SIM, bank & health cover: the boring stuff, sorted in week one

We deliberately do not quote plan prices here: they change often, and any number we printed would be wrong within months. The honest summary is that connectivity will be one of the smallest lines in your budget — our cost of living guide shows how the whole month adds up.

Money: the realistic plan (spoiler: not a local bank account)

Here is the part most blogs get wrong: opening a traditional Colombian bank account as a newcomer is difficult, because banks generally want a cédula de extranjería — the foreigner ID card that comes after your visa is approved — plus local paperwork you will not have in week one. The good news: you do not need a local account to live well here.

• Your foreign cards work: international debit and credit cards are widely accepted in cities, and ATMs are everywhere. Withdrawal fees and limits vary by bank — check yours before flying, and favor ATMs inside malls and supermarkets.
• Carry some cash: Colombia is still partly a cash economy — small shops, buses, markets and tips run on pesos. Withdraw reasonable amounts and follow the golden rule of no dar papaya (our paisa slang guide explains).
• Bring two cards on different networks, stored in different places. Future you says thanks.
• Local digital wallets are ubiquitous for small payments between locals, but most require a Colombian ID and phone plan to register — treat them as a later upgrade, not a week-one task.
• If and when you do need a full account, the path opens up once you hold a cédula de extranjería — which starts with your visa.

A note on exchange rates: check the current COP rate before you fly and decide roughly what everyday things should cost in your home currency — it makes the first market run less dizzying, and it stops you from accidentally tipping like a lottery winner or a scrooge.

Health cover: required, not optional

If you are coming on a student visa, health coverage valid in Colombia is a standard requirement of the application — not a nice-to-have. The specific conditions (coverage types, duration, documentation) are set by the insurers and the Colombian authorities, and they evolve, so we will not invent numbers or name-drop policies here. What we can tell you: our team reviews this with every visa student as part of the process, so you buy the right cover once instead of the wrong cover twice.

Beyond the visa requirement, it is simply smart: private healthcare in Colombia’s big cities has an excellent reputation, and Medellín in particular is known for its clinics — but you want to walk in insured. Day-to-day, pharmacies (droguerías) are everywhere and pharmacists helpfully handle the small stuff, which is also a surprisingly effective Spanish lesson.

Your week-one admin checklist

1. Buy a prepaid SIM with your passport; get WhatsApp working.
2. Withdraw a sensible amount of cash; note which ATMs treated you kindly.
3. Confirm your health cover documents are in order (your visa file already required them — keep copies on your phone).
4. Save the school on WhatsApp (+57 302 370 5357) — for class things, and honestly for “where do I find X?” things.
5. Done by Wednesday. Spend the rest of the week on the fun list in our moving checklist.

And if you need a productive place to do all this admin, our Laureles campus coworking (COP 6,000/hour · COP 33,000/day) comes with fast wifi and people who have already survived it.

Last thing: you are not doing any of this alone. Our front desk fields “where do I…?” questions all day and enjoys it — come by either campus (Mon–Fri 8:00–18:00, Sat 9:00–13:00) or write to us on WhatsApp, and someone who has onboarded hundreds of students will point you the right way in one message.