The SAS is Colombia's answer to the LLC — one shareholder minimum, no minimum capital, full foreign ownership. We handle incorporation, tax registration, banking, and the compliance that keeps you in good standing after day one.
Registering an SAS takes days. Running one correctly — RUT, NIT, electronic invoicing, monthly filings, renewals — is where foreign founders get burned. We set up both sides from the start.
Drafting your estatutos (bylaws), registering with the Cámara de Comercio, obtaining your NIT, and structuring shares and management for your situation — including single-owner setups and foreign shareholders.
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Opening a corporate account as a foreign-owned company is the step most founders underestimate. We prepare the documentation banks actually ask for and help register foreign capital with the central bank — which matters if you ever want an investor visa.
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Colombian companies file on DIAN's calendar whether they made money or not. Ongoing bookkeeping, electronic invoicing (facturación electrónica), payroll if you hire, and annual renewals — handled by accountants who work with foreign owners weekly.
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Client contracts, service agreements, leases, employment agreements under Colombian labor law, and shareholder arrangements — drafted bilingually through the ColombiaLegal.co network so both sides know exactly what they signed.
Ask about legal supportCapitalizing your own SAS at qualifying thresholds — registered correctly with the central bank — can support a Migrant visa. Formation and visa strategy should be planned together. See visa options →
Foreign companies can open a Colombian branch instead of a new SAS, but for most founders the SAS is simpler, cheaper, and cleaner for liability. We'll tell you straight which fits.
Some buyers hold Colombian property through an SAS for structuring reasons. Whether that's right for you depends on taxes and exit plans — a conversation worth having before you buy, not after.
Your business model, ownership, and visa goals shape the bylaws. We get the structure right before anything gets filed.
Bylaws executed, company registered with the Cámara de Comercio, RUT and NIT obtained from DIAN.
Corporate account opened, capital wired in, and foreign investment registered with the Banco de la República.
E-invoicing configured, accountant onboarded, filing calendar set. You run the business; the compliance runs itself.
Company registration runs through your local Cámara de Comercio, and banking still loves an in-person signature. Our network covers the three cities where foreign founders actually incorporate.
Startup and digital-services hub — most foreign-owned SAS formations in our network start here.
Colombia's corporate and financial center — head offices, banking relationships, and government agencies.
Gateway to the Pacific and the Valle del Cauca economy — full formation and compliance support.
The Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada — a simplified stock company created by Law 1258 of 2008. It's the closest Colombian equivalent to a US LLC: limited liability, flexible bylaws, a single shareholder allowed, and no minimum capital requirement. It's the default entity for the overwhelming majority of new Colombian businesses.
Yes. Colombia allows full foreign ownership of an SAS in nearly all industries, and you don't need to be a resident to be a shareholder. The company does need a legal representative who can act for it in Colombia — a role your lawyer can help you structure correctly.
Not necessarily. Formation can often be handled through a power of attorney, properly apostilled and translated. Banking is the step that most often benefits from physical presence — requirements vary by bank, and we'll tell you before you book a flight whether you actually need one.
The RUT is your tax registry record with DIAN, Colombia's tax authority; the NIT is the tax ID number that comes from it. Every company needs both to invoice, open bank accounts, and file taxes. Getting them is part of any competent formation package — including ours.
Owning a company alone doesn't grant a visa — but capitalizing one at qualifying investment thresholds, with the foreign capital properly registered with the Banco de la República, can support a Migrant-class visa application. The thresholds are set as multiples of the minimum wage and change yearly. If a visa is part of your plan, structure the company with that in mind from day one — our sister site ColombiaVisa.co covers the visa side in depth.
Expect Chamber of Commerce renewal (scaled to your declared assets), accountant fees for monthly bookkeeping and filings, and DIAN obligations that apply even in years with no revenue. Exact costs depend on your activity and size — we'll give you a realistic annual picture before you form, so there are no surprises in year two.
Tell us what you're building and we'll map the entity, banking, tax, and visa picture — with realistic costs — before anything is signed.
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