Colombia has reopened to tourism since last weekend. International flights to and from Colombia have been closed for months and the blockade and restrictions on Colombia’s borders have been among the most severe in the Americas. The first phase of the resumption of international commercial flights began on 21 September, when a limited number of routes were opened for international travel. Civil aviation bases these routes on three criteria: identifying countries open to international routes, identifying airports with the ability to process flights and biosecurity protocols, and the interest of airlines to implement flights, thus allowing flight routes to operate.
Requirements to enter
Until September 30, anyone who arrives without a PCR test performed 96 hours prior to departure will be subjected to a PCR test on arrival and 14 days of quarantine. For visas Normal requirements apply. If you are a citizen of a country where a visa is required, you must obtain it before traveling. If you are unable to obtain a test result within the stipulated time frame, please contact your airline directly. Travelers with a negative PCR test result will not be required to quarantine upon arrival in Colombia.
Some restrictions are still in place across the country, and restaurants in Bogota can only operate at 25% capacity. On the plus side, a number of streets have been closed to cars on weekends so restaurants can place more tables outside.
The country’s migration authority had already announced travel restrictions on Friday for people traveling from Europe and Asia and closed the land border with Venezuela.
In case of violation of the self-isolation obligation, local authorities can order expulsion from the country. In the presence of travelers with symptoms attributable to COVID-19, the National Institute of Health will be promptly informed and will carry out the tests to ascertain the positivity. In case of violation of what is indicated, it is also envisaged – as established by art. 368 of the C.P. ‘Violation of health measures’ the penalty of imprisonment from 4 to 8 years, and fines of a financial nature. Air traffic could undergo rapid changes and the use of Colombian airports for transit will from now on only take place in compliance with stringent health isolation measures.
Spirit Airlines becomes the first international carrier to resume operations in Colombia
According to ALNNEWS, since Colombian borders were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 17, Spirit Airlines worked in partnership with the US Embassy in Bogotá and the Colombian government to carry out humanitarian flights between the two countries. What started as a single humanitarian flight in early April has morphed into nearly 200 flights that have repatriated more than 25,000 people between the United States and nine countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, with Colombia being the principal collaborator in this mission.
From 21 September, Colombia will resume international operations with Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the United States of America. The international airports in Colombia that will gradually begin operations will be in Cartagena, Cali, Medellín and Bogotá.
