Colombia Closed Borders Due to Presidential Elections: What Tourists Need to Know

Colombia has entered a decisive stage of presidential elections with temporary restrictions that directly affect travelers: a dry law is in effect in the country, land and river border crossings are restricted, and security measures have been tightened in cities and transport hubs. For tourists, the main conclusion is simple: flights remain the primary reliable way of traveling to and within the country, but land routes, trips to border areas, and evening plans in cities must be checked with particular care.

The second round of presidential elections in Colombia takes place on June 21, 2026. The voting determines the new president of the country for the next four-year period, therefore, around the election day, the authorities have introduced a standard but noticeable package of public order measures. This is not about closing the country to international tourism or banning flights, but about short-term restrictions that may affect land routes, border trips, the schedule of bars and restaurants, city traffic, as well as the general level of checks in public places.

The topic is important right now because the restrictions coincide with the weekend and the start of a new tourist week. Some travelers plan Colombia as an independent trip with movement between Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Cali, the coffee region, national parks, or border routes with Ecuador, Venezuela, or Panama. In normal times, such trips already require careful logistics, and during elections, the risk of local delays, blockages, queues, and changes in rules increases.

What Exactly Has Changed for Travel

According to Migración Colombia, the temporary closure affects authorized land and river border crossings during the period around the second round. In the initial announcement from the Colombian migration service, the restriction was stated to be in effect from the evening of June 20 to the morning of June 22. Later local reports on schedule changes indicated that the start of the closure could be moved to the morning of June 20. For a tourist, the practical conclusion does not change: on these days, you should not plan to cross the land or river border without direct confirmation from the carrier, migration service, or local authorities.

The Canadian government in its updated travel advisory also noted that during elections, the security situation can change quickly, and Colombian authorities apply restrictions to maintain public order. Among them are a ban on the sale of alcohol in Bogota from 00:00 on June 19 to 12:00 on June 22, a ban on the sale of alcohol in other regions from the evening of June 20 to 12:00 on June 22, and the temporary closure of land and river border crossings until the morning of June 22. It was separately emphasized that local authorities may extend or clarify these measures.

For most tourists, the dry law means not a security issue, but a change in the usual city service: bars, clubs, restaurants, shops, and hotel lobbies may restrict the sale of alcohol or operate under modified rules. In Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena, and other large cities, this may change evening plans, table bookings, tour programs, private events, and hotel activities. If the trip is tied to a celebration, wedding, corporate tour, or group trip, the organizer should directly clarify which services will be available in a specific location.

Do Airports and International Flights Work

Available official reports do not indicate a general suspension of operations at Colombia's international airports. Migración Colombia separately noted that other migration points in the country continue to operate according to protocols. This means that for most foreign tourists, flying to Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena, Cali, or other large cities remains a more predictable option than land entry or exit through the border.

At the same time, on election days, the airport should not be treated as an isolated space. Even if the flight is operating on schedule, there may be additional checks, traffic changes, congestion near administrative buildings, police cordons, or local demonstrations on the way to the terminal. For an international flight, it is better to allow more time than on a normal day, especially if the departure falls on the evening of June 21 or the morning of June 22.

Tourists should also remember about Check-Mig, Colombia's electronic migration form. The Canadian travel advisory reminds that it must be filled out for free in the official service between 72 hours and 1 hour before boarding a flight to or from Colombia, as well as before entry through land, sea, or river crossings. If a traveler is already in the country and has a flight in the coming days, they should check if the form is filled out and if the flight, passport, and residence data match.

Why Land Routes Have Become the Riskiest Part of the Plan

The most significant restriction concerns not tourist areas inside the country, but specifically land and river borders. This is important for those who planned to move along the route Ecuador - Colombia, Colombia - Ecuador, Colombia - Venezuela, or use border crossings in more complex South American routes. During the restriction, passage through authorized crossings may be stopped or allowed only in exceptional circumstances that must be documented.

