Obtaining a Colombian Drivers licence

Nothing much has changed. Most driving schools will pretend to give you the classes that you need for a suitable fee.

You are going to need to speak some Spanish or take a translator with you. The ability test is quite complex and takes several hours of testing sight, hearing, reflexes, abilities.

Nothing that you require can be done in English.

Creech,

I stand ready to be corrected but I do not believe you can get away from taking the test in Spanish, which is the official language of Colombia.

Just as in Canada, one would not expect to be able to get a license and test speaking only Farsi or some other language, and not understanding French/English.  It's not in the interests of public safety to have drivers who cannot understand written road signs.

Here's an article talking about the new requirements:
http://www.eltiempo.com/economia/sector … cion-87736

You can study for the test on-line, many questions are posted in these links:
https://andina.com.co/blog/pasarias-el- … onduccion/

https://alkilautos.com/blog/general/exa … -pasarias/

http://www.vanguardia.com/actualidad/co … duc?page=1

In the meantime while you become proficient in Spanish, you may find that in Medellín the Metro, buses and taxis are sufficient for your transportation needs.

Thanks for the info!

International license in USA requirees no test, just a fee of $100. It takes about 2-3 weeks to get and most insurance companies have assistance or do it. You can also drive with a passporte (unless that has changed in the last several months), just like you can rent a car with a passport.

Handy that does work I live here on a Visa....Thanks though

Thanks Tubes
Would you know of any driving schools that will pretend to give me the classes and will do this for a suitable fee.

Hi

Just seen your post. I recently posted the following on the Medellin Living website. I am told you need 25 hours of theory classes, then a 40 question test (of which you have to get 37 correct)  and then 20 hours of driving lessons, followed by a driving test. This is as well as the medical. This is what I posted.

----------------------

As you know, things have got a tougher this year. I am 68 years old and passed my UK driving test 50 years ago. My UK licence will expire when I am 70, as they all do. Technically I cannot get a new one as I am not now resident in the UK. I currently live in Panama where I had to obtain a local Panamanian licence. That was relatively easy as all I had to do was get notarised evidence of my UK licence and pass a medical.

I already have a cedula de extranjeria in Colombia because I visit frequently with my Colombian wife. Our plan is to move to Colombia in the near to medium term when I would like to be able to drive. You are of course correct that the law says I will need a Colombian licence but it is now the law that I will have to attend 25 hours of theory lessons, pass the 40 question theory test, then have 20 hours of driving lessons and pass a driving test (as well as the medical). There seems to be no recognition at all of the fact that I have been driving for 50 years and have a clean licence.

My problem is that my Spanish is moderately basic and there is no way I could understand 25 hours of theory lessons with all the technical terms they use. This appears to be another example of how the Colombian governments seem to want to discourage foreigners and is likely to affect many people (potential immigrants included) in the future. We haven't decided where we will move to yet but we normally stay in Bogota where my wife's family is.

It all seems grossly unfair!

Do you or anyone know of a driving school that can undertake the lessons (not the test obviously) in English? I suppose that may be more likely in Medellin but I would be willing to stay in Medellin for a few weeks if that were possible.

njf:
The fact that you have held a UK license for many years means nothing at all in Colombia! You could be the worst driver in the world with hundreds of accidents!
I too passed my test in the UK but have since held licenses in several countries. You may be treated as a Panamanian.
You are unfortunate to start just after the Colombian regulations were toughened.
I managed to 'buy' my instructions some years ago at a local driving school without ever attending.
If you can't speak Spanish you will never get a license and should not be on the roads anyway. You must be able to understand all the road signs and understand the Highway Code equivalent.

In 2014-15 it took me a year to clear all the hurdles, including international paperwork, and get a license and a car to drive here in Ecuador.  And I wasn't even required to attend classes or supervised driving instruction.

I do not plan to go through the new Colombia hurdles, which evidently are even worse.

I got back from Colombia four weeks ago after having my Ecuador-plated car with me in Colombia for 15 of the 18 months I was there.  The other three months I parked in a border city in Ecuador at a car dealership, ($23 per month technically although I don't think they actually charged me since I had work done on the car).

I was able to stay in Colombia for so long with the car because I had multiple tourist entries and a single one-year TP visa in the middle.

Colombia is not a year-round destination for many Expats (right, Brother Archer?), because...

1.  Colombia taxes worldwide income of anyone staying 183 days out of 365.  According to some interpretations, Expats staying that length of time must file a tax return even if no tax may be owed.  (Interpretations of the tax law vary, but it's a fact that the tax law has been changing almost every year and has even included taxes on worldwide assets in some recent years for wealthier taxpayers.)

2.  Colombia requires  EPS-health-coverage enrollment of cédula holders.

3.  If the above information from posters on this thread is correct and unavoidable, Expats -- even those with conversational Spanish skills -- will experience 'fear and loathing' and resentment while attending second-language classes for so many hours and plenty of driving instruction on top of that .. even though they may have decades of positive driving experience back home.

4.  Living in Colombia less than half-time means minimal scrutiny, paperwork and hassle by police and immigration/customs officials who (in my experience) accost foreigners from time to time and (usually politely) demand to inspect documents and 'papeleo'.

I'll keep limiting my time inside Colombia for as long as health allows me to travel or reside elsewhere part-time .. and after that, permanent residence will likely be in Uruguay, the USA, Chile, Argentina or here in Ecuador (now about to bring back casinos on the coast, it seems).  At that decision-point, I would be doing research to make sure that the laws in effect at the time in other countries do not include the taxing of residents' worldwide income or subjecting them to onerous requirements in order to legally drive a car.

cccmedia in Quito, Ecuador