Overview
Colombia combines high-altitude Andean zones that are malaria-free (including Bogotá, at around 2,600 m) with lowlands on the Pacific coast and towards the Amazon, where risk is higher. Yellow fever is required to enter the country's national parks, even though it isn't required everywhere else for a traveller coming from Belgium.
Recommended vaccines
Malaria by region
Preventive tablets are advised in the high-risk zones, alongside bite protection. In the low-to-moderate zones, mosquito-bite protection is usually enough, with tablets for the most exposed travellers.
Malaria risk is regional, concentrated in the areas detailed below.
Below 2,000 m: the Pacific coast (Chocó, Cauca, Nariño), parts of Antioquia, Córdoba, Risaralda and Valle del Cauca near Cali, Boyacá near Cubará, Atlántico near Barranquilla, and the departments bordering Venezuela, Brazil and Peru, including the Amazon.
Below 2,000 m: parts of Antioquia, Bolívar, Caquetá, Córdoba, Guaviare, Meta, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Valle del Cauca and Vichada, plus the rest of the country below that altitude: low-to-moderate risk depending on the exact area.
Bogotá, Cartagena, Medellín and San Andrés island.
Other health risks
Risks by region
The high Andes (Bogotá, Medellín, the Coffee Region)
Bogotá and Medellín are malaria-free; altitude is the main risk to plan for, including in the Coffee Region.
The Pacific coast and the Amazon
The country's highest malaria-risk zone.
The Caribbean coast and major cities (Cartagena, Santa Marta, Barranquilla)
Cartagena is malaria-free; yellow fever isn't recommended there either.
Prepare your trip
Leaving in under 2 weeks? Still book a clinic: a first hepatitis A dose already protects, and yellow fever needs at least 10 days. A travel clinic will prioritise what fits your timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Is any vaccine required for Colombia?
No vaccine is required for entry from Belgium, but yellow fever is strongly recommended for risk regions.
Is there a malaria risk?
Malaria: high risk depending on the region. Preventive tablets are advised in the high-risk zones, alongside bite protection. In the low-to-moderate zones, mosquito-bite protection is usually enough, with tablets for the most exposed travellers.
How far ahead of departure should I start?
Ideally 6 to 8 weeks before departure, to complete multi-dose schedules. Yellow fever, where it applies, must be given at least 10 days before arrival.
Our sources
Indicative information for a typical traveller, not medical advice. What you need depends on your itinerary, region, season and duration. See an approved travel clinic 6–8 weeks before departure: only they can give yellow fever and issue the certificate.