Key takeaways
- Children's primary care here is usually led by a pediatrician; book an intro visit in your first month.
- Colombia's PAI offers free vaccines for priority groups, including young children, regardless of insurance type.
- Bring official vaccine records and let the pediatrician reconcile schedules; ask for the Colombian carné de vacunación.
- Know which nearby hospitals have pediatric emergency departments; for life-threatening symptoms call 123.
- Confirm each child is a named member of your plan and check waiting periods and well-child coverage.
Raising kids in Colombia as a foreign family is very doable from a healthcare point of view. Private pediatricians are easy to find in Medellín, Bogotá and the other large cities, many hospitals run dedicated pediatric emergency departments, and Colombia has a national vaccination program. The work is in the setup: choosing a pediatrician before you need one, keeping vaccine records that make sense in two countries, knowing where to go at 2 a.m., and making sure insurance actually covers your children.
This guide walks through each of those, written for parents who have just arrived or are planning a move. It is practical orientation; your pediatrician is the person to guide medical decisions for your child.
Finding a pediatrician
In Colombia, children's primary care is usually led by a pediatrician (pediatra), not a family doctor. In private practice you can typically book directly; in an EPS, your child is assigned through the network.
What to look for
- Verified registration as a physician with a pediatrics specialty (check RETHUS; see Colombian medical licensing).
- Hospital affiliation, so the doctor can follow your child if admitted.
- How they handle questions between visits: phone, WhatsApp, a nurse line.
- Comfort in English if you need it; see English-speaking doctors in Colombia.
- Location: a pediatrician near home or school matters more than you think in city traffic.
- Their approach to well-child visits, growth monitoring and development checks.
Book an introductory well-child visit in your first month, even if your child is healthy. It establishes a record, lets the pediatrician review vaccines, and means you have someone to call when the first fever arrives.
What well-child visits usually cover
Routine visits (control de crecimiento y desarrollo, growth and development check) typically include weight, height and head circumference for younger children, a physical exam, a review of milestones, feeding and sleep questions, and a vaccine check. How often they happen depends on your child's age and the pediatrician's practice. Bring your growth charts from home if you have them; plotting your child's history on one chart makes it much easier to spot changes.
Vaccinations: records from home and Colombia's schedule
Colombia runs a national immunization program, the Programa Ampliado de Inmunizaciones (PAI). PAI vaccines for priority groups, including young children, are offered free at authorized vaccination points regardless of the type of health insurance affiliation. Colombia's schedule overlaps a lot with US, Canadian and UK schedules, but the timing and specific vaccines differ in places.
- Bring every vaccine record you have. Official records from your pediatrician or health authority, with dates and vaccine names. Photos on your phone are a backup, not a substitute.
- Have the pediatrician compare schedules. They will identify anything missing under the Colombian schedule and decide whether catch-up doses are needed. Do not try to reconcile schedules on your own.
- Ask where to get vaccines. Some vaccines may be given at public vaccination points, others at private vaccination centers or the pediatrician's clinic. Ask which is which for your child.
- Get every dose recorded. Ask for the Colombian vaccination card (carné de vacunación) to be updated, and ask that doses are entered in the national vaccination information system, PAIWEB.
- Keep both records. Your home-country record and the Colombian card together. Schools in either country may ask for them.
Travel vaccines within Colombia
If you plan family trips to jungle or rural regions, ask your pediatrician about yellow fever vaccination and other travel precautions well ahead of time. Whether a child can or should receive yellow fever vaccine depends on age and health, and it needs to be given in advance of travel, so this is a conversation to have early, not the week before.
Schools and daycares in Colombia commonly ask for an up-to-date vaccination card at enrollment. Sorting out records early saves a scramble at the start of the school year.
Urgent care for kids: where to go
When a child is sick after hours, you generally have three options. Knowing them before you need them is half the battle.
| Situation | Usual first step | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mild fever, cold symptoms, minor rash | Call or message your pediatrician; some insurers offer a doctor-at-home or telemedicine service | Ask your pediatrician in advance which symptoms they want to hear about after hours |
| Persistent fever, vomiting, dehydration signs, ear pain at night | Pediatric emergency department (urgencias pediátricas) at a hospital | Many larger hospitals have separate pediatric emergency areas; know which ones near you do |
| Difficulty breathing, unresponsiveness, seizure, severe injury, suspected poisoning | Call 123 or go straight to the nearest emergency department | Do not wait for a callback |
Emergency departments in Colombia use triage, so a child with mild symptoms may wait while sicker patients are seen first. That is normal. Bring your child's ID or passport, insurance card, vaccine record and a list of any medications. Our guide to urgent and emergency care for foreigners explains how triage and payment generally work.
