Colombia · Healthcare
How the Colombia healthcare system works — public vs private care, eligibility, and costs for residents and visitors.
AI-drafted, editorially reviewed. Confirm specifics with the official authority.
Colombia has universal health coverage through the SGSSS, and the practical step is affiliation: residents affiliate with an EPS insurer under either the contributory regime, for formal workers who contribute via payroll, or the subsidised regime, which covers low-income residents. Emergency care must be provided to everyone regardless of affiliation or nationality, but ongoing care runs through your EPS, so getting affiliated is what unlocks it.
Colombia has universal health coverage through the SGSSS, with contributory and subsidised regimes managed by EPS insurers. Emergency care must be provided to everyone.
- Residents affiliate with an EPS under the contributory (employed) or subsidised regime.
- Formal workers contribute via payroll; the subsidised regime covers low-income residents.
- Emergency care is mandatory regardless of affiliation or nationality.
- 1
Identify your regime
The SGSSS has a contributory regime for formal workers who contribute via payroll and a subsidised regime covering low-income residents. Which one applies follows from your work and income situation.
- 2
Affiliate with an EPS
Residents affiliate with an EPS insurer, which manages your coverage. Universal coverage is the design, but affiliation is the step that puts you inside it.
- 3
Set up payroll contributions if employed
Formal workers contribute via payroll under the contributory regime. Check that the deduction and your EPS registration actually match what you expect.
- 4
Use the subsidised route if eligible
The subsidised regime covers low-income residents. It is a defined route rather than an exception, so check eligibility instead of assuming you must contribute.
- 5
Rely on emergency care meanwhile
Emergency care must be provided to everyone regardless of affiliation or nationality. It is a floor while you get affiliated, not a substitute for the ongoing care your EPS provides.
- Applicable regime determined (contributory or subsidised)
- EPS chosen
- Affiliation completed and confirmed active
- Payroll contribution verified if in the contributory regime
- Subsidised-regime eligibility checked if applicable
- EPS network and assigned facilities identified
- Understood emergency care applies regardless of affiliation
- Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social
Ministry of Health — SGSSS and EPS affiliation.
Frequently asked questions
What is an EPS in Colombia?
The insurer that manages your coverage under the SGSSS. Residents affiliate with one, and because ongoing care runs through your EPS, affiliation is the step that turns universal coverage into care you can actually use.
What is the difference between the contributory and subsidised regimes?
The contributory regime is for formal workers who contribute via payroll; the subsidised regime covers low-income residents. Both sit inside the SGSSS, so the subsidised route is a defined pathway rather than an exception.
Can I get treated in Colombia before I am affiliated?
Emergency care must be provided to everyone regardless of affiliation or nationality. Treat that as a floor rather than a plan, though: ongoing care runs through an EPS, so affiliate as early as you can.
Government portals
- GOV.CO — Colombian State Portal — Single entry point to more than 78,000 government procedures.
- DIAN — Tax and Customs — RUT tax registration, income tax and VAT filing, and customs clearance.
- RUES — Unified Business Register — Look up any Colombian company: registration, legal representative and status, through the chambers of commerce.