Connecting through Bogotá: immigration, bags and terminals
El Dorado handled about 45% of Colombia's air passengers in the first half of 2026. If you're flying in from abroad and on to Medellín, Cartagena or Cali, this is where you enter Colombia, and where the connection goes smoothly or doesn't.
- Where you enter ColombiaAt El Dorado, even if you're only connecting to a domestic flight. Everyone entering Colombia clears immigration at their first Colombian airport.
- Your checked bagsOn one booking they're usually tagged to your final city. If the tag says BOG, collect the bag and check it in again.
- Separate ticketsCollect your bags, clear customs, and check in again with the next airline.
- TerminalsT1 for international flights and most domestic ones. Clic, JetSMART and Satena use T2, the former Puente Aéreo.
- Leaving ColombiaIf Bogotá is your last Colombian stop, you pass exit immigration there, not at your first airport.
The connection, step by step
This is how an arrival from abroad connecting to a domestic flight works at El Dorado. Flying straight on to another country? El Dorado has a separate international transit process; check with your airline.
Land and follow the connection signs
El Dorado directs connecting passengers to follow the yellow signage.
Immigration: this is where you enter Colombia
Everyone entering Colombia here goes through Migración Colombia's immigration control, including passengers connecting to domestic flights. Check-MIG is optional but can speed this up.
Check your bag tag
The tag the airline printed at your first airport decides this step.
Find your terminal
Most domestic flights leave from T1. Clic, JetSMART and Satena use T2, the former Puente Aéreo, and a shuttle bus run by the airport operator links the two terminals. Check the current hours with the airport before a late connection.
Board your domestic flight
From here it's an ordinary domestic flight. When you land in Medellín, Cartagena or Cali, you walk straight out, because immigration is already done.
How much time to leave
We couldn't find an official minimum connection time published by the airport, and we won't invent one. Two things are true regardless:
- On a single booking, the airline has sold you a connection it considers workable, and your bags are normally checked through.
- On separate tickets, nobody is holding the second flight for you. You'll clear immigration, collect bags, clear customs and check in again, and queue times vary a lot. Leave a wide margin, and avoid the last flight of the day to your final city.
Leaving Colombia through Bogotá
The reverse works the same way. Fly Medellín → Bogotá → abroad, and the first leg is domestic, so you pass exit immigration in Bogotá. On a single booking, your bag is normally checked through to your final destination.
Or skip Bogotá entirely
Medellín, Cartagena and Cali all have international nonstops, including from several US cities and Madrid. A nonstop means one immigration line, at the airport where you're actually staying. Compare nonstop options.
Bogotá connections, quickly
Do I clear immigration in Bogotá if I'm connecting to Medellín, Cartagena or Cali?
Yes. If Bogotá is your first Colombian airport, you go through immigration control at El Dorado, even if you're only connecting to a domestic flight.
Do I have to collect my bags in Bogotá?
It depends on the bag tag. El Dorado's guidance is that if the tag says BOG, you collect the bag at the belts and check it in again. On a single booking, bags are normally tagged to your final destination. On separate tickets, collect them and check in again.
Which terminal do domestic flights leave from?
International flights and most domestic flights use Terminal 1. Clic, JetSMART and Satena operate from Terminal 2, the former Puente Aéreo. Check your boarding pass.
How long do I need for a connection in Bogotá?
We couldn't find an official minimum connection time published by the airport. On a single booking, the airline has sold you a connection it considers workable. On separate tickets, leave a wide margin and avoid the last flight of the day.
Sources
Checked September 2026. If something here has changed, tell us through the contact page and we'll correct it.
- El Dorado Airport — Immigration and passports — eldorado.aero/en/servicios/migracion-y-pasaportes
- El Dorado Airport — Connections — eldorado.aero/en/vuelos/conexiones
- LATAM — Do I need to pick up my bags on a connection? — www.latamairlines.com/us/en/help-center/faq/baggage/connection-stop-flight/connection-pick-up
- Avianca help centre — Clic Air operates from Bogotá Terminal 2 — ayuda.avianca.com/hc/es/articles/13002844134811
- El Dorado Airport — Terminal 2 (former Puente Aéreo) renewal — eldorado.aero/en/comunicados/la-terminal-2-antiguo-puente-aereo-de-el-dorado-se-renueva
- Valora Analitik — airports by passengers, H1 2026 (Aerocivil data) — www.valoraanalitik.com/aeropuertos-que-mas-pasajeros-mueven-en-colombia-2026/