VisaIsrael’s Colombian visitor visa waiver still requires ETA-IL approval
This follow-up explains the September 2026 restoration of visa-free tourist travel for Colombians, the electronic authorisation requirement and conflicting older consular material.
Official source date: 2026-10-29
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
September waiver replaced the earlier visitor-visa position
Colombian ordinary-passport holders planning tourism in Israel should use the restored visa-waiver guidance alongside the electronic travel-authorisation rules. Israel’s embassy in Bogota says the mutual visa exemption took effect on 1 September 2026 and expressly tells Colombian visitors to complete ETA-IL. This is a follow-up to that September change, rather than a new exemption announced on 29 October.
Colombia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the restoration in its 11 September statement, referencing Resolution 12189 of 2026. It describes travel for tourism and a stay not exceeding 90 days within a 12-month period, subject to the applicable procedures. The bilateral announcement should not be interpreted as permission for paid employment, residence or an unlimited series of visits.
Read current waiver guidance before using an older checklist
An older Israeli embassy page still tells Colombians to obtain a visa and lists a consular appointment charge and supporting documents. That page conflicts with the later, specific September waiver announcement and the embassy’s current consular-services statement. Readers should not assume the old Colombian visitor-visa fee remains payable for a trip covered by the restored exemption.
The practical distinction is between exemption from a consular visitor visa and approval to travel electronically. The embassy’s current message says Colombians do not need the former but must complete ETA-IL. Applicants whose purpose or circumstances fall outside ordinary tourist travel should verify the appropriate route with the mission instead of selecting the electronic system merely because it is easier to access.
Check the passport and apply through the official system
Israel’s Tourism Ministry distinguishes passport validity by entry route: visa-exempt travellers requiring ETA should have at least three months of passport validity beyond arrival, while travellers requiring an entry visa need six months. Renew a passport before applying if it does not meet the applicable requirement. Use the ministry’s eligibility guidance to identify whether the ETA or visa route applies.
The embassy’s ETA service accepts biometric and non-biometric passports. It directs applicants to the Population and Immigration Authority application, rather than treating a consular appointment as the way to obtain electronic permission. Complete the request against the passport that will be used for the journey. A replacement travel document or change of name, gender or citizenship requires a new application; an approval associated with earlier details should not simply be carried over.
Budget for the electronic fee and leave time for a decision
The Israeli mission in Berlin publishes an ETA charge of 25 Israeli shekels and warns applicants to use the official government website. It describes acknowledgement and payment-receipt emails, a response within 72 hours, and no express service. This published service indication is a reason to apply ahead of travel, not a basis for buying an alleged guaranteed fast-track approval.
The Singapore mission’s ETA notice identifies the charge as non-refundable and payable by credit card. It also explains that electronic permission does not replace border control. For illustration, a Colombian tourist may now avoid the old consular visitor-visa application but must still obtain the required ETA and present an acceptable passport. Paying the electronic charge by itself does not establish that approval has been granted.
Separate permission validity from the length of the visit
The embassy ETA guidance describes permission valid for up to two years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. That validity allows use of the permission during its lifetime; it does not authorise a two-year stay. The guidance describes visits of up to 90 days or less upon admission, and Colombia’s bilateral statement separately describes the 90-day limit within 12 months.
Israeli citizens and permanent residents with an Israeli identity number are among the groups the Berlin mission says need not apply for ETA. Other official-duty exceptions have their own conditions. For an ordinary Colombian tourist, the next steps are to verify the route and passport, apply through the official system, retain the decision and plan the visit within the permission actually granted. An ETA cannot resolve separate entry restrictions or guarantee admission.
