Crossing Into Colombia From Ecuador By Land

Are land-border travelers actually being denied pedestrian and/or vehicular access into Colombia during the covid era?

That's a question for someone who has attempted to make the crossing lately.

If that's you, please tell us what happened when you attempted the crossing.

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An active thread on this forum that was started April 15, 2021, is called Travel to Colombia.  So far, it is primarily about traveling to Colombia by plane.

cccmedia

Colombia re-opens its borders.

Colombia this week re-opened its borders with four of its neighboring countries, 14 months after the borders were closed due to covid.

The borders with Ecuador, Peru, Panama and Brazil are now open.

This includes land, river and maritime borders -- all open.

Colombia's border with Venezuela remains closed.

Source... Jeanne's column at www.cuencahighlife.com


According to the columnist, the re-opening of
border crossings with Ecuador does not remove certain 'issues'
that pertain to those crossings.  She did not elaborate.

cccmedia

On an obscure Colombia thread, Prospector 911 asked me whether the Ecuador-Colombia border is open or closed.

My go-to site for the latest-available information about the Rumichaca crossing is usually the insurance website worldnomads.com ...

The same site has some commentaries about that crossing in general beyond whether there is a temporary closing.

I'll be staying a couple of miles from that crossing in October and November (access to casino blackjack, not available in Ecuador) and will report on whatever border doings I encounter during that stay.

Prospector, what are your favorite ways to get from Panama to Colombia or Ecuador en esta época?

cccmedia in Quito, Ecuador

So far in this era of purported pandemia (I have another more suitable word for it) I have only flown from Panama to Colombia. And Im going back there very soon. Thankfully no bogus PCR tests required now. Had to get one the first time......Colombia has joined the ranks of many other latin countries which have long since dispensed with the rediculous erroneous PCR test rediculed as ineffective even by its inventor.  I bolted from Colombia at the heighth of the national strike when all h&^l was breaking loose around the country, and especially in Cali....So I backtracked to Medellin and caught a flight to cancun Mexico where no PCR was or is required. And thenafter a month cruising and surfing Mexican west coast hot spots, flew to Tijuana and walked across the CBX bridge into Calif, all without a PCR test.....A week in Calif where my propaganda hypnotized own family rejected my visit because I had been too many places and was too high risk, and then a one way ticket from san Diego to San Jose Costa Rica, (no PCR required) . Week in C.R. on a $45 insurance policy from Trawick Int, and backdoor it into Panama at night after the boss goes home and the labs are closed........Back on the finca puttin everything in shape, tip top and next week shoot for Santa Marta where they tell me its relaxed again and the sun is shining. I sure hope that land border in Rumichaca is open for regular travelers soon or that Ecuadors new president really digs into it and like Obrador in Mexico realized that the PCR is totally unnecessary and banishes it to the dark realm of history where it belongs.......Howz about anti body tests? You all see the new study out of Israel?

Thanks for the troop movements update, Prospector.

You seem to have done an excellent job avoiding the PCR tests during their heyday.

cccmedia

Ecuador still requires the outdated PCR test if Im not mistaken. Pls advise. Altho Im quite adept at making them up after the last year and a half.........But we still havent confirmed that the land border is open for normal touristic/commercial travel.

Ecuador does not require the PCR test for fully vaccinated persons.

I showed my passport and my superstore vaccination card showing Moderna injections in April and May .. and breezed through the Houston and Quito airports upon my UIO return.

cccmedia in Quito

Superstore vaccination card? You mean one you buy off of Amazon or eBay? No Q codes.......They dont check?  Just another govt bureaucratic formality?

prospector911 wrote:

Superstore vaccination card? You mean one you buy off of Amazon or eBay? No Q codes.......They dont check?  Just another govt bureaucratic formality?

I call it a superstore vaccination card because I received the Moderna shots at what I call superstores, in the pharmacy section. 

For the second shot in May, I went to a Costco in Arvada, Colorado (metro Denver).  There the pharmacist marked and signed for my injection. 

The card doesn't look as official as a laminated state-issued card.  However, it was good enough to easily get me past all the  security checkpoints at airports from Denver to Houston .. and HOU-UIO.

