TRAVELER KIT – REGION CARIBE COLOMBIANO

COLOMBIA

Language: Spanish

Religion: The Colombian Constitution provides for freedom of religion. Most of the population in Colombia practices Roman Catholic.

Local Time: GMT-05:00 hours

Country Code: 57

VISAS:

Passport: Document with an expiration date of minimum 3 months, with enough pages.

Visa: There is no nationality restriction to enter Colombia. A visa is required, except in the case of citizens of the following countries who stay strictly for the purpose of tourism and for a maximum of 90 days: Argentina, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Chile, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, United States, Finland, France, Great Britain, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Mexico, Norway, The Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela and foreign residents of Canada and the United States. Foreigners of countries that have no restriction to enter Colombia, if they come only for tourism, may stay in the country for up to 90 days from the date of entry that is indicated on the immigration seal, which is stamped on the passport by the official at the port of entry.

Exit Tax: An exit tax of US$ 66 must be paid by all Colombian citizens and foreigners whose stay in Colombia was longer than two months. In the case of shorter stays, the exit tax for foreigners is US$ 33.

Depending on the itinerary, some airlines, such as Air France, American Airlines and Avianca, include the cost of the tax in the cost of the ticket. The exit tax must be paid at the airport, at the time of departure, in cash and in only one currency (Colombian pesos or US dollars, excluding US$ 100 bills).

MONEY: The unit of currency is the “peso” which uses the same symbol as the US dollar ($).Entering or taking out money, in this denomination or in any other, is restricted and should be declared on entering or leaving the country.

The exchange of foreign currency should be made exclusively in hotels, banks and bureaux de change, never on the street. The exchange rate fluctuates from day to day and has the U.S. dollar as the official reference rate, which is also the currency most used in the market. Payment is made on the basis of the official daily rate, after discounting commissions and services, which vary between 2 and 3%.

ATMs: The capital cities of the country have an extensive network of ATMs. The majority are in service 24 hours and provide the option of the English language. The transactions generally permitted are: credit/debit balance, withdrawals, transfers and cash advances. Avoid giving the card to strangers or revealing your personal PIN code. ATMs are strategically located, particularly on thoroughfares and in shopping malls. Some, such as Cirrus, Visa and Master Card, permit international debit and credit transactions.

Debit Cards: The larger stores and shops, supermarkets, and higher-class hotels and restaurants accept such cards.

Credit Cards: The majority of hotels, restaurants and commercial establishments accept international credit cards. The most frequent are Visa and Master Card. Only some places accept American Express and Diners Club.

ELECTRIC POWER: In the colombian cities the electric power is 110 V with plugs A and B amrican type. In the market you can find adapters and converters.