

Departing Colombia

Check-Mig is also required for departure — a separate form completed within 72 hours before your outbound flight. Same URL, same QR code system. Colombian airport departure tax is typically included in your ticket price, but occasionally cash payment is required at the airport; have $30–$40 in USD or equivalent COP as a backup.

For city-specific logistics on arrival, see airport to clinic. For timing considerations (holidays, Semana Santa), see timing your Colombia trip. The full booking walkthrough is at booking medical care in Colombia.