What you need to enter Colombia with a Botswanan passport
Botswanan citizens need an electronic visa for Colombia, applied for online before the trip.
Last verified: 18 August 2026
Verified practical details
The visa is applied for before your trip, and the procedure is Check-Mig (mandatory pre-registration form). Here are the verified details:
Authorisation system
Check-Mig (mandatory pre-registration form)
Not a visa and has no cost, but it's mandatory for every traveller: it must be filled in up to 24 hours before arrival (and again between 72 and 1 hour before departure). Not completing it can result in denial of entry or exit.
Apply on the official site →Visa, e-Visa, or electronic authorisation? What's the difference →
Fee
Tourist entry itself has no fee for the passports we track; Check-Mig is free.
Processing time
Every traveller fills in Check-Mig, whether they need a visa or not. It is done online between 72 hours and one hour before your flight, and the receipt is issued straight away. There is no decision to wait for: it is a pre-registration ahead of border control, not an authorisation somebody has to approve.
Required documents
- Completed Check-Mig form (up to 24h before arrival).
- Return or onward travel ticket.
- Proof or address of accommodation.
Health insurance
Not mandatory for this destination.
When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓Transit rules
Tourist stay of up to 90 days, extendable through Migración Colombia up to a maximum of 180 days per calendar year.
More Colombia rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Colombia page:
Official portal: https://www.migracioncolombia.gov.co. Destination data verified on 18 August 2026. Sources: migracioncolombia.gov.co and apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co/pre-registro (Migración Colombia: mandatory Check-Mig, deadlines, 90/180-day maximum stay); cancilleria.gov.co/normograma (text of Resolution 360 of 2015, immigration penalty regime: specific 2025 amounts not confirmed against this text, only against secondary sources); dian.gov.co (cash declaration, USD 10,000 threshold) (checked 18/08/2026).
Travel insurance for Colombia
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
If your country isn't listed, try IATI's international site.
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Things to see and do in Colombia
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Colombia need an electronic visa to enter Botswana. See the Colombia → Botswana page.
All 5 passports from Southern Africa that VisaRadar tracks need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival to enter Colombia. Same result as Botswana: Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa.
With a passport from Botswana, in the rest of South America you can enter Brazil, Ecuador and Guyana visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Bolivia and Suriname; you need a visa for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
A passport from Botswana ranks 115 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 73 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Botswanan citizens need a visa for Colombia?
Yes, but it's processed online before you travel (e-visa), no consulate visit required.
How long does it take to get the entry permit?
Every traveller fills in Check-Mig, whether they need a visa or not. It is done online between 72 hours and one hour before your flight, and the receipt is issued straight away. There is no decision to wait for: it is a pre-registration ahead of border control, not an authorisation somebody has to approve.
What currency is used in Colombia?
Colombian Peso (COP).
What do Botswanan passport holders need for the countries near Colombia?
With a passport from Botswana, in the rest of South America you can enter Brazil, Ecuador and Guyana visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Bolivia and Suriname; you need a visa for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Related pages
See Colombia requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.