How to start a business in Colombia as a foreigner (2026)
Starting a business in Colombia as a foreigner: easy.
Colombia permits up to 100% foreign ownership in virtually all economic sectors, with the Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada (SAS) being the dominant vehicle for incorporation, it requires no minimum paid-in capital, no public deed, and can be formed online through the Cámara de Comercio's virtual platform. The national single-investment window (VUI) coordinates procedures across the Chamber of Commerce, DIAN (tax authority), and Banco de la República, making the core registration achievable in 3-7 business days, though foreign investors must also register their capital with the Banco de la República within prescribed exchange-control timelines.
Legal framework
Law 1258 of 2008 (SAS regime); Decree 1068 of 2015 as amended by Decree 119 of 2017 (foreign investment regime); Banco de la República foreign exchange regulations; Cámara de Comercio commercial registry
Key points: starting a business in Colombia
Foreign ownership limits
Foreign investors may hold up to 100% equity in Colombian companies in almost all sectors. The only statutory exclusions are: open broadcast TV concessions (capped at 40% foreign capital), national defense/security activities, and processing or disposal of toxic/hazardous/radioactive waste not produced in Colombia. National-treatment principles under Decree 1068 of 2015 (as amended by Decree 119 of 2017) prohibit discriminatory conditions against foreign versus domestic investors.
Preferred vehicle: SAS
The Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada (SAS), created by Law 1258 of 2008, is the standard choice for foreign investors. It allows a single shareholder (individual or legal entity), imposes no minimum capital requirement (capital may be paid in over up to two years), and can be constituted via private document, no notarisation or public deed required.
Core registration steps
Step 1: Verify company name availability via RUES (Registro Único Empresarial). Step 2: Draft corporate bylaws/statutes. Step 3: Register with the local Cámara de Comercio (online via CCB SAS Virtual or in person) and pay registration and stamp fees. Step 4: DIAN automatically generates the RUT (tax registry) and NIT (tax ID) upon Chamber registration. Step 5: Open a corporate bank account.
Foreign capital registration (Banco de la República)
Foreign investors must register their equity contribution with Colombia's central bank (Banco de la República) via a local financial institution by submitting Form 4 (Declaración de Cambio para Inversiones Internacionales) and Form 11 (Declaración de Registro de Inversiones Internacionales). This registration must be updated annually and is a foreign-exchange control requirement, not a condition for incorporating the company itself.
Timeline and minimum capital
Core company registration with the Chamber of Commerce and DIAN typically takes 3-7 business days when completed online. No statutory minimum paid-in capital exists for the SAS. Total end-to-end setup (including bank account opening and Banco de la República capital registration) averages 3-5 weeks in practice. A foreigner may incorporate remotely via a duly notarised and apostilled power of attorney.
Single-window entry point (VUI)
The Ventanilla Única de Inversión (VUI), operated by the national government, consolidates procedures for company formation, migration, real-estate purchases, pre-operating licences, and personnel hiring into a single online portal (vui.gov.co), with English-language guidance available. A separate Ventanilla Única Empresarial (VUE) streamlines ongoing commercial transactions.
Timeline of decisions
- Decision · officialVUE Expands to 130+ Municipalities and Adds Two New Digital Services
Colombia's Ventanilla Única Empresarial extended its digital business-formation portal to over 130 municipalities across 32 departments and integrated two new procedures, including online consultation of tax obligations, making it the broadest single-window reach since the platform launched. Between 2022 and 2025 the VUE channelled the creation of roughly 306,000 new companies.
Ventanilla Única Empresarial – Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo
- Guidance · officialMINCIT Reports VUE Has Facilitated 219,000+ New Companies Since 2022
The Ministry of Commerce announced the VUE had supported over 219,000 company formations, with 74.7 % of portal users being women. The platform consolidates more than 40 commercial, tax, and social-security procedures into one online session, cutting average incorporation time from days to hours.
MINCIT – Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo
- Law · officialLey 2277 Tax Reform Raises SIMPLE Threshold, Easing Tax Compliance for New Firms
Colombia's 2022 tax reform expanded the income ceiling of the Régimen Simple de Tributación, allowing more SMEs and newly incorporated businesses to use a flat-rate, single-payment tax scheme. This reduced the administrative compliance burden during the critical early months of a company's life.
Función Pública – Gestor Normativo
Sources
- vui.gov.co/en/portfolio-proceedings/incorporation-company
- vui.gov.co/frequently-asked-questions
- investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-laws/laws/52/colombia-foreign-investment-decree
- banrep.gov.co/es/contenidos/reglamentaci-n/decreto-unico-1068-2015-modificado-el-de
- banrep.gov.co/en/regulations-foreign-exchange-transactions/basic-concepts
- supersociedades.gov.co/documents/20122/460496/Cartilla-Sociedad-Acciones-Simplificada.pdf
- linea.ccb.org.co/sas/index.html
- subnational.doingbusiness.org/en/data/exploretopics/starting-a-business/colombia
- ccb.org.co/es/servicios/crea-tu-empresa/constituye-tu-empresa/matriculas
- vue.gov.co/
- vui.gov.co/portfolio-of-proceedings/incorporation-of-a-company
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