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How to buy property in Colombia as a foreigner

By the Grupo Brik team · Last reviewed

Pending expert review

This guide was drafted from the official sources listed at the end and checked against them on 30 September 2026. It has not yet been reviewed by a Colombian lawyer or accountant, so treat it as general information, not legal or tax advice.

The short answer

Colombian rules treat a non-resident's purchase of property as foreign investment, and the buyer needs a passport and a RUT tax registration. The purchase goes from a written promise to buy (promesa de compraventa) to a public deed (escritura) signed at a notary, which must then be registered within two months. Bring the money through the Colombian exchange market so Banco de la República registers it as foreign investment, which is what lets you send the proceeds of a future sale back abroad.

The steps, in order

  1. Choose the property and check its title: order a recent certificado de tradición y libertad, which shows the owner, mortgages and liens. In 2026 it costs COP 24,300 at a registry office or COP 23,000 online.
  2. Get a RUT (Colombian tax registration) from DIAN. Non-resident individuals must register to meet Colombian tax obligations, and DIAN accepts requests from abroad.
  3. Sign a promesa de compraventa: a written promise to buy that fixes the date for signing the deed and defines the sale completely.
  4. Transfer the money through the Colombian exchange market (a bank or other authorised intermediary), giving the minimum data of the exchange declaration for international investments.
  5. Sign the escritura pública at a notary. The sale is only complete in law once the deed is signed; the seller pays the 1% withholding before signing.
  6. Pay the registration tax and register the deed at the Oficina de Registro de Instrumentos Públicos within two months of signing.
  7. Check that your foreign investment is registered with Banco de la República, or file the registration declaration if the money did not come through the exchange market.

Sources: [1],[2],[3],[4],[6],[5],[10],[11],[12]

Documents you need

Documents for a foreign buyer[2],[1],[4],[6]
DocumentWhat it is for
PassportYour identity document at the notary; a copy is also the only document an individual needs to register in the RUT.
RUT (Registro Único Tributario)Colombian tax registration, needed to meet tax obligations such as declaring a future sale.
Certificado de tradición y libertadThe property's registry record: owner, mortgages, liens and past transfers.
Promesa de compraventaThe written promise to buy, with the price, payment terms and the date to sign the deed.
Exchange declaration from your bankEvidence that the money came in through the exchange market, which registers your foreign investment.

The promesa de compraventa

Colombian law only enforces a promise to buy if it is in writing, the promised sale is lawful, it sets a term or condition that fixes when the deed will be signed, and it defines the sale so completely that only delivery or the legal formalities are missing. Put the price, the payment schedule, the notary, the date of signing and who pays which costs in it.[4]

Registering your foreign investment with Banco de la República

Property in Colombia bought by a non-resident counts as foreign direct investment. Registering it gives you the right to send abroad, in foreign currency, the proceeds when you sell.[9]

Older guides mention "Formulario No. 4". Under the current rules, Banco de la República's Circular DCIP-83, an investment paid in foreign currency is registered automatically once you give the minimum data of the exchange declaration and the intermediary transmits it through the exchange information system.[6]

If the money did not come through the exchange market, you can register the investment at any time by filing the Declaración de Registro de Inversiones Internacionales online, choosing real estate as the destination. For property, the investment date is the date the deed is registered. Later changes, such as cancelling the investment after a sale, must be registered within six months.[6],[7],[8],[9]

Closing costs

Closing costs as a share of the price, Antioquia 2026[13],[14],[15],[1],[10]
CostRateWho pays
Notary fees0.3% plus 19% VAT on the feeBuyer and seller equally, unless agreed otherwise
Registration tax (Antioquia)1%Buyer and seller equally, unless agreed otherwise
Estampilla Pro-Desarrollo (Antioquia)0.05%Settled with the registration tax
Registry fees0.911% to 1.333% by value, plus 2% of the feeWhoever files the deed for registration
Withholding on the sale1%Seller (income-tax advance)
Worked example: a hypothetical property sold for COP 800,000,000 (USD 239,433) in Antioquia, 2026 rates[13],[15],[1],[16]
ItemRateAmount (COP)Amount (USD)Who pays
Notary fees (derechos notariales)0.3% + 19% VAT on the feeCOP 2,856,000USD 855Buyer and seller in equal shares unless agreed otherwise
Registration tax, Antioquia (impuesto de registro)1%COP 8,000,000USD 2,394Buyer and seller in equal shares unless agreed otherwise
Estampilla Pro-Desarrollo, Antioquia0.05%COP 400,000USD 120Settled with the registration tax
Registry fees (derechos de registro)1.333% + 2% of the feeCOP 10,877,280USD 3,255Whoever files the deed for registration
Total closing costs2.767%COP 22,133,280USD 6,624Both parties
Seller's income-tax withholding (retención en la fuente)1%COP 8,000,000USD 2,394Seller (an advance on income tax, not a cost to the buyer)

USD at the official exchange rate (TRM) of COP 3,341.23 per dollar on 2026-09-30; the rate changes daily. Registry fees use the top band, which applies above COP 494,798,857. Excludes small fixed charges (per-page notary fees, notary collection fees, certificates). No stamp tax applies because the price is below 20,000 UVT (COP 1,047,480,000 in 2026).

See closing costs and taxes in Colombia for the stamp tax on properties above 20,000 UVT and the taxes you will pay when you sell.

Timeline and legal deadlines

No official source sets a typical duration for a purchase: it depends on the seller, the financing and the notary. These are the deadlines the law does set.

