Health insurance in Colombia.
Nomads and retirees need a private policy with exact wording. Residents who work must join the public EPS system. Here are the rules.
The rules
What Colombia asks of you.
Checked against official sources on 23 October 2026. Rules change, so the broker confirms them again before you apply.
- Digital nomad visa: exact wording
You need a policy covering you in Colombia for accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospital stay, death and repatriation, for your whole stay of up to 2 years.
Source: cancilleria.gov.co - Pensionado visa: private only
Retirees need the same cover for their whole stay. The visa does not let you join Colombian social security, unless a treaty with your country allows it.
Source: cancilleria.gov.co - EPS is mandatory for residents who work
Employees and self-employed residents must join an EPS, the public health system, with their cédula de extranjería.
Source: normograma.supersalud.gov.co - Visa income: 3 minimum wages
Digital nomads must show income of at least 3 monthly minimum wages over the last 3 months. Pensionado applicants need a lifetime pension of at least 3 minimum wages.
Source: cancilleria.gov.co - Cover after you stop paying
If your EPS payments stop, you keep cover for 30 more days after 12 months with the same EPS, or 3 months after 5 years.
Source: ugpp.gov.co
Foreign residents in an EPS get the national benefit plan, which covers prevention, treatment and rehab, with small fees per visit. Anyone without cover still gets initial emergency care.
Source: minsalud.gov.coLocal or international
We compare both. You keep the one that fits.
Residents who work must join a local EPS, and many add a local prepaid plan. Retirees can’t join an EPS, so an international or local plan that renews for life is key.
- Local plans
Plans sold in Colombia. Often cheaper, sometimes required for your visa. Filed by a broker licensed in Colombia.
- International plans
Plans that cover you in Colombia and beyond, and stay with you if you move again. Filed by our international broker partner.
What it costs
Published prices in Colombia.
List prices from insurers and official schemes. Your quote depends on your age, health and the cover you pick.
- Self-employed: 12.5% on 40% of income
On COP 5,000,000 of monthly income, the base is COP 2,000,000 and health costs COP 250,000 a month.
Source: ugpp.gov.co - Base: 1 to 25 minimum wages
The income you pay on can’t be lower than 1 monthly minimum wage or higher than 25.
Source: ugpp.gov.co
What to look for
Choosing a plan in Colombia.
Ankyro checks each of these on every plan, so you don’t have to read the fine print.
- Wording the consulate accepts
The policy must name Colombia and list accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospital stay, death and repatriation. Travel policies often miss some.
- The whole stay
Match the end date to the visa: up to 2 years for nomads, 3 years for retirees.
- Lifetime renewal for retirees
Pensionado visa holders can’t join an EPS, so the private plan is their only cover. Pick one that renews for life.
- EPS plus a top-up
If you work in Colombia you pay into an EPS anyway. Many expats add a prepaid plan for faster access to private clinics.
Step by step
Getting covered in Colombia.
- 01Buy the policy for the visa. It must name Colombia and cover accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospital stay, death and repatriation, for your whole stay.
- 02Get your cédula de extranjería. Migración Colombia issues it to anyone with a visa of more than 3 months. You need it to join an EPS.
- 03Pick an EPS if you work. Employees and self-employed residents join an EPS with their cédula. Retirees on the pensionado visa keep their private policy instead.
- 04Pay every month through PILA. Self-employed people pay their own health contribution each month on the PILA form. Employers pay it for their staff.
- 05Add your family. A dependent spouse and children join your EPS at no extra cost. If you are married, dependent parents and other relatives cost an extra premium (UPC adicional).
Common mistakes
3 we see all the time.
- 01Thinking the pensionado visa lets you join an EPS. It doesn’t, unless a treaty allows it.
- 02Buying a travel policy that leaves out maternity or repatriation, or ends early. The consulate can reject it.
- 03Taking Colombian clients on the nomad visa. It only allows work for employers and clients abroad.
Real published prices, and the 6 things that move yours.
Just visiting?For a holiday or a short trip, travel insurance is enough. See what Colombia asks of visitors, and what care costs.
Questions
People also ask.
Do I need health insurance for the Colombia digital nomad visa?+
Yes. A policy covering Colombia for accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospital stay, death and repatriation, for your whole stay.
Can I join an EPS on the Colombia pensionado visa?+
No, unless a treaty between Colombia and your country allows it.
Is EPS mandatory for foreigners in Colombia?+
Yes for residents who work. Employees and self-employed people join with their cédula de extranjería.
Does travel insurance work for a Colombian visa?+
Only if it covers Colombia for the whole stay and lists every required risk. Many travel plans fall short.
Other countries
Going somewhere else?
Most UK visas don’t ask for private insurance. You pay a yearly surcharge instead, and it opens the NHS. Here is what the surcharge buys, and what you still pay for.
02AustraliaMost visitors can’t use Medicare, and many visas carry condition 8501. Here is what each visa asks for, who gets Medicare, and what to check.
03Dubai and the UAEIn Dubai, no insurance means no visa. Your employer covers you, but not always your family. Here are the rules, and what the basic plan leaves out.
