Cities like Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín lead the ranking of preferred destinations for those seeking high-quality medical and aesthetic services at competitive prices. Based on figures compiled by Cali’s city mayor’s office, between January and May 2024, Bogotá had received 3,951 medical tourists, followed by Cali with 3,331, and Medellín with 2,170. Other cities such as Barranquilla (553) and Cartagena (336) are also part of this growing phenomenon.

During the 44th Vitrina Turística de Anato Valle del Cauca (the region whose capital is Cali) announced a strategic plan to position itself as Colombia’s hub for medical tourism by 2027. The goal: attract 20% of all international patients coming to Colombia for medical treatment, a feasible target given current trends. Of the 3,331 medical tourists that Cali welcomed in the aforementioned period, 2,730 of whom were foreigners and 601 Colombian nationals living abroad. The majority of these visitors came from the United States, followed by the Netherlands, Panama, Ecuador, and Canada.

Cali boasts 3,912 registered healthcare providers (according to the REPS — Special Registry of Health Service Providers), ensuring a robust infrastructure to meet international demand. This strong institutional capacity has positioned Cali as a national and global leader in medical tourism.

Most international patients in Medellín come from the United States, Caribbean countries, Panama, the Netherlands, Spain, and Canada.

Meanwhile, Medellín broke records in 2024, serving 23,323 international patients (an average of 64 people per day), according to the Medellín Health City Cluster report by the Medellín Chamber of Commerce for Antioquia. This reflects a steady 14% annual growth since 2010. The city offers services in specialties such as ophthalmology, plastic surgery, cardiology, orthopedics, and gastroenterology, with total medical service revenues reaching $64.5 billion COP last year. The broader economic impact of medical tourism in Medellín, including lodging, transportation, and other spending, was around $45.5 billion COP.

“As a plastic surgeon, it is very gratifying to receive patients from abroad who come to experience Colombia and enjoy the benefits of our healthcare system. Every year, we successfully perform facial and body surgeries on patients who wish to improve some aesthetic aspects. The main challenge we face is the length of stay in Colombia. When it is less than 15 days, it makes follow-up body surgeries difficult. To this end, we have optimized the logistics of performing surgeries and the follow-up period so that we can guarantee maximum safety for our patients during the process,” said Dr. Tomás Feria Romero, a plastic surgeon based in Medellín, who is bilingual and equipped to perform complex aesthetic and reconstructive procedures.

Dr. Tomás Feria Romero, a plastic surgeon based in Medellín. (Photo credit: Dr. Tomás Feria)

“Surgery planning often begins six months or more in advance, through video call consultations, where we advise our patients on every detail to ensure an optimal experience. It is interesting to see how patients increasingly seek us out, not only for the benefit of the currency exchange but for the results we obtain and the Latin perspective of our results,” he explained.

Colombia’s position is further validated by global data. According to the 2024 report by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), Colombia ranks as the 13th country with the most plastic surgeons worldwide. Remarkably, 30% of procedures performed in Colombia are for foreign patients, the third-highest percentage globally, surpassed only by Tunisia and the UAE. The country ranks 10th globally in breast surgeries (85,920 procedures, representing 2.2% of the global total) and 9th in body & extremities aesthetic surgeries.

This momentum also makes Colombia an ideal destination for foreign investment in the healthcare sector. According to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals 2025, Fundación Valle del Lili in Cali ranks 162nd globally, and Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá ranks 244th. A total of 60 Colombian hospitals were included in the study. Additionally, Colombia stood out in the Latam Business Conference 2024 ranking of Best Hospitals in Latin America, which featured 11 Colombian institutions, including Fundación Santa Fe with a score of 94.4, making it the second-best hospital in Latin America among 36 evaluated institutions.

Multinational insurer SURA chose Rionegro, in the suburbs of Medellín, for Vaxthera, its groundbreaking new vaccine production facility, led by the renowned researcher, and University of Wisconsin Molecular Virologist Dr. Jorge Osorio.

Photo credit: Loren Moss.

Colombia’s regulatory strength further supports this growth. Its national regulatory agency, INVIMA, is recognized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) as a Level IV authority. Additionally, INVIMA’s Physicochemical Laboratory for Pharmaceuticals and Other Technologies is on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of prequalified laboratories. The lab is certified for meeting Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) standards for analyzing medicines, cosmetics, dietary supplements, biologics, herbal products, and household hygiene products.

Colombia’s rise in medical tourism is a growing phenomenon that can be attributed to its advanced technology, world-class medical professionals, and lower costs compared to other countries, all without compromising international quality standards.

Multinational insurer SURA chose Rionegro, in the suburbs of Medellín, for its groundbreaking new vaccine production facility, led by the renowned researcher, and University of Wisconsin Molecular Virologist Dr. Jorge Osorio.

Headline photo: A patient preparing for an MRI procedure, courtesy Fundación San Vicente, Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia

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