Quick answers: healthcare in Colombia
- How much does health insurance cost in Colombia for expats?
- Indicative international health insurance for a 32-year-old living in Colombia (inpatient and outpatient, mid-level plan, worldwide excluding the USA) typically costs £229 to £315 a month, with a median of £278 and the cheapest at £181, based on 12 plan quotes from the 14 insurers on our panel, taken in 2026-09. Your price depends on your age, medical history, plan and deductible, and is only confirmed by the insurer.
- How much does expat health insurance cost by age in Colombia?
- Indicative median monthly premiums in Colombia (inpatient and outpatient, mid-level plan, worldwide excluding the USA): age 25 US$261, age 35 US$336, age 45 US$429, age 55 US$726, age 65 US$1,319. Quotes taken 2026-09; the insurer confirms the final price. Shown in US$. Other HealthiNomad prices are in GBP.
- Do foreigners need health insurance in Colombia?
- It depends on the visa. Tourists: Visitors who enter without a visa are not covered by a specific insurance requirement. Other visa holders: Applicants for a Visa V for tourism, study, medical treatment and several other visitor categories must hold a health policy covering Colombia against all risks: accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalisation, death and repatriation, for the planned length of stay. Digital nomad visa (V): Applicants must hold a health policy covering Colombia against all risks: accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalisation, death and repatriation, for the planned length of stay. Other visa holders: Holders of a Visa V for business may not join the Colombian social security system. Entry insurance rules for Colombia
- Can foreigners use public healthcare in Colombia?
- Foreign residents can register with the public system (SGSSS). The Ministerio de Salud lists the documents a foreigner can use to join an EPS, and these include the cédula de extranjería and the Permiso Especial de Permanencia. Anyone with income from their own work must join as an independent contributor. The monthly contribution is usually around 12.5% of income and is paid by the person or their employer. Holders of a Visa V for business may not join the Colombian social security system.
- Do hospitals in Colombia ask foreigners to pay upfront?
- Yes. The US State Department says hospitals and doctors often require payment up front before service or admission. The US Embassy in Bogotá says hospitals expect payment before the patient is released. The FCDO advises contacting your insurer quickly if you are referred to a medical facility, and having funds available to cover treatment and repatriation.
- What is the emergency number in Colombia?
- Call 123 for an ambulance in Colombia.
What health insurance costs in Colombia (indicative)
These are indicative prices, based on 12 plan quotes from the 14 international insurers on our panel, for one standard profile: a 32-year-old living in Colombia, inpatient and outpatient cover, mid-level plan, worldwide excluding the USA. The typical monthly price is £229 to £315, with a median of £278 and the cheapest at £181. Your actual price depends on your age, medical history, the plan, your deductible and where you want cover, and is only confirmed by the insurer. Snapshot 2026-09-24. See the Health Insurance Cost Index.
Indicative prices: the 5 lowest of 12 plan quotes, monthly in GBP, cheapest mid-level plan in each insurer's range. Quotes taken 2026-09-24.
See the figures
| Age | Cheapest | Median | Higher end | Plans quoted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | US$168 | US$261 | US$284 | 13 |
| 35 | US$234 | US$336 | US$369 | 13 |
| 45 | US$266 | US$429 | US$526 | 13 |
| 55 | US$447 | US$726 | US$841 | 13 |
| 65 | US$700 | US$1,319 | US$1,463 | 12 |
Indicative. Single adult, inpatient and outpatient, cheapest mid-level plan per insurer, worldwide excluding the USA. Quotes taken 2026-09-29. The insurer confirms the final price. Shown in US$. Other HealthiNomad prices are in GBP.
How healthcare works for expats
Colombia runs a general social security health system (SGSSS), and people who are resident in Colombia can register with it. Patients pay contributions to it themselves or through an employer. The UK FCDO says private facilities in the major cities give good quality care for routine and complex treatment, while public hospitals and facilities in smaller cities are generally poorly equipped and underfunded. Visitors are expected to hold their own travel or health insurance, and most visa categories, including the digital nomad visa, require a private health policy.
Public care and state schemes
Foreign residents can register with the public system (SGSSS). The Ministerio de Salud lists the documents a foreigner can use to join an EPS, and these include the cédula de extranjería and the Permiso Especial de Permanencia. Anyone with income from their own work must join as an independent contributor. The monthly contribution is usually around 12.5% of income and is paid by the person or their employer. Holders of a Visa V for business may not join the Colombian social security system.
Private hospitals
The FCDO says private hospitals and clinics in major cities give good quality care. Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe in Medellín runs a separate booking line for self-paying, insured and medicina prepagada patients, accepts a long list of insurers and prepagada plans, and says terms depend on each policy or insurer. Most private clinics do not publish price lists and ask patients to request a quote. The prices below come mainly from individual doctors, diagnostic centres and smaller clinics.
