October 06, 2026
If you are researching how to invest in Colombia, the short answer is encouraging: as a foreigner you can invest in almost every sector of the Colombian economy, on the same legal terms as Colombians, and without prior government approval. What separates a protected investment from a costly problem is how your money enters the country. Foreign investment in Colombia must be channeled through the foreign exchange market and registered with Banco de la República (Colombia's central bank). That registration is what gives you the right to send profits abroad, repatriate your capital and, in some cases, apply for an investor visa.
This guide, updated for October 2026, explains the investment routes available to foreigners, the step-by-step process, how to transfer and register your funds, which visa each investment can support, the taxes you will face, realistic timelines and the mistakes our foreign investment lawyers see most often in practice.
| Item | Key fact |
|---|---|
| Legal framework | Law 9 of 1991; Decree 1068 of 2015 (Part 17, Title 2, as amended by Decree 119 of 2017); External Resolution 1 of 2018 of Banco de la República; Regulatory Circular DCIP-83 |
| Prior approval | Not required, except under special regimes (article 2.17.2.2.2.2, Decree 1068 of 2015) |
| Restricted sectors | Defense and national security; processing and disposal of toxic, hazardous or radioactive waste not produced in Colombia |
| Registration | Automatic when foreign currency is channeled through the exchange market; online filing for investments made without currency |
| Investor visa thresholds | 100, 350 or more than 650 monthly minimum wages, depending on the route (minimum wage 2026: COP 1,750,905) |
| Dividends to non-residents | 20% income tax rate (article 245 of the Tax Code) |
Yes. Under article 2.17.2.2.1.1 of Decree 1068 of 2015, foreign investment in Colombia receives the same treatment as investment by residents: no discriminatory conditions and no special privileges. Foreigners can invest in almost every sector without prior authorization, provided the investment arises from a lawful act and is registered with Banco de la República.
Colombian law defines foreign investment as an investment made by a non-resident in certain Colombian assets (article 2.17.2.2.1.2 of Decree 1068 of 2015). A non-resident is, broadly, a person or company that does not live or is not domiciled in Colombia. The law distinguishes two types. Direct investment is the long-term kind: shares or quotas in a Colombian company that is not listed on the stock exchange, the capital of a branch of a foreign company, real estate located in Colombia, rights in trust arrangements, participations in private equity funds, intangible assets used to generate income in Colombia, and contracts such as licensing, franchise or collaboration agreements whose returns depend on the business's profits. Portfolio investment covers listed securities and units in collective investment funds.
One distinction matters early: loans are not investment. Paragraph 1 of the same article states that credit operations do not constitute foreign investment and that using currency declared as investment to carry out foreign borrowing is an exchange violation. If you plan to fund a Colombian company partly with a loan, that part must follow the external debt rules, not the investment rules.
Article 2.17.2.2.2.1 of Decree 1068 of 2015 excludes only two activities from foreign investment, whether directly or through a third party: defense and national security, and the processing, disposal and dumping of toxic, hazardous or radioactive waste not produced in Colombia. Other sectors have special regimes rather than prohibitions. Investment in entities supervised by the Financial Superintendence can only be registered after that authority approves it (article 2.17.2.3.1.1), and hydrocarbons and mining follow their own sector rules and exchange regime. Many activities also require their own licenses, regardless of who owns the business.
Colombia offers foreign investors a legal framework built on equal treatment, no prior approval for most investments, a guaranteed right to remit profits and repatriate capital once the investment is registered, a network of trade and investment agreements, and immigration routes that link qualifying investments to long-term visas.
The most valuable protection is legal stability for registered investments. Once your investment is registered, article 2.17.2.2.3.1 of Decree 1068 of 2015 gives you the right to reinvest or capitalize profits, remit net profits abroad in freely convertible currency, and send home the proceeds of selling the investment, liquidating the company or reducing its capital. Article 2.17.2.2.3.2 adds that the rules for repatriating capital and remitting profits in force on the date of registration cannot be changed to your detriment, except temporarily if international reserves fall below three months of imports.
Colombia has also signed trade agreements with investment chapters, including the Trade Promotion Agreement with the United States, and investors may agree to international arbitration (article 2.17.2.2.4.1). A balanced view requires one caveat: the tax agenda is active. In October 2026 two tax bills are before Congress, so the structure you choose today should be reviewed against any reform approved this year.