04PhilippinesThe retiree visa asks for a medical certificate, not a policy. The new nomad visa does ask for cover. Here is what each visa needs, and how PhilHealth works for foreigners.
05NetherlandsIf you live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch basic insurance is the law. A few people are exempt. Here is who must sign up, by when, and what it costs in 2026.
06CanadaEach province runs its own health plan, and some make you wait. The super visa has strict insurance rules. Here is how Ontario and BC differ, and what the super visa needs.
07Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, no insurance means no iqama. Your employer pays for you and your family, and visitors need a policy too. Here is who pays, and what each policy covers.
08JapanIf you live in Japan, joining public insurance is the law. A private plan can only sit on top. Digital nomads are the exception.
09GermanyEveryone in Germany must be insured, and a residence permit needs cover equal to the public system. Here is how to choose, and what gets rejected.
10SingaporeThe national plan is for citizens and PRs. Hospital bills for foreigners are high, and families are often left out. Here is what to check.
11ThailandRetirement visas have hard minimums, the DTV has none, and public care is not free for foreigners. Here are the rules, and what to check.
12SpainSpain has the strictest visa insurance rules in Europe: a Spanish-authorised insurer, no co-pays, no waiting periods. Here is what passes.
13MalaysiaPublic hospitals charge foreigners full price, and work schemes only cover injuries at work. Here is what each pass asks for, and what to check.
14QatarMost visitors need a QAR 50 a month policy before Qatar issues a visa. The law covers expats too, but that part is still rolling out. Here are the rules.
15FranceThe public system is open to residents, but not on day 1 if you don’t work, and it only pays part of each bill. Here is how to cover the gaps.
16PortugalThe visa asks for travel medical cover. The public system opens once you are a resident. In between, and after, here is what to check.
17MexicoNo visa asks for it, so many expats skip it. Then a private hospital asks for payment first. Here is how cover really works in Mexico.
18ItalyWorkers join the public system for free. Retirees and nomads need private cover for the visa, then pay at least €2,000 a year to join. Here are the rules.
19South KoreaStay more than 6 months and you must join the national plan. Before that, and for your share of each bill, you need your own cover.
20VietnamOnly long local contracts come with public cover, and most expats use private hospitals anyway. Here is what the rules say, and what to check.
21Bali and IndonesiaMost Indonesian visas don’t ask for insurance. But hospitals ask for payment first, and serious cases fly to Singapore. Here is what to check.
22GreeceThe consulate takes travel cover for the visa. The residence permit then asks for full health cover. If you don’t work for a Greek employer, that means a private plan.
24Costa RicaResidents must pay into the Caja, whatever private plan they have. Nomads need their own cover for the visa. Here is how it fits together.
25USAThe US has no public plan you can simply join. Some visas set minimum cover. Others leave it to you. Here is what a J-1 needs, who can use the Marketplace, and what plans cost.
26SwitzerlandBasic health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives in Switzerland. You have 3 months to sign up. Here is how it works, and what to check.
27IrelandNon-EEA students must hold private medical insurance. Everyone else gets public care once they count as living in Ireland for 1 year. Here is what to check.
28Dominican RepublicThe residence visas for retirees and rentistas ask for a medical certificate, not an insurance policy. Public care is limited. Private care is good but costly.
29New ZealandStudent visas require insurance. A work visa of 2 years or more may open public health care. ACC covers accident injuries. Here is what to check.
30IsraelIn Israel, the public system is for residents. If your life is centred there, you join a health fund (kupat holim). If not, you need private cover.
31Hong KongPublic hospitals in Hong Kong are cheap for eligible persons. Many foreigners are not on that list. Here is who is, what the rest pay, and what to check in a plan.
32ChinaIf you work in China on an employment permit, your employer must enrol you in social insurance. That includes basic medical cover. Here is how it works, and what to check on top.
33ArgentinaEmergency care is open to everyone. For other care at national hospitals, foreigners without permanent residence must show insurance or pay first. The rules are new, so check them.
34IndiaWe found no official rule that ties health insurance to an Indian work visa. We also could not confirm a public scheme for foreign residents. So the plan is yours to choose. Here is what to check.
35TurkeyA residence permit application needs valid health insurance for the whole permit. Most new expats buy a private policy. The public SGK system opens later, after 1 year of residence.
36BrazilThe digital nomad visa needs health insurance valid in Brazil. The public system is open to migrants by law. Many expats add a private plan for speed.
37PanamaThe Pensionado visa asks for a health certificate, not an insurance policy. The public system is tied to the Caja. Private care is the main option for most expats.
38South AfricaStudy and exchange visas ask for proof of cover from a registered medical scheme. Public clinics offer free primary care. Here is what to check.
39KenyaKenya’s public fund is run by the Social Health Authority (SHA). A foreigner who lives in Kenya for more than 12 months pays into it. Shorter stays need travel health insurance instead.
40TaiwanTaiwan has one national health insurance. Foreigners with a residence certificate can join. If you have a job, you join through your employer. If not, there is a wait.