I don't know any Q code except Marjorie Q Green .. and I don't usually discuss her at Expat.com ...

cccmedia in Quito

I just did another hour of online research to update my knowledge about the Ecuador-Colombia land border -- is it open to tourists and travelers?

I found conflicting answers at different websites where information al respecto has been posted since late July.

If I were coming from, say, Panama, I'd probably fly to Ecuador or Colombia if I needed to visit only one of these two countries and if having a car at my disposal wasn't important.

cccmedia in Quito

Land border from Colombia to Ecuador is closed...Ecuador is closed for entry.  You can enter Colombia from Ecuador....

Really? You can enter Colombia from Ecuador but not Ecuador from Colombia?

Has anybody just recently flew into Quito o Guayaquil  and if so how closely did they scrutinize you pcr or antigen test?

mtbe wrote:

Land border from Colombia to Ecuador is closed...Ecuador is closed for entry.  You can enter Colombia from Ecuador....

Ecuador and Colombia each have dominion over border entries, so the above is possible.

However, reports vary on what's open lately.

Ipso facto, it would be useful for readers if posters on this thread would state the source of what they are posting about border crossings.

For instance, if Mtbe posts that the border is open only in one direction (into Colombia), does he know that from having just obtained a tourist permit himself .. or having just been denied a crossing .. or what he read in the Ipiales newspaper .. or what is currently posted on the Nomads insurance website .. or was it simply 'heard on the street'?

cccmedia

Back before The Situation, during my ten-month stay in Ipiales, Colombia .. I had cause to visit or pass through the Rumichaca crossing various times.

On any day on which the border was open (and it was always open both ways if open at all), I did not see any individual vehicles being stopped from crossing.  (This does not necessarily mean that the drivers all had the legal right to cross.)

I did notice that after crossing into Ecuador, my car and some other vehicles were routinely stopped about 75 yards in;  then a uniformed agent would require the driver to pop open the trunk for a brief inspection, before waving the driver on.

cccmedia

AirBnB host in Ipiales discusses the latest on border crossings.

I have just discussed the Rumichaca border crossing into Colombia .. with the AirBnB host of the apartment in Ipiales where I have scheduled a stay starting on October 6.

She informs me that the Rumichaca crossing into Colombia is closed to people and private vehicles.

Apparently, there are alternate routes to get to Ipiales.  She wrote in an email:  "Deberás tomar rutas alternas conformadas por vías improvisadas a lo largo de fincas del Carchi o Urbina."  These could be lesser-traveled roads through farming areas of northern Ecuador.  I do not have further details at this time, except that the host said these roads close nightly at 7 p.m.

cccmedia in Quito, Ecuador

Under the circumstances (which remain cloudy), I need to have a backup plan in case I can't get across the border with my car.

Essentially, that plan involves doing the same thing I did the last time I drove my car from Ecuador into Colombia several years ago.  I would stay at a hotel in nearby Tulcán, Ecuador, for at least one night .. and figure out the next day how to get myself -- and possibly my car -- into Colombia, whether at Rumichaca or another crossing.

There are certain scenarios that involve parking my Chevy Sail car for a few weeks at the Chevy dealership a few miles from Rumichaca (as I was allowed to do on the previous trip) and taking a taxi with my luggage to the border, then taking a Colombia taxi to the AirBnB apartment in Ipiales.

Complicating the situation are the reality that the rules can change without notice .. and the need to avoid being in Colombia without a tourist stamp or other permission.

cccmedia in Quito

How likely is it that those alternate routes are still open to illegal crossings. You would think that they would catch on quick, but maybe they like to leave an escape valve open to relieve pressure. Who knows but worth a try......Can we find out if there are private shuttles running that route......take you to the main hwy and jump on a bus headed to Pasto? And Popoyan? I have never once been asked to show documents in Colombia in at least 10 trips there. But driving is a whole different story. Thats when they get you.

prospector911 wrote:

How likely is it that those alternate routes are still open to illegal crossings?
... maybe they like to leave an escape valve open to relieve pressure.

I don't expect to understand 'the lay of the land' until I arrive at or near la frontera on October 6.  It would not surprise me if I don't really grasp what's going on at the border until the 7th.

I deliberately planned to arrive at mid-week .. because it's so easy for them to blockade the border on a weekend.