Pharmacies may sell some medicines without a prescription, and staff may recommend treatments for children's symptoms. For babies and young children especially, check with your pediatrician before giving any medication, and never estimate a child's dose from adult packaging.
Insurance for children
Make sure your children are covered as named members on whatever plan you use, from day one if possible.
EPS
If you are a resident affiliated to an EPS, children can generally be added as beneficiaries. Care runs through the EPS network, with an assigned primary care provider and referrals for specialists. See EPS for foreigners.
Prepagada
Many expat families choose a medicina prepagada plan for children because it gives direct access to private pediatricians and pediatric specialists. Ask about waiting periods for new members, whether newborns are added automatically or need an application, how pediatric emergencies and hospitalization are covered, and any exclusions for conditions your child already has. Our prepagada guide and overview of Sisbén, EPS and prepagada tiers explain how the layers fit together.
International and travel insurance
International family plans can work well if you move between countries, but check whether well-child visits and vaccines are covered, or only illness. Travel insurance often excludes routine pediatric care entirely.
If your child has an ongoing condition
Children with asthma, allergies, type 1 diabetes, epilepsy, developmental conditions or other long-term needs can be well cared for in Colombia's private system, but continuity takes deliberate planning.
- Ask your child's specialist at home for a written summary: diagnosis, current treatment by generic name, recent test results and an emergency plan.
- Arrive with enough medication and supplies to cover the time until your child sees a Colombian doctor, carried in original packaging with the prescription.
- Book both the pediatrician and the relevant pediatric specialist soon after arrival, before supplies run low.
- Ask the Colombian doctor to confirm that your child's medicines and devices are available here, and to write local prescriptions.
- Share a written action plan with the school, including what staff should do and whom to call.
- If therapies such as speech, occupational or physical therapy are part of your child's care, ask your pediatrician for referrals and check how your insurance covers them.
For adults managing long-term conditions, our guide on managing chronic conditions as an expat covers prescriptions and insurance in more detail, and much of it applies to children too.
Everyday health: school, dentist, and the small stuff
Beyond the pediatrician, a few routine pieces round out a child's care here:
- Pediatric dentist (odontopediatra). Many families see one twice a year. Ask your pediatrician for a referral.
- School health forms. Schools may request a medical certificate, vaccination card and allergy information. Keep digital copies.
- Eye and hearing checks. Ask the pediatrician when these are due at your child's age.
- Sun and altitude. Medellín's sun is strong year-round; ask the pediatrician about sun protection for young children, and mention any breathing issues if you will be at higher altitudes such as Bogotá.
- Food and water safety. Tap water in Medellín and Bogotá is generally treated, but ask locally when traveling to other regions, and follow your pediatrician's advice for infants.
A one-page plan for your family
Put this on the fridge and in every parent's phone:
- Pediatrician's name, clinic address and after-hours instructions.
- The nearest hospital with a pediatric emergency department, and the second nearest.
- Emergency number: 123.
- Each child's insurance plan and member number.
- Allergies, medications and relevant conditions for each child.
- Where the vaccination cards and passports are kept.
If you are expecting a baby here, read giving birth in Colombia as a foreigner for prenatal care and birth registration. If you would like help finding a bilingual pediatrician, you can contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Are vaccines free for foreign children in Colombia?
Vaccines in Colombia's national program (PAI) are offered free to priority groups, including young children, regardless of the type of health insurance affiliation. Some vaccines outside the program are given at private centers for a fee. Ask your pediatrician which apply to your child.
Do I need to redo my child's vaccines in Colombia?
Usually not, if you have official records. A pediatrician compares your child's record with the Colombian schedule and decides whether any catch-up doses are needed.
Where should I take my child at night if they're sick?
For worrying but non-life-threatening symptoms, a hospital with a pediatric emergency department. For breathing difficulty, seizures, unresponsiveness or serious injury, call 123 or go straight to the nearest emergency department.
Can I buy children's medicine at a pharmacy without a prescription?
Some medicines are sold without a prescription, but check with your pediatrician first, especially for babies and young children. Never estimate a child's dose from adult products.
Official sources
Please note: This article is general information, not medical advice. Every patient is different. Talk with a licensed physician about your own health, risks and options before making treatment or travel decisions.