Colombian driver's license

Top Reasons to Drop the Above Project...

1.  You said you don't need to drive on a license in Colombia.

2.  The current pandemic makes trámites even more difficult, if not impossible, than in the pre-COVID era. 

3.  An Expat with no drivers license or an expired license has little chance of getting a license in Colombia without an on-road driving test and/or a 'written' test.

cccmedia

HELLO I AM INTERESTED IN YOUR  QUESTION DID YOU GET A RESPONSE I NEED ONE MYSELF . I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THE PRICE HERE FOR A DRIVER LICENSES

I have not received any information except for being asked why I want a Colombian driver's license when I don't own a car or moto and have no plans to drive here. I'm still waiting for an answer. The sole reply did say taking written and driving tests would be required since I currently have no valid license from any country.

Isamoreno59 wrote:

I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THE PRICE HERE FOR A DRIVER LICENSES

Please use polite Internet form by refraining from all-caps posting.

It is considered to be online shouting.

cccmedia
Experts team, expat.com

Hello,  your contact was probably correct that they could obtain for you a colombian dl without the effort of having to complete the test - a few years ago.

The system has recently (3 years ago) changed and everybody who wants a Colombian dl will have to sit through a 3 week course and complete a 40 question exam.  You will also be required to complete a driving assessment component. 

I did mine in Bucaramanga and it was a lot of fun.  The instructors are completely awesome and will do everything they can to assist you.

Take care.

Thanks for that. Doing the classes and driving aren't too much to ask.

If your Spanish is not very good and you have any sight, hearing or reflex difficulties you will find it all very difficult indeed.
Long gone are the days that you just showed a foreign license, paid a driving school and waited.

I spent about 1,000,000 cop for my license in Cartagena. Didn't have to write or drive anything. I did have to sit through the classes though. They take roll call with your fingerprints.

Can you tell me which driver school you used. I can see if there is one here in Cali. Thanks.

I originally went to Rally sucursal Mi vaquita but the coordinator there sent me to CEA Conducar Cartagena because the instructor there speaks English.

Thanks for that. CEA Conducar seems to be local to Cartegena but Google also shows one in Santa Marta.

I should also mention that I did have to pass a basic physical as well. Wasn't hard. Also, before I started class, I had to register with RUNT which there were additional fees of about 150 mil pesos for notarized photo copies of finger prints, taxi fare, exc.
Even though I didn't take the written test or do road exam, the rest was plenty of running around, waiting in lines,  sometimes paying for a spot in line. Two and a half hour classes, most times twice a day(mostly because I didn't have anything else going on).
I look at my Colombian license like a trophy.
I payed some money for it, but i worked hard for it as well.
And it's valid for 10 years

Yes, you can sign a declaration or affidavit (as best I recall) stating the length of time you've driven, etc.  I did this and did not need to take the driving test.  You can use the Colombia driver's license to rent cars in the USA, as ID for a hotel room in the USA etc -- just as if it were a US driver's license.  All good.

Who was responsible for giving you the physical? A person at the driving school? I'm really interested in doing this because driving in the U.S. is essential to daily life where I'm going and the wait to get an appointment just to take the written and driving tests there can be up to three months.

I'd like to get the physical done here asap to see if I can pass it since I recently had cataract surgery on one eye only and I do have some hearing issues. If I can't pass the physical here there's no point in taking the driving course until I can get any problems taken care of.

Except for those two things I'm in pretty good shape for my age.

It's not easy getting old :-)

The physical was included with the school tuition. The clinic was located right next to the classroom. Usually the schools are all inclusive with the exception of registering with RUNT, and even some schools will include that as well. Best to do a little research of course.

Thanks again. Good information.

Are there any updates to the process of getting a Colombian DL for auto and moto?
I currently have a valid Washington state DL (car & moto) and an international DL
I just was refused car rental:  did not realize that either a Colombian Cedula and Colombian passport or US DL and US passport are required.  You cannot mix and match.  A photocopy and pdf of my passport were not acceptable.  I had my Cedula and my US DL. Big surprise to me!

I have not driven in Colombia for many years and have no desire to.  All kinds of public transportation is available and it is cheap.  If you get in an accident like with a motorcycle and kill someone, life would get very complicated for you.

Photos of documents will be difficult to excuse. Original docs are mandatory.

I also take public transportation and it's very easy to get around. However, a vehicle at certain times is necessary.
Reckless driving can be a problem anywhere.

I have never had a reason to drive in Colombia for many years.

How long ago was that please???

Getting a Colombian license changed dramatically a few years ago when they closed the loophole that allowed you to show a valid foreign license and pay for a driving school course (without attending). You now have to do the whole driving school course (in Spanish of course).

The refusal to accept Marquez's documents was probably due to a policy or its enforcement of the individual rental office .. not because of any national rule.

Another reason Expats get refused for car rentals in South America is because they may be using debit cards, not credit cards, since rental agencies may consider it easier to collect damages from an accident if a credit card is accessible.

Marquez is better advised to contact individual rental agencies to learn their requirements, as the experience of individual renters may not be widely applicable.

cccmedia in Departamento Santander

Does that include a written or computer test in Spanish???
Can their be an interpreter present???

