General Info

[JjBee62]

One thing I noticed a few weeks ago in Bogota, was the lack of good cell phones, not to mention not so many girls pecking at their phones mindlessly. I guess I should be happy for that. A few girls I encountered at the houses of pleasure and night time venues I visited had some archaic and old "dumb" phones. Though, a pair of Venezolanas I met at Chicas Milenio had nicer smart phones and were deep into them when they were not trying to fleece me. I'm not sure if they reflects poverty or more so the expense of owning a smart phone with a data plan. In Asia, smart phones are ubiquitous in poorer nations. However, they also are at the source of cheap electronics and I figure that is a factor on the other side of the Pacific.

That said, is a cheap, outmoded but unlocked Android phone an item in demand or of some value in Colombia? I have at least three of those things lying around in my drawer. We're talking nothing older than Android Lollipop, at least one loaded with Nougat but still outmoded. I could probably sell them on Ebay but wouldn't get much for them. So, I took one along on my last two trips in case of a problem with my preferred phone. I have read reports of guys on other forums who closed the deal with a girl (or upgraded the services) by giving them a cheap smart phone of little value back home. Anyone done that in Colombia?

Good cell phones get stolen, frequently. They also get dropped and broken. Practically any girl you meet in Colombia can tell you where to get your broken phone fixed, cheap.

Any girl will accept a smartphone as a tip. If it's good enough, she might accept it as a partial payment. It's unlikely you'll get more out of them than you could get selling them locally. We're well past bartering beads for Long Island. The girl walking around with a flip phone probably knows within 1000 pesos the value of those phones. She's not going to give you $300 worth of sex for a $10 phone. If she likes you, you might get $10 worth.

The problem is Huawei. Their phones are comparable to Samsung and Apple at a much lower price. I think my Mate 9 cost about $300 and it is comparable to a $600-$800 Samsung. They have plenty of cheaper models as well.

In addition, there's a big used cell phone market. Plenty of girls selling iPhones and Galaxies.

The girls will appreciate the phones, but if you're thinking of turning a profit, you're going to be disappointed.

[Eszpresszo]

One thing I noticed a few weeks ago in Bogota, was the lack of good cell phones, not to mention not so many girls pecking at their phones mindlessly. I guess I should be happy for that. A few girls I encountered at the houses of pleasure and night time venues I visited had some archaic and old "dumb" phones. Though, a pair of Venezolanas I met at Chicas Milenio had nicer smart phones and were deep into them when they were not trying to fleece me. I'm not sure if they reflects poverty or more so the expense of owning a smart phone with a data plan. In Asia, smart phones are ubiquitous in poorer nations. However, they also are at the source of cheap electronics and I figure that is a factor on the other side of the Pacific.

That said, is a cheap, outmoded but unlocked Android phone an item in demand or of some value in Colombia? I have at least three of those things lying around in my drawer. We're talking nothing older than Android Lollipop, at least one loaded with Nougat but still outmoded. I could probably sell them on Ebay but wouldn't get much for them. So, I took one along on my last two trips in case of a problem with my preferred phone. I have read reports of guys on other forums who closed the deal with a girl (or upgraded the services) by giving them a cheap smart phone of little value back home. Anyone done that in Colombia?

[Fun Luvr]

A few years ago I stayed just over 60 days, and I had to go to the embassy in Belen, and it was a real pain in the butt plus these was a charge. Yes you are allowed 180 days in country, but not more than 60 days at a time. You can stay longer, but you will not be happy with the hoops they make you jump thru.

Since the beginning of 2012, they always write 90 days on the visa stamp when I enter at MDE. Prior to that time, they wrote in 60 days at MDE and one time 30 days at BOG.

[JjBee62]

Does anyone have any experience using uber in Medellin?

It would make things easier for someone like me that doesn't speak much Spanish, since the pickup / dropoff and payment is done all on the app.

Just in case uber isn't available, is it easy to get a taxi at midnight outside of Ejecutivo or Maraicaibo. I don't want to be stuck or walking around looking for a taxi at that time of night.

