With the elimination of the tourist visa requirement to enter the United Kingdom, which will come into force on November 9, There are already 95 countries in the world that do not ask Colombians for this document. For its part, there are 112 territories where it is still required, according to information published by the Foreign Ministry.
(We recommend: These are the countries that do not ask Colombians for a visa in 2022)
2015 was especially positive in terms of the elimination of this requirement, since 30 European countries, in December, removed the visa for Colombians who go for tourism purposes. That same year, but in May, the Dominican Republic also lifted the requirement.
How has the number of trips changed since the requirement was removed? We show you.
Data from Migración Colombia on departures of Colombians from the national territory show that visits to Schengen Area countries where a tourist visa is not required increased since 2016.
In the last decade, the year with the most departures to those 30 territories -including Spain, France, Germany and Italy, among others- was 2019, with a total of 679,418. And, in the same period, the other two years with the most departures were 2017 and 2018. In contrast, the one with the fewest departures (147,986) was 2020, when mobility restrictions began due to the covid-19 pandemic.
(Also: No UK visa, but…at what cost? Here’s what you need to know)
Only between 2015 and 2016, departures to these European countries went from 340,487 to 463,636; that is, there were 123,149 more exits. The increase was 36.1%. And if you compare the 2015 figure to the 2019 figure, the increase was 99.5%.
Regarding the total departures of Colombians abroad, between 2015 and 2016 there was a decrease of 1.7%: it went from 3,861,508 to 3,794,529. And the comparison of departures between 2015 and 2019 shows an increase of 16%.
These percentages would show that, although the increase in the number of exits was generalized between 2015 and 2019, the rate of increase in departures to countries with the Schengen Agreement was greater than that of the global total.
The three European countries with the most visits by Colombians, between January 2016 and June 2022, are Spain (2,210,299 departures), France (244,923 departures) and Germany (211,780 departures). In any case, they were also the three countries of that continent most visited by nationals before the elimination of the visa.
It is striking that Spain is one of those that also appears in the top 5 of the most visited countries -whether they require a visa or not- by Colombians. Also, between 2015 and 2016, visits increased by 44.1%. And comparing 2015 with 2019, the growth was 121.2%.
In the case of Dominican Republic, which eliminated the visa requirement in May 2015, there is also evidence of an increase in departures, although this was not constant. Between 2015 and 2016, departures increased by 20.5%, but there was a 4% decrease between 2016 and 2017.
(Also: US Embassy Advances Visa Application Appointments: What Should You Do?)
Of course, if you compare 2015 with 2019 -before the mobility restrictions due to the pandemic-, departures to the Caribbean country increased by 50.6%. In the last decade, the year with the highest number of visits was 2021, with 125,317.
The first half of 2022 broke a record for departures abroad
If you compare the total departures between January and June of all the years since 2012, this year has been the one with the highest numbers. In total, there is a record of 2,368,772 departures to 221 countries and territories.
The second year with the most departures in its first six months is 2019, with 2,222,293; that is, 146,479 departures less than this year.
It is also noteworthy that 2022 appears, in several countries, as the year with the most departures, having the first half of all years. In fact, this occurs in three countries of the top 5 of the most visited: the United States, Mexico and Spain.
(See: Who made the UK visa annulment possible? This is the dispute)
The 2022 figures contrast significantly with those of 2020 and 2021, when it was more difficult to travel due to the measures adopted throughout the world to contain the spread of covid-19.
In these 10 years and six months, the lowest monthly records of departures were those of April (3,251). Between April and October the number of departures was below 100,000. Meanwhile, the monthly departures of the previous years were always above 200,000; some months even exceeded 400,000 exits.
The highest monthly record so far is June 2022, with a total of 469,063 departures of Colombians abroad in its 30 days.
What are the countries that Colombians visit the most?
The territory with the most registered departures from 2012 to mid-2022 is USA, with a total of 12,756,692. In fact, 1 out of every 3 Colombian trips abroad have been to that country.
(See: Appointment of Colombia and the US is anticipated to discuss possible elimination of visa)
To enter North American territory, it is necessary to have a visa. It is noteworthy that it is the only country in the top 10 with the most departures from Colombia that has this requirement. Second is Mexico, with 3,662,266. follow him Panamawith 3,548,158; Spain, 3,005,444; Y Ecuadorwith 2,697,219.
Of the 20 countries with the most departures from Colombia, only three appear with the visa requirement: the United States; Canada, which ranks 13th; and Costa Rica, in 16th place.
The United Kingdom is ranked 17th among the most visited by nationals. In 10 and a half years, there were 160,123 departures. The year with the highest number was 2019, with 22,183.
The United Kingdom is a unitary State that is made up of four constituent countries or nations, of which England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are part. All four countries can be visited from November 9, as well as the countries of the Schengen area in Europe.
(Also: Countries you can visit after UK visa removal)
“With this change, we open the doors to more business opportunities, we are happy to be able to share the United Kingdom with more Colombians. Without a doubt, the elimination of visitor visas is an important step in the UK-Colombia relationship (… ),” Hodgson said.
It is important to keep in mind that Ireland (different from Northern Ireland), a neighboring country, is not part of the United Kingdom and requires a visa for Colombians to enter as a tourist.
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