Legal deadlines in a purchase[4],[10],[11],[12],[6],[9]
StepDeadline
Signing the deedThe date fixed in the promesa de compraventa
Seller's 1% withholdingPaid before the deed is signed
Registration and registration taxWithin 2 months of the deed (3 if signed abroad); late interest after that
Registering a mortgageWithin 90 business days
Initial foreign-investment registrationAutomatic if the money came through the exchange market; otherwise at any time
Changes or cancellation of the investmentWithin 6 months

Does buying property give you residency?

No. Owning property lets you apply for a migrant investor visa (visa M inversionista) if the property is worth at least 350 monthly minimum wages, is owned exclusively by you and your foreign investment is registered with Banco de la República. With the 2026 minimum wage of COP 1,750,905, that is COP 612,816,750 (about USD 183,411). The visa is granted for up to three years; holding it for five years can lead to a resident visa.[17],[18],[16]

Next steps

Frequently asked questions

Can foreigners buy property in Colombia?

Yes. Property in Colombia bought by a non-resident is treated as foreign direct investment, and registering it with Banco de la República protects your right to send the sale proceeds abroad.[9]

Do I need a RUT to buy property in Colombia?

Non-resident individuals must register in the RUT to meet their Colombian tax obligations, such as declaring the sale of the property later. DIAN accepts requests from abroad with a copy of your passport.[2],[3]

Is Formulario 4 still required?

Not under the current rules. Banco de la República's Circular DCIP-83 registers an investment paid in foreign currency automatically when the exchange intermediary transmits the exchange declaration data; money not brought through the exchange market is registered with an online declaration.[6],[7]

How long do I have to register the deed?

Two months from the date of the deed, or three months if it was signed abroad. After that, late interest accrues on the registration tax.[11]

Sources

  1. Resolución RES-2026-001726-6 de 2026 (tarifas de registro). Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro, compiled by Cancillería. https://cancilleria.gov.co/normograma/compilacion/docs/resolucion_superregistro_17266_2026.htm. Accessed .
  2. Decreto 1625 de 2016, arts. 1.6.1.2.1 y 1.6.1.2.11 (RUT). Cancillería, Normograma. https://www.cancilleria.gov.co/sites/default/files/Normograma/docs/pdf/decreto_1625_2016_pr029.pdf. Accessed .
  3. Inscripción o actualización del RUT de personas naturales en el exterior. DIAN. https://www.dian.gov.co/impuestos/RUT/Paginas/Inscripcion-o-actualizacion-RUT-personas-naturales-en-el-exterior.aspx. Accessed .
  4. Código Civil, artículo 1611 (promesa de contrato). Secretaría General del Senado. http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/codigo_civil_pr049.html. Accessed .
  5. Código Civil, artículo 1857 (perfeccionamiento de la venta). Secretaría General del Senado. http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/codigo_civil_pr057.html. Accessed .
  6. Circular Reglamentaria Externa DCIP-83 (inversiones internacionales). Banco de la República, compiled by Secretaría Distrital de Hacienda de Bogotá. https://compilacionjuridica.shd.gov.co/compilacion/docs/circular_banrepublica_dcip-83.htm. Accessed .
  7. Guía para diligenciar la Declaración de Registro de Inversiones Internacionales. Banco de la República. https://www.banrep.gov.co/sites/default/files/guia-diligenciar-declaracion-de-registro-de-inversiones-internacionales.pdf. Accessed .
  8. Circular DCIP-83, Anexo 4. Banco de la República. https://www.banrep.gov.co/sites/default/files/reglamentacion/archivos/dcip-83-compendio-anexo4.pdf. Accessed .
  9. Decreto 119 de 2017 (régimen de inversiones internacionales). DIAN, Normograma. https://normograma.dian.gov.co/dian/compilacion/docs/decreto_0119_2017.htm. Accessed .
  10. Estatuto Tributario (arts. 300, 314, 316, 398, 519). Función Pública, Gestor Normativo. https://www.funcionpublica.gov.co/eva/gestornormativo/norma.php?i=6533. Accessed .
  11. Ley 223 de 1995, artículo 231 (plazo para registrar). Secretaría General del Senado. http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley_0223_1995_pr004.html. Accessed .
  12. Ley 1579 de 2012 (Estatuto de Registro de Instrumentos Públicos). Secretaría General del Senado. http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley_1579_2012.html. Accessed .
  13. Resolución RES-2026-000964-6 de 2026 (tarifas notariales). Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro. https://servicios.supernotariado.gov.co/files/portal/portal-resolucion_000964_6_2026.pdf. Accessed .
  14. Código Civil, artículo 1862 (gastos de la escritura). Secretaría General del Senado. http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/codigo_civil_pr057.html. Accessed .
  15. Ordenanza 48 de 2025, Estatuto de Rentas de Antioquia. Gobernación de Antioquia. https://compilacionjuridica.antioquia.gov.co/compilacion/compilacion/docs/ORD_ASAMANT_0048_2025.htm. Accessed .
  16. Tasa de Cambio Representativa del Mercado (TRM), histórico. Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia, datos.gov.co. https://www.datos.gov.co/Econom-a-y-Finanzas/Tasa-de-Cambio-Representativa-del-Mercado-TRM/32sa-8pi3. Accessed .
  17. Resolución 5477 de 2022 (visas), artículo 79. Cancillería. https://www.cancilleria.gov.co/normograma/compilacion/docs/resolucion_minrelaciones_5477_2022.htm. Accessed .
  18. Decreto 0159 de 2026 (salario mínimo 2026). Cancillería, Normograma. https://www.cancilleria.gov.co/normograma/compilacion/docs/decreto_0159_2026.htm. Accessed .