Paying up front
Yes. The US State Department says hospitals and doctors often require payment up front before service or admission. The US Embassy in Bogotá says hospitals expect payment before the patient is released. The FCDO advises contacting your insurer quickly if you are referred to a medical facility, and having funds available to cover treatment and repatriation.
Typical medical costs in Colombia
Published prices, mostly from private hospitals. Pound figures are approximate conversions.
| Treatment | Price | About |
|---|---|---|
| Private GP (medicina general) consultation, listed doctors on Doctoralia10 Medellín, per visit | COP 60,000 to COP 220,000 | £14 to £53 |
| Private internal medicine specialist consultation, listed doctors on Doctoralia (includes one at Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe at 330,000)11 Medellín, per visit | COP 200,000 to COP 330,000 | £48 to £79 |
| MRI of the brain without contrast, MDE Care12 Medellín, per scan | COP 600,000 to COP 900,000 | £144 to £215 |
| Normal birth package with epidural, specialist fees and up to 2 nights in a single room, Clínica Eusalud (from price)13 Bogotá, per package | COP 5,609,802 | £1,343 |
| Caesarean package with specialist fees and up to 2 nights in a single room, Clínica Eusalud (from price, same as normal birth)13 Bogotá, per package | COP 5,609,802 | £1,343 |
| Colonoscopy, self-pay, listed providers on Doctoralia14 Medellín, per procedure | COP 350,000 to COP 660,000 | £84 to £158 |
| Colonoscopy including sedation and biopsies if needed, GastriCare IPS15 Bogotá, per procedure | COP 550,000 | £132 |
| Dental cleaning (profilaxis), Dentali and Ortounión list prices16,17 Medellín, per visit | COP 90,000 to COP 160,000 | £22 to £38 |
Health insurance rules for foreigners
Tourists
Visitors who enter without a visa are not covered by a specific insurance requirement. Law 1438 of 2011 says non-residents who enter the country uninsured will be encouraged to buy medical insurance or a voluntary health plan for care in Colombia.7
Other visa holders
Applicants for a Visa V for tourism, study, medical treatment and several other visitor categories must hold a health policy covering Colombia against all risks: accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalisation, death and repatriation, for the planned length of stay.5,6
Digital nomad visa (V)
Applicants must hold a health policy covering Colombia against all risks: accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalisation, death and repatriation, for the planned length of stay. The visa lasts up to 2 years and requires income of at least 3 monthly minimum wages over the last 3 months.5,6
Other visa holders
Holders of a Visa V for business may not join the Colombian social security system.6
Tips before you buy cover
- If you are applying for the digital nomad visa, check that your policy states cover in Colombia for accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalisation, death and repatriation, and that it runs for your whole planned stay. Those are the exact terms the visa requires.
- Carry a card or funds you can reach quickly. Colombian hospitals often want payment before treatment or before discharge, so an insurer that can issue a guarantee of payment to the clinic saves you paying first and claiming back later.
- Call your insurer as soon as you are referred to a facility, and make sure your plan includes medical evacuation and repatriation. Both the FCDO and the US State Department stress this.
- Private clinics rarely publish prices. Ask for a written quote before planned care. For example, a Bogotá birth package starts at about 5.6 million COP and excludes ICU, neonatal ICU and complications, so maternity cover matters.
- Residents who join an EPS should keep private or international cover for the private hospitals in Medellín and Bogotá. The FCDO rates public hospitals outside the big cities as poorly equipped.
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Sources
- 1.Colombia travel advice: Health, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (2026)
- 2.Living in Colombia, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (2026-02)
- 3.Medical Assistance, U.S. Embassy in Colombia (2026)
- 4.Colombia Travel Advisory, U.S. Department of State (2025-08)
- 5.Requisitos de visa (Visa V Nómadas digitales and other categories), Cancillería de Colombia (2026)
- 6.Resolución 5477 de 2022 (visa rules, arts. 34 to 46), Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (2022)
- 7.Ley 1438 de 2011, artículo 32 parágrafo 1, Congreso de la República (Cancillería normograma) (2011-01)
- 8.ABECÉ afiliación al Sistema General de Seguridad Social en Salud de migrantes, Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social (2026-09)
- 9.Citas particulares, de póliza y medicina prepagada, Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe (2026-09)
- 10.Médicos generales en Medellín, Doctoralia Colombia (2026-09)
- 11.Internistas en Medellín, Doctoralia Colombia (2026-09)
- 12.Resonancia magnética en Medellín, MDE Care (2026-09)
- 13.Precio de un parto en clínica privada Bogotá 2026, Clínica Eusalud (2026)
- 14.Especialistas en colonoscopia en Medellín, Doctoralia Colombia (2026-09)
- 15.Colonoscopia total en Bogotá, GastriCare IPS (2026-09)
- 16.Limpieza dental profunda o profilaxis en Medellín, Dentali (2026-09)
- 17.Limpieza dental, Ortounión (2026-09)
- 18.COP to GBP exchange rate, Wise (2026-09)
Costs and rules change. Always check with the hospital, the insurer or the relevant authority before relying on a figure.