The Passport

Welcome to The Passport

Because One Country Isn’t Enough.

Sarah Kowalski · May 15, 2026 🇨🇴 Medellín, Colombia

Guatapé day trip — go early, take the boat

Did Guatapé last Saturday. Recommendations:Leave Medellín by 7am. The Peñol traffic is brutal after 9.Climb the Peñol first, before town. 740 steps. Worth it. Do it before you eat lunch.Take a boat on the lake. $15-20 USD for an hour. Captains will tell you stories. Bring...

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Posted in 💬Healthcare

Karen Stevens · May 15, 2026 🇨🇴 Bogotá, Colombia

My first private hospital experience (Fundación Santa Fe Bogotá)

Kidney stone, 2am, taxi to Fundación Santa Fe in Bogotá. Three things I want US people to know:Walk-in to private hospital ER is fine. They take cash, card, or international insurance.CT scan happened within 90 minutes of arrival. In Seattle I would have waited 4-6...

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Posted in 🇨🇴Bogotá

Megan Lopez · May 15, 2026 🇨🇴 Bogotá, Colombia

Best café in Usaquén for actually working — recommendations?

Looking for a Usaquén café with: real wifi, outlets at most tables, low music, not crowded between 9-1, and won't pressure me to leave. Bonus for good coffee (table stakes here so not too worried).

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Posted in 💬Water Cooler

M Matt · May 15, 2026

Which one makes Colombia feel like home first?

35 votes View discussion →

Posted in 💬Introductions

Stephanie Mitchell · May 15, 2026

Stephanie — Chicago, planning Coffee Axis move, yoga

Hi all, Stephanie, 39, yoga instructor in Chicago, planning a Coffee Axis move in about 6 months. I want to teach there. I want to live slowly. I want to drink the actual coffee where it grows. Open to hearing why I'm wrong about any of this.

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Posted in 💬Taxes & Banking

Sarah Kowalski · May 15, 2026 🇨🇴 Colombia

Opening a Bancolombia account — what worked, what didn't

3 attempts. 3rd worked. What helped:Bringing my cédula extranjería AND my passport (they ask for both).Going to a branch in El Poblado that's used to foreigners, NOT a random branch downtown.Going Tuesday morning, NOT Friday afternoon.Having a Colombian phone number already...

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Posted in 💬Coffee Axis

Mike Thompson · May 14, 2026 🇨🇴 Salento, Colombia

Salento vs Filandia — which is the real coffee experience?

Hot take from a recent finca-buyer: Filandia. Smaller. Less touristy. Still has the colorful balcony charm. Better food in town. Salento is gorgeous but it's basically Cocora Valley's overflow parking lot at this point.Both worth a visit. If you have to pick one for a...

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Posted in 💬Introductions

Kevin O'Brien · May 14, 2026

Kevin in Cartagena — fresh start at 49

Kevin O'Brien, 49, was in Las Vegas. Divorced last year, came to Cartagena for a fresh start. It's been a year and it actually worked. I'll never live in heat-and-humidity again after this but I love it here for now. Will probably move inland eventually. Ask me anything; I've...

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Posted in 💬Remote Work & Business

Brian Fisher · May 14, 2026 🇨🇴 Bogotá, Colombia

Internet speeds by neighborhood — Bogotá data, 1 year of measurements

I work fully remote and I've been measuring my home internet every workday for a year. Movistar fiber in Chapinero: median 380 Mbps down, 220 up, 99.4% uptime over the year. Two outages over an hour. One outage over four hours.Friend in Suba: ETB fiber, similar speeds, more...

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Posted in 🇨🇴Bogotá

Jennifer Lawson · May 14, 2026 🇨🇴 Bogotá, Colombia

Bogotá day trips worth doing — Suesca and Guatavita

Took two weekend day trips this month:Suesca — climbing town, 90 minutes north. Sandstone cliffs, great hiking, small mountain town energy. Get there before 9am to avoid the crowds.Guatavita — colonial replica town near the actual El Dorado lagoon. About 2 hours. Easy hike to...

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Posted in 💬Visas & Immigration

Megan Lopez · May 14, 2026 🇮🇹 Italy

Anyone here gone through the Italy DNV? Considering it after Colombia

I'm planning to stay in Colombia 2 more years then look at Italy. The Italian DNV launched last year — has anyone in this community gone through it? Curious about practical experience, not just what's on the official site.

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Posted in 🎬Free Resources

Matt · May 14, 2026

Apostille guide for US documents

The apostille question comes up daily. This PDF walks through which state department to use, processing times, what counts as an apostille (vs an authentication), and which documents Colombia actually requires apostilled vs which is just helpful.[Download: US Apostille Guide PDF]

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Posted in 💬Housing & Real Estate

Jennifer Lawson · May 14, 2026 🇨🇴 Bogotá, Colombia

Got asked for codeudor (cosigner) — what worked for me as a foreigner

Landlords here often ask for a Colombian codeudor (cosigner). As a foreigner, you usually don't have one. What worked for me in Chapinero: paying 4 months upfront in exchange for waiving codeudor. Some landlords also accept a póliza de arrendamiento (rental insurance, costs...

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Posted in 🏖️Cartagena

A Amanda Rivera · May 14, 2026

Old City vs Bocagrande — which is for actually living?

14 votes View discussion →

Posted in 💬Food & Recipes

Jennifer Lawson · May 14, 2026 🇨🇴 Bogotá, Colombia

Where to find imported groceries in Bogotá

For my fellow Anglos who need their peanut butter and "real" cheese sometimes:Carulla — the most "international" grocery; reliable for most imported brandsPomona — premium and slightly cheaper than expat-CarullaOlímpica/Surtimax — Colombian-mainstream but they have a...

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Posted in 💬Barranquilla