in Colombia
En USP Consultoria offers expert legal, accounting, and tax advice tailored to help you achieve your goals. We specialize in streamlining processes for foreigners, providing personalized solutions.
Starting a business in Colombia
Registering the company is just the start
Setting up the entity is one step. Starting a business means choosing the right structure, protecting your control, putting capital in legally, and getting it running. We handle the whole arc.
Just need the company incorporated? See Company Registration →
Choose the right structure
A local subsidiary of your foreign company, or direct personal ownership? Each one changes your liability, your taxes and your control. We model it before you register.
Protect your control
The legal representative runs day-to-day. We build in the safeguards — a supplementary representative, corporate restrictions — so control stays with you.
Put your capital in legally
Foreign investment has to be registered to be recognized — and to support an owner visa. We structure your capital injection and register it.
Get it operating
Your business locale, municipal tax registration, corporate bank account and the records your company must keep — set up so you can trade from day one.
Why founders trust us
Our role
How we help you launch
From the first structuring decision to your first invoice — the legal and corporate work to start and run your business, handled end to end.
Structure & tax strategy
Subsidiary or direct ownership, the most tax-efficient setup, and how profits move — decided before you commit a single peso.
Corporate & shareholder agreements
Bylaws (Estatutos), shareholder and partnership agreements, director confidentiality and indemnification, the stock ledger — the documents that govern who decides what.
Capital & foreign-investment registration
We structure your capital injection and register the foreign investment so it's recognized — and counts toward an owner visa.
Business locale & municipal tax
Your Establecimiento de Comercio and your Industria y Comercio registration, so you can operate where you actually trade.
Corporate bank account
We prepare the file and deal directly with the bank. We can't promise a bank's decision — but we give you the strongest possible file.
Only need the company registered?
If you just need the S.A.S. incorporated, that's our dedicated Company Registration service — from $650.
See Company RegistrationThe journey
Starting your business, step by step
Every business is different, but launching one in Colombia usually follows this path — from the first decision to operating.
Identify the essentials
Company name, business purpose (objeto social), registered address, and how much capital you'll put in.
Tax & structure analysis
We map the most tax-efficient way to structure and book profits — before anything is filed.
Choose ownership & control
Subsidiary or direct ownership; who serves as legal representative, and the safeguards that protect you.
Draft your corporate documents
Bylaws (Estatutos) plus any shareholder, partnership or confidentiality agreements your structure needs.
Register the company
We incorporate the S.A.S. with the Chamber of Commerce and the DIAN — our Company Registration service.
Capitalize & register your investment
Inject your capital and register the foreign investment so it's legally recognized.
Get operating
Business locale, municipal tax, corporate bank account, and the records your company must keep.
On timing: processing times depend on the Chamber of Commerce, the DIAN, notaries and banks — none of which we control. Q1 (January–March) is typically slower. We move as fast as the file allows and tell you what's realistic upfront.
Service packages
Launch packages, built around your plan
Our professional fees cover the legal and corporate work. Government and third-party fees are always separate, listed upfront, and never marked up.
Business Launch — Basic
Form the company plus the core steps to start trading — registration, tax IDs and the essentials to operate.
Business Launch — Complete
Structure and strategy, corporate documents, capital registration and operating setup — the full launch, end to end.
Business Launch — Complete PLUS
Everything in Complete, plus the extras: lease negotiation, additional corporate agreements, and priority handling for a faster launch.
Exporting Services track
Setting up to export services from Colombia? A dedicated launch path that structures your company for the services-export regime.
Only need the S.A.S. incorporated? Our Company Registration service starts at $650. Government and third-party fees (Chamber of Commerce, notary, DIAN) are separate from our professional fees — see the breakdown below.
Transparency
Beyond our fees: the real cost picture
Our professional fees cover our work. Starting a business also carries government and third-party fees — here's the full picture, listed upfront and never marked up.
| Cost | Typically |
|---|---|
| Chamber of Commerce registration (Matrícula Mercantil) | [[VALIDAR: rango según capital]] |
| Business locale permit (Establecimiento de Comercio) | [[VALIDAR]] |
| Foreign-investment / Control registration (SIRE) | [[VALIDAR]] |
| Tax IDs (NIT) & beneficial-owner registration (RUB) | [[VALIDAR]] |
| Notary, courier & miscellaneous expenses | [[VALIDAR]] |
| VAT (IVA), where applicable | [[VALIDAR: 19%]] |
On paid-in capital: the Chamber of Commerce fee scales with your company's capital — and if you're capitalizing to qualify for an owner visa, clearing the threshold raises the fee. We model this for your specific case before you commit. Registering the company itself? The incorporation fees are broken down on our Company Registration page.
