Colombia Check Mig 2026: What It Is, Current Rules & How to Complete It

Colombia Check Mig is a free online pre-registration form that all foreign nationals, including UK tourists, must complete before arriving in or departing from Colombia by air. Submit it 1 to 72 hours before departure at apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co to receive a QR code for immigration.

Although Migración Colombia announced in January 2025 that Colombia Check Mig is no longer legally obligatory, airlines in 2026 routinely deny boarding without a valid confirmation email or QR code. The UK FCDO confirms the form is not mandatory but acknowledges it speeds up entry.

What Is Colombia Check Mig and Why Does It Exist?

Colombia Check Mig is Migración Colombia’s free digital migration-control form that pre-loads passenger data to speed up immigration processing at international airports.

Introduced in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a touchless health-trace tool, Colombia Check Mig has since evolved into a standard immigration pre-registration that replaces traditional paper arrival and departure cards. The system is operated by Migración Colombia and applies to foreign nationals entering or leaving by air. Travellers complete the form on the Migración Colombia portal at apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co/pre-registro/en, which offers three interface languages: Spanish, English, and French. The portal underwent a major platform update in late 2023 to streamline the user interface.

Is Check-Mig Mandatory for UK Tourists in 2026?

Colombia Check Mig is not legally mandatory since January 2, 2025, when Migración Colombia announced on YouTube that the form is no longer obligatory, later reposting the statement on Facebook on April 21, 2025. Both announcements can be verified on Migración Colombia’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Despite that, airlines in 2026 routinely deny boarding without a valid Check-Mig confirmation – using it as a gatekeeping tool to avoid fines from Colombian immigration authorities.

When Should You Complete Check-Mig Before Your Flight?

Submit Colombia Check Mig between 72 hours and 1 hour before your scheduled departure, whether you are entering or leaving Colombia. The system rejects any submission attempted outside this window. For a detailed breakdown of the 72-hour submission window and form validity rules, see our dedicated guide.

Colombia Check Mig recommends completing the form at least 24 hours before your flight to allow time for troubleshooting errors or email delays. Each submission is valid for a single entry or exit only – you must file separate Colombia Check Mig forms for your inbound and outbound flights, as one form covers one direction and one specific flight only.

What You Need Before You Start: Documents & Information

Colombia Check Mig requires specific personal and travel data before you begin the online form. Gather the following items to complete your pre-registration without interruption. For a full documents checklist for UK travellers, see our separate guide.

• Passport details – full name exactly as printed, passport number, expiry date, and nationality
• Flight itinerary – airline name, flight number entered as digits only (e.g. 107, not BA107), and departure/arrival airports
• Accommodation address – hotel name and address, or private host address
• Contact information – email address for your Colombia Check Mig confirmation delivery, plus phone number
• Purpose of visit – tourism, business, or other category
• Data processing consent – acknowledgment of personal and biometric data handling by Migración Colombia

Your passport must be valid on entry; the UK FCDO recommends at least 6 months validity beyond your planned departure date to avoid airline boarding refusals.

How to Fill Out Colombia Check Mig: Step-by-Step Guide

Complete the free Colombia Check Mig form at apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co in nine steps – it takes 10 minutes or less. Use a web browser, not a mobile app, for best compatibility. For a more detailed walkthrough, see our step-by-step guide to applying for Colombia Check Mig.

Save Your Details for Future Trips

The Colombia Check Mig portal offers a frequent-traveller feature that saves your details so you do not have to re-enter them for subsequent trips. Log back in to pre-fill form fields automatically. The service remains completely free – US$0 – on the Migración Colombia portal.

How Much Does Colombia Check Mig Cost – and How to Avoid Scams

Colombia Check Mig is completely free on the Migración Colombia portal; third-party scam sites charge up to US$70 for the same service. For more on what the form costs and what to do if asked to pay, read our dedicated cost guide.

Colombia Check Mig costs nothing – US$0 / 0 COP – when submitted at apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co. Third-party sites such as iVisa charge US$25, while others like Handy Visas operate as paid intermediaries with reported lack of transparent contact details. Some demand up to US$70.

Red flags for scam sites include non-.gov.co domains, payment or credit card fields on the landing page, “expedited processing” or “guaranteed approval” language, and Google Ads appearing above the genuine portal in search results. The correct domain is always apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co, identifiable by the Migración Colombia logo in the top left corner.