'Humanitarian' visits to Colombia have supposedly been considered for entry when standard visits may have been denied.  How is 'humanitarian' defined -- who knows?

My deep backup plan is to park on the Ecuador side .. and fly to Colombia, in order to qualify for a tourist permit.  I would only do that if both I and my car were denied entry in the Rumichaca/Nariño/Carchi area.

cccmedia in Quito

prospector911 wrote:

I have never once been asked to show documents in Colombia in at least 10 trips there.

I have been stopped for documents while not driving .. in Popayán .. and on several occasions while driving in downtown Medellín at night.

If you are stopped and unable to provide documents, the authorities have the discretion potentially not just to fine you, but to deport you and block you from coming back to La República any time soon.

cccmedia in Quito

The iVisa Company of Newark, Delaware, USA, is offering to sell 'required' health certificates to enter Colombia, for about $20 US per person (one time entry; higher rates for express service).

The company personally emailed to me as follows tonight...

"The Colombia Check-MIG form was created to minimize face-to-face interaction time between all international arrivals and the immigration authorities amid the coronavirus epidemic.  All travelers who wish to visit Colombia need to complete this form.

"This Health Declaration is a mandatory document required by the local authorities upon arrival.  The document serves as a measure to contain the spread of Covid-19....

"This is the only document we can assist you with for this travel...."

The document will be emailed to all customers, the company says.

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This poster has not verified the accuracy of the above-quoted statements.  The company's website is ivisa.com ...

cccmedia in Quito

In recent days, a government of Ecuador web page has been posted to announce partial restriction of vehicle traffic at the Rumichaca crossing.

The announcement, in español only, says the partial restriction is in effect from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. due to construction activity related to a new immigration bridge.

Further details are sketchy, and the webpage does not show specific dates, only days of the week.  "Miércoles" (Wednesday) through "viernes" (Friday) are stated as the days involved,

Source... obraspublicas.gob.ec

@CCC  there is another bridge at Urbina or Urvina which crosses into private property on the Colombian side. Very close on the Ibarra side of Rumichaca. Taxi from Tulcan. Colombian taxis waiting on the other side. Appears to be the route that most are using altho a young Venez guy working the bus routes told me you just walk right across the bridge and nobody says anything. The worst they can do is turn you back........People will always find a way to keep moving despite the whims and dictates of govts.

prospector911 wrote:

@CCC  there is another bridge at Urbina or Urvina which crosses into private property on the Colombian side....Colombian taxis waiting on the other side. Appears to be the route that most are using altho a young Venez guy working the bus routes told me you just walk right across the bridge and nobody says anything. The worst they can do is turn you back....

And apparently there's a crossing at Tufiño, Ecuador, as well.

The problem is that, at those unofficial crossings of la frontera, you can't get an official exit stamp from Ecuador nor the entry stamp from Colombia .. you can't get temporary papers to bring in your car (if that's even allowed in a pandemic) .. and if they check your papers at a roadway cop-stop mid-stay in Colombia, there could be a multa, a messy deportation, and a barring (for say, one year) from returning to Colombia.

cccmedia in Quito

@ccc  We did pass a SOAT agency office on the alternative route where the driver said you can get a permit for your car, but how can you get a permit if your not legally stamped in? In any case, the taxista who took me to the terminal told me they were staging a big protest right there at the bridge in Rumichaca today to demand the Ecuadorian govt reopen the border right away. Another person told me it was slated to be opened in 15 days (3 days ago). In which case your problems are solved. Mine are a bit more complicated but there are always ways and means.

prospector911 wrote:

@ccc  We did pass a SOAT agency office on the alternative route where the driver said you can get a permit for your car, but how can you get a permit if your not legally stamped in? In any case, the taxista who took me to the terminal told me they were staging a big protest right there at the bridge in Rumichaca today to demand the Ecuadorian govt reopen the border right away. Another person told me it was slated to be opened in 15 days (3 days ago). In which case your problems are solved.

I'm going the other direction (Ecuador to Colombia), so Ecuador potentially opening its border does not help me during my trip this week (into Colombia on Wednesday). 

