🇨🇴 Colombia
eSIM Colombia: no-ID data for Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena
$2.40 per GB on Claro and Movistar. No identity check, no account, and a balance that never expires.
Rate
$2.40 / GB
Networks
Claro CO, Movistar CO
Speed
4G where available
An eSIM Colombia plan gets you online the moment you land at El Dorado, without a store visit, a passport form or registering your phone. Install it at home, switch it on when you arrive, and pay only for the data you use. This page covers your options, what a local SIM asks of you, coverage around the country, and how to set up before you fly.
Do you need an eSIM for Colombia?
An eSIM Colombia plan is the simplest choice for most trips, but you have three main options.
- Roam on your U.S. plan. Nothing to install and your number keeps working. AT&T and Verizon daily passes cost $12 a day, so a two-week trip used every day comes to $168 per line.
- Buy a local prepaid SIM. Claro, Movistar and Tigo sell cheap prepaid lines with a Colombian number, but setting one up properly takes a store visit.
- Use a data eSIM. You install it before you leave, keep your U.S. line for calls and texts, and use the eSIM for data.
eSIM Colombia or local SIM: passports and IMEI registration
An official operator store will ask for your passport to set up a local line. The bigger catch is the phone itself: Colombian operators check each handset's IMEI, and under the telecoms regulator's (CRC) rules a foreign phone used on a Colombian SIM has to be registered with the operator, again using your passport, or it can be blocked. SIMs from kiosks and corner shops skip that step, which is why some visitors find their phone cut off after a few weeks.
A data eSIM that roams on local networks has no local line to register. MoneroSIM asks for no passport, no address and no account: you pay, receive a recovery token, and install the profile by QR code.
Coverage from the cities to the coast
MoneroSIM connects to Claro and Movistar at 4G. Coverage is strong in Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena and along the main tourist routes, and weaker in the Amazonas and Chocó regions, so download offline maps before trips into the jungle or the Pacific coast.
El Dorado airport has free Wi-Fi if you need to finish setup on arrival. Rideshare apps and maps matter in the cities, and most visitors use 6 to 10 GB over two weeks.
Set up before you land
- Check your phone is unlocked and supports eSIM. Our compatible devices page explains how.
- Buy a balance and save your recovery token.
- Install the profile on Wi-Fi at home and label it "Colombia data".
- When you land, turn on the eSIM line, set it for cellular data and turn on data roaming for it.
- Turn off data roaming on your U.S. line if you don't want a daily pass to start.
What you get
- Per-megabyte billing at $2.40 per GB on original credit, $4.80 per GB on retail top-up credit
- Coverage in Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena and beyond on Claro and Movistar
- No passport, no address, no account
- Hotspot and tethering included
- Balance never expires
- Top up any amount with your recovery token
Pick the guide that matches your trip
Questions about using data here
Will my phone work in Colombia?
Any carrier-unlocked phone with eSIM support works. The profile connects to Claro and Movistar.
Do I need a passport for this eSIM?
No. Local SIMs set up in operator stores ask for your passport; MoneroSIM doesn't ask for ID.
Will my phone get blocked in Colombia?
Phone blocking applies to foreign handsets on Colombian SIMs that aren't registered with the operator. This eSIM roams on local networks, so there's no local line to register.
Do I have to activate anything on arrival?
No. Install once, turn on data roaming for the line, and it connects when you land. Billing starts only when data flows.
Can I use it for hotspot?
Yes, at the same rate with no surcharge.
Does it work in the Amazon?
Only near towns. Coverage is weaker in the Amazonas and Chocó regions.
What is the emergency number in Colombia?
123, the national line for police, ambulance and fire.
Related reading
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