First Day Abroad

Driving in Colombia: licence, roads and tolls

Part of the Colombia arrival guide.

This information may change. Always check the official source.Last verified: August 2026 by

Driving in Colombia: the three basics

Drives on the
right

The driver sits on the left and overtakes on the left. Roundabouts turn anticlockwise.

Your licence
Licence plus an IDP

Your own licence works with an International Driving Permit beside it. Get the permit at home before you fly - no country issues one for another country's licence.

Motorways
Tolls by distance

Motorways charge for the distance driven, at barriers or by camera. Budget for it on a long drive; it is rarely trivial.

Colombian peajes are frequent and expensive, mountain roads are slow, and Bogota bans cars by plate number on weekdays.

Frequent tolls, slow mountain roads, and a plate-based driving ban in the big cities.

  • Pico y Placa restricts cars by the last digit of the plate on weekday mornings and evenings in Bogota, Medellin and Cali. It applies to hire cars, and the rules change from city to city.
  • Peajes are frequent and not cheap; the drive from Bogota to Medellin passes through several.
  • Mountain roads are the norm. Bogota to Medellin is 420 km and eight to nine hours behind lorries on switchbacks.
  • The alcohol limit is effectively zero, with the toughest penalties in the region including licence suspension for a first offence.
  • Night driving between cities is discouraged by official advice, and some rural routes are avoided entirely.
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Sources (1)

What this guide was checked against. Rules and prices change — follow the official link before you rely on a detail.