Regulatory AlertsColombia: fintech & payments regulation
RegulatedColombia: Fintech regulated by Superfinanciera; payments via Bank of the Republic
- Lead regulator
- Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia (SFC)
- Also involved
- Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC) · DIAN (Tax)
- Core law
- Law 1328 of 2009 (Financial Group) & Law 2222 of 2022 (Fintech)
- Entry capital
- COP 500m (Financial Group)
- Approval timeline
- 6-12 months for SFC authorization
- Customer assets
- Segregated in financial institution accounts
- Data protection
- Law 1581 of 2012 · Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio
- Sandbox
- Yes - Regulatory Sandbox (SFC)
Colombia has a mature fintech framework. Payment services are overseen by the Bank of the Republic (BR) under Circular 008 of 2016, while financial intermediation is regulated by the SFC under Law 2222 of 2022. The market is open to foreign investment, requiring local incorporation and SFC authorization for financial activities.
Which licence do you need?
| Your activity | Requirement | Capital | Timeline | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payment processing / gateway | LicencePayment Service Provider (PSP)[1] Requires SFC authorization if holding funds | — | — | Bank of the Republic |
| E-money & wallet issuance | LicenceElectronic Money Issuer New regime under Law 2222 of 2022 | — | — | Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia |
| Domestic money transfer | LicencePayment Service Provider Domestic transfers via BR systems | — | — | Bank of the Republic |
| Cross-border remittance | LicencePayment Service Provider Cross-border requires SFC approval | — | — | Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia |
| Agent network | Uncertainverify with regulator Agent network rules under development | — | — | — |
| Open banking / account information | Uncertainverify with regulator Open finance framework in progress | — | — | — |
| Foreign-exchange services | LicencePayment Service Provider FX services require SFC authorization | — | — | Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia |
New — what changed recently
- 2026-03-31Circular 008-2026 (DSP-465) — Updated interoperability rules for immediate low-value payment systems.
- 2026-03-31Circular 008-2026 (DSP-470) — Revised Centralized Directory (DICE) operational regulations.
- 2026-03-31Circular 008-2026 (DSP-471) — New settlement mechanism rules and transition deadlines.
Market-entry checklist
- 1Incorporate local entityRegister a Colombian corporation with the Chamber of Commerce.
- 2Apply for SFC licenseSubmit financial group application to Superintendencia Financiera.
- 3Register with BREnroll in Bank of the Republic payment systems (CENIT/SPBVI).
- 4Implement AML/KYCEstablish compliance program per Law 1955 of 2019.
Sources
This guide is compiled automatically from 1 primary-source documents published by Colombia's regulators, reviewed by RegAlert, and refreshed monthly (last updated 2026-07-12). It is not legal advice — always confirm requirements with the regulator or local counsel before acting.