Check-MIG in 2026: optional, free, and still worth doing

What Check-MIG is

Check-MIG is Migración Colombia's online pre-registration for travelers entering or leaving the country. You submit your personal and trip details before you fly. In Migración's words, doing it "agilizas tu proceso de control migratorio": it speeds up your immigration check.

Why so many sites still say it's mandatory

For a period it was required for air travel. In early 2023 Migración dropped it at land border crossings, and by October 2024 it was stating publicly that Check-MIG "no es obligatorio" (is not mandatory). We couldn't find the exact date the air-travel requirement ended, and we'd rather tell you that than guess.

Several pages written before then were never updated. Some sites go further and sell "Check-MIG assistance" for a fee. Migración has warned specifically that the form is free and that travelers should avoid other sites that may charge them or misuse their information.

Should you do it anyway?

We would. It costs nothing, it's quick, and Migración says it speeds up the immigration check. We couldn't find a current airline policy that requires it at check-in; if your airline asks for it, do it.

The service was unavailable for a period: Migración announced it was back online in December 2025. If the official site is down, don't pay a third party to do it for you. It's optional, so you can travel without it.

How to fill it in

1. Open the official form. Use the English version or the Spanish version. The address should start with apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co.
2. Choose whether you're entering or leaving Colombia.
3. Enter your personal and trip details, including the airline, flight number and date.
4. Submit it within the window (72 hours to 1 hour before departure) and keep a screenshot of what you sent.

Because the form asks about a specific flight, our reading is that you'd submit it once for each journey: once coming in, once going out.

Other entry basics

• Visas depend on your passport. Check Cancillería's official list before you book.
• Length of stay. Under Migración's Resolution 2061 of 2020, visa-exempt visitors can stay up to 180 days in total per calendar year. The number of days you're given on arrival is set at immigration control, so check what you were granted.
• Yellow fever. Colombia doesn't require a certificate for general entry; the Ministry of Health recommends vaccination at least 10 days before visiting high-risk areas. Separately, Parques Nacionales announced in May 2025 that visitors to national protected areas must show a valid vaccination card, so check the current rule if a park like Tayrona is on your list.