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Do you need to make an international connection in Colombia? We did, so we started to look into that process. How would we get from the domestic to the international terminal? Would we be able to clear immigration in time for our connection? After finding so little information out there, we started to worry.
As it turns out, our concerns were unfounded. On our Cartagena to Playa del Carmen flight connecting through Bogota, our experience was unexpectedly uneventful. For those with similar concerns, here are some tips and tricks for your journey:
Choose The Right Connection for You: We considered two options for our flight from Cartagena to Playa del Carmen: an Avianca flight connecting through Bogota and a Copa Airlines flight through Panama City. We chose the Avianca flight because it was less expensive and had a shorter, 2-hour layover. That 2-hour layover worked out in our case.
Our Anxieties: Flying through Bogota gave us a bit of anxiety. In Colombia, you must go through immigration at your port of exit. Since our Cartagena to Bogota leg was a domestic flight, that meant we had to clear immigration in Bogota. Would a 2-hour window leave us enough time to get through the airport, clear security again and get through immigration in time for our next flight?
How to Clear Immigration in Bogota: As it turns out, our anxieties were misplaced, at least for our specific situation We did have to walk from one end of the airport to the other, but lines for security and immigration were short, and the immigration checkpoint in Bogota has been fully automated. We got to our flight twenty minutes before boarding (in other words, about an hour and a half before flight departure). Here’s what to expect, as of February 2026:
Complete the Colombian Check Mig form online before your departure. We still haven’t figured out if the form is actually necessary, but why run the risk? The form is straightforward enough, with basic questions about your personal information and departure flight.
Arrive at the airport at least two hours before your first flight. Our flight left early in the morning (8:30 AM), so we arrived at 6:30. We checked our bags easily and breezed through the security lines. Keep in mind, there is a limit on the amount of liquids you can pack in your hand bags. The security officer in Cartagena did not seem to care about our liter bottle of water, but they were more strict in Bogota.
Once in Bogota, make your way from the domestic to the international terminal. It’s a long walk, and the signs are confusing. There are signs for “domestic connections” and signs for “connecting flights.” By process of elimination and asking a few agents, we figured out that we should follow the “connecting flight” signs. It would have been nice if there were signs saying “international connections,” but the airport authority only saw it fit to distinguish “domestic connections” from “connections”.
You will need to exit security to get to your international connection. Once you exit, walk past the baggage claim area and follow the (now conspicuous) signs to the international departures area. It’s on the second floor up a flight of escalators.
The security and immigration checkpoint is at the center of the international departures area. The signs are a little unclear, but they say “Gates A/B.” Scan your boarding to get through the gates, then join the queue for immigration check.
The immigration checkpoint in Bogota is fully electronic, and we got through it in a few minutes. We simply scanned our passport, confirmed our flight number and posed for a picture. The glass gates opened and presto, we were through.
Once you’re through immigration, you will need to clear security again. They are more strict about security protocols in Bogota, so don’t expect to get through with bottles of rum in your hand luggage.
What Else? Even though we made our connection just fine, we have read stories about long lines at immigration checkpoints when leaving Colombia. So make sure to leave plenty of additional time during peak travel periods. Even if you’re not travelling during a peak season, the trek from the domestic to the international terminal is very long. Make sure to leave yourself plenty of time to walk. Finally, if you’re one of those people who likes to have an even bigger buffer to get through immigration, you may want to choose a flight that connects in a different country. That way you can arrive to the airport even earlier than we did and control your own destiny.
Check back in tomorrow for our first day in Playa del Carmen.
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