Yes, you can use Uber. The biggest problem I had with Uber was them trying to find me. The locator always tried to send them a block away from my location. Just make sure the pick up is at the right spot.

There are usually taxis outside of the strip clubs. You can also use the Easy Taxi app. Sometimes was difficult getting one to show up, but the app works similar to Uber except for payment.

[JjBee62]

A few years ago I stayed just over 60 days, and I had to go to the embassy in Belen, and it was a real pain in the butt plus these was a charge. Yes you are allowed 180 days in country, but not more than 60 days at a time. You can stay longer, but you will not be happy with the hoops they make you jump thru.

Usually, currently, when you go through imigracion at the airport, you will receive a stamp good for 90 days. If you are staying beyond 90 days you can either leave the country for 1 day to get a new 90 day stamp, or you can go to the local imigracion office. You can set up an appointment on the imigracion website.

You will need to bring a copy of your passport, main page and current entry stamp page, along with your passport. Once it's your turn, it takes about 5 minutes. You'll get a piece of paper and be sent to be fingerprinted and photographed. Once that's done, take the piece of paper to any Banco Occidental branch and pay the fee. I believe it's less than 150 k. The bank will mark your paper as paid. Take it back to the person who processed you and he'll put a new stamp for another 90 days.

I've jumped through the hoops. They weren't a problem. It takes a lot less time and money than leaving the country for a day.

If you're in Bogota it's even easier. They have a bank cashier right there.

If you are staying beyond 180 days you'll need some type of Visa. The student visa is easiest. To qualify for a 6 month visa you need to pay for 3 months of classes at an accredited school. I recommend the Spanish language for foreigners program at EAFIT. It's one class per day, 5 days a week, for a total of 40 hours per class. Pay for 6 classes in advance and you can get a 1 year visa.

Classes are either 2 hours per day for 4 weeks, or 4 hours per day for 2 weeks. No more than 8 students per class. Cost for 3 is a bit over $1000. There are 15 classes in the program. Placement exams determine where you start. Class times will be between 8 am an 2 pm, depending on your class.

To get the visa, first pay for the classes. The office is ground floor in the building on the east side of Avenida Las Vegas. The main campus is on the west side. Clara will give you the paperwork you need for your Visa. You will also need, copies of your passport, main and most recent stamp pages, 6 months of bank statements showing an average balance, used to be about $2500. They've updated the website and doesn't give a specific multiple of the minimum wage any more. You'll also need a letter from you stating that you are responsible for your own support in Colombia and that you have the means to leave Colombia when your Visa expires in. Also 2 recent photos, in color, with a white background. All of this must be uploaded to the imigracion website before you go. Pro tip: files must be in PDF format, which makes the files bigger than the allowable size. Use a PDF optimizer to shrink the size. Check the results before uploading, because if you optimize too much, you lose quality.

You must get the student visa in Bogota. When you enter the office you'll need to pay for the the visa study, $50. There's a bank cashier right there. Once your number is called go to the appropriate desk. Someone will check everything and give you the bill for the visa. You'll then go through picture and fingerprint and go to pay for the visa, another $40. When everything is finished you'll get a visa placed in your passport and you're on your way.

On your way back to an imigracion office to get your cedula. For this you need the same stuff as needed to extend a tourist visa, plus a blood type certificate. Go to a medical clinic lab. Took me about 45 minutes, 10 minutes waiting, 1 minute to get some blood, 30 minutes to wait for results and 4 minutes to get the certificate. Cost was about $3.

You have to apply for your cedula within 15 days and it expires the same day as the visa. It will take about 10 days, and you'll need to return to imigracion to pick it up.

Not counting travel time to and from Bogota, or class time at EAFIT, for about 6 hours of dealing with bureaucracy and about $1400, you can legally spend 1 year in Colombia, without leaving. Plus you'll improve your Spanish.

[LionBacker]

Does anyone have any experience using uber in Medellin?

