Legal Steps to Buy as a Foreigner

  • Get a cédula de extranjería or use your passport
  • Hire a licensed Colombian lawyer (we recommend Maia Legal)
  • Verify property title in Oficina de Registro de Instrumentos Públicos
  • Check for liens (gravámenes)
  • Confirm estrato and utilities status

Visa & Residency

  • You can buy on a tourist visa. Foreigners have the same ownership rights as Colombian citizens — no special visa is required to purchase property.
  • Investor M-visa pathway: a real-estate purchase above approximately 350× the Colombian monthly minimum wage (SMLV) can qualify you for an M-type investor visa. As of 2026 that threshold sits around ~USD 150,000 (≈ COP 613M), tracked via Banco de la República.
  • Investment must be registered with Banco de la República in your name to support a future visa application.
  • Our sister company Maia Legal coordinates the visa pathway alongside the purchase — one process, not two.

SMLV is set annually by the Colombian government; figure above is indicative for 2026 and changes each January. Confirm current numbers with Maia Legal before relying on them.

Typical Costs

  • Notary fees: 0.27% of property value (typically split buyer/seller)
  • Registration tax: 1% of property value
  • Transfer tax: Approximately 1%
  • Lawyer fees: Typically 1–2%
  • Property tax (predial): Approximately 0.5% annually

Want these numbers for your budget? Try our buying cost & rental yield calculator — 2026 rates for Santa Marta.

Key Due Diligence Steps

  • Title search (certificado de tradición)
  • Check planning permissions (POT)
  • Verify no unpaid predial (property tax)
  • Physical inspection of the property
  • Review condominium rules if applicable

Timeline

  • Negotiation: 1–2 weeks
  • Due diligence: 2–4 weeks
  • Notary signing (escritura): 1–2 weeks
  • Registration: 2–4 weeks
  • Total: 6–12 weeks typical
Legal Support

Need a lawyer for your purchase?

Maia Legal specialises in foreign buyer conveyancing in Colombia — title searches, escritura, fiador bypass, and registration. Fully licensed. English-speaking.

Visit Maia Legal →

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