Most foreigners spend months forming an SAS because they hired the first attorney their relocation company referred. We run the steps in parallel, price the work clearly, and stay involved until the entity is usable, not just registered.
The Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada, Colombia's SAS, is a simple legal entity. One shareholder is enough. No minimum capital. Limited liability. Set up through the Cámara de Comercio, registered with DIAN for tax purposes, and operational within two weeks if everything moves in parallel. Most foreigners take three months because nobody is running the steps in parallel and nobody is chasing the bank.
The honest version: SAS formation is six steps: name reservation, articles drafting and notarization, Cámara registration, DIAN registration for the RUT, corporate bank account opening, and DIAN registration for secondary obligations like electronic invoicing, tax-regime selection, and payroll if you will have employees. The first five can run in roughly ten business days. The bank account is the wildcard.
The mistakes are consistent: founders let the law firm pick the bank, file the RUT before Cámara registration is final, or create a single-shareholder structure when a partner is coming six months later. We run the steps in the right order and do not take bank referral fees.
The articles define your SAS: corporate purpose, share structure, governance, and profit distribution. Templates are fine for simple operations and terrible if you will bring in a partner or investor. We draft for your one-year and three-year plan, not just today's structure.
Cámara registration takes three to five business days once articles are notarized. RUT registration with DIAN follows immediately after, usually in one to two days. We file both, monitor both, and respond to clarification requests same-day.
This is where most formations stall. Colombian banks have very different policies on foreign-shareholder corporate accounts. Some open in five days, some refuse outright, and some ask for impossible documents. We choose the bank based on your shareholder structure, residency, and source of funds.
The RUT is the start, not the finish. Electronic invoicing, tax-regime selection, payroll registration if you will have employees, and the first DIAN filings all follow. We handle the post-formation cascade so month four does not produce fines no one warned you about.
Submit what the company will do, who the shareholders are, where income comes from, whether you plan to hire, and whether partners may join later. The written review defines the open questions, proposed scope, and fee before formation begins.
We draft the articles based on the structure. You review and approve. Notarization happens at a Medellín notaría, in person if you are here or by power of attorney if you are not.
Articles are filed with Cámara de Comercio. Once registered, the RUT application goes to DIAN. By the end of week two, you have a registered SAS, a Cámara certificate, and a RUT.
We open the corporate bank account at the bank recommended for your profile while setting up electronic invoicing, tax regime, and the first DIAN filing schedule. By day 25, the SAS should be ready to invoice and bank.
Don't see your question? Use the pillar intake form to send the relevant details and choose a next step.
MedellínUse current Medellín asking-rent benchmarks and an editable cost worksheet to evaluate a furnished stay without treating advertised rent as a signed lease.
ColombiaUnderstand the requirements for foreigners opening bank accounts in Colombia, organized by account type. Learn about eligibility, fees, and the practical steps involved.
MedellínDecide between SAS or personal name for Colombian property ownership. Explore legal, financial, and compliance impacts.
A registered SAS without monthly bookkeeping is a tax violation waiting to happen. DIAN expects monthly electronic invoicing, periodic VAT filings, and annual income tax. Bookkeeping & Tax runs the cadence so the SAS stays clean.
Foreign founders forming an SAS often need a visa to operate it long-term. The Migrante M and Investor pathways can both work depending on structure. Relocate runs the filing in parallel with formation when both are needed.
Share the planned activity, owners, revenue sources, hiring needs, and timing. The Work intake routes the brief to the appropriate next step or specialist.
