Nathan — a Canadian entrepreneur who had been living in Medellín on a digital nomad visa — decided to formalize his Colombian operation in early 2026. He had been invoicing international clients from Colombia for 18 months, building a local team of five, and signing contracts with Colombian suppliers. His immigration advisor flagged the problem before it became a crisis: operating a Colombian commercial entity while on a nómada digital visa — which prohibits generating income from Colombian clients — was a violation. The solution: convert to a visa M-Inversionista, which required incorporating the SAS first. He needed to understand the incorporation sequence before doing either.
The Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada (SAS) is Colombia's dominant corporate structure for foreign entrepreneurs and investors. Introduced by Law 1258/2008, it combines limited liability, flexible governance, and minimal ongoing formality in a single structure that can be formed by one person and registered online within days.
including a single foreigner
required by law
timeline with NIT
for visa M-Inversionista
Step 1 — Obtain Your NIT as a Foreigner
Before incorporating, the foreign founder needs a tax ID (NIT) from the DIAN. For foreigners already in Colombia with a cédula de extranjería, the NIT is linked to the cédula and already exists. For foreigners abroad or without cédula, a NIT can be requested through a Colombian attorney acting under power of attorney (poder notarial), which must be notarized and apostilled in the country of origin. The power of attorney authorizes the attorney to represent the founder before Colombian authorities including the Cámara de Comercio and DIAN.
Step 2 — Draft and Execute the Incorporation Document
The SAS is created by a private document (not a public deed/escritura pública, which is an important cost saving) — the Documento de Constitución. It must include: company name (which must include "S.A.S."), registered address, corporate purpose (objeto social — should be broad), duration (usually indefinite), capital structure (authorized capital, subscribed capital, paid-in capital), share transfer restrictions if any, and governance rules (simplified is fine). The document must be signed by all founders and their signatures notarized (or apostilled if abroad). If only one founder is remote, the power-of-attorney approach covers this step too.
Step 3 — Register with the Cámara de Comercio
The Documento de Constitución is submitted to the Cámara de Comercio of the city where the company will have its registered address (Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, etc.). The Cámara assigns a Número de Identificación Tributaria (NIT) for the company and issues the Certificado de Existencia y Representación Legal — the primary corporate document that evidences the company exists and identifies its legal representative. Registration fees scale with subscribed capital but are generally modest.
Step 4 — Open a Corporate Bank Account
With the Certificado de Existencia y Representación Legal and the legal representative's cédula or passport, a corporate bank account can be opened. Colombian banks have progressively improved their onboarding for foreign-owned SAS companies, but documentation requirements vary. Bancolombia and Davivienda are the most commonly used by foreign entrepreneurs. Some banks require a minimum 6-month operating history before opening; others accept new incorporations. This step often takes 2–4 weeks and is the most variable in timeline.
Step 5 — RUT and Tax Obligations
After registration, the SAS must register its RUT (Registro Único Tributario) with the DIAN — this formalizes the company's tax profile and determines which taxes apply. Colombian SAS companies are subject to corporate income tax (35% on net income), the industry and commerce tax (ICA, municipal, 0.2–1% of gross revenues depending on activity), and VAT collection obligations if activities are VAT-taxable. Monthly or bi-monthly DIAN reporting obligations begin from the date of RUT registration.
SAS Incorporation and the Visa M-Inversionista
For foreign entrepreneurs seeking the visa M-Inversionista, the incorporation of the SAS is only the first step. The investment itself — a minimum of 100 SMLMV (approximately USD 32,000 in 2026) — must be registered with Banco de la República as a foreign direct investment (RDE-IDE), generating a registration number that becomes a required document for the visa application. The investment can be in the form of capital contributed to the SAS, documented through the company's financial statements and bank records.