Company setup in Colombia

Start with the right structure

Explore legal entity forms and registration sources for Colombia. Use the local terminology below when discussing your application with the relevant authority.

Detailed foreign-investor rules for this jurisdiction have not yet been independently reviewed here. The registry sources below are the starting point for confirming the available formation route.

Company & entity types

Listed forms include commercial companies and other legal entities. A listing is not confirmation that a foreign founder can establish that form. Local names are preserved to avoid misleading legal translations.

Find a legal form or sub-jurisdiction

12 legal forms listed

Empresa Unipersonal

ColombiaELF 1PADE.U.

Sociedad Anónima

ColombiaELF 3RHNS.A.

Persona natural comerciante

ColombiaELF 4OYE

Sucursal de Sociedad Extranjera

ColombiaELF 6Z8B

Empresa Asociativa de Trabajo

ColombiaELF D2T3

Sociedad Colectiva

ColombiaELF DEJ0

Sociedad en comandita simple

ColombiaELF IUIYCía S. en C.

Sociedad de Economía Mixta

ColombiaELF KC51

Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada

ColombiaELF KYVOS.A.S

Sociedad en comandita por acciones

ColombiaELF N1TECía SCA.

Sociedades Agrarias de Transformación

ColombiaELF SJB8SAT

Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada

ColombiaELF WX45Ltda.

Source: GLEIF ELF v1.6, February 2026 ↗. Active codes only; language variants grouped by code. The source is not an exhaustive list of all available legal forms.

What to confirm before applying

These are planning questions, not verified Colombia requirements.

Foreign ownership & activity

Ask whether your nationality, ownership percentage and proposed business activity require investment approval, a local partner or a sector licence.

Directors & local presence

Confirm the required directors, shareholders, registered office, local representative and any residency or company-secretary rules.

Capital & incorporation costs

Obtain the current minimum capital, filing fees, notarisation costs, translations and annual renewal or service charges for the selected legal form.

Tax & ongoing compliance

Verify corporate tax, VAT or sales tax, withholding, beneficial-ownership reporting, accounting, audit and annual-return obligations.

Banking & immigration

Check bank onboarding and source-of-funds evidence separately. Company registration should not be treated as approval for banking, residence or work permission.