Health Insurance Requirements for Colombian Visas (2026)

Last verified: Oct 19, 2026

General information. Not legal or insurance advice. Medellín Basic is an independent guide, not a law firm, visa agency or insurer, and is not affiliated with the Colombian government. We summarize official sources; we don't know your situation, and this page is not a substitute for the advice of a lawyer. We don't sell insurance and haven't checked any product against the visa rules. The consulate decides whether a policy is acceptable. Read your policy's wording, and for your own case ask a licensed Colombian immigration lawyer (abogado).

Short answer (checked Oct 19, 2026): The digital nomad visa needs a health policy that covers you in Colombia for your whole stay, against accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death and repatriation. We found no insurance requirement for visa-exempt visitors. Source: Cancillería; Res. 5477/2022 art. 46; Res. 5488/2022.

Summary

The digital nomad visa requires a health policy that covers you in Colombia for your whole planned stay, "against all risks" for accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death and repatriation. (Cancillería, Visa V Nómadas digitales; Res. 5477/2022, art. 46)
The same wording appears for many other visas (details below).
Visa-exempt visitors (90/180 days): we found no insurance requirement in the visa-exemption rules (Res. 5488/2022). Colombian law says uninsured non-resident visitors will be encouraged to buy medical insurance, which is not the same as being required to (Ley 1438 de 2011, art. 32, parágrafo 1, as cited in Res. 5477/2022, considerandos).

What coverage wording is required?

Resolución 5477 de 2022 defines the required policy as "a private insurance policy with coverage in national territory against all risks in case of accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death or repatriation." (Res. 5477/2022, art. 3, "Seguro de viaje con cubrimiento en salud")

Rule last checked Oct 19, 2026 on Resolución 5477 de 2022. If the official page says something different, the official page is right.

Before you buy, check that the policy:

names Colombia (or worldwide including Colombia) as a covered territory;
covers each listed risk: accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death, repatriation;
runs for the whole period you plan to stay on the visa;
covers your dependents too, if they apply as beneficiaries.

This checklist is for reading your own policy's wording. It doesn't mean that any particular product, including "travel medical" or nomad insurance, meets the visa rule. We don't name or recommend insurers, and the consulate decides whether a policy is acceptable.

Which visas require health insurance?

From Resolución 5477 de 2022 (normograma):

Visa	Article	What's required
V Digital Nomad	46	Policy covering Colombia, all listed risks, for the planned stay
V Rentista (passive income; minimum 10 SMLMV)	56	Same policy
V Tourism	34	Same policy
V Student	36	Same policy
V Medical treatment	37	Same policy, for the patient and the companion
V Working holiday ("Vacaciones y Trabajo")	52	Same policy
M Pensionado (retiree; pension of at least 3 SMLMV)	77	Health coverage in Colombia or the same policy
M Independent professional	76	Health coverage in Colombia or the same policy
M Investor	79	Health coverage in Colombia or the same policy

Note for retirees: the M Pensionado visa "will not allow its holder to join the Colombian Social Security System, except as provided in bilateral or multilateral agreements." (Res. 5477/2022, art. 77)

What does the US government say about care in Colombia?

The US State Department notes that hospitals and doctors may ask for payment up front and may not accept credit cards. It says US Medicare and Medicaid don't work abroad, and it strongly recommends supplemental insurance that covers medical evacuation. (travel.state.gov, Colombia) That is general travel advice from the US government. It is separate from, and doesn't satisfy by itself, the visa coverage rule above.

What we couldn't confirm

Which products consulates accept. For example, whether "travel medical" or nomad policies with per-trip limits or deductibles are accepted. Cancillería publishes the coverage wording but no list of accepted insurers and no minimum coverage amount.

Minimum coverage amount. We found no official minimum.

Colombian EPS for nomad visa holders. We did not find an official source on whether digital nomad visa holders can or must join the Colombian health system (EPS) once they have a cédula de extranjería. The resolution addresses this only for some visas, such as M Pensionado.

Whether Migración checks insurance at the border for visa-exempt visitors. We found no such requirement in the rules we read.