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I agree with you -- if one doesn't have a legal Colombia entry document, one doesn't have a chance of getting a legit car permit for Colombia.

cccmedia in Quito

So just leave your car in a secure place for the time you will be in Colombia and travel by bus. Its very stressful driving in Colombia (or Ecuador for that matter) anyway. But yes I can attest, the buses are tedious.....Not regular flight service to that part of the country either.And if Im not mistaken only from Bogota.

Since the protest on Monday on the border in Rumichaca, has Ecuador finally relented and done what they should have done a long time ago? Open the borde and allow free movement of people and vehicles?

prospector911 wrote:

Since the protest on Monday on the border in Rumichaca, has Ecuador finally relented and done what they should have done a long time ago? Open the border and allow free movement of people and vehicles?

The authorities in Colombia believe the protest(s) or manifestaciones that began on Monday will last all week.

Except for special exceptions, the border was physically blockaded/closed when I arrived at the Rumichaca bridge coming from Ecuador just after midnight last night.

I didn't speak with the Ecuadorian authorities.  The Colombian agent on duty reviewed my documents and determined that my health certificate (a.k.a. mig-check) dated October 6 had expired 20 minutes earlier (at 12:01 a.m. October 7) and therefore I had no right of entry to the country until that document is replaced.  The document vendor, iVisa, had assured me that the mig-check would be valid for 30 days.   I have messaged them asking for a replacement at no extra charge.

cccmedia, "stranded" in Tulcán, Ecuador,
                       near the Rumichaca border crossing

Meanwhile, I am staying at a hotel I know from a previous stay in Tulcán, Ecuador, near a major plaza or square in the central part of town.  It's Hotel Flor de los Andes on Calle Sucre.

Due to the manifestaciones and weekend rules, I won't be permitted to enter Colombia with my car until Monday .. and provided I replace the health document, of course.

I have ruled out trying to enter Colombia via the back routes through Tufiño or Urbina.  That would not be official or legal and could put me in jeopardy of deportation and/or a ban from returning for 9-12 months if things went sideways.

Fortunately, my backup plan included this $20-a-night hotel right in the heart of the shopping district with tons of restaurants nearby -- for instance, Chinese, broasted chicken and 'familiar' Ecuadorian options.

When I arrived after 1 a.m., the night manager did some heavy lifting as he assisted me with the extra luggage I brought for an extended stay in Colombia.  That stay will hopefully begin on Monday so long as I can jump though the hoops for the border authorities .. and provided that the organizers of the manifestaciones can take a break from their border activities.

cccmedia, chillin' like a villain
                      in the border town of Tulcán, Ecuador

prospector911 wrote:

So just leave your car in a secure place for the time you will be in Colombia and travel by bus. Its very stressful driving in Colombia....

If I had to leave my car on the Ecuador side, I would probably leave it at the Chevrolet dealership on the Panamericana highway in Tulcán.  (It's a 2016 Chevy Sail.)

I left it there for a month on a trip a few years ago when my one-year series of permits for having the car in Colombia ran out while I remained in Ipiales, Colombia, two miles from the border.  Chevy in Tulcán did some maintenance work on the car while it was there.

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With so many in-city buses and taxis available in Ipiales, it's easy to get around town without a car.  However, if you're bringing in extra stuff as I am -- such as space heaters, a microwave oven and some lamps -- the concept of getting all your stuff from the Ecuador side to an Ipiales AirBnB apartment without a car can seem like a logistical nightmare.

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I disagree with the idea that it's stressful driving there (Medellín is a different story).  Ipiales is a small city easily negotiated by car; parking is not a problem.  An exception is some holiday weekends when parts of the city can get clogged by hordes of shoppers visiting from Ecuador who are taking advantage of 'peso arbitrage' to stock up on inexpensively-priced electronics and other productos in the Colombian border town.

cccmedia in Tulcán, Ecuador -- pronouncer:  tool-KAHN

Well then CCC, just drive it over along with the endless caravan of other pirate taxis and trucks which are crossing at Urvina bridge and it will only cost you $1 for passage thru the private finca.

Anybody know what became of the protests on the border a few weeks ago? I havent heard a word about it. Colombian immigration is a messed up operation but at least they have their side open. Whats the deal with Ecuador? Bankers cooperating with bigger bankers maybe?