Phone Calls, Internet & Sim Card in Colombia: Complete Guide (2023)

To call you’ll need to dial 0 + 5 (or 7 or 9) + country code + area code + the 7 digits of the local number (example: from Providencia to Bogotá: 0 + 5 (or 7 or 9) + 1 + 313 3520).

Dial the 7 digits of the local number (example: from Bogotá to Bogotá: 313 3520).

For landline phones, the 1st digit is the area code. Calling a landline from a mobile phone: 03 + the region code (e.g. 5 for Cartagena) + the caller’s number.

To call a mobile phone from a landline, you’ll need to dial 03 + the 10 digits of the mobile phone.

Mobile phones start with 3 and have a total of 10 digits. The 3 first digits indicates which is the operator. And each operator has its own digits : 301, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314 or 315). To Call a mobile phone from another mobile phone : just dial the Operator number + the 7 digits of the caller’s number.

From Colombia to Colombia (same region), only call, no additional digits. Example: 742 44 88 if you are in Bogota and you call Bogota.

First dial 011 to exit the U.S. telephone system.
Then dial 57, which is the country code for Colombia.
Now dial the local number. For landlines, the number will be eight digits including the area code, and mobile phone numbers are 10 digits long
Dial 011 + 57 + area code + the 7 digits of the local number (example: call Cali: 011 + 57 + 2 + 313 3520).

From Colombia to US or abroad (there are three national operators: 5 from Orbitel, 7 from Mundo and 9 from Telecom). 00 + (5, 7 or 9 depending on the operator) + the country code + area code without the 0 + local number (example: call Biarritz: 00 + 5 (or 7 or 9) + 33 + 5 + 85 64 24 33.

From France to Colombia : Dial 00 + 57 + area code + the 7 digits of the local number (example: call Cali: 00 + 57 + 2 + 313 3520).

Local calls cost $200 per minute. If you own a Movistar and call a Movistar, it only costs you about $100 per minute, but if you call a Claro or Tigo for example, the rate goes up to $1,000 per minute. 
Most people in Colombia today use Whatsapp more than the normal telephone channel.

Cable and fibre optics have long since invaded major cities, providing high-speed connections in the many Internet cafés. In the rest of the country, there are few towns or villages without a connection point. Wi-fi is also very common.

The country has a good mobile phone network and several operators (Movistar, Claro or Tigo). The worst operator is Movistar really not recommended. The best coverage is by far Claro

The best is by far Claro, no comparision with the others. They have an excellent coverage. The worse operator is Movistar, they just steal your money for a bad service, avoid it at any cost.

Acheter un sim en Colombie est très facile. Il y a 2 types de forfaits : le prépayé et le post-payé. Si vous êtes en voyage pour une courte durée, le pré-payé sera largement suffisant. L’avantage est que vous pourrez rechargez en minute presque partout dans le pays. Si vous restez plus longtemps, un forfait Post-Pago sera plus adapté. Vous serez débité tous les mois. Pensez simplement à emmener votre pièce d’identité.

In all cities and towns there are recharging points. You can recognize them by the big stickers on their kiosks. You just have to indicate the value for which you want to recharge (between 20,000 and 50,000 Cop for 1 month), and you will receive an SMS on your number. Then dial the number of your operator to activate these minutes. If not, ask the salesperson, who will be happy to help you.

In the street you have phone points called the “minutos”. Basically they allow you to borrow a mobile phone from a mobile provider for a few cents a minute. That’s the best way to go if you get lost in the street.