Emergency contacts in Colombia
Emergency numbers in Colombia
Healthcare notes
Healthcare in Bogotá/Medellín is excellent (Fundación Santa Fe, Clínica Las Vegas). Insurance recommended.
Major embassies in Colombia
Verify addresses on the official embassy site before traveling — embassies move occasionally.
⚠ Common scams & risks
Cartagena 'sleeping cigarette' drugged drinks, fake police 'fines' in Bogotá. Use Uber/Cabify. Avoid hailing taxis in Bogotá at night.
Before you go
- Save your embassy's contact in your phone before you travel — country code + number.
- Register your trip with your government if you're a US citizen (STEP — step.state.gov), UK (FCDO advice), or Australian (Smartraveller). Free, takes 5 min.
- Take photos of your passport and store them in cloud + email it to yourself. Replacements are much faster with a copy.
- Travel insurance with medical evacuation — check the coverage limit. $100,000+ medical, $250,000+ evacuation are the realistic minimums for serious incidents abroad.
- Know the difference between the police and tourist police. When dealing with regular police in a non-English-speaking country, ask for someone who speaks English (or your language) — many will have a translator on call.