How do you convert a foreign driving licence in Colombia in 2026?

If you are visiting or in transit with a current foreign licence, Bogotá mobility guidance says you may drive nationwide for a maximum of six months under the cited transit rules. Carry the physical licence and passport. International Driving Permits help translation in some stops but do not rewrite the six-month tourist logic.

Long-stay movers who obtain a Cédula de Extranjería should not treat the tourist window as a permanent loophole: Get a Cédula de Extranjería. Metro, TransMilenio, Medellín Metro, and ride-hailing cover many weeks without a car: Living in Colombia without a car and Utilities, internet and transport. If your city life needs a vehicle, start the Colombian licence path before the tourist months run out.

Colombia has recognition agreements with a short list of countries. Bogotá and Secretaría Distrital de Movilidad guidance commonly cite Spain, Peru, Chile, and South Korea, with Argentina also appearing in mobility FAQ material. Eligible drivers register in RUNT at a one-stop transit window (VUS), submit the foreign licence, cédula copy, and recognition form to the Ministry of Transport traffic subdirectorate, wait for authenticity checks with the home authority (guidance allows up to two calendar months), then return to a VUS point for Colombian licence issuance when approved.

If your country has no recognition agreement, expect a first-time Colombian licence path: medical certificate, driving school hours, theory and practical exams, and RUNT registration, using your cédula as ID. City offices in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, and Cartagena run the local windows; procedures are Spanish-first. Living without a car is realistic in well-served corridors: Living in Bogotá and Living in Medellín. School and exam fees belong in setup cash: How expensive is Colombia.