Travel Information From Spain to Colombia

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Routine Vaccines

Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip. Some of these vaccines include

• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
• Flu (Influenza)
• Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
• Polio
• Shingles

COVID-19

All eligible travelers should be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.

Hepatitis A

Recommended for unvaccinated travelers one year old or older going to Colombia.
Infants 6 to 11 months old should also be vaccinated against Hepatitis A. The dose does not count toward the routine 2-dose series.
Travelers allergic to a vaccine component or who are younger than 6 months should receive a single dose of immune globulin, which provides effective protection for up to 2 months depending on dosage given.
Unvaccinated travelers who are over 40 years old, immunocompromised, or have chronic medical conditions planning to depart to a risk area in less than 2 weeks should get the initial dose of vaccine and at the same appointment receive immune globulin.

Hepatitis B

Recommended for unvaccinated travelers of all ages to the Colombia.

Malaria

CDC recommends that travelers going to certain areas of Colombia take prescription medicine to prevent malaria. Depending on the medicine you take, you will need to start taking this medicine multiple days before your trip, as well as during and after your trip. Talk to your doctor about which malaria medication you should take.

Measles

Infants 6 to 11 months old traveling internationally should get 1 dose of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine before travel. This dose does not count as part of the routine childhood vaccination series.

Rabid dogs are commonly found in Colombia. If you are bitten or scratched by a dog or other mammal while in Colombia, there may be limited or no rabies treatment available.
Consider rabies vaccination before your trip if your activities mean you will be around dogs or wildlife.
Travelers more likely to encounter rabid animals include
• Campers, adventure travelers, or cave explorers (spelunkers)
• Veterinarians, animal handlers, field biologists, or laboratory workers handling animal specimens
• Visitors to rural areas
Since children are more likely to be bitten or scratched by a dog or other animals, consider rabies vaccination for children traveling to Colombia.

Typhoid

Recommended for most travelers, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas.

Yellow Fever

Required if arriving from Angola, Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, or Uganda and ≥1 year of age and for travelers who have transited >12 hours in an airport located in any of these same countries.
Recommended for all travelers ≥9 months of age except as mentioned below. Generally, not recommended for travelers to the cities of Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena, and Medellín. Not recommended for travelers whose itineraries are limited to all areas >2,300 m (7,546 ft) in elevation, the department of San Andrès y Providencia, and the capital city of Bogotá.

You will need 6 months validity remaining on your passport from the date of entry.

Local Phrases Language : Spanish

Local Phrases :

Greetings

Hello = Hola
Good morning = Buenos dias
Good afternoon = Buenas tardes
Goodbye = Adiós
Nice to meet you = Encantada de conocerte(feminine)
Encantado de conocerte(masculine)

Conversational

How are you? =Cómo estás
I am good thank you = estoy bien gracias
What’s your name? = Cuál es tu nombre?
My name is … = Me llamo …
Do you speak English? = Habla usted Inglés?
I don’t speak … = no hablo...
How do you say… in … = Cómo se dice... en...
I don’t understand = no entiendo

Basics

Yes = Sí
No = No
Please = Por favor
Thank you = Gracias
You’re welcome = De nada
Excuse me (as a question) =
Excuse me (as sorry) =
Wait = Esperar
Hurry up = Apresúrate
Go away = Vete
Let’s go to = Vamos a
I want to go to … = Quiero ir a …
A little bit = Un poco
A lot = Mucho

Shopping & Eating Out

Restaurant = Restaurante
Do you have? … = Tienes? …
Not too spicy = no demasiado picante
It was delicious = Estaba delicioso
The bill, please = La cuenta, por favor
How much? = Cuanta(feminine)
Cuanto(masculine)
Very expensive = Muy cara(feminine)
Muy caro(masculine)

Transportation & Directions

Taxi = Taxi
Car = Coche
Bus = Autobús
Right = Derecha(feminine)
Derecho(masculine)

Left = Izquierda(feminine)
Izquierdo(masculine)

Straight = Derecha(feminine)
Derecho(masculine)

Stop here = Deténgase aquí

Places

Downtown = Centro
Street = Calle
Hotel = Hotel
Museum = Museo
Mall = Centro comercial
Market = Mercado
Hospital = Hospital
Doctor = Médica(feminine)
Médico(masculine)

Time & Dates

What time is it? = Qué hora es?
Today = Este Dia
Tomorrow = Mañana
The day after tomorrow = Pasado mañana
Yesterday = El dia de ayer
When? = Cuándo?

Emergencies

Where is the toilet? = Donde esta el inodoro?
Help me, please = Ayudame por favor
Call an ambulance = Llama una ambulancia
I don’t feel good = no me siento bien

• Bogota: +5716220090
• Bogota: +5715930370
• Bogota: 6016283910

Type A / Type B View Plug-Type

50,339,443

Bogota

Bogotá is Colombia’s sprawling, high-altitude capital. La Candelaria, its cobblestoned center, features colonial-era landmarks like the neoclassical performance hall Teatro Colón and the 17th-century Iglesia de San Francisco. It's also home to popular museums including the Museo Botero, showcasing Fernando Botero's art, and the Museo del Oro, displaying pre-Colombian gold pieces.