I'm of the opinion, on the one hand, a foreigner driving a motor vehicle is like putting a big target on your back, and front, and both sides. I don't know about you guys, but that's not something I have any desire to do. On the other hand, in my 8 1/2 years here I've seen only motos and newer passenger cars pulled over by the police. I've yet to see a big bike such as a Harley or other similar bikes and I've not seen any old Willys or similar Jeep-like vehicles pulled over.

A motorist's main problems in Colombia do not involve being pulled over occasionally by police.  I've been pulled over a number of times (previous to The Situation) .. and since my drivers license and paperwork were always in order, I was promptly sent on my way.

The main problems involve (1) the possibility of an accident, which is increased to your detriment if you ride a moto .. and (2) the possibility of being attacked or robbed if you make the mistake of driving intercity at night outside the Coffee Zone.

cccmedia in Bucaramanga

thank you for this information, so let me set up an example.

I have a grocery store 4 blocks away, I want to bring home OJ. a watermelon, a case of water, use for cooking and drinking, milk and a few other items. I can't carry this, so I have to use transportation. Is it better to use an uber to go shopping, leave my leased car parked?

candysamson69 wrote:

I have a grocery store 4 blocks away, I want to bring home OJ. a watermelon, a case of water, use for cooking and drinking, milk and a few other items. I can't carry this, so I have to use transportation. Is it better to use an uber to go shopping, leave my leased car parked?

Advising you on this question is challenging, since...

We don't know what city you are in.

We don't know anything about the neighborhood except for the distance between a grocery store and your 'casa'.

We don't know what time of day you would be moving the 'mercancías'.

We don't know the street light situation for those four blocks.

We don't know about the parking of your car during shopping.

We don't know why you are leasing a car in Colombia.

We don't know how many people might be on the street at the time of the trips.

---

Consider a third option, bringing airport wheels and a box to the store .. going there during daylight hours .. and reducing the amount of water bottles from a case down to six or eight.

---

Please keep in mind that this thread was posted to discuss drivers licenses.

cccmedia in Bucaramanga

candysamson69 wrote:

thank you for this information, so let me set up an example.

I have a grocery store 4 blocks away, I want to bring home OJ. a watermelon, a case of water, use for cooking and drinking, milk and a few other items. I can't carry this, so I have to use transportation. Is it better to use an uber to go shopping, leave my leased car parked?

Uber for 4 blocks???  Walking is good for you, even that short distance.  You can get a foldable (plegable) "carro de mercado" or "carro de mercar",  they sell them in many stores:

https://www.homecenter.com.co/homecente … e-mercado/

You can also search for "carro canasta", "carreta", "carrito", "carretilla"...

https://www.vialambre.com/catalogo/carr … ado?page=1

Totally agree with ChipW, you could not pay me to drive in Colombia, particularly dangerous if you look like a gringo.

Thank you, all the information is appreciated. Here in Miami area, you get to the grocery store, load up for the week, and call an Uber or a Lyft to take you home, even if it's a few blocks away. So often, there's no place to park so you leave your car in the garage. Learning lots from y'alls. TY.

Here in Colombia taxis are dirt cheap and everywhere. Come out of any big store and you will find a row of taxis waiting to take you and your shopping home.

I've been driving in Bogota for about 12 years and never had a hint of a problem. I look totally gringo but have never felt out of place or even treated differently.

Colombia's rate of traffic deaths per 100,000 vehicles per year is over 5 times that of the USA (83.3 vs. 14.2).  The number of traffic deaths per capita (per 100,000) per year is closer (Colombia 16.8, USA 12.4) - but most people in Colombia do not own a car, whereas in the USA most people do.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c … death_rate

Colombians in the USA always are struck by how much easier it is to drive in the USA than in Colombia.  In Colombia many traffic rules and laws are simply not followed, and you are likely to share any road with pedestrians, motos, bicyclists, animals and horse-drawn carts, along with people begging and selling stuff at traffic lights, and not to mention the ubiquitous potholes...

The rate of vehicle accidents and deaths is higher even though speed limits (rarely observed unless there are cameras that can fine you) are lower.  Where in the USA a residential speed limit might be 30mph, it may be only 30kph (about 18mph) in Colombia.  A highway speed limit of 50mph in the USA, might be only 50kph (30mph) in Colombia.

This paper is worth reading even though it is from 1999, about motor vehicle accidents and deaths in Colombia:
https://www.scielosp.org/article/rpsp/2000.v7n2/88-91/

"Among males below age 35 in the country, motor vehicle injuries are the second ranking cause of death, after violence."

"The reported risk of death based on kilometers traveled is 18 times the risk in the United States of America and 5 times that of Europe."

Yup. This is why I don't plan to drive in Colombia. And I'll only get a bicycle if I know my regular routes are be fairly "safe".

@ChineduOpara Here in the Cafetera region cycling is safe and commonly done alone. It's a beautiful area to ride both in the valley and in the mountains. I've visited around 40 pueblos here in the Cafetera region, all by bicycle, and never had any problems other than an occasional flat tire. Lots of people, both men and women, ride alone out on the carretera and on the back roads in the mountains.

A couple of years ago, my wife's brother was driving in the city of Pereira during the day when a little kid ran in front of his car and was killed.  He had to make a substantial payment to the family.  I am glad I was not driving and that is why I do not drive there.  I have no problem riding a bicycle there during daylight hours.