Business + Visa
Your business can be your visa, too
Owning and running a Colombian company can open a residency path — as a company owner, or as an investor if you put capital above the threshold. How you structure and capitalize the business decides which door opens.
We handle both sides under one roof: the business and the visa it qualifies you for — no bouncing between an accountant, a corporate lawyer and an immigration firm.
Check which route fitsTalk to a specialist
Get a free Pre-Check
Tell us about your business — what it'll do, how it's owned, whether you're aiming for the owner visa. A specialist reviews it and tells you exactly what your setup needs — no cost, no commitment.
- We reply within one business day
- Bilingual team — English & Spanish
- No obligation — your details stay private
Prefer to chat? WhatsApp +57 321 720 4247
Why USP
Why founders build with USP
What sets us apart isn't marketing — it's how the work actually gets done.
Get your free Pre-CheckA real legal team, built for expats
Not a paperwork agency. Specialists by area, bilingual in English and Spanish.
Structure that protects you
We don't just file documents — we build the corporate structure and safeguards that keep control where it belongs: with you.
Business, visa and family under one roof
Your company, the owner visa if you need it, and the family matters that come with relocating — handled end to end, because the pieces connect.
Transparent from the start
Our fees and the government fees, listed upfront. No markups, no surprises.
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Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Can't find your answer here? We're one message away — and the first review is free.
Ask us in a free Pre-CheckWhat's the difference between registering a company and starting a business?
Registering is the legal step that creates your S.A.S. Starting a business is the whole arc around it — choosing the structure, the agreements, the capital and getting it operating. We handle both; if you only need the company incorporated, that's our Company Registration service.
Should I open a local subsidiary or own the company directly?
Both work. A local subsidiary — where your foreign company owns the Colombian one — can buffer liability and be more tax-efficient. Direct personal ownership is simpler and is often the route if you want an owner visa. We model both for your case before you decide.
Can a foreign company own a Colombian S.A.S.?
Yes. A foreign parent can own all or most of a Colombian S.A.S. It means some extra corporate documentation — which we draft, translate and file as part of the setup.
Do I need a shareholder agreement if I'm the only owner?
Not at first. But the moment a second investor, a partner or an employee with equity comes in, a shareholder agreement is what prevents disputes later. We draft it when your structure calls for it.
How do I protect myself from legal-representative risk?
The legal representative can bind your company, so we build in safeguards: a supplementary representative you trust, and corporate or banking restrictions on what they can sign alone.
How do I bring my capital into the company legally?
Foreign investment has to be registered to be recognized — and to count toward an owner visa. We structure the capital injection and handle the registration. See also transferring funds into Colombia.
Can starting a business get me a Colombian visa?
Yes. Owning and running the company can support a Partner/Owner Visa; investing above the capital threshold can support an Investment Visa. We structure the business with that goal in mind and handle the visa too.
Which industries face extra regulation in Colombia?
Some sectors get extra scrutiny — mining, crypto and blockchain, cannabis and CBD, lending and micro-finance — and can make opening a corporate bank account harder. If that's your field, we map the path before you commit.
What does my company have to do once it's running?
Keep its corporate and accounting records, renew the commercial registration each year (by March 31), and meet its municipal and national tax obligations. We can coordinate the accounting and filings — just ask and we'll tell you what your company needs.
How long until my business is fully operational?
A few weeks once your documents are ready — but the Chamber of Commerce, the DIAN and the banks set the pace, and Q1 (January–March) is slower. We give you a realistic timeline upfront.
No cost, no commitment
Start with a free Pre-Check
Tell us about your business and what you're planning. We'll tell you exactly what your launch needs — and what it'll cost, upfront.
+57 321 720 4247 · info@uspconsultancy.com
USD figures approximate. Final pricing issued in Colombian Pesos (COP) at the day-of-invoice TRM (Banco de la República rate). Professional fees do not include IVA (19%) where applicable, or government and third-party fees, which are listed separately. This page is general information, not legal advice — every business is different, so contact us about your specific case.
