Insights
Knowledge Center: Doing Business in Colombia.
Guidance for entering the Colombian market.
Every article here answers a question a foreign business owner has to resolve before or during market entry: how to incorporate, what a company actually costs to set up and maintain, which visa applies to an owner versus an investor, and when to file a trademark. Written by the lawyers and accountants who handle these matters day to day.
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How to Repatriate Profits From Colombia as a Foreign Owner
A foreign shareholder can take profits out of Colombia as dividends, provided the investment was properly registered, the shareholders have approved a profit distribution, the applicable tax has been withheld,…
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How Foreign Investment Is Registered in Colombia
Foreign capital that enters a Colombian company must be registered as foreign investment with Banco de la República. When the funds are brought in through the Colombian exchange market, the…
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How to Open a Corporate Bank Account in Colombia as a Foreigner
A foreign-owned company can open a corporate bank account in Colombia once it has its mercantile registration, NIT and RUT. Banks typically ask for the certificate of existence and legal…
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Can I Open a Company in Colombia Without a Visa?
Yes. Foreign nationals can register and own 100% of a company in Colombia without holding any Colombian visa. Company ownership and immigration status are two separate legal frameworks in Colombia,…
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Investor Visa vs. Business Visa in Colombia: What’s the Difference?
Colombia’s M Visa Inversionista and M Visa Socio o Propietario are two distinct visa categories, not two versions of the same visa. The Socio o Propietario (Partner/Owner) visa is built…
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Colombia Business Visa Requirements for Foreign Entrepreneurs
To qualify for Colombia’s business owner visa, officially the M Visa, Socio o Propietario category, a foreign entrepreneur must have incorporated a company in Colombia or acquired an equity stake…
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Which Colombian Visa Is Best for Business Owners and Investors?
For foreign entrepreneurs and investors, Colombia offers three main visa pathways, and the right one depends entirely on what you’re actually doing: visiting to explore or set up a business…
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Do I Need a Trademark Before Expanding to Colombia?
Yes, registering your trademark before you enter the Colombian market is the safer sequence, and in Colombia the stakes of waiting are higher than in many other countries. Colombia is…
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How to Register a Trademark in Colombia
Trademarks in Colombia are registered with the SIC, the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio, under Andean Community Decision 486, the industrial property framework shared with Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. Colombia…
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10 Mistakes Foreign Entrepreneurs Make When Registering a Company in Colombia
The most common mistakes foreign founders make in Colombia aren’t during registration itself, they happen in the compliance steps immediately before and after it: choosing the wrong corporate structure, skipping…
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