Colombia Vehicle Registration Process

How To Register A Vehicle Shipped To Colombia

If you’ve ever shipped a car to another country for temporary or permanent use, you know 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 car in Colombia.

Hauling Restrictions

If you’re considering sending a vehicle to Colombia, you must familiarize yourself with some significant limitations. For example, Colombia does not permit the permanent import of used cars, even those made in the previous year.

They do offer temporary import permits for cars 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 essential when sending a vehicle from one country to another. For Colombia, the standard import tax is 30% for cars and 15% for trucks, both of which are based on the vehicle's assessed value (which may be higher than its blue book value).

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

Enrolling A Transported (New) Auto

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 register it. As mentioned above, these steps are for registering a new car, whereas older cars and those meant for temporary import go through a similar but different set of steps.

Requirements For Reporting A Car

• 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, a fee is also associated with the processing. These are the basic steps to get a car 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 process.

Resources For Colombia Car Enrolling

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

Ministry of Trade, Industry & Tourism—This is another Spanish-language page that provides details on obtaining a permit for importing a classic or vintage vehicle.