The main ways to invest in Colombia as a foreigner are incorporating a company (usually an SAS), opening a branch of a foreign company, buying shares or quotas in an existing Colombian company, buying real estate, and portfolio investment in the Colombian stock market. Each route is registered differently and supports different visa options.
| Route | What you acquire | Type of investment | Minimum amount (2026) | Visa it can support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New company (SAS) | Shares in a company you incorporate | Direct | No legal minimum to incorporate. 100 minimum wages (COP 175,090,500) for the M Partner/Owner visa | M Partner or Owner; M Investor if over 650 minimum wages |
| Branch of a foreign company | Assigned capital of the branch | Direct | No general minimum (sector rules may apply) | Not directly: the investor is the foreign parent company |
| Shares in an existing company | Shares or quotas | Direct (portfolio if listed and held without intent of permanence) | Same thresholds as a new company | M Partner or Owner; M Investor |
| Real estate | Property in your own name | Direct | 350 minimum wages (COP 612,816,750) for the visa | M Investor (real estate) |
| Portfolio investment | Listed securities, investment fund units | Portfolio | None | None |
Amounts calculated with the 2026 monthly minimum wage of COP 1,750,905.
Contractual investments, such as franchise, licensing or collaboration agreements whose returns depend on the business's profits, also qualify as direct investment. A franchise remains a practical entry route for brands that want to operate in Colombia without setting up their own subsidiary.
The simplified stock corporation, or SAS (sociedad por acciones simplificada), created by Law 1258 of 2008, is the vehicle most foreign investors choose. It can have a single shareholder, which may be a foreign individual or company; it is incorporated by private document registered with the Chamber of Commerce; and shareholders are liable only up to the amount of their contributions. After incorporation, the company obtains its tax ID (RUT/NIT), opens a bank account and receives the capital from abroad as foreign investment. Colombian companies must also report their beneficial owners to the DIAN's Beneficial Owners Registry (RUB). For the practical details, see our guide on how to incorporate a company in Colombia.
A branch is a commercial establishment opened by a company to carry out all or part of its business, managed by agents with power to represent it (article 263 of the Commercial Code). Under article 471 of the Commercial Code, a foreign company that wants to carry out permanent activities in Colombia must establish a branch, following the formalities of article 472. The branch is not a separate legal entity, so the parent company answers for its obligations, and the capital assigned to it is registered as direct foreign investment. Read more on opening a branch of a foreign company.
Acquiring shares or quotas in an existing company makes you a partner with economic and voting rights according to the bylaws. Before closing, carry out legal, tax and labor due diligence and check any transfer restrictions in the bylaws. A detail many buyers miss: when you buy shares from another foreign investor and the payment is made abroad, no currency enters Colombia, but the change of holder must still be registered with Banco de la República within six months (article 2.17.2.5.1.1 of Decree 1068 of 2015).
Foreigners can buy property in Colombia without a visa and without prior approval. Real estate located in Colombia is direct foreign investment (article 2.17.2.2.1.2, letter a, ordinal iv), so the purchase price should arrive through the exchange market declared as investment. The usual sequence is a title study based on the property's certificate of title (certificado de tradición y libertad), a promise to purchase, the transfer of funds, the signing of the public deed before a notary and its registration with the public instruments registry office. Rural land that was originally state-owned (baldíos) is subject to additional limits under Law 160 of 1994. If your goal is residency, the property must be in your exclusive name and reach the visa threshold; see our guide to the investor visa for real estate in Colombia.
Portfolio investment in listed securities or investment funds must be made through a local administrator (a brokerage firm, trust company or investment management company supervised by the Financial Superintendence), which acts as your representative before the authorities (article 2.17.2.2.2.3 of Decree 1068 of 2015). It is the most liquid option, but it does not qualify for any investor visa.
To invest in Colombia step by step: choose the investment vehicle, appoint a representative and prepare apostilled documents, incorporate the company or sign the acquisition, open a local account, transfer the funds through an authorized intermediary declaring them as foreign investment, verify the registration with Banco de la República, and keep up with ongoing reporting.
