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Enforcing foreign arbitral awards in Colombia: New York Convention, recognition by the Supreme Court and refusal grounds

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Last verified: 2026-10-26 · Status: Stable

An award made in any country can be enforced in Colombia, but an award seated abroad must first be recognised by the Supreme Court Civil Chamber (the Consejo de Estado if a Colombian public entity is party) in a single instance procedure with no appeal. The court gives the other side 10 days to respond and must decide within the following 20 days, refusing only on the exhaustive New York Convention style grounds listed in Ley 1563 de 2012; the court procedure for foreign judgments does not apply. Colombia acceded to the New York Convention in 1979 without reservations and also approved the Panama and Montevideo inter American conventions.

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Key facts

Party to the New York Convention	yes yes or noLey 37 de 1979; Ley 39 de 1990, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
New York Convention in force for Colombia	1979-12-24 dateLey 37 de 1979, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Reservations to the New York Convention	none listed textUNCITRAL status table, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Court recognising foreign awards	Corte Suprema de Justicia, Sala de Casación Civil textLey 1563 de 2012 art. 68, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Time for the other party to respond to a recognition request	10 daysLey 1563 de 2012 art. 115, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Time for the court to decide after the response period	20 daysLey 1563 de 2012 art. 115, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Appeal against the recognition decision	none textLey 1563 de 2012 art. 113, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Inter American Convention on International Commercial Arbitration approved by	Ley 44 de 1986 textLey 44 de 1986, as of 2026-10-26 · in force

The rule

1. Colombia is a party to the 1958 New York Convention. Congress approved it by Ley 37 de 1979 and again by Ley 39 de 1990. UNCITRAL records Colombia's accession on 25 September 1979, in force from 24 December 1979, with no declarations, so Colombia applies it to awards from any country and to commercial and non commercial disputes alike.Ley 39 de 1990 (Diario Oficial 39.587 of 23 November 1990); Ley 37 de 1979, Convention art. I to V, 1990-11-20 official text · verified 2026-10-26

2. Congress also approved the Inter American Convention on International Commercial Arbitration (Panama, 30 January 1975) by Ley 44 de 1986 and the Inter American Convention on Extraterritorial Validity of Foreign Judgments and Arbitral Awards (Montevideo, 8 May 1979) by Ley 16 de 1981. The Supreme Court lists both among the instruments it applies in recognition cases.Ley 44 de 1986 (Diario Oficial 37.643 of 23 September 1986); Ley 16 de 1981 (Diario Oficial 35.711 of 27 February 1981), Approval articles, 1986-09-19 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. An award, whatever the country where it was made, is enforceable before the competent court at a party's request on presenting the original award or a copy; the court may ask for a Spanish translation. Awards seated abroad require prior recognition. Only the international section of Ley 1563 and Colombia's treaties apply to recognition; the Código General del Proceso exequatur rules apply only to court judgments.Ley 1563 de 2012, Art. 111 and 114, 2012-07-12 official text · verified 2026-10-26

4. Recognition may be refused only if the party resisting it proves incapacity or an invalid agreement; lack of proper notice or inability to present its case; an award beyond the scope of the submission (severable parts may still be recognised); irregular composition or procedure; or that the award is not yet binding or was set aside or suspended at the seat; or if the court finds the subject not arbitrable under Colombian law or recognition contrary to Colombian international public policy. If annulment is pending at the seat the court may adjourn and order security.Ley 1563 de 2012, Art. 112, 2012-07-12 official text · verified 2026-10-26

5. The Supreme Court Civil Chamber decides recognition; where a Colombian public entity or a party exercising Colombian administrative functions is involved, the Consejo de Estado Third Section does. Once the file is complete the court gives the other parties 10 days and then decides within 20 days without further steps. The decision is in a single instance and no remedy lies against it. Enforcement then goes to the competent court.Ley 1563 de 2012, Art. 68, 113, 115 and 116, 2012-07-12 official text · verified 2026-10-26

6. ICSID awards follow a different path: under the ICSID Convention each contracting state must recognise them as binding and enforce their pecuniary obligations as if they were final judgments of its own courts, without review.ICSID Convention, approved by Ley 267 de 1996, Convention art. 53 and 54, 1996-01-29 official text · verified 2026-10-26

Worked example

A London seated LCIA award orders a Colombian buyer to pay US$2,000,000. The seller files for recognition with the Supreme Court Civil Chamber with a copy of the award and the agreement, and a Spanish translation if asked.
The buyer has 10 days to respond and can only rely on the art. 112 grounds; the court decides within 20 days after that, with no appeal.
With recognition granted, the seller starts enforcement before the competent civil judge and asks for attachments of the buyer's bank accounts and receivables.

Step by step

Obtain a certified copy of the award and the arbitration agreement; apostille or legalise as needed and prepare a Spanish translation.
File the recognition request with the Supreme Court Civil Chamber (or the Consejo de Estado if a public entity is party) through Colombian counsel.
If annulment is pending at the seat, expect a possible adjournment and a request for security.
After recognition, file the executive claim before the competent judge and request interim measures.

Common traps

Do not apply the court judgment exequatur rules (reciprocity, five day transfer, hearing) to awards: Ley 1563 excludes them.
An award set aside at the seat can be refused recognition.
A Colombian international award whose annulment the parties waived needs recognition before enforcement even though it is seated in Colombia.

Sources

← International arbitration seated in Colombia: Model Law rules, interim measures, annulment waiver and enforcementEnforcing foreign court judgments in Colombia: exequatur before the Supreme Court, reciprocity and the Montevideo Convention →