Before You Pay the Medical Tourism Deposit: 30 Minutes of Boring Due Diligence

The deposit is the first moment real money leaves your hands, and the point where a mistake is hardest to undo. This check doesn't judge whether the clinic is good. It confirms that you're paying the right party, for a defined thing, in a way you could recover if something went wrong.

The half-hour, block by block

Questions to send before you pay

1. What is the legal name of the entity receiving this deposit?
2. What does this deposit reserve: which date, clinician and facility?
3. Is the deposit credited against the final balance?
4. How much is refunded if I cancel, by date?
5. How much is refunded if the clinician decides not to treat me?

Why the deposit deserves its own check

By the time you're asked for a deposit, you have usually been talking to a clinic or coordinator for weeks. That familiarity is exactly why a final, mechanical check helps. It forces you to verify things you've come to assume. The broader picture of what should be settled before any payment is in the booking checklist. This page covers only the deposit transaction itself.

Set aside thirty minutes, at a time when nobody is waiting for your reply. The time blocks below are a guide, not a rule. What matters is that you finish every block before paying.

Minutes 0–5: Match the payee to the provider

Put the quote or invoice next to the payment instructions and compare them.

• Is the account holder's name the same legal entity named on the quote? A clinic's trading name and its legal name can differ, but the difference should be explained in writing.
• Is it a business account, rather than a personal name?
• If a facilitator is collecting the money, does the paperwork say whether they hold it or pass it to the provider, and when?
• Did the payment instructions arrive through the same channel as your other documents? A sudden "new account details" message is a classic warning sign.

Also look at how you are asked to pay. The FTC warns that being told you can only pay by gift card, crypto, a payment app, or a wire or bank transfer is a warning sign, since money sent those ways is difficult to get back (FTC, 2026). A provider can have reasons to prefer transfers. Insisting on them, and refusing any alternative, is a different matter.

Minutes 5–12: Look up the clinician in ReTHUS

Ask for the treating clinician's full name and Colombian identification number if you don't have them. ReTHUS is the Ministry of Health's national register of health workers who meet the legal requirements to practise. Citizens can search it by identification number through the "Consulta al ciudadano" service on SISPRO. The results show whether the person meets the practice requirements, and list sanctions for physicians, dentists and nurses (MinSalud).

Check that the name in the register matches the person named on your quote. A lookup confirms registration status. It isn't a review of skill or outcomes, and it doesn't replace asking about the clinician's training and experience with your procedure.

Minutes 12–18: Check the facility's registration

Health service providers in Colombia go through a mandatory habilitation process and are recorded in REPS, the special register of health service providers. Departmental and district health secretariats manage REPS, and the Ministry of Health consolidates it (MinSalud, REPS study). Use the Ministry's provider-registration lookup to search for the facility where your procedure will actually happen. That may not be the office where you had your consult.

Write down the facility's legal name and address exactly as they appear on your quote. If the quote only gives a brand name, ask for the legal name before paying.

Minutes 18–24: Read what the deposit buys

Reread the deposit section of your quote or terms with these questions in mind:

• What is reserved? A date, a clinician, a facility, or only a place in a queue?
• Is it credited against the final balance, or is it a separate fee?
• What happens if the clinician decides you are not a candidate after examining you?
• How does the refund change by date if you cancel?
• What happens if the provider moves the date, changes the clinician or changes the facility?

If any answer exists only in a chat message or phone call, ask for it to be added to the written terms before you pay. That is a normal request. A provider who won't put its own deposit rules in writing is telling you something.

Minutes 24–28: Choose how to pay

Your payment method determines what you can do if the deposit needs to come back. The FTC recommends paying by credit card where possible, because it offers more protection and a way to dispute charges. With US cards, the CFPB explains that a dispute should be put in writing within 60 days of the statement where the charge appears, or you may lose protections (CFPB, reviewed 2024). Note the statement date when the charge posts.

If a card isn't accepted and you must use a transfer, double-check the account details by calling the provider on a number you found independently, not one included with the payment instructions. Then send a small test amount first if the provider agrees.

Minutes 28–30: Save the evidence

Put these into one folder or PDF before you pay:

• The quote and deposit terms, with the date you received them.
• A screenshot of the ReTHUS result, showing the date of your search.
• A note or screenshot of your facility lookup.
• The payment instructions as you received them.
• Once paid, the receipt or confirmation from the provider, not only your bank's record.

If a facilitator is in the middle

Run the same blocks, with one addition. Find out whether the deposit goes to the facilitator or to the provider. If it goes to the facilitator, ask when it will be passed on. Ask the provider to confirm receipt directly once it has arrived. Check the clinician and facility yourself, even if the facilitator says they have already done so. Their checks may be thorough, but your own five minutes on the registers removes any doubt.

What this half-hour can't tell you

Be clear about the limits of this check. A clean result means you are paying a registered provider, on written terms, in a way you could challenge. It doesn't tell you whether the treatment is right for you, whether this clinician is the best choice for your case, or what the outcome will be. Those questions belong earlier in the process, in your conversations with the treating clinician and your own doctor at home. The deposit check comes after them, not instead of them.

If a block fails

Stop and ask before paying. Most failures have an ordinary fix: a missing legal name, an unclear refund rule, a clinician you need to identify properly. What you shouldn't do is pay first and sort it out later. NHS guidance lists pressure to decide quickly among the warning signs when arranging treatment abroad (NHS, reviewed 2023). A legitimate provider can wait a day while you get answers. If the problems look more like deliberate deception, read avoiding booking scams and fake clinics before going any further.

After you pay

The deposit is the start of the next phase, not the end of checking. A short review in the days after payment catches problems while they are still easy to fix. The 72-hour booking review covers what to recheck.

Frequently asked questions

Can I check a Colombian doctor's registration myself?

Yes. ReTHUS, the Ministry of Health's national register of health workers, can be searched by identification number through the SISPRO "Consulta al ciudadano" service. It shows whether the person meets the requirements to practise, and lists sanctions for physicians, dentists and nurses.

Is it a red flag if the clinic only accepts bank transfers?

Not automatically, but be careful. The FTC warns that insisting on bank transfer, wire, payment apps, cryptocurrency or gift cards is a common scam sign, because those payments are hard to recover. Ask whether a card is possible, and verify account details through an independent channel.

What should the deposit receipt show?

The legal name of the entity that received the money, the amount and currency, the date, your name and booking reference, and what the deposit is for. Ask for it from the provider, not just your bank's transaction record.

How long do I have to dispute a card payment if something goes wrong?

For US credit cards, the CFPB advises getting a written dispute to the issuer within 60 days of the statement listing the charge. Card issuers in other countries have their own rules, so check yours.

What if the facility on my quote is different from where I had my consultation?

That is common, but you need to know it. Get the legal name and address of the facility where the procedure will actually happen, and check that facility before you pay.

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