Send the funds by international wire to a Colombian foreign exchange market intermediary, such as a bank, or to a compensation account registered with Banco de la República, and declare the transfer as foreign investment by providing the minimum data required by the central bank. That exchange declaration then serves as your automatic investment registration.
A foreign exchange market intermediary (intermediario del mercado cambiario) is a financial entity authorized to buy and sell foreign currency on behalf of clients, typically a bank. A compensation account (cuenta de compensación) is an account abroad registered with Banco de la República and used to carry out exchange operations directly, mostly by companies with frequent foreign transactions. Before the money is sent, tell the receiving bank that the transfer corresponds to foreign investment and provide the investor's details, the receiving company or asset and the amount, following chapter 7 of Regulatory Circular DCIP-83 (most recently amended on October 9, 2025).
What you should avoid is sending investment money through remittance services, peer-to-peer platforms, cryptocurrency exchanges, cash, or a friend's personal account. In a 2025 concept (JD-S-CA-05841-2025), Banco de la República's Board Secretariat confirmed that the registration procedure for investments made without currency does not apply to foreign currency that was not properly channeled. In practice, this is the situation we see most often: a buyer wires money for an apartment as a personal transfer, signs the deed, and only later discovers that the purchase cannot be evidenced as registered foreign investment for an investor visa or for repatriating the sale proceeds. Correcting it, when it is possible at all, takes far more time than doing it right the first time.
Investments made in foreign currency are registered automatically when the funds are channeled through the exchange market with the investment data. Investments made without currency, such as in-kind contributions, capitalization of debts or acquisitions between foreigners paid abroad, must be registered by the investor or its representative through Banco de la República's Foreign Exchange Information System.
Article 2.17.2.5.1.1 of Decree 1068 of 2015 sets the basic rules. For currency investments, the exchange declaration filed when the funds are channeled "acts as" the registration. For investments without currency, the investor or its attorney-in-fact files a registration declaration electronically. Changes of holder, destination or receiving company, as well as cancellations, must be registered within six months of the change. Late filings can still be registered if the investment was actually made, but without prejudice to the applicable sanctions. The legal representative of the receiving company may also file these declarations at any time.
The information in the registration is submitted under oath (article 2.17.2.5.1.3), and whoever files it must keep the supporting documents available to the authorities for the full limitation period of exchange sanctions (article 2.17.2.5.1.4). In practice, keep a file with the wire confirmations, exchange declarations, shareholder ledger entries or deeds, and your investment statements.
An investment made in breach of the foreign investment regime has no exchange rights or guarantees (article 2.17.2.2.4.2 of Decree 1068 of 2015). That means you cannot rely on the investment channel to remit profits or repatriate your capital, the investment cannot support an investor visa, and the authorities can request the cancellation of the registration. The Superintendence of Companies, which supervises compliance with the foreign direct investment regime, can also open exchange sanction proceedings.
Has your money already arrived in Colombia, but you are not sure it was registered as foreign investment? Our foreign investment lawyers can review your exchange declarations and Banco de la República statements before the problem affects your visa application or your ability to take your money out. Message us on WhatsApp at .
No. You do not need a visa to invest in Colombia. A foreigner can incorporate a company, buy shares or purchase property from abroad through a representative. A visa matters only if you want to live in Colombia or stay for long periods, and certain registered investments allow you to apply for a Migrant (M) visa under Resolution 5477 of 2022.
Resolution 5477 of 2022 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in force since October 2022, classifies Colombian visas into Visitor (V), Migrant (M) and Resident (R). The investor routes all fall under the M visa. The table summarizes them with 2026 figures.
