Go to content 
Rumichaca land border ᐈ How to cross the border between Colombia and Ecuador
The Rumichaca land border is the most famous border crossing between Colombia and Ecuador. To get to Quito from Colombia or from Ecuador to almost anywhere in Colombia, you'll have to cross this border. In this article, I'm going to explain...car All you need to know on how to cross the land border of Rumicacha to avoid any problem or unforeseen event.
REQUIREMENTS ENTRY AND EXIT COLOMBIA
From April 2023 there is no longer any health requirement. Furthermore, for land borders, it is not mandatory to carry out the Check-Mig procedure on the Colombian Migration platform either for entry or exit from the country; currently it is only used for air travel.
Spanish citizens are allowed to stay up to 90 days in Colombia and must have a passport valid for at least 6 months.
On the Colombian side of the border you will find an office to carry out immigration procedures. In front of the office there are two lines, one to manage entry into Colombia and another to manage exit.. Stamp the passport for both entry and exit is free and I recommend going early in the morning to speed up the procedures since there is usually not so much line. To seal entry to Colombia you must have previously stamped exit at the Ecuador office.
The Colombian office is the one with the worst reputation on this border and attempts at extortion or unjustified costs have been reported, so I recommend going with special attention and not paying anything. Personally we did not have any problems in this office.
In broad daylight We didn't think it was a dangerous border. nor that there were people trying to take advantage of travelers.
REQUIREMENTS ENTRY AND EXIT ECUADOR
Currently, a vaccination certificate must not be presented to enter Ecuador, but a health declaration must be filled out at the same border office. Tourists are allowed to stay up to 90 days in Ecuador and they also have to have a passport with at least 6 months validity.
Go directly to the Ecuador immigration office to manage your entry into the country. Remember that to enter Ecuador you must have previously sealed your exit from Colombia.
If you are leaving Ecuador, the first step will be to stamp your exit from the country at the immigration office on the Ecuadorian side. In this office there is usually a queue from very early.
The Ecuadorian side does not seem dangerous at all in broad daylight, nor did we find anyone strange.
HOW TO GET TO THE LAND BORDER RUMICHACA FROM COLOMBIA
The closest Colombian city to Rumichaca is Ipiales. Sometimes first you will have to get to the city of Pasto, located about 2 hours by bus from Ipiales. We traveled with a night bus from Popayan to Ipiales for about €13 per person in a VIP seat.
From the Ipiales land terminal there are buses that cost about 3000 COP and also taxis to the Rumichaca bridge., some drivers even offered transportation to an illegal border crossing.
HOW TO GET TO THE LAND BORDER RUMICHACA FROM ECUADOR
To go to Rumicacha first you have to get to Tulcan, which is the closest city to the border. There are buses to Tulcan from various points in the country, if you are too far away you first have to travel to Otavalo or Ibarra and from there to Tulcan. From Ibarra to Tulcan the ticket costs approximately $3,5.
From Tulcan to the border you will have to take a taxi or bus. In the land terminal you can find buses They charge approximately $1 per person.
ACCOMMODATION CLOSE TO THE RUMICHACA BORDER
Luckily This border is very busy and on both sides there are relatively large cities with a varied range of accommodation. The negative part is that accommodation prices are slightly higher than the rest of the country, especially on the Ecuador side.
Where to stay in Ipiales
I recommend staying in Ipiales. near the land terminal from where the transportation leaves for the border. He Hotel San Jose It is undoubtedly the best in the area, in front of the terminal, clean, modern with a private bathroom and with a price of about €12 per night.
If you prefer to stay in a more central and quiet area I recommend the Hotel Royal Class.
Where to stay in Tulcan
As I mentioned before The accommodation on the Ecuadorian side is considerably more caro, so if you have time I recommend taking a bus to Ibarra or Otavalo to sleep there and save a lot of money on accommodation. In Tulcan you can stay in the Hotel Saenz.
If you go to Ibarra I recommend staying in the Fevilamir hostel and if you are going to Otavalo at the Hostal Riviera Sucre.
We hope that our guide on how to cross the Rumichaca land border has been useful to you in organizing your trip. If you have any questions, write to us and we will be happy to solve them for you. If you would like to see more photos about our time in Colombia y Ecuador You can see our featured stories at Instagram.
you can hire Iati insurance, HeyMondo, Interworld o Chapka with a discount thanks to being our reader. You can also get a great discount code Holafly.
