Colombia’s Travel Advisories Include Civil Unrest and Yellow Fever

(Vax-Before-Travel News)

According to recent travel advisories issued by the U.S. government, it is advisable to delay trips to the Republic of Colombia in April 2025 due to ongoing crime and an unexpected yellow fever outbreak.

On April 17, 2025, the U.S. Department of State updated its Level 3: Reconsider Travel advisory for Colombia, citing ongoing civil unrest in various areas of the South American country.

The State Department has confirmed that visitors should not travel to the Arauca, Cauca (excluding Popayán), and Norte de Santander departments due to concerns about crime and terrorism.

Additionally, do not travel to this area for any reason to the Colombia-Venezuela border region, which is affected by crime, kidnapping, conflict between armed groups, and the risk of detention is elevated.

If you decide to travel to Colombia, the U.S. suggests enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive digital alerts from the local Embassy in Bogota and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.

From a health perspective, Colombia’s current yellow fever (YF) outbreak has raised public health concerns as cases have been reported in areas where the disease had not historically occurred, including in Caldas.

To alert residents and visitors, Columbia’s National Government declared a YF public health emergency on April 17, 2025.

In 2025, YF cases are distributed in nine departments: Tolima (59 cases), Putumayo, Nariño, Caquetá, Huila, Vaupés, Cauca, Meta, and Caldas. The total number of confirmed YF-related deaths in Tolima is 23.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), yellow fever is a vaccine-preventable disease. Sanofi Pasteur YF-VAX® vaccine is commercially available at travel clinics and pharmacies in the United States.

And vaccination certificates, which are required for entry into designated countries, are issued upon completion.