| Visa | Investment requirement | 2026 amount (COP) | Key point |
|---|---|---|---|
| V Visitor (business) | None | — | For negotiations, market research or incorporating a company; it does not allow you to work |
| M Partner or Owner (art. 75) | Paid-in capital in a Colombian company of at least 100 minimum wages | 175,090,500 | Aimed at partners of operating companies |
| M Investor – real estate (art. 79) | Property in your exclusive name of at least 350 minimum wages, registered as foreign investment | 612,816,750 | Valid for up to three years |
| M Investor – foreign direct investment (art. 79) | Registered foreign direct investment of more than 650 minimum wages | More than 1,138,088,250 | Replaced the old investment-based resident visa |
| R Resident | Not granted for investment | — | Reached after accumulating the required time with an M visa |
Two practical consequences follow. First, the visa is a result of a properly registered investment, never a prerequisite for making it: if the funds were not channeled as foreign investment, the investment will not support the application. Second, thresholds are calculated with the minimum wage in force when you apply, so an investment that met the threshold in an earlier year may fall short at renewal. The 2026 minimum wage (COP 1,750,905) is also subject to a pending final ruling by the Council of State. For the full requirements of the real estate route, see our guide on the investor visa for real estate in Colombia, and for other categories, our overview of Colombia visa requirements.
Yes. Most foreign investors manage their Colombian investments from abroad. You can incorporate a company, buy shares or acquire property through an apostilled power of attorney, wire the funds from your home country and appoint a legal representative in Colombia. Living outside Colombia also generally keeps you a tax non-resident, which changes how you are taxed.
A remote structure works well when the documents are prepared correctly from the start. Your attorney-in-fact can sign the SAS incorporation document, the share purchase agreement or the property deed on your behalf, provided the power of attorney is specific enough and apostilled. The legal representative of an SAS can be a foreigner, although banks often ask that the person who manages the account be reachable in Colombia and hold local identification.
Tax residency deserves attention. Under article 10 of the Tax Code, an individual who stays in Colombia for more than 183 days, continuous or not, within any 365-day period becomes a tax resident and is taxed on worldwide income. A non-resident is taxed only on Colombian-source income. Investors who spend long seasons in Colombia, for example while renovating a property, should count their days.
Yes. US citizens invest in Colombia on the same terms as any foreign investor and also benefit from the United States–Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, in force since May 15, 2012, whose investment chapter protects US investors. However, there is no income tax treaty between both countries, so Colombian withholding on dividends is not reduced by any treaty.
Chapter Ten of the Trade Promotion Agreement grants US investors national treatment, most-favored-nation treatment, a minimum standard of treatment and protection against expropriation without compensation, with access to investor-state arbitration under the conditions of the agreement. That protection is in addition to the domestic guarantees described above.
On the tax side, a US shareholder of a Colombian company receives dividends subject to the general 20% rate for non-residents. Whether that Colombian tax can be credited against US tax, and which US reporting obligations apply to foreign companies and foreign accounts, must be reviewed with a US tax advisor. Colombian financial institutions also report accounts held by US persons under FATCA. For travel, US citizens do not need a visa for short visits, which allows you to attend meetings or sign documents in person, but working or living in Colombia requires the appropriate visa.
In 2026, Colombian companies pay 35% corporate income tax (article 240 of the Tax Code), dividends paid to non-resident shareholders are taxed at 20% (article 245), and capital gains on assets held for two years or more are taxed at 15%. Property owners also pay municipal property tax, and bank debits trigger a 0.4% financial transactions tax.
| Tax | General rate | When it applies to a foreign investor |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate income tax | 35% | On the profits of your Colombian company or branch (article 240 of the Tax Code) |
| Dividends to non-residents | 20% | Withheld when the company distributes profits to foreign shareholders (article 245); additional rules apply to profits that were not taxed at company level |
| Capital gains (ganancia ocasional) | 15% | When you sell shares or property held for two years or more; indirect sales of Colombian assets are also taxed (article 90-3) |
| Financial transactions tax (GMF) | 0.4% | On debits from Colombian bank accounts (article 871) |
| Property tax (predial) | Varies by municipality | Annually, for real estate owners |
Pending tax reforms (October 2026). Congress rejected the financing bill on December 9, 2025, and on April 9, 2026 the Constitutional Court struck down the economic emergency declared to replace it, so the 2026 emergency tax measures are not in effect. Two new initiatives are now on the table: Bill 004 of 2026 (House), filed on July 20, 2026, which proposes raising the dividend rate for non-residents from 20% to 30%, and a bill announced by the current government for the second half of October 2026. As a rule, a reform enacted before Congress recesses in mid-December would apply from tax year 2027. We will update this guide when either is approved.
For a deeper look at how a foreign company is taxed, read our article on how foreign companies pay taxes in Colombia.
