Colombia exempts ‘Israelis’ from visa requirements
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‘Israel’ and Colombia announced on Thursday that they will mutually waive visa requirements for each other’s citizens beginning September 1 this year.
The decision marks a significant step in the rapid restoration of bilateral ties following a change of government in Bogotá.
The ‘Israeli’ Foreign Ministry confirmed the agreement after talks between Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and his Colombian counterpart, Omar Bula Escobar.
An official statement from ‘Israel’s’ Spanish-language accounts declared: “We are pleased to announce that, following conversations held between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Gideon Sa’ar, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Omar Bula Escobar, both countries have agreed to mutually exempt from the visa requirement starting from September 1.”
The exemption will cover short-term travel for tourism, business, academic, cultural, and professional purposes.
Standard immigration controls and other entry requirements at the border will remain in place for travelers from both sides.
This move reverses reciprocal restrictions imposed in 2025.
Under the previous Colombian administration of Gustavo Petro, diplomatic relations with ‘Israel’ were severed in 2024 amid the assault on Gaza.
‘Israel’ later reinstated visa requirements for Colombian travelers in May 2025, prompting Colombia to respond by requiring visas from ‘Israelis’ through Resolution 8558 of July 2025.
The new policy comes amid a swift diplomatic thaw under Colombia’s newly elected President Abelardo de la Espriella.
Relations had been frozen under Petro, but the new government has prioritized restoring ties, including plans to reopen embassies, appoint ambassadors, and open a Colombian embassy in Jerusalem.
Colombia also recently recognized ‘Israeli’ sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, becoming only the second country after the United States to do so.
Foreign Minister Sa’ar has described the goal as recovering and strengthening a “strategic alliance.”
He previously stated intentions to “undo all the bad things that former President Petro did” and to name ambassadors quickly.
Colombia remains a popular destination for ‘Israeli’ tourists, with tens of thousands visiting annually in previous years.
