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Employ in Colombia with ease.

Remote makes employment in Colombia easy. With our localized contracts, easy invoice management, and best-in-class compliance, you can grow your global team with confidence.

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Facts & Stats

The second-most populous country in South America, Colombia is the only country on the continent with beaches on both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Colombia is well known for its coffee and its vibrant arts scene. With many public holidays (the second-most in the world, behind only India), plentiful natural resources, and a large population, Colombia is home to expert workers in a variety of important fields.

  • Capital city

    Bogota

  • Currency

    Colombian peso
    ($, COP)

  • Languages spoken

    Spanish

  • Population size

    51,049,498

  • Ease of doing business

    Easy

  • Cost of living index

    $ (131 of 139 nations)

  • Payroll frequency

    Biweekly/Monthly

  • VAT - standard rate

    19%

  • GDP - real growth rate

    3.3%

Grow your team in Colombia with Remote

Looking to employ workers in Colombia? Companies hiring in Colombia must either own a legal entity in the country or work with a global employment solutions provider, usually one that provides employer of record services.

Remote can employ your team in Colombia on your behalf through our local legal entity in the country and handle payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance for your Colombia team. You can also pay contractors now in Colombia with Remote.

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Risks of misclassification

Colombia, like many other countries, treats self-employed contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in Colombia may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.

If you're worried about whether to hire contractors or employees in Colombia or anywhere else around the world, Remote can help. Our Solutions Consulting team are experts in preventing misclassification risks. Download our Contractor Compliance Checklist for a solid overview, then talk to our team about your specific situation.

Employing in Colombia

Colombia has many skilled workers, most of whom primarily speak Spanish, the country’s official language. Before you recruit Colombian or expat employees, you should understand the specifics of Colombian employment and labor laws.

Employment contracts are required for both fixed-term employment and permanent employment agreements. Remote recommends employment contracts for every hire, and every contract must adhere to Colombian employment and labour laws. Usually, fixed-term contracts in Colombia cannot be for more than three years, though there is a provision to extend them to a later date. The contracts are usually drafted in Spanish.

To employ workers in Colombia, contact Remote to learn more about your options.

Public holidays

Below are national public holidays applicable for all regions in this country. Remote customers have access to a detailed list of regional public holidays within the Remote platform. Sign up now to access all public holiday information.

Minimum Wage

As of January 1st 2023, the minimum wage in Colombia is COP 1,160,000 per month. The transportation subsidy is $140,606 COP/ month.

13th Month Pay

Employees in Colombia who are earning an "Ordinary Salary" are entitled to receive an extra month’s pay each year, split between two payments: one in June and one in December. These payments are not only customary but are required by law.

If an employee earns less than $15,080,000 COP per year, an Ordinary Salary would apply (inclusive of the 13th month payment). Note that the 13th salary should not be included in the total annual gross salary.

If an employee earns a gross salary of $15,080,000 COP per year or more, an 'integral salary' is applied. Employees who receive an integral salary, do not receive a 13th salary payment.

Payroll Cycle

For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal monthly installments on or before the last working day of each calendar month, payable in arrears.

Onboarding Time

We can help you get a new employee started in Colombia fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is only 5 working days.

Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.

For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.

Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.

Competitive benefits package in Colombia

At Remote, we’re obsessed with helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in practicing “fair equity,” which means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive (and that will allow you to attract the best local talent).

Our benefits packages in Colombia are tailored to fulfill the local needs of your employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Mental Health Support
  • Pension or 401(K)
  • Life and Disability Insurance
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Calculate the cost to hire an employee
in Colombia

Taxes in Colombia

Learn how employment taxes and statutory fees affect your payroll and your employees’ paychecks in Colombia.

  • Employer

    • 12.00% - Pension Fund

    • 8.50% - Healthcare Fund

    • 0.348 - 8.7% - General Labor Risk Pool

    • 4% - Family Allowance Fund

    • 3% - Colombian Institute for Family Welfare (ICBF)

    • 2% - National Learning Service (SENA)

    • 29.848-36.2% - Total Cost of Employment

  • Employee payroll taxes

    • 4.0% - Pension Fund

    • 4.0% - Healthcare Fund

    • 0.348-8.7% - General Labor Risk Pool

  • Employee income taxes

    • 0 (Income up to 1090 tax units)

    • 19.0% (1090 to 1700 tax units + 116 tax units)

    • 28.0% (1700 to 4100 tax units + 788 tax units)

    • 33.0% (4100 to 8670 tax units + 788 tax units)

    • 35.0% (8670 to 18970 tax units + 2,296 tax units)

    • 37.0% (18970 to 31000 tax units + 5,901 tax units)

    • 39.0% (31000 tax units and up + 10,352 tax units)

    Note: The Columbian government approved an important reform to the tax system in 2006 with a 'tax unit' (Unidad de Valor Tributario or TVU), so the number may be adjusted every year. In 2020, one tax unit was COP 35,607, and in 2021, it is COP 36,308.

Types of leave

Statutory leave

All full-time employees are entitled to 15 consecutive working days of paid annual leave. Every employee is also entitled to 18 paid public holidays.

Pregnancy and maternity leave

Mothers in Colombia receive 18 weeks of maternity leave, typically beginning one week before the child’s due date, paid at 100% their standard salary. Mothers may take the leave up to two weeks prior to their due date or can begin the leave on the day of the birth, if necessary. This leave also applies to mothers who adopt and partners of women who become sick or otherwise unable to care for the child.

Employers must pay for maternity and paternity leave upfront but receive a refund from the government later.

Partner/Paternity leave

In Colombia, fathers receive two weeks (14 calendar days) of paid paternity leave. Compensation for paternity leave is set at 100% of the employee’s salary.

Other leave

  • Bereavement leave: In Colombia, employees can take up to five consecutive days of leave.
  • Marriage leave: After getting married, employees are entitled to 5 consecutive days of paid leave.

Employment termination

Termination process

Either party unilaterally terminating the employment contract must state in writing at the time of termination the cause or motive that led to the termination, except in some special cases.

The termination process must follow rules and regulations set by employment contract law, salary law, and social security regulations. Employers must offer a “fair” reason for terminating the employee in the eyes of the law or risk penalties and fines.

Notice period

The statutory notice period in Colombia depends on the context:

  • Notice is not required if an employee is terminated for misconduct.
  • For workers on a fixed-term contract, written notice must be sent to the employee 30 days before the contract expires.
  • For employees not on fixed-term contracts, 15 days notice must be given when the employee is dismissed for poor performance. In these cases, the employee can respond to the termination within 24 hours to challenge the decision.

Severance pay

In Colombia, the amount a company must pay as severance depends on the nature of termination, the current salary of the employee, and the type of agreement.

In the case of a fixed-term agreement, the severance must be the balance of salary due to the employee up to the last date of the agreement.

In the case of an indefinite agreement, severance varies based on the number of years of service and the current salary of the employee.

  • Employees earning less than COP$9,085,260 (10 times the monthly minimum wage) receive 30 days’ salary for the first year of employment and 20 days’ salary for each additional year.
  • Employees who earn more than 10 times the monthly minimum wage receive 20 days’ salary after one year and 15 days’ salary for every additional year with the company.

Probation periods

Probationary Periods must be in writing. For undefined term contracts and fixed term contracts between one and three years, the maximum probationary period is two months. In fixed-term contracts for less than one year, the probationary period may not exceed one-fifth of the agreed term not exceeding two months.

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