Customs Allowances : Click Here

Corrupt or fake police scams

If you're in a seedy area and a policeman stops and asks to check your pockets or to verify documents, request to go to a police station or hotel to do it. It's happened before; a corrupt/fake policeman has either stolen money from the foreigner's pockets or planted drugs – with the foreigner having to pay a hefty bribe.

Another scam is individuals posing as police officers ask to inspect a victim's money to check if it's counterfeit. They then issue the victim a receipt and tell them to go to a police station to get legitimate currency. At the police station, the victims are told their money was not fake and that they had, in fact, been scammed.

Short encounters scams

Be wary of people who try to sell you magazines or stickers when sitting at outside restaurants. During the short encounter and mild distractions, they quietly steal your phone from under the magazines.

Also, be aware of people who approach you in the street handing out flyers, selling you things, etc. While you're distracted and trying to wave them away, they – or an accomplice – might be trying to pick your pockets.

Overcharging scams

Foreigners are, unfortunately, often overcharged due to their perceived wealth. To avoid being ripped off, it's always a good idea to ask the price before you commit to paying for something. Doing so is especially important when taking a taxi, buying things and services from informal vendors in touristy areas, and ordering at restaurants in remote regions. If you want to travel to the islands near Cartagena, avoid paying inflated 'gringo’ prices and book a tour with a reputable agency. And double-check the price before taking a photo of the Palenqueras in Cartagena – those Afro-Latinas in colorful traditional dresses – or any street characters to avoid any misunderstandings.

Card cloning scams

Credit and debit card scams are not uncommon in Colombia. Your card number and pin can be stolen when you swipe at local stores or withdraw money from an ATM, later duplicated and used. This method of capturing your credit and debit card information is called skimming. Skimming is when criminals add a small electronic device over the card slot at an ATM or a genuine card reader at a store. The fraudulent device reads the card’s chip and magnetic tape, thus obtaining your card details.

International Driving Permit 1949 is required

• The most common religion in Colombia is Roman Catholicism
• Don't forget homosexuality is not widely accepted or understood, especially by older generations. - Don't talk about homosexuality.
• Don't ever say a bad word about the Catholic religion or Colombia. The most Colombians are closely bound up with their identity. To criticize any aspect of Colombia is to criticize them.
• Don't trust anyone on the street immediately, - Don't walk alone or be in a dark, isolated places. Watch for thieves and other criminals.
• Don't be tempter or overdo the drugs. For many travellers Colombia is the place to come and plug up their nostrils with cocaine and party until dawn, but that's too dangerous.
• Don't wear expensive watches and jewellery.
• Don't make jokes about drugs or drug consumption. For Colombians, it's not a taboo to talk about this issue, but be sure to approach it as a serious conversation, not as a stereotyped joke.
• Don't nude at the beaches or in public places. A woman should not walk without the top on the beach.
• Don't forget to dress conservatively. Wear casual clothes, but not shorts if you want to blend in. Formal attire is necessary for exclusive dining and social functions.
• Don't hesitate to negotiate the price before buying on the street and small stores. Shop more stores for the same item, the differences could be big.
• Don't show the slightest bit of interest in any of the hawkers selling goods on the streets, because they will just follow you.
• Don't whistle to get an attention - it can be considered rude.
• Don't use suspicious exchange offices - go to authorised money exchanger store, be careful that you get all the money you exchanged and some of it does not get back into their drawer.
• Don't leave food and drinks unattended - be suspicious when a stranger offers you something to eat or drink.

Do I need travel insurance to travel to Colombia?

Travel insurance is very important when traveling overseas. We strongly recommend that you take out cover to travel to Colombia. You can usually take out single trip or annual multi-trip cover to give you peace of mind should anything happen.

It can be a better and cheaper option to take annual multi-trip cover as it usually covers any number of trips taken in one year with a maximum of up to around 60 days away per trip.

We work with the top names in the industry and have already pre-selected the easiest, cheapest and best quality travel insurance on the market to save you time and money trying to find the best cover.

Travel insurance typically covers the following; however, you can tailor a policy to suit your needs depending on where you are traveling to, your activities and how long you are away.

• Medical Expenses
  Medical treatment can be extremely costly and add up very quickly, and include Overnight stays in hospital, minor or major surgery, accident and emergency treatment, drugs, COVID-19 treatment, journey home if you cannot use the original ticket, dental treatment, and many more unexpected expenses.
• Baggage and personal belongings
  If your baggage is lost, stolen, damaged or delayed it is extremely frustrating. If you must buy new clothes, toiletry products or personal belongings it can be very expensive and time consuming.
• Cancellation
  Sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances you may need to cancel your trip. This could be due to several reasons such as illness, injury, a bereavement or many other scenarios. Usually airlines, tour operators and hotels have large cancellation fees, so buying travel insurance that covers this is recommended.

Health Care

Healthcare of Colombia is ranked 74th in the world. Colombia enjoys one of the best public healthcare systems in the world.

Health Risk

Caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira.

Occurs from accidentally rub feces (poop) of the triatomine bug into the bug bite, other breaks in the skin, your eyes, or mouth.

Occurs from insect bites, including mosquitoes.

Occurs from sand fly bite.

Occurs from mosquito bite.

Less commonly, being around someone sick with hantavirus.

Caused from an infected and contagious person coughing, speaking, or singing.