A straightforward investment in Colombia usually takes between four and twelve weeks: one to three weeks to prepare and apostille documents abroad, one to two weeks to incorporate a company, two to six weeks to open a corporate bank account, and a few business days to wire and register the funds. Real estate purchases and visa applications add their own timelines.
| Stage | Typical time | What usually causes delays |
|---|---|---|
| Signing and apostilling documents abroad | 1–3 weeks | Notary and apostille availability in your country; translations |
| Incorporating an SAS and obtaining the tax ID | 1–2 weeks | Name conflicts, incomplete bylaws, RUT corrections |
| Opening the company bank account | 2–6 weeks | Know-your-customer review of foreign shareholders and source of funds |
| Wiring and registering the funds | 1–3 business days | Missing investment data in the transfer |
| Buying a property (promise to registration) | 1–3 months | Title issues, mortgage cancellation by the seller, registry office workload |
| Investor visa decision | Typically 2–5 weeks | Incomplete documents or investment not shown as registered |
Estimates based on our practice; actual times depend on each case and each institution.
The most common mistakes are sending the money as a personal transfer, putting assets in someone else's name, mixing loans with investment, forgetting to register later changes, ignoring tax residency and signing documents abroad without apostille. Each one can block your visa, your profits or your exit.
Colombian law does not require you to hire a lawyer to invest, but it does require foreign investors to appoint a representative in Colombia, and most transactions involve notarized deeds, exchange declarations, corporate filings and visa applications. A foreign investment lawyer in Colombia coordinates these steps so the investment is correctly structured and registered from day one.
In our experience, most problems foreign investors face are not caused by the investment itself but by the order in which things were done: money wired before the company had an account, a deed signed before the funds were declared, or a visa application filed with an investment that was never registered. A foreign investment lawyer reviews the structure before you commit funds, drafts the bylaws or purchase agreements, acts as or coordinates your attorney-in-fact, instructs the bank on how to declare the transfer, verifies the registration and, when you want to live in Colombia, prepares the visa application.
At Affirma Law, our corporate, real estate, tax and immigration lawyers work on the same file, so the company, the property, the exchange registration and the visa are aligned from the start.
There is no general legal minimum to invest in Colombia as a foreigner. Minimums only apply if you want a visa: in 2026, 100 minimum wages (COP 175,090,500) for the M Partner or Owner visa, 350 (COP 612,816,750) in real estate, or more than 650 (COP 1,138,088,250) in foreign direct investment for the M Investor visa.
Yes. Foreign investors can hold 100% of the capital of a Colombian company in almost every sector. A simplified stock corporation (SAS) under Law 1258 of 2008 can even have a single shareholder that is a foreign individual or company. The investment must be channeled and registered with Banco de la República to protect your exchange rights.
Buying property can lead to a Migrant (M) Investor visa, not direct permanent residency. The property must be in your exclusive name, be worth at least 350 monthly minimum wages (COP 612,816,750 in 2026) and be paid with funds registered as foreign investment. Resident status can be requested later, after accumulating the required time with an M visa.
Often yes, but each bank applies its own know-your-customer policy. Banks usually ask for your passport, proof of the origin of funds and, for companies, the Chamber of Commerce certificate and tax ID. Some require an in-person visit or a Colombian identification document. Opening the corporate account is frequently the slowest step of the whole investment.
If your investment is registered with Banco de la República, the company can distribute dividends based on its annual financial statements and wire them abroad through a foreign exchange intermediary. Dividends to non-residents are generally subject to a 20% income tax rate, withheld by the company before the transfer (article 245 of the Tax Code).
Partially. Article 2.17.2.2.3.2 of Decree 1068 of 2015 guarantees that the rules for repatriating capital and remitting profits in force when you registered cannot be changed to your detriment, except temporarily if reserves fall below three months of imports. Tax rates are not frozen by that guarantee, although trade agreements may add protection.
Knowing how to invest in Colombia comes down to three decisions made in the right order: choosing the vehicle that fits your goals, channeling the money through the exchange market as foreign investment, and keeping the registration up to date. Get those right and you secure your right to take profits and capital out of the country and, if you wish, a path to living in Colombia. Get them wrong and a simple purchase can become a long correction process.
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Author: Affirma Law Legal Team
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