Does Verizon Work in Colombia? TravelPass vs the eSIM Alternative

Verizon TravelPass costs $12 per day in Colombia. A 7-day trip costs $84. An entire month of 5GB data on a Colombia eSIM costs $22.99. The math is not subtle.

Here is exactly how Verizon works in Colombia, what TravelPass includes, when the $100/month international plan makes sense, and how to use your Verizon number while paying a fraction of the cost.

How Verizon TravelPass works in Colombia

TravelPass is Verizon's international roaming add-on for trips outside the US, Canada, and Mexico. In Colombia, it costs $12 per 24-hour day that you use data. The plan extends your domestic Verizon allowances (data, minutes, texts) to Colombia within your plan limits.

• ·$12 per day, auto-charged when your phone uses any data in Colombia
• ·5GB of high-speed (4G LTE) data per day, then throttled to 3G (roughly 1–2 Mbps)
• ·Unlimited calls and texts to and from the US included
• ·Activates automatically on first data use; no manual setup required

The Verizon $100/month international plan

Verizon's International Monthly Plan costs $100/month and includes unlimited talk, text, and 10GB of high-speed data in 210 countries including Colombia. After 10GB, data is throttled to 3G.

This plan is worth considering if your trip is longer than 9 days and you want a single monthly charge. For a 10-day trip using TravelPass every day: $120. The $100/month plan saves $20 and gives you more data.

For most tourist trips of 7 days or less, neither TravelPass nor the $100/month plan is competitive with a Colombia eSIM.

What 3G throttling actually means in Colombia

After your 5GB daily limit on TravelPass, your connection drops to 3G speeds, which in Colombia typically means 1–3 Mbps. That is fast enough for:

• ✓Google Maps navigation
• ✓WhatsApp messages and voice notes
• ✓Basic email and messaging apps

Not fast enough for:

• ✕Video calls (FaceTime, WhatsApp video, Zoom)
• ✕YouTube or streaming video
• ✕Fast photo uploads

In practice, most tourists will not hit the 5GB daily limit on TravelPass. The throttling cap matters more for digital nomads and remote workers.

Cost comparison: TravelPass vs Colombia eSIM

The dual SIM approach: Verizon for calls, eSIM for data

The most cost-effective setup for Verizon customers traveling to Colombia:

1. 1

   Disable Verizon data roaming before you board

   Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data Options → Data Roaming: Off. This prevents TravelPass from auto-charging on arrival.

2. 2

   Install a Colombia eSIM

   Set it as your data SIM. You get 4G LTE on Tigo or Movistar at a fixed, one-time cost.

3. 3

   Keep Verizon active for voice and texts

   Your Verizon number stays reachable. Incoming calls and texts arrive normally. Note: Verizon international voice calls from Colombia will still follow Verizon's international calling rates if you make outbound calls.

For a comparison across all major US carriers, see the Colombia eSIM for Americans guide. For the AT&T comparison, see the AT&T Colombia guide.