Tourists who have already purchased bus tickets or private transfers for these dates should contact the carrier and not rely solely on the old schedule in the booking app. If the route includes Ipiales, Tulcan, Cúcuta, border areas with Ecuador or Venezuela, the plan should be reviewed first. Even after the official end of the restriction on the morning of June 22, accumulated queues, bus delays, changes in departure times, and additional migration checks are possible.

Particular caution is needed for those planning to combine Colombia with Ecuador. Travel.gc.ca in its advisory regarding Ecuador on June 18 added information about the closure of most land crossings with Colombia and Peru, leaving only specific routes as exceptions. This does not mean that all tourist trips in the region are impossible, but it shows: border logistics in the Andes are currently less predictable than air routes.

Security Context: What Travel Advisories Say

Colombia remains a popular destination for cultural, gastronomic, beach, nature, and urban tourism, but it is not a country where official security recommendations should be ignored. The Canadian government advises travelers in Colombia to exercise increased caution due to high crime rates and separately highlights a number of border and regional zones where it does not recommend traveling or advises avoiding non-essential trips. The US Department of State maintains a Reconsider Travel level of recommendation for Colombia due to crime, terrorism, public unrest, kidnapping, and natural risks, and for certain departments and areas near the border with Venezuela, it advises not to travel.

For tourists, this does not mean an automatic cancellation of the trip, but more strict planning. During elections, it is better to avoid demonstrations, political gatherings, crowds near polling stations, administrative buildings, and places where the situation can change quickly. Even peaceful protests can lead to road closures, suspension of public transport, or local clashes. If a guide, hotel, or local authority advises changing the route, it is better to follow this recommendation without discussion.

Special attention is required for urban movement. Advisories for Colombia regularly mention risks of street robberies, fraud, express kidnappings, the use of narcotic substances against tourists, and the danger of unofficial taxis. On election day, these risks do not necessarily become higher everywhere, but due to increased tension, the closure of some services, and changes in evening activity, a tourist may find themselves in a less convenient situation if they do not have pre-organized transport.

What to Do If the Trip Is Already Planned

If you are already in Colombia or have an arrival in the coming days, the best strategy is not to panic, but to remove weak points from the route. Check the flight status directly with the airline, confirm the airport transfer, clarify with the hotel if there are local restrictions near your area, and do not plan long-distance travel late in the evening. If you depend on a land border, move the crossing to a date after the restriction ends and allow time for possible queues.

Do not plan to cross the land or river border on June 20-22 without current confirmation from official channels.
Allow additional time for the trip to the airport, especially in Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena, and Cali.
Check the dry law rules in a specific city: in Bogota, restrictions began earlier than in most regions.
Avoid political gatherings, demonstrations, and areas near polling stations if you do not need to be there.
Use hotel transfers, official taxis, or verified apps, rather than random cars on the street.
Keep your passport, insurance, booking, tickets, and Check-Mig data available offline.

Who Should Review Their Route

Those with the most reason to change their plan are tourists who wanted to travel by bus across the border, travelers with short layovers between cities, groups with evening programs in Bogota or Cartagena, and those who planned to visit areas marked in international advisories as high-risk. If the trip is built around flying into a large city, staying in a reliable area, and day trips with a verified operator, it can likely be adapted without radical cancellation.

For the Colombian tourism market, this situation is a reminder that the country remains an attractive but complex destination. Its strengths are the Caribbean coast, the Andes, coffee regions, urban culture of large cities, gastronomy, music, historical quarters, and nature. But that is why travelers need not general advice like "be careful", but specific logistics: how to get to the hotel, how to safely change plans, what to do if a bus is cancellation, how to contact a tour operator, and which areas are better to exclude.

Conclusion

Colombian election restrictions are short-term, but they coincide with a period of active travel and can affect tourists now. The main risks are associated with land and river borders, local transport disruptions, the dry law, and the unpredictability of public gatherings. If you are flying to Colombia by plane and staying in large tourist cities, the trip can be made controlled provided there is a careful check of flights, transfers, and local rules. If your route depends on border crossings or night travel, it is better to postpone it or rebuild it with an additional time buffer.