Form a Colombian SAS in days, not months.
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.
Forming a Colombian SAS is mechanical. It just is not fast unless someone runs it.
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.
What we handle, end to end
- Draft and notarize the articles of incorporation
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.
- File with Cámara de Comercio and DIAN
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.
- Open the corporate bank account
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.
- Set up everything DIAN expects after the RUT
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.
How formation runs, week by week
- 01Days 1-3Discovery + structure design
A 45-minute call. We map what you will do, who the shareholders are, where income comes from, whether you plan to hire, and whether partners may come later. Output is a structure recommendation, timeline, and flat-fee quote.
- 02Days 4-7Articles + notarization
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.
- 03Days 8-14Cámara + DIAN registration
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.
- 04Days 15-25Bank + post-formation setup
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.
The questions we get most
Don't see your question? WhatsApp us - we keep this list updated from the questions you actually ask.
What pairs with formation.
Monthly books from day one.
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.
Founder visa in parallel.
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.
Talk to us before you sign with a Colombian law firm.
A 45-minute discovery call, free. We will tell you which entity structure fits, what formation will cost end to end, and whether your situation is one we should handle or one better served by a specialist firm.
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