CO · Colombia
A legal membership for North Americans abroad, open in Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Portugal and Spain.
Visa registration and the cédula de extranjería, the resident visa traspaso, DIAN returns, predial and company renewals: the dates people living in Colombia, or owning property there, keep track of.
Receive legal notifications abroad.Legal dates that may apply to you in Colombia
In Colombia the dates that matter most for foreigners come from the visa (registration, renewal and the cédula de extranjería), from DIAN for taxes, from your municipality for predial and from the chamber of commerce for companies.
The free deadline check lists the Colombia dates that may apply to you. Members confirm them on a call with a lawyer licensed in Colombia.
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What we track in Colombia
- Residency
Resident visas granted under the rules before October 2022 must be transferred (traspaso) before October 31, 2026, and the Cancillería treats it as required to issue the cédula de extranjería. If you hold one, this may require review right away.
- Residency
A visa longer than three months is registered with Migración Colombia, and the cédula de extranjería requested, within 15 calendar days of arriving or of the visa being issued. A new visa means a new cédula.
- Tax
Tax residents (more than 183 days in a year) file between August and October, on a day set by the last two digits of their NIT. Foreign assets over 2,000 UVT are declared with the return.
- Property
Bogotá and Medellín set their own predial calendars, with early-payment discounts. A purchase paid with money from abroad is registered as foreign investment with the Banco de la República.
- Corporate
Every company renews its commercial registration with the Cámara de Comercio by March 31 and keeps its beneficial owners up to date in the RUB.
- Staff
If someone works for you, social security goes through PILA each month, the prima is paid by June 30 and December 20, and cesantías go to the fund by February 14.
Your lawyer
Members book 20-minute video calls with a lawyer who holds a tarjeta profesional, up to three a month. Your customer success manager (CSM) follows up on the next steps.
Good to know
- Colombian pesoCurrency
- SpanishLanguages
- ColombiaTime zone
- Cédula de extranjería, Visa (e-visa), NIT and RUT (tax ID), SalvoconductoIDs you may deal with
- S.A.S., S.A., Ltda.Local company forms
- Consejo Superior de la Judicatura, Registro Nacional de AbogadosWho licenses lawyers
- Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro (SNR)Notaries
Every date we list for Colombia comes from our research of official sources and is marked as something that may require review. Partner lawyers licensed in Colombia confirm what applies to you.
Questions
Questions about Colombia
When do I register my visa and get a cédula de extranjería?
Within 15 calendar days of entering Colombia on a new visa, or of the visa being issued if it was granted in Colombia. The cédula de extranjería is renewed after each new visa.
When should I renew my Colombian visa?
Apply for the next visa before the current one expires; the Cancillería advises starting one to two months ahead. An M visa lapses after more than 180 continuous days outside Colombia in any 365-day period, and an R visa after more than two continuous years outside.
Do I file a tax return in Colombia?
The 183-day test decides tax residency. In 2026 individuals filed between August 12 and October 26, by the last two digits of the NIT. A resident whose foreign assets were above 2,000 UVT on January 1 (COP 104,748,000 in 2026) may also file a foreign assets declaration.
I bought property with money from abroad. Is there anything to register?
A purchase paid from abroad is registered as foreign investment with Banco de la República, and the registration is cancelled or substituted when you sell. Since Decreto 1044 of 2026 those later registrations can be made at any time.
When is predial due in Colombia?
Each municipality sets its own calendar. In Bogotá in 2026, paying by April 17 earned a 10% discount and the final deadline was July 10. Medellín bills quarterly.
What does a Colombian company renew each year?
The commercial registration (matrícula mercantil) is renewed with the chamber of commerce by March 31.
These answers come from our research of official and professional sources and may require review. A lawyer licensed in Colombia confirms what applies to you.
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