Venezuela is becoming more and more accessible to travellers and hopefully this means we are ushering in a new era of travel to Venezuela. Naturally this means travellers of all types including overlanders will want to get involved. While it is still not possible to travel completely from North to South America because of the Darien Gap in Panama/Colombia, people do get their cars shipped around and cutting through Venezuela to get to the Guyanas or down to the jungles of Brazil will definitely be on people’s minds.
Here is the latest information on crossing Venezuela’s land borders and how you can best plan your next mega South American overland trip.
Venezuela and Colombia
Cucutá (Colombia) – San Antonio (Venezuela)
Open 6am to 9pm local time.
This is by far the most popular and busiest border crossing in all of Venezuela and definitely the main crossing between Colombia and Venezuela. Due to the large numbers of people who cross this border numbering between 25-50,000 people per day!
The official border opening time is 6am and it is recommended to get here as early as possible. For foreigners crossing into Venezuela customs and immigration can sometimes take hours. For foreigners wishing to bring in foreign vehicles expect a very long wait time. There is still no official system for registering foreign cars into Venezuela so the process can be convoluted and it will take a lot of time.
Maicao (Colombia) to Paraguachón (Venezuela)
Open 8am to 4pm local time.
This is the second main border crossing between Colombia and Venezuela located in the northern part of the country. This border is said to be a little more difficult than the crossing at Cucutá and may close for extended periods of time if the security situation deteriorates. To get across you will need to be stamped out and then walk across a 200m no man’s land section.
Vehicle inspection here are said to take at least a day, so if you are planning on bringing a personal vehicle over the border here be expected to wait for an extended period of time.
Venezuela and Brazil
Paracaima (Brazil) to Saint Elena de Uairén (Venezuela)
Open 7am to 8pm local time.
This is the only major crossing between Brazil and Venezuela. Crossings here can be quick however sometimes there are backlogs on the Venezuelan side which can take hours to get through. It is advised to arrive here early in the morning to ensure the smoothest crossing. When crossing on foot the two sides are separated by a distance that take approximately 15 minutes to walk across. The nearest town on the Brazilian side is Boa Vista which lies approximately 220km south of the border. For the Venezuelan side there are no public busses going to the border so you will need to organise private transport from the town of Uairén.
Venezuela and Guyana
Despite sharing quite a long border with each other, there are no ways to officially cross between the two countries as it is covered in thick Amazon rainforest with no roads or crossings of any type.
Venezuela and Trinidad (sea crossing)
Previously there was a bi-weekly ferry that connected Chaguaramas or Cedros (Trinidad and Tobago) to Güiria (Venezuela). As of 2026 these ferries are currently suspended. The trip usually would take 2.5 hours to cross. There is currently no update about the resumption of this service.
Official v Unofficial Crossings
Venezuela has a very long border with Colombia and Brazil, most of which is covered in thick dense rainforest. There are many places where people unofficially cross these borders and use them for illegal activities such as smuggling. It is illegal to use any unofficial crossing to get in or out of Venezuela and you must only use official crossings if you wish to enter.
Can e-visa be used at land borders?
Yes, you can use online issued visas to cross land borders, however as this has been a newly introduced system, expect longer wait times as immigration official may not be completely familiar with the new system.
Are border crossings safe?
When using these land border crossings, you should exercise a higher degree of caution as some of these areas are known to have security issues. If you are merely passing through and not travelling at night you should have no issue. You should make sure your bags have locks and be on the lookout for petty crime.
Is it possible to find transport at the borders?
Yes, on either side it is possible to find shared taxis and normal taxis that will be willing to take you to the nearest town.
How to join a Venezuela tour?
To join one of our Saiga Tours Venezuela group tours, send us an email to [email protected] . For departure dates for our Venezuela Group tours check out our website here .
