Are you traveling to Bogota and looking for the best way to stay connected on your trip to Colombia? In this guide you can find everything you need to know about buying a sim card for Colombia at Bogota Airport with up to date prices as per May 2023, where to buy a sim card, my recommendation, information about international and e-sim cards for Colombia and even a vlog about my arrival and experiences at Bogota Airport.
As Traveltomtom is on a journey to travel to every country in the world I have been to many airports and countries. The first thing I do on arrival in a new country is looking for the best way to get connected to the internet. Mostly that is by buying a local prepaid sim card or getting an e-sim card.
Staying connected makes life and therefore traveling simply much easier and more fun! And as Traveltomtom is also on a journey to visit every country in the world you can find already more than 200 prepaid sim card guides: USA, New York, Newark, Panama City, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Europe, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Rome, Istanbul, Israel and many more from Africa, Middle East and Asia.
So bookmark this website for when your are planning your next adventure abroad you come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid or e-sim card advice for your next destination.
There is also a complete guide on Traveltomtom about buying a sim card for Colombia in 2023 in case you missed the opportunity to buy a sim card at Bogota Airport.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends buying a Claro sim card from the convenience store in the arrival hall of Bogota Airport. For $20 USD you get 12 GB data for 30 days.
Normally Traveltomtom recommends e-sim cards but for Colombia they are much more expensive than local prepaid sim cards.
We also recommend international sim cards for your trip to Colombia. For $29.90 USD you get a sim card shipped to your home address with 10 GB data to be used in Colombia. Check out my comparison of the best international sim cards for traveling in 2023.
E-sim cards for Colombia
The easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Bogota in 2023 is an e-sim card. Every newer smartphone supports an e-sim card and you can arrange everything through the internet without swapping a physical sim card. You order online, receive a QR-code, follow the instructions and you are all set in no-time.
Check out the following e-sim card deals for Colombia:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $8 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $15 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $21 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $32.50 USD
Click here to directly order an e-sim card for Colombia.
The above e-sim cards from Hartonet are data-only and phone calls are not supported. They operate on the 4G/LTE network of Movistar.
When you are looking for e-sim cards with data have global coverage then have a look at the following. These international e-sim cards are valid in 70 - 120 countries, including Colombia. They cost much more, but can be easy for people traveling to several countries in one trip.
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $34.90 USD
- 6 GB data for 15 days = $39.90 USD
Click here to order an international e-sim card for traveling to Colombia directly online.
With an e-sim card you keep your own phone number from home, but not all phones are unlocked and e-sim card compatible. Make sure your phone is e-sim card compatible before buying an e-sim card for Colombia.
Arriving at El Dorado International Airport - BOG
If you are arriving on an international flight BOG is a very easy and straight forward airport. Unfortunately I have experienced very long lines at customs at El Dorada International Airport BOG in the last few years and it doesn't seem to get any better. On my recent trip to Colombia in March 2023 I waited more than 1.5 hour online.
To kill time I literally bought an e-sim card for Colombia borrowing the hotspot of a local guy on the airport because the WiFi of Bogota Airport was not working properly.
Once you get your passport stamped you will walk into the baggage hall and out into the arrival hall in no time. Bogota Airport is an easy to navigate airport and there is only one exit for the international terminal that leads you into the arrival hall.
Where to buy a sim card at Bogota Airport
There are only 2 places to buy a sim card for Colombia when you arrive at Bogota Airport. The first shop that you will see when you go through the last customs baggage check is the Sim Market shop. It is located right in front of you next to the money exchange and car rental companies. Impossible to miss! These shops are actually even before you exit into the arrival hall.
Another place you can go for buying a sim card is when walking into the arrival hall and turn right there is a convenience store on your right hand side. Also impossible to miss! It has no name and there is no sign saying 'prepaid sim cards for Colombia' or anything like that.
I simply found out by asking the lady working there. She replied positive and told me all the prepaid sim cards for Colombia that they offer.
To make it even easier for you to find the sim card shops at Bogota Airport I also recorded a vlog on my arrival last time.
