Moving to Medellín: everything to do before you fly
A chronological checklist for moving to Medellín — visa, housing, documents, budget and Spanish, from three months out to your first week on the ground.
Moving abroad is 90% logistics and 10% adventure — and the better you handle the 90%, the sooner the adventure starts. This is the timeline we walk our students through, from the first “okay, I am actually doing this” moment to your first Saturday in Medellín.
Three months out: decide the big things
- Check your passport. Most travelers want comfortable validity beyond their planned stay — renew now if it is close, because everything else waits on this document.
- Choose your legal path. If you plan to stay and study for more than a short tourist window, the student visa is the clean route — and as a licensed school we issue the acceptance letter ourselves. Read how it works on our student visa page rather than piecing it together from forums.
- Pick your program and city. Group classes in Medellín or Pereira, private lessons, or a visa-intensity program — this choice drives your schedule, your budget and your visa file.
- Set a realistic budget. Our cost of living guide gives you honest COP ranges — decide your monthly number now, then add a first-month cushion for deposits and setup costs.
Two months out: start the Spanish, sort the landing
- Start Spanish before you fly. Seriously — even a few weeks of our live online classes means you land ordering food and asking directions instead of pointing. Same teachers, same method, from your couch.
- Book your first month of housing. Do not sign a long lease from abroad. A homestay with one of our familias anfitrionas in Laureles gives you a soft landing and daily practice — our Spanish + Housing combo covers a full month of classes and accommodation for COP 3,790,000.
- Gather your documents. Depending on your situation, some documents may need apostilles or certified translations, and these take time to obtain from home — far easier now than from a hostel in Medellín. Your visa process will tell you exactly which ones apply to you.
- Sort health cover. Medical coverage is a standard requirement for the student visa; the specific requirements are set by the insurer and the authorities, so confirm yours as part of the visa process.
Live classes with our real teachers — land already conversational.
Two weeks out: the boring-but-critical list
- Tell your bank you are traveling, and bring at least two cards on different networks — cards do get eaten, frozen and declined at the worst moments.
- Bring some cash to change on arrival; Colombia still runs on cash more than you might expect.
- Download the essentials: a ride-hailing app, an offline map of Medellín, a translation app, and WhatsApp — which in Colombia is not an app, it is infrastructure.
- Scan every important document and email the copies to yourself.
- Book your airport pickup or know your route: the airport sits up the mountain, about an hour from the city.
Week one on the ground: build your rhythm
The first week sets the tone for the whole stay. Resist the urge to treat it as a vacation — the students who thrive are the ones who build a routine fast and let the fun attach itself to it.
- Day 1–2: get a local SIM card (prepaid is easy — our SIM, bank and health cover guide has the details) and learn your walking radius.
- Day 2–3: take our free level test online or at the school, so you start in the right class instead of the flattering one.
- Day 3–4: first classes. Morning Spanish gives your day a spine; everything else fits around it.
- Day 4–5: ride the metro end to end once — it is the fastest geography lesson the city offers.
- The weekend: come to a school activity or intercambio and meet the people who will become your Medellín. Nobody remembers their first week for the paperwork.
The boring stuff, sorted calmly — no invented prices, no panic.
The do-not list (learned the hard way, by others)
- Do not sign a year-long lease on an apartment you have never stood inside. Book one flexible month, then choose with your own eyes.
- Do not arrive with a single bank card. Two cards, two networks, two locations in your luggage.
- Do not postpone Spanish until you land — the first weeks are infinitely smoother with even survival basics, and online classes exist precisely for this.
- Do not book every tour and trip from home. The best plans here are made on a Tuesday with classmates, for this Saturday.
- Do not overpack. Medellín has malls, markets and everything you forgot — and the spring-like climate means layers, not a wardrobe.
On that last point: the city sits at altitude, so evenings are cooler than the “tropical” label suggests. A light jacket, comfortable walking shoes and a rain layer will serve you better than anything bulky — and leave suitcase room for the coffee you will inevitably carry home.
Still deciding between neighborhoods? Read our honest comparison of Laureles and El Poblado before you book anything long-term — and keep the cost of living guide open while you budget.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first when moving to Medellín?
Three months out: check your passport, choose your legal path (for study stays, that usually means the student visa — we issue the acceptance letter ourselves as a licensed school), pick your program and city, and set a realistic budget with a first-month cushion.
Should I sign a lease before arriving?
No — never sign a year-long lease on an apartment you have never stood inside. Book one flexible month (a homestay with a familia anfitriona is the softest landing), then choose with your own eyes.
When should I start Spanish classes?
Before you fly. Even a few weeks of our live online classes — same teachers, same method — means you land ordering food and asking directions instead of pointing.
What is the Spanish + Housing combo?
One payment that covers a full month of classes and accommodation with a host family in Laureles for COP 3,790,000. You land, you drop your bags, you are living in Spanish by Monday.
We are a licensed school — the letter comes directly from us, no agency in the middle
Arrive with your housing sorted
Host families in Laureles and studio apartments in Pereira: live in Spanish from breakfast on, and turn every day into immersion.
Your Spanish starts today (and your first class is free)
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