When do I fill in Check-MIG, and is it required?
Migración Colombia's March 2026 notice calls Check-MIG the system that lets Colombians and foreigners pre-load their trip details before entering or leaving. You complete it from 72 hours before the trip up to 1 hour before, through the Check-MIG button on the Migración Colombia homepage. The December 2025 notice says the service is free. It asks for flight number, airline, reason for travel, accommodation and health status.
Neither notice calls Check-MIG mandatory. Both frame it as speeding up the border check, and Migración "calls on" travellers to use it. The notices mention no penalty for skipping it. Airlines set their own check-in requirements, and the form takes only a few minutes, so fill it in within the window anyway.
How long can I stay in Colombia without a visa?
Two rules decide this: your nationality, and how many days you have already spent in Colombia this calendar year.
Nationality. Under Resolución 5488 de 2022, nationals of listed countries can enter without a visa for short stays that bring them no pay in Colombia. The list includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Japan and South Korea. China and India are not on it. Nationals of Cambodia, China, India, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam are exempt only if they hold a valid residence permit for a Schengen state or the United States. A Schengen or US visa also works if it has at least 180 days of validity left when they enter. The Cancillería's visa page points to the same resolution as the list to check.
Days. Under Resolución 2061 de 2020, Migración Colombia can extend the stay of visa-exempt visitors who entered on an entry and stay permit (PIP). The extension for tourism is up to 90 more days, but total time cannot exceed 180 calendar days, continuous or not, within the same calendar year. You must request the extension at least five working days before your current permit expires. Otherwise you have to leave, or you become an irregular stayer.
| Your situation | What applies | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Exempt nationality, trip under 90 days | Tourist permit at the border | Check-MIG, exit ticket, passport |
| Exempt, want to stay 90–180 days | Extension of up to 90 days | Apply to Migración 5 working days before expiry |
| Exempt, already used days this year | Only the days left from 180 | Count your days before you book the return |
| China, India and others on the conditional list | Exempt only with a valid Schengen/US residence permit or a visa valid 180+ days | Carry that document, or apply for a Colombian visa |
| Nationality not on the exempt lists | Visa required | Apply through the Cancillería before you fly |
Worked example: counting your 180 days
The cap resets with the calendar year, not 365 days after your first entry. Suppose you spent 90 days in Colombia from February to April and come back on 1 October. You have 90 days left for that year, which takes you to 29 December (31 in October, 30 in November, 29 in December). You can get only the days left for the year, and the extension request has to reach Migración five working days before your current permit ends.
The count starts again on 1 January. On a trip over New Year, the days after 1 January count towards the new year's 180. Keep your entry and exit stamps, or Migración's records, so you can show how many days you used.
The rules differ if you hold a Colombian visa. The Cancillería's visa types page counts tourist-visa stays as 180 days within each 365 days from the date the visa was issued. Visa-exempt visitors should not use that window.
What officers can ask for at the desk
The Cancillería says that on arrival the immigration authority will ask foreigners to show they have an exit ticket. Have your return or onward booking on your phone or on paper. Migración's March 2026 notice says foreigners must present a valid passport or travel document. When you leave, you must still be within your authorised stay.
We found no minimum passport validity (such as six months) on the Migración Colombia or Cancillería pages we checked. Airlines can set their own rule, so check with yours.
Do I need to declare cash when entering Colombia?
Yes, above a threshold. DIAN's Form 530 page says you must have Form 530 completed if you bring more than USD 10,000, or the equivalent in other currencies, in cash or money instruments, into or out of Colombia. The same rule applies to Colombian pesos. DIAN's exchange-control FAQ confirms you can carry up to USD 10,000 without declaring it.
DIAN says international airlines must give travellers the form. On land or sea routes it is available at customs posts. Form 530 itself also covers goods: you declare them if you bring goods other than personal effects worth more than USD 2,000. DIAN warns that undeclared goods subject to the single tax are seized and forfeited.
What to do if something goes wrong
- Check-MIG will not load or you missed the window: go to the airport anyway. Migración describes the form as speeding up the check, not as a condition of entry. Ask the airline at check-in whether it needs anything else.
- You want to stay longer than your permit: apply for the extension at least five working days before the permit ends, and count your remaining days for the calendar year first.
- You are near 180 days: no extension can take you past 180 days in the calendar year. Book your exit for the last permitted day or earlier.
- You are carrying more than USD 10,000: fill in Form 530 before you reach customs, whether you are arriving or leaving.
After immigration, see El Dorado airport to Bogotá or José María Córdova airport to Medellín. For money, see paying in Colombia with pesos, cards and ATMs.