It would make things easier for someone like me that doesn't speak much Spanish, since the pickup / dropoff and payment is done all on the app.

Just in case uber isn't available, is it easy to get a taxi at midnight outside of Ejecutivo or Maraicaibo. I don't want to be stuck or walking around looking for a taxi at that time of night.

[Kelso1]

Unless you're planning on staying more than 180 days, all you need is your passport. Bring a pen with you on the plane. While you are enroute they will hand out a Colombian Customs entry form for you. You'll need the address of where you will be staying. It's not complicated.

Upon landing, follow the line to get your entry stamp. The paper you fill out on the plane will go to the last guy before you exit the arrival area.

A few years ago I stayed just over 60 days, and I had to go to the embassy in Belen, and it was a real pain in the butt plus these was a charge. Yes you are allowed 180 days in country, but not more than 60 days at a time. You can stay longer, but you will not be happy with the hoops they make you jump thru.

[LionBacker]

That is a wealth of great advice. I might add that if the girl is working at a casa in el centro, are you sure, I mean really sure, you want to take her to your apartment? I would be very careful until you have been with her a few times and gotten a feel for her personality. There is a reason there are so many short-term hotels in el centro and most areas of the city. Yes Colombians have families and can't take the girl home but a fair amount of them are single and know better. Even if your apartment has a front desk that takes her cedula and copies it. You might prefer to spend the $15 dollars (usually between 13 and 17 dollars (or 35-50 mil pesos).

Is it risky to take a girl back to your place even when they check ID at the front desk? I was thinking of locking my things up (wallet, phone, passport). I just like the convenience of her taking a taxi to your place instead of going to centro to meet her and have to stay in a subpar motel.

[JanuaryNineth]

Your passport is all you need. You will be provided with a customs form on the airplane before arriving at the Medellin airport. The customs form is very simple. You have to know the address of where you are staying in Medellin. You must check a box that you are not carrying more than $10,000 USD and not bringing more than $1,500 worth of gifts. I think it is $1,500, but it may be a little different. Once you are off the airplane, just follow the crowd to immigration. You first go to an immigration officer who checks your passport and stamps it. That is your visa. The officer will probably ask you the purpose of your visit. Tell him / her you are a tourist. You will then get your checked baggage if you have any. Go to another checkpoint where they will collect the customs form you filled out. It's possible they may put your baggage through a scanner. I think there is a currency exchange booth in that area. If you don't have a debit card to use the ATM's, exchange $40 or $50 to pay the taxi and have some extra. You will then exit the customs area through some doors to an area where there will be people wanting to help you with your bags, offer transportation. If you have arranged transportation, the driver will be in that area with a sign with your name on it. ATM's are about 75 to 100 feet straight ahead. If you haven't arranged transportation, go through another door to the sidewalk. There will be a person there asking if you want a taxi. Tell him yes and he will direct you to a taxi. Taxis are safe, and they have a set rate from the airport to Medellin. Rates to most areas are 65,000 COP (I think). Depending on time of day, it will take about 45 minutes to travel to Medellin from the airport. All this information after customs is assuming you arrive during the day.

Thank you so much for the detailed information. It really clears most of the things I had in my mind. Plus I will be arriving aroud 11:30 pm. So it should be good for me.

[Fun Luvr]

US Citizen here travelling first time out of country and to Medellin, Colombia. I have my passport ready. Do I need to get any visas or permit or anything? Or just buy the tickets and go and get paper work done at Medellin airport custom? Any helpful information will be appreciated!

