Four documents that are easy to mix up
Patients often treat a chat message saying "you're confirmed!" as if it were all four of these. Each one has a different job.
| Document | What it does | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Quote | Proposes a price and scope, usually with an expiry date | You, while deciding |
| Booking confirmation | Records what has been reserved, on what terms, after you accept | You and the provider |
| Appointment letter | States the purpose and dates of your visit, briefly, for third parties | Insurers, employers, border officials, your home doctor |
| Receipt or invoice | Proves what you paid, when, to whom | You, your bank, tax or insurance claims |
You may get some of these combined, for instance a confirmation that doubles as a receipt. That's fine, as long as everything listed below is covered somewhere in writing.
What the booking confirmation should contain
Think of it as the summary you'd want if your phone were lost and the chat history gone. It should include:
- Your identity: full name as on your passport, date of birth, and the provider's patient or booking reference.
- The service: the procedure in plain words, and the treating clinician by full name.
- The place: the facility's legal name and street address. If the consult and the procedure happen in different places, both.
- The dates: any pre-op appointments, the procedure date and the expected follow-up visits.
- The money: the deposit received, the balance due, and when and how the balance is paid.
- What is still provisional: for example, "subject to in-person examination and pre-op labs". A confirmation that admits what isn't settled is more trustworthy than one that implies everything is.
- The terms: a reference to the cancellation policy that applies, or a copy attached.
- The issuer: the name and role of the person issuing it, and how to contact the provider.
Check each line against your quote. Any difference in clinician, facility, scope or price should be explained before you rely on the confirmation.
What the appointment letter should contain
An appointment letter is for people who don't need your full medical file. Keep it short and factual:
- On the provider's letterhead, dated and signed, with a contact phone number and email.
- Your full name and passport number, if you plan to show it at the border.
- A statement that you are scheduled for medical treatment at the named facility, on stated dates.
- The expected length of your stay, including recovery.
- If relevant, a note that a companion is travelling to support you.
Think about how much medical detail each reader needs. Your employer probably doesn't need the procedure named. Your insurer probably does. Asking for two versions, one brief and one detailed, is a reasonable request.
Who will ask to see these documents
At the border
For US citizens, the State Department says no visa is needed for tourism or business stays of 90 days or less. It also says travellers may be refused entry without a return ticket, and that you should submit Colombia's online Check-MIG registration before you fly (US State Department, 2025). An appointment letter isn't on that list of requirements. Even so, it's useful to have with your return ticket if you are asked about the purpose or length of your trip. Travellers of other nationalities should check their own government's guidance.
If you are carrying prescription medicines, the State Department advises keeping them in their original packaging with your doctor's prescription. That's a separate document from the appointment letter, but keep them together.
Your insurer
NHS guidance says to make sure you have appropriate travel insurance and to tell your insurer about your plans for treatment abroad. It also notes that most travel insurance won't cover planned treatment, so you may need specialist cover (NHS, reviewed 2023). Insurers that do cover medical travel may ask for evidence of the procedure, the facility and the dates. The detailed confirmation is usually what they want. More on cover is in medical tourism insurance.
Your employer
If you are taking leave, your employer may ask for documents showing the dates you'll be away. The brief appointment letter is usually enough. Ask your employer what they need before you request the letter, so it's right the first time.
Your home doctor
Share the confirmation with whoever will handle your follow-up at home, so they know the dates, the procedure and the treating clinician. The CDC Yellow Book suggests discussing the plan for complications with both your home provider and the overseas provider (CDC Yellow Book, 2026).
Checking that a confirmation is genuine
A confirmation is only as good as the authority of whoever issued it. Before relying on one:
- Check that it comes from the provider, or from a party the provider has confirmed is authorised to book for it.
- Check that the email domain and letterhead match the provider's official details, found independently.
- Check that the clinician, facility and price match your quote.
If you aren't sure who has the authority to confirm your booking, see who is actually authorized to confirm your medical booking.
When something changes, get it reissued
Dates move, clinicians' schedules shift, and pre-op results can change the plan. When any detail on the confirmation changes, ask for a new version with a date or version number on it. Don't accept "same as before, new date" in a chat as your record. Do the same for the appointment letter if the dates on it change. A letter showing the wrong dates can cause more trouble than having none.
Keep the superseded versions, too. They show how the booking developed, which can matter in a refund or insurance question.
Language, format and keeping copies
A document is only useful if the person reading it can understand it and you can produce it when asked.
- Language. If the provider's documents are in Spanish, ask whether they can issue an English version, or a bilingual one. Your insurer and employer may need to read it, and you need to understand every line yourself.
- Format. Ask for PDFs rather than screenshots or images in a chat. A PDF on letterhead is easier to forward, print and file.
- Offline copies. Keep the confirmation and appointment letter on your phone without needing an internet connection, plus one printed copy in your carry-on. Airports and clinic reception desks aren't the places to rely on mobile data.
- A copy at home. Leave copies with a trusted person, so they can help if your phone is lost or you're unwell.
If all you have is a chat message
Ask for proper documents. A short, polite request works: "Could you please send a booking confirmation on your letterhead showing my name, the procedure, the treating doctor, the facility address, the confirmed dates, the deposit received and the balance due, plus a separate signed appointment letter for travel and insurance purposes?" A legitimate provider should be able to produce these once your booking is accepted. If they can't or won't, treat the booking as unconfirmed.
What normally happens between the confirmation and your arrival is covered in post-booking: what happens between payment and arrival.
The Takeaway
Get a booking confirmation for your own records and a short, signed appointment letter for everyone else. Check both against your quote, and ask for new versions every time a date or detail changes.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an appointment letter to enter Colombia?
For US citizens, the State Department's entry requirements don't list one. They do mention a passport valid for your stay, a return ticket and the Check-MIG form. A letter can still be useful if you are asked about the purpose of your trip. Other nationalities should check their own government's guidance.
Is a WhatsApp confirmation legally worthless?
Not necessarily, but it's a weak record. It may be hard to show who sent it, or what exactly was agreed. Ask for a confirmation on the provider's letterhead that lists the clinician, facility, dates, deposit and balance.
Should the appointment letter name my procedure?
Only if the reader needs it. An insurer usually does. An employer usually doesn't. Ask the provider for a brief version and a detailed version, so you share no more medical information than necessary.
What if the confirmation names a different surgeon from my quote?
Ask why before you rely on it, and don't treat the booking as settled until the difference is explained in writing. A change of clinician is a significant change to what you agreed.
How often should a confirmation be reissued?
Every time a detail on it changes: dates, clinician, facility, scope or price. Keep earlier versions as well, because they record how the booking developed.