Guides · Doing business in Colombia
Set up, fund and operate your Colombian business with one coordinated route.
Accounting, tax and foreign exchange support from the initial structure to recurring reporting. You deal with one person; we coordinate the Chamber of Commerce, the tax authority (DIAN), the central bank and the banks.
In short
The essentials, in three lines.
- 01Colombia lets a single foreign shareholder incorporate an S.A.S. with no minimum capital, and a foreigner can be the legal representative.
- 02Money that enters as foreign investment must be registered with the central bank (Banco de la República); without the registration you cannot legally repatriate profits or capital.
- 03The gaps between the legal, tax, banking and accounting steps create the most risk. One coordinated roadmap closes them.
Key figures
The numbers this turns on.
1 shareholder, no minimum capital
S.A.S.
35% on Colombian-source income
Non-resident withholding
Required to repatriate
Investment registration
Late registration carries penalties; not registering blocks repatriation.
14% in Medellín
Foreign share of new housing bought
Camacol, 2026.
Scope
What the Colombia setup route includes.
Entity type, capital structure and shareholder documentation
Bylaws and Chamber of Commerce registration
RUT and NIT registration and definition of tax responsibilities
Foreign investment registration route (Form 4 or exchange declaration)
Corporate bank account file and KYC support
Electronic invoicing enablement and opening accounting structure
Tax calendar, monthly bookkeeping and IFRS financial statements
Payroll and social security when you hire
Management reporting in English for headquarters or investors
What to know
Before you start.
Start with the operating model, not only the legal document
Ownership, funding, activities, invoicing and expected transactions determine the tax and accounting route that follows incorporation. Deciding the simplified regime (SIMPLE) or the ordinary regime before the first invoice avoids restructuring later.
Keep local compliance connected to investor reporting
Recurring bookkeeping, tax filings and management reports are organized so that local records remain useful to shareholders and headquarters, in English.
Immigration is coordinated, not replaced
We do not replace immigration counsel. We prepare the accounting documents visas require and coordinate with qualified lawyers when needed.
How it works
A practical route, with owners and dates.
- Call01
Free initial call
30 minutes to understand your situation, timeline and structure.
You receiveA first read on your position.
- 48 h02
Written roadmap
Corporate, tax, foreign exchange and accounting steps with owners and dates.
You receiveRoadmap in English.
- Setup03
Setup
Registrations, bank file, e-invoicing and the opening accounting structure.
You receiveA company that can operate.
- Monthly04
Ongoing support
Monthly bookkeeping, taxes, payroll and English reporting.
You receiveManagement report each month.
Who answers
A licensed Colombian Public Accountant, not a filing agent.
Kathiuska Villegas Padilla is a Contadora Pública with a postgraduate specialization in Tax Management and IFRS certification, and more than nine years directing accounting, tax and finance for companies and groups. She sets the technical position on every engagement and signs what leaves the office.
We work inside your company's software
QuickBooks
- Zeus
Questions
What people ask us.
Yes. The first assessment and most of the coordination are remote. Powers of attorney and apostilled documents cover the formation in most cases.
Not always. When funds are channeled correctly through the foreign exchange market, the registration can result from the exchange declaration itself. Each funding route is reviewed.
Yes. Monthly or quarterly management reporting in English or Spanish, as agreed.
Professional fees are quoted in writing after a free call. Government, notary and bank costs are itemized separately.
Free initial call
Request a roadmap
Thirty minutes on your plan, your timeline and what already exists. You leave with a written next step whether or not you engage us.
The rule behind most of this
183 days
Colombian tax residency starts at 183 days of presence in any rolling 365-day window, whatever visa you hold. Almost everything else follows from where you sit against that line.
Request a roadmap
Free initial call with the director. We reply the same business day.
Talk to the firm
Two ways to start. Both answer today.
Free initial call
Thirty minutes that order the year.
- TodayWe write back to confirm a time.
- 30 minA call with the director, in English.
- 24 hA written proposal with scope and fees.
WhatsApp, direct
Message us now. The firm replies, not a bot.
A specific question, a deadline this week or a letter from the tax office. We reply the same business day.
+57 316 664 6068
Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 18:00 Colombia time