Colombia eSIM in 2026: which plan to buy, what it costs, and how to set it up

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A Colombia eSIM is the easiest way to land with data already working — for the ride-hailing app out of the airport, maps, and WhatsApp with your clinic, driver and host. Three widely used providers sell Colombia plans: Airalo, Holafly and Saily. A local Claro SIM is the cheaper alternative when you need a Colombian number.

This guide compares current Colombia eSIM prices, explains coverage on Colombia’s two big networks, and says which plan fits a one- or two-week treatment trip.

01Colombia eSIM prices compared

Airalo sells unlimited Colombia plans from $12.50 for 3 days to $92 for 30 days¹. Holafly prices unlimited data almost identically — $12.50 for 3 days to $95.90 for 30 — runs on the Telefónica (Movistar) network, and lets you share 1 GB a day as a hotspot². Saily sells fixed-data plans, from 1 GB over 7 days for $4.99 to 20 GB over 30 days for $40.99, with no hotspot limits³.

The eSIM plans above are data-only: no Colombian number, no local calls or SMS. That rarely matters. WhatsApp — which Colombian clinics, drivers and hosts use for almost everything⁵ — keeps working on your usual number over eSIM data.

02Which Colombia eSIM to pick for a 1–2 week treatment trip

Match the plan length to the whole trip, not just the treatment days. A dental implant trip is usually a few days; a surgery trip runs from about a week after lipo 360 to ten days or more after a tummy tuck. Airalo lets you top up an existing eSIM rather than buying a new one¹, so it is easy to extend if your surgeon wants you to stay longer.

03The local SIM option: Claro or Movistar at the airport

If you need a Colombian phone number — for a local bank, some delivery apps, or a clinic that prefers to call — buy a prepaid SIM. Claro and Movistar both have counters in the arrivals area at José María Córdova airport in Medellín and El Dorado in Bogotá, and a passport is usually accepted for a prepaid activation⁵.

Claro’s 30-day “Todo incluido” prepaid packages cost COP 35,000 for 12 GB and COP 45,000 for 18 GB — about $11 and $14 — with unlimited minutes and SMS, and WhatsApp, Facebook and X not counted against your data⁴. That makes a local SIM the cheapest data in Colombia by a wide margin.

Two things to know. Your phone needs a physical SIM slot and must be carrier-unlocked. And Colombia’s telecom regulator, the CRC, says a phone brought from abroad and used on a Colombian network must be registered with the operator, presenting the purchase invoice, proof of payment or a declaration of ownership⁶. Ask the airport counter to handle it when you buy the SIM. Local carriers also ask for more identification for eSIM activations than for physical prepaid SIMs⁵, which is why most visitors use a travel eSIM or a physical SIM rather than a local eSIM.

04Coverage: Claro vs Tigo-Movistar

Colombia’s mobile market has two big networks. By CRC data from September 2025, Claro held 44.02% of mobile lines and Tigo-Movistar 43.02%, with WOM at 6.68%; the Tigo–Movistar merger closed in February 2026⁷.

Both cover Medellín, Bogotá, Cartagena and Cali well. Holafly, on Movistar, describes its coverage as reliable in populated areas and tourist destinations and weaker in remote ones — parts of Tayrona National Park, the route to the Lost City, northern La Guajira and the Amazon beyond Leticia². A treatment trip to the big cities won’t come near those limits. Saily connects on 3G, 4G, LTE or 5G depending on the local network³.

05Setting up a Colombia eSIM, step by step

1. At homeCheck your phone. It must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. Most recent iPhones and many Android phones qualify.
2. Before you flyBuy and install on Wi-Fi. Scan the QR code or install in the provider’s app. Airalo recommends installing in advance so the eSIM connects on arrival¹.
3. On landingSwitch the eSIM on and select it as your data line. Turn on data roaming for the eSIM line only.
4. Your home lineKeep it on for calls and texts — bank codes still reach you — but turn its data roaming off to avoid charges from your US carrier.
5. Running low?Top up in the app rather than buying a new eSIM.

Planning the rest of the trip? Our entry and visa guide covers the 90-day visa-free stay and the Check-MIG form, and Medellín time explains the time difference for booking calls with your clinic. For the treatment itself, start with dental implants in Colombia or plastic surgery in Colombia.