What this window is for
Once the deposit is paid and the booking is confirmed, the work changes. Deciding is mostly done, and preparing begins. You're turning a confirmed plan into a trip that can actually happen on the booked dates. The main pieces of work are:
- clinical preparation required by the treating team
- your own health preparation with your home clinician
- travel documents and entry requirements
- insurance
- flights, lodging and ground arrangements
- paying the balance
- a final reconfirmation
The order below roughly follows how far ahead each item needs attention. Your own timeline will depend on your treatment and how early you booked.
A working timeline
Straight after payment: check what you're holding
Make sure the receipt, the booking confirmation and the quote agree on the patient name, procedure, clinician, facility, dates, deposit and balance. If anything differs, sort it out now while the details are fresh. Our 72-hour booking review covers this first check in detail.
Early: get the pre-op requirements as a list with deadlines
Ask the treating team for every requirement in writing: tests, imaging, specialist clearance, medication changes, and anything like stopping smoking. For each one, ask whether it should be done at home or in Colombia, by what date the results are needed, who reviews them, and what happens to the booking if a result comes back outside the expected range. Results that need clinical judgment belong with the clinicians. Don't decide on your own that a borderline result "should be fine."
Several weeks out: see your own clinician
The CDC Yellow Book (2026) recommends looping in your regular clinician well ahead of the trip, and a travel-medicine visit roughly four to six weeks out, being up to date on routine vaccines (it mentions hepatitis B in particular), and carrying enough of all regular medications for the whole trip. This is also a good time to ask your home clinician whether they'll see you for follow-up after you return.
Several weeks out: documents and entry
The US State Department (2025) advises US citizens to carry a passport with six months' validity and one blank page for the entry stamp. It says Colombia may refuse entry without a return or onward ticket, and that US tourists can stay up to 90 days without a visa. It also says travellers must complete the free Check-Mig form before the flight; the page gives the window inconsistently, so check the official form. If you hold another passport, check your own government's advice.
Pack prescription drugs in the pharmacy packaging they came in, along with the prescription itself. The State Department also notes that some psychiatric medications aren't sold in Colombia. If you plan to pay part of the balance in cash, be aware that amounts over US$10,000 must be declared on entry and exit.
Several weeks out: insurance
The CDC suggests checking whether your regular health plan covers care outside the United States, and considering supplemental medical and medical-evacuation insurance. The NHS treatment-abroad checklist (reviewed 2023) adds that you should tell your travel insurer about the planned treatment. Read what the policy excludes, because many travel policies don't cover complications of planned surgery. Our medical tourism insurance guide sets out the types of cover to compare.
Once dates are firm: book travel
Book flights and lodging around the confirmed treatment date and the return window your surgeon expects. Where you can afford it, choose fares and rates you can change. Arrange your airport pickup and the route between your lodging and the facility, and confirm the address of the facility where treatment actually happens, which may differ from the consultation office.
Before the deadline: pay the balance
Check when the balance is due, in which currency, by which method, and whether any of it is payable on arrival. Pay to the same entity named on the quote and confirmation, and keep each receipt with the booking file. If the payee details change unexpectedly, confirm through a contact you already trust before you send anything.
Shortly before you fly: reconfirm
Ask for written confirmation of the clinician, facility, date, arrival time, fasting and medication instructions, the first appointment after landing and an after-hours contact. Then run your own final checks with our 72-hour preflight check.
What to report to the clinical team during this window
Things change in the weeks before a trip, and some changes matter clinically. Tell the treating team promptly, in writing, about:
- any new diagnosis, illness or hospital visit
- any new medication or supplement, or a change of dose
- significant weight change
- a test result from your home clinician that you weren't expecting
- pregnancy, or a chance of pregnancy
- anything they asked you to stop, such as smoking, that you haven't managed to stop
It's tempting to keep quiet and hope it doesn't matter, especially with flights booked. Don't. A change disclosed early can often be worked around. One discovered in pre-op assessment after you've flown may mean postponement at the most expensive possible moment.
Plan the return while you're still at home
It's easy to put all your attention on getting there. The weeks before you leave are also the best time to set up coming back:
- Follow-up at home: the CDC suggests discussing your plan for possible complications with both your home clinician and the clinician treating you abroad. Ask your home clinician now whether they'll see you after the trip, and what records they'll want.
- Time off: book enough leave to cover recovery after you get home, not just the days you're away.
- Help on arrival home: arrange who will meet you at the airport and help for the first few days, if your procedure calls for it.
- Prescriptions: ask the treating team which medications they expect to prescribe, so you know what you'll need to continue or refill at home.
If a companion is coming with you, share the booking file with them now. Make sure they know the facility address, the clinic contacts and your medication list.
If the dates have to move
If something on your side or the clinic's means the booked date won't work, act as early as possible. Read the cancellation and rescheduling terms you agreed. Put the request in writing, and get the new date confirmed in writing before you change any flights. Then rebook travel in order: the clinical date first, then lodging, then flights.
What should be in your bag on travel day
By the end of this window you should have one complete copy of the booking file, on paper and on your phone:
- quote, confirmation and every payment receipt
- the pre-op requirement list and your results
- your medication list and prescriptions
- insurance documents and emergency numbers
- the facility address and your lodging address
- contacts for the clinic, the coordinator and your home clinician
For everything else to pack, see what to pack for surgery abroad.
The Takeaway
Use the time between payment and arrival to turn the confirmed plan into a trip that can actually happen. Get the requirements as a dated list, see your own clinician early, sort out documents and insurance, book travel only once the dates are firm, and tell the clinical team about any change in your health straight away.
Frequently asked questions
How soon after booking should I start on pre-op requirements?
As soon as you have the list. Some tests or clearances take time to schedule, and results may need clinical review before the date can be confirmed. Ask for each requirement with its deadline.
Do I need a travel-medicine appointment before medical travel to Colombia?
The CDC suggests considering a travel-medicine consultation 4 to 6 weeks before travel, and talking with your primary care clinician well in advance. Ask your own clinician what's appropriate for you.
How much passport validity do I need for Colombia?
The US State Department recommends six months of validity and one blank page for US citizens. Other nationalities should check their own government's guidance before booking flights.
Should I tell the clinic if I get sick before the trip?
Yes, promptly and in writing. A new illness, medication or test result can affect whether treatment goes ahead as planned. It's better for the clinical team to decide early than at pre-op assessment after you've flown.
Can I bring cash to pay the balance?
Ask the clinic which payment methods it accepts and when the balance is due. The State Department notes that amounts over US$10,000 must be declared on entry to and exit from Colombia, with proof of where the funds came from.
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