Your passport is all you need. You will be provided with a customs form on the airplane before arriving at the Medellin airport. The customs form is very simple. You have to know the address of where you are staying in Medellin. You must check a box that you are not carrying more than $10,000 USD and not bringing more than $1,500 worth of gifts. I think it is $1,500, but it may be a little different. Once you are off the airplane, just follow the crowd to immigration. You first go to an immigration officer who checks your passport and stamps it. That is your visa. The officer will probably ask you the purpose of your visit. Tell him / her you are a tourist. You will then get your checked baggage if you have any. Go to another checkpoint where they will collect the customs form you filled out. It's possible they may put your baggage through a scanner. I think there is a currency exchange booth in that area. If you don't have a debit card to use the ATM's, exchange $40 or $50 to pay the taxi and have some extra. You will then exit the customs area through some doors to an area where there will be people wanting to help you with your bags, offer transportation. If you have arranged transportation, the driver will be in that area with a sign with your name on it. ATM's are about 75 to 100 feet straight ahead. If you haven't arranged transportation, go through another door to the sidewalk. There will be a person there asking if you want a taxi. Tell him yes and he will direct you to a taxi. Taxis are safe, and they have a set rate from the airport to Medellin. Rates to most areas are 65,000 COP (I think). Depending on time of day, it will take about 45 minutes to travel to Medellin from the airport. All this information after customs is assuming you arrive during the day.

[JjBee62]

US Citizen here travelling first time out of country and to Medellin, Colombia. I have my passport ready. Do I need to get any visas or permit or anything? Or just buy the tickets and go and get paper work done at Medellin airport custom? Any helpful information will be appreciated!

Unless you're planning on staying more than 180 days, all you need is your passport. Bring a pen with you on the plane. While you are enroute they will hand out a Colombian Customs entry form for you. You'll need the address of where you will be staying. It's not complicated.

Upon landing, follow the line to get your entry stamp. The paper you fill out on the plane will go to the last guy before you exit the arrival area.

[JanuaryNineth]

US Citizen here travelling first time out of country and to Medellin, Colombia. I have my passport ready. Do I need to get any visas or permit or anything? Or just buy the tickets and go and get paper work done at Medellin airport custom? Any helpful information will be appreciated!

[LionBacker]

Thanks for all the advice. I actually just booked my flight and my reservations. I'll be staying at Provenza Loft and they allow guests according to the website "We welcome all visitors who have a Government Issued ID and Passport. We are visitor friendly hotel as long as visitors show physical cedula or passport at time of entrance showing age 18 and above. "

I'll hit up the casas during the day and after a sessions if I really like the girl ID get her contact info to invite her back to my spot. That way there's no need to be walking around el centro at night.

[JjBee62]

This may not be the right particular forum to ask this question, if so sorry in advance.

From what I've been reading on this site, most of the casas and strip clubs are in El Centro. El Centro is supposed to be a very rough part of town That's to be avoided at night.

But at night is when all the action is going on and I am traveling alone. How can I go to one of the casas / strip clubs in El Centro at night pick up a girl bring her back to my apartment in El Poblado without being at risk.

Or is my assumption that walking around el centro around 10 PM isn't that risky?

Read some more. Most of the casas close at 7 or 8 pm. The best time to visit the casas is daytime. If you know your way around, if you pay attention, you can walk around and visit several different casas in reasonable safety, daytime. Nighttime, I wouldn't recommend it, but since most of the casas are closed at night, there's no reason to be walking around.

Strip clubs tend to be better after 10 pm. Take a taxi to the door.

You don't pick up a girl from a casa or a strip club and take her to your apartment. You session with her on site. If you're really impressed, get her WhatsApp and have her come to you the next day.

[Knowledge]

All but a couple of the Centro casas are closed by nightfall. This advice is spot on.

My advice would be to first go to Centro during daylight. Walk around and hit some casas and look at the chicas hanging on the street. After you get your bearings, go at nighttime. Take a taxi directly to one of the strip clubs. There are three main ones. Ejecutivo and Maraicaibo which are right next to each other and Conejitas. Do NOT pick one up to take back to your apartment in Poblado. Always better to sample them on-site before committing to taking them home. If you find one or more that you like, get her contact and have her come over to your apartment the next day.

One of the golden rules of this hobby IMO is don't negotiate for an all-night session until you've at least sampled the chica once. No matter how good-looking, she could be a total dead fish in bed. Or worse, she could be in the middle of her period. Or have nasty pussy odor.