Colombia Safety Guide
Health, security, and travel safety information
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before your trip.
Healthcare
What to know about medical care in Colombia.
A hybrid public-private set-up: government EPS clinics serve residents while high-standard private hospitals treat those who pay cash or carry travel insurance.
Clínica del Country (Bogotá), Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe (Medellín) and Fundación Santa Fe all accept major international insurance. Expect cash deposits up-front if you arrive without it.
Chain drugstores (Drogas La Rebaja, Cruz Verde) stock common medicines from 07:00 to 22:00; antibiotics need a prescription only in the larger cities.
Insurance is not legally required to enter. Yet immigration may ask for proof. Buy it anyway because private care is pricey.
- ✓ Jot down a basic Spanish note listing allergies and current medication. Doctors seldom speak English outside the top hospitals.
- ✓ Altitude-sickness tablets help if you fly straight into Bogotá at 2,640 m from sea level.
Common Risks
Be aware of these potential issues.
Pickpockets and bag-slashers work crowded buses, TransMilenio and downtown markets.
Armed robbers force victims to withdraw cash for hours, usually after they climb into unofficial taxis.
Motorcycle gunmen snatch jewellery, phones and cameras in seconds, even in daylight.
Benzodiazepines slipped into beer or aguardiente. Victims wake up missing cards and phones.
Scams to Avoid
Watch out for these common tourist scams.
A squirt of liquid on your back, a 'helpful' passer-by wipes it off while a partner lifts your wallet.
Men in police vests ask to inspect cash for counterfeits. They palm bills or swap notes.
Shared taxis from Ipán to Cucutá drop tourists at an unlicensed checkpoint that invents a departure tax.
Safety Tips
Practical advice to stay safe.
- • Use ride-hailing apps that log driver details. Note the plate before you board.
- • On inter-city buses keep the day-pack on your lap, not overhead, and leave the earphones low enough to hear announcements.
- • Carry one card and lock the second in the room. Tell your bank you are in Colombia to prevent blocks.
- • Snap a photo of the visa stamp and passport photo page, then stash it in an encrypted cloud folder.
- • Many clubs scan ID and take fingerprints, carry a licence copy and leave the passport at the hotel.
- • Book the ride home in advance. After 01:00 even app cars disappear in smaller cities.
- • Register at the park office before entering Parque Nacional El Cocuy or the Ciudad Perdida trek. Guides are mandatory.
- • Start volcano treks (Nevado del Ruiz, Puracé) before 06:00 so you can descend before afternoon cloud erases visibility.
Information for Specific Travelers
Safety considerations for different traveler groups.
Colombia draws solo female travellers in droves. Harassment is verbal, not physical, and shrinks with a firm refusal and group tours at night.
- → Pick seats beside other women on long-distance buses. Most companies let you choose online.
- → On cable cars (Metrocable Medellín, TransMiCable Bogotá) ride the middle cabin where staff ride along.
Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2016; anti-discrimination law covers goods and services.
- → Public affection in small plazas may earn stares. Head for nightlife districts where rainbow venues cluster.
- → Colombian law is clear: a hotel can't deny a same-sex pair the double bed they booked. Stand your ground and ask again if the receptionist hesitates.
Travel Insurance
Protect yourself before you travel.
Private clinics will ask for a fat deposit before they wheel you in from a crash or a mountain rescue. Check your card limit, most travellers' plastic can't cover it.
Ready to plan your trip to Colombia?
Now that you've got the research covered, here's where to go next.