Colombia Vehicle Registration Process

1. How To Register A Vehicle Shipped To Colombia
2. Import Restrictions
3. Import Taxes
4. Registering An Imported (New) Vehicle In Colombia
5. Requirements For Registering A Vehicle In Colombia
6. Resources For Colombia Vehicle Registration

How To Register A Vehicle Shipped To Colombia

If you’ve ever shipped a car to another country, either for temporary or permanent use, you know that there’s more to it than simply putting it on a boat and picking it up at your destination. Once the vehicle arrives, you still need to work out proper licensing and registration, as well as the associated fees and paperwork that go along with it.

In this article, we’ll cover information about import restrictions, applicable taxes, and the steps you’ll need to take in order to register an imported vehicle in Colombia.

Import Restrictions

If you’re in the beginning stages of considering shipping a vehicle to Colombia, there are some important limitations you’ll need to be familiar with first. For example, Colombia does not permit the permanent import of a used vehicle, even those made in the previous year.

They do offer temporary import permits for vehicles that will not stay permanently in the country. Exceptions can also be made for classic and collector automobiles, provided they have the necessary documentation to verify authenticity.

Import Taxes

Import taxes are an important consideration any time you’re shipping a vehicle from one country to another. For Colombia, the standard import tax is 30% for cars and 15% for trucks, both of which will be based on the assessed value of the vehicle (which may be higher than blue book value).

If you need some information about shipping a vehicle to Colombia, we encourage readers to visit our international shipping page to get an idea of the costs and necessary steps for importing a vehicle into the country. 

Registering An Imported (New) Vehicle In Colombia

Now that we’ve established some of the costs and potential hurdles of bringing a vehicle into Colombia for personal use, let’s get into the specifics of how to go about registering it. As mentioned above, these steps are for the registration of a new vehicle, whereas older cars and those meant for temporary import go through a similar but different set of steps.

Requirements For Registering A Vehicle In Colombia

• Proof of purchase (invoice)
• Import declaration form
• Certificate of registration
• Proof of insurance (SOAT: Seguro Obligatorio de Accidentes de Transito)
• Receipt from applicable vehicle taxes
• Application form for registration

When these forms are submitted for registration, there is also a fee associated with the processing. These are the basic steps you’ll need to take to get a vehicle registered, though we strongly encourage readers to check with the appropriate agencies (see links below) just in case there have been any recent changes to the vehicle registration process.

Resources For Colombia Vehicle Registration

Colombia Ministry Of Transport - (Spanish language) The website for the Colombia Ministry of Transport is good resource for determining what you need to do to register a vehicle and where you need to go to do it.

Ministry of Trade, Industry & Tourism - Another Spanish language page, this one gives you the details of how to obtain a permit for importing a classic or vintage vehicle.