Travelers must complete Migración Colombia’s online Check-Mig form (https://www.migracioncolombia.gov.co/contingencia-check-mig) within 72 hours of boarding an inbound or outbound flight from Colombia. If the normal form’s website is down travelers can find a contingency website (https://apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co/pre-registro/public/preregistro.jsf).

Or download the app called "Check Mig"

fill out the requested info before arriving to the airport

This is the easier route!

The currency in Colombia is Colombian pesos ($). Denominations are in the thousands. Lately, the conversion rate has been 4,800 COP to 1 USD. Most common bills are 2, 5, 10 and 20 thousand pesos. There are also coins for 100, 200, 500 pesos if you get change. There are bills which correspond to 100 thousand pesos - try to avoid having these unless shopping, as they are hard to break for change when needed.

While many places accept credit card, there are also places that only accept cash, so we would suggest visiting an ATM upon arrival and having some cash on you at all times. The rates at the airport are pretty good, so if you want to exchange there, you are getting a fair rate.

Use ATMs within grocery stores, malls, and shopping centers - not on the street. As an additional safety measure, don't go extract cash from an ATM and leave right away (in case not so nice people are watching for people to take a lot of money and head out of the mall) - walk/shop around a bit after you withdraw.

With currency rate almost 5 to 1, public bus or metro will cost you less than a dollar. Most uber rides will be less than 3 UDS. Cost of food varies, but meals can be anywhere from 3-10 USD/person, unless you are eating somewhere fancy.

It’s no secret that Medellin has a dark past with cartels/drug wars for which it became infamous during the 80’s and 90’s. The city has changed much since then and is now a very touristic city in Latin America. It is recognized as one of the best cities for Americans to retire due to the weather & affordable cost of living. Paisas (people of Medellin) are happy to help tourists. That said, just as in other big cities, you have to be cautious. Most robberies happen around transportation, so avoid hailing cabs from the street, and when inside any public transportation, avoid having your window down, playing with your phone, or having valuables like jewelry/cash in plain sight.

Scams are uncommon in Medellin, unlike other places in the Caribbean part of the country. Locals will not overcharge because you are “gringos”. They tend to be honest and will give you change back, even in cases that you wrongly overpaid. However, taxis may try to overcharge. Most taxis should have meters to track your route’s expense. Make sure you have change or the amount you need - drivers may not have change for high denominations.

Don’t walk around at night, use a taxi. Travel in groups. Just practice good common sense travel safety.

Unlike remote locations in the country, tap water quality is excellent, completely safe to drink, and likely tastes better than most places in the US. :) If you are travelling to smaller towns or other areas outside of the city, then stick to bottled or filtered water.

Tipping in Colombia is not required like in the US. However, if you are served well, it is common courtesy to leave anywhere from 5-10% at most.

When using your credit card, you may be asked "how many payments?" - “en cuantas cuotas?” This is a common thing in Colombia that places ask you when using a credit card, so you can just reply "Una" (one).