Company formation in Colombia

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Important: a non-resident's right to own the company does not automatically grant a right to live, work or manage it from that country. Immigration, work permits, substance, effective management and tax residence are assessed separately.

• —Latin American operating projects with customers, contractors, a team or suppliers in Colombia.
• —Technology, e-commerce and professional-services companies with a documented product and payment flows.
• —A subsidiary of an international group after reviewing foreign-investment reporting, tax, transfer pricing and beneficial ownership.

• —A Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada (SAS), with one or more individual or corporate shareholders, flexible governance and limited liability.
• —A Sociedad Limitada (Ltda.), a quota-based form for a closely held multi-member structure with more formal ownership changes.
• —A branch of a foreign company for an existing overseas entity carrying on permanent business in Colombia.

• —An SAS is formed by one or more shareholders and becomes a separate legal person when its formation document is entered in the local Chamber of Commerce's Commercial Register.
• —The document states the shareholders, name, Colombian domicile, duration, activities, authorised/subscribed/paid capital, shares, governance and legal representative.
• —An SAS has no general fixed minimum capital; the documents set subscription and payment terms, but subscribed shares must be paid within no more than two years.
• —The document may be private unless a contributed asset or transaction requires a public deed. Signatures and identity checks follow the relevant Chamber/VUE rules.
• —After registration, the company completes RUT/NIT, municipal/industry-and-commerce obligations, the RUB beneficial-owner filing and foreign-investment reporting where applicable.

• —A passport or other acceptable ID for every founder, director, manager, signatory and ultimate beneficial owner (UBO).
• —Proof of residential address and tax residence; the registry, notary, representative, bank or other reviewer sets the document-validity period.
• —A transparent ownership chart through to natural persons and, for a corporate participant, registry documents, good standing and a corporate resolution approving the investment.
• —A description of the product, markets, counterparties, expected turnover, source of funds and source of wealth, supported by evidence.
• —Name check and alternatives, Colombian registered domicile, CIIU activities, duration, capital table, share classes and governance rules.
• —The formation document/statutes, acceptance by the legal representative and officers, RUES/VUE data and tax-registration information.
• —For a foreign participant, apostilled/legalised passport or corporate documents, a Spanish translation and authority covering registration and tax steps.
• —RUB ownership data and evidence that foreign investment entered through an eligible channel where Banco de la República reporting applies.

1. 01Review founders, activity, city, licensing and tax links, then select an SAS, Ltda. or branch.
2. 02Check the name, agree statutes, capital and authority and, for a non-resident, settle the power of attorney, apostille and translation.
3. 03Submit the document, RUES and linked data through the applicable Chamber/VUE route; the Chamber completes commercial registration and interoperates with DIAN for NIT/RUT.
4. 04Complete RUB, local tax/activity, electronic invoicing, payroll/social-security and foreign-investment reporting based on the actual model.
5. 05Prepare a bank/fintech application only after the certificate, RUT, UBO/KYC and business evidence are ready.

• —A Colombian company is assessed for corporate income tax, VAT/sales-tax treatment, withholding, municipal ICA and electronic-invoicing obligations according to its activity and turnover.
• —Foreign capital, dividends, related parties and cross-border services require a review of exchange reporting, withholding, transfer pricing and treaty eligibility.
• —A Colombian tax accountant confirms deadlines and rates from the RUT responsibilities; SAS registration itself creates no tax exemption.

General overview, not personal tax or legal advice. Rules are rechecked before filing.

• —A bank reviews the certificate of existence, statutes, RUT/NIT, RUB/UBO, legal representative, signatories and source of funds/source of wealth.
• —For non-residents, the Colombian operating rationale, address, contracts/invoices, customer geography, expected flows and correct foreign-investment evidence are critical.
• —A bank may require a local phone number, tax status, in-person/video identification or a Colombian representative; VUE registration does not guarantee an account.

• —Commercial registration renews within the statutory annual period, and registered details are updated when the address, activity, management or ownership changes.
• —Corporate books, accounting records and financial statements are maintained; a statutory auditor/revisor fiscal depends on legal thresholds and the activity.
• —DIAN returns, information reports, RUB updates, electronic invoicing and withholding are completed according to assigned obligations and triggering events.
• —Payroll/social security, municipal ICA, licences and Banco de la República foreign-investment records are maintained where applicable.

• —The standard online SAS builder does not suit every bespoke shareholders' agreement, special share class, regulated activity or contribution requiring a public deed.
• —Missing RUB, annual commercial renewal or exchange reporting may cause penalties even for an inactive company.
• —Incorporation does not conceal ownership or disapply AML/KYC. The registry, tax authority, local professional and financial institutions may obtain and verify UBO information.
• —The place of incorporation does not automatically determine tax residence. Effective management, permanent establishment, CFC, withholding and the owners' personal residence require separate analysis.
• —Company registration does not grant a regulated-activity licence, immigration status or a bank account.

• —Coordination of the Chamber/VUE, legal representative, DIAN RUT/NIT, RUB, foreign-investment record and accounting hand-off.
• —Comparison of entity form, ownership structure, tax links and local-substance requirements before filing.
• —Coordination of the notary or local representative, power of attorney, translations, apostille and the complete corporate file.
• —Preparation of a bank-ready KYB data room and responses to legitimate compliance requests; approval and timing remain with the bank or payment institution.
• —Local-accountant hand-off and a calendar covering tax, UBO, registry, employment and licensing obligations.

The exact Basic scope and all exclusions are listed in the pricing section above. Non-standard structures and external costs are agreed before payment.

Requirements checked on August 9, 2026. Before filing, we recheck rules, forms, fees and restrictions with the registration authority.