If you have already paid a third-party site, contact your bank or card issuer to dispute the charge. Check your email for a genuine confirmation from Migración Colombia – the scam site may or may not have actually submitted your form.

Common Errors, Glitches & Troubleshooting

Spanish drop-downs, wrong flight-number formatting, and missing confirmation emails are the top Colombia Check Mig glitches, all solvable with browser and input adjustments. If the portal is down entirely, see our guide on what to do when the Check-Mig website is not working.

Spanish drop-down menus on the English version: Even on the English version, country dropdowns show Spanish names (e.g., ‘Reino Unido’ for UK, ‘Estados Unidos’ for US, ‘Pais Bajos’ for Holland). Simply select the Spanish name – the form works fine. When reviewing the Colombia Check Mig portal in 2026, we confirmed that selecting the Spanish country name processes the form correctly despite the language display issue.

Flight number format: Enter only the numeric part of your flight number (e.g., “107” not “AV107” or “BA107”). Including the airline code causes validation errors.

Website won’t load: Disable ad-blockers, turn off VPN, try Chrome/Edge, and clear cache. This fixes most loading issues with the Colombia Check Mig portal.

Errors after submission: Use the “Consult and Download” feature on the portal start page to check or edit your form. If editing is not possible, submit a new Colombia Check Mig form with corrected details; the latest submission supersedes the previous one.

Didn’t Receive Your Confirmation Email?

Check your spam folder for an email from Migración Colombia. If nothing appears, use the “Consult and Download” feature on the portal to retrieve your Colombia Check Mig form by entering your passport number and flight details. If still nothing, re-submit to generate a new confirmation.

What Happens If Your Flight Is Changed or Cancelled?

Any flight date or number change requires a completely new Colombia Check Mig submission; the original QR code is tied to the specific flight. The airline does NOT update the form for you. Resubmit within the 72-to-1-hour window before the new departure time.

Travelling with Children, Domestic Flights & Land Borders

Colombia Check Mig requires every traveller, regardless of age, to hold an individual registration with their own passport details and a unique QR code. A family of four must therefore complete four separate forms. For detailed guidance, see our article on filling out the Check-Mig form for infants, minors, and family groups. British-Colombian dual-national children aged 17 and under travelling without both parents need a notarised permission letter in Spanish, authenticated by a notary or Colombian consulate.

Colombia Check Mig does not apply to domestic flights such as Bogotá to Medellín. At land borders with Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, or Panama, the form is not required either, but your passport must be stamped by immigration authorities. A missing entry stamp results in a fine upon departure. Airside transit without clearing immigration generally does not require Colombia Check Mig.

Cruise passengers arriving in Cartagena or San Andrés follow a ship-side immigration process coordinated by their cruise line. For the San Andrés archipelago specifically, a separate tourist card must be purchased at the boarding gate on the day of the flight; stays of less than 24 hours are exempt.

Check-Mig and UK Travel Requirements for 2026

UK tourists can enter Colombia visa-free for up to 90 days for tourism or business. British passports must be valid on entry, with a recommended 6 months validity beyond departure. An onward ticket within the 90-day period is required.

The maximum cumulative stay is 180 days per 12-month period. A PTP extension of up to 90 additional days costs approximately 150,000 COP and takes 3 business days to process. Overstaying results in a fine and deportation at your own cost. British-Colombian dual nationals must enter and exit using a Colombian passport or Cedula. Departure tax is usually included in the price of your airline ticket.

Two Passports? How to Fill Check-Mig Correctly

If you hold two foreign passports, the passport used for your Colombia Check Mig must match the passport on your airline booking to avoid check-in issues.

Vaccination & Health Requirements for 2026

As of March 2026, a yellow fever vaccination is required for travellers heading to high-risk municipalities. The vaccine must be administered at least 10 days before travel and the certificate carried at all times. COVID-19 vaccine and testing requirements have not been in effect since February 2023.

What Changed in 2026? Check-Mig Updates for UK Travellers

The key 2026 change is the March 2026 yellow-fever vaccination requirement for high-risk municipalities, plus expanded voluntary BIOMIG biometric enrolment at Colombian airports.

Frequently Asked Questions About Colombia Check Mig (FAQ)