Prices Colombia sim cards at Bogota Airport
Colombia is a pretty cheap destination for travelers coming from Western countries. As per May 2023: $1 USD = 4,700 COP and 10,000 COP = $2.15 USD.
Sim Market
This for sure is the most convenient place to get connected and to buy a sim card for your trip to Colombia. However, that comes at a price! Prepaid sim cards for Colombia are very expensive at the Sim Market store.
To me it already says enough that prices are stated in USD instead of Colombian Pesos. That should be a sign that you are paying tourist prices!
Sim Market sells only Claro prepaid sim cards for tourists and they have 3 packages. The cheapest sim card costs $30 USD and then there is a package of $50 USD and $60 USD.
- 10 GB data + unlimited calls/text, FB & WhatsApp for 10 days = $30
- 18 GB data + unlimited calls/text, FB & WhatsApp for 30 days = $50
- 24 GB data + unlimited calls/text, FB & WhatsApp for 30 days = $60
The Sim Market shop is open 24 hours and they accept international credit cards. The prepaid sim card deals at Sim Market are pretty expensive, definitely for Colombia standards!
For your reference a Claro sim card with 9 GB data and unlimited calls/text for 30 days in Bogota city center at any Claro store will cost you just $6 USD! For more info check out my article about the best sim cards for Colombia in 2023.
Convenience store
Although a little harder to find and service is of course very different here than at the Sim Market shop, prices for Colombian sim cards are much cheaper at the convenient store and you can already get a sim card for Colombia with data for just $9 USD.
- 2 GB data + unlimited calls/text for 10 days = 35,000 COP - $8 USD
- 4.5 GB data + unlimited calls/text for 20 days = 55,000 COP - $14 USD
- 12 GB data + unlimited calls/text, FB & WhatsApp for 30 days = 75,000 COP - $18 USD
- 80 GB data + unlimited calls/text, FB & WhatsApp for 30 days = 150,000 COP - $37 USD
The prepaid sim cards sold at the convenience store are also from Claro, one of the main mobile internet operators in Colombia. Also the convenience store is open 24 hours and accepts international credit cards.
Best prepaid sim card at Bogota Airport
Since both stores sell only prepaid sim cards from Claro it is easy to compare them. It leaves no doubt that the prices at the Sim Market store are much higher than the sim cards sold at the convenience store.
This is the price you pay for buying your Colombia sim card at a prime location. It is the first store you see when setting foot in Colombia. Also at the Sim Market store there are ladies working specialized in selling sim cards, so there is much more service here compared to the convenience store.
Personally, I recommend buying a sim card at the convenience store as it is not that hard to put the sim card in your phone yourself. The sim cards are pre-activated and do not need much set up, but I can understand that it sounds safer to buy a sim card at the Sim Market store.
But...
Prices for Colombia sim cards at Bogota Airport are much higher than if you wait till you get to Bogota city center and buy your sim card there. Check out my complete guide for buying a sim card for Colombia in 2023 and find much better prepaid sim card deals and also more info about the best 4G/5G network in Colombia.
Buy a sim card for Bogota online
Last but not least another reminder that you can also buy an international sim card for Colombia online. This sim card will be shipped to your home address before your trip and is automatically pre-activated from its first use. Check out the following international sim card deals for Colombia:
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $29.90 USD
- 12 GB data for 30 days = $39.90 USD
- 24 GB data for 2 years = $79.90 USD
Click here to order one of the above Colombia sim card deals directly online.
Don’t want to swap physical sim cards anymore and want to arrange everything directly online? Trust me an e-sim card is what you are looking for. Click here to order a Colombia e-sim card.
I hope all the above information for buying a sim card at Bogota Airport was helpful for your upcoming trip. Let me know if you have any additional questions. Leave me a comment below and I will try to help you out.
Interested what it looks like to travel to every country in the world then check out my Instagram profile @traveltomtom for some serious wanderlust. As of May 2023 I have visited more than 155 countries so many more to go.
Enjoy your trip to Colombia!
Some links in this article about the best way to stay connected when traveling to Bogota are affiliate links. If you buy anything after using an affiliate link I earn a small commission. Don’t worry this is at no extra cost to you, but I have the duty to inform you.
