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Enforcing foreign court judgments in Colombia: exequatur before the Supreme Court, reciprocity and the Montevideo Convention

Argentina. For full detail on Argentina, go to The Argentine Thread.

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

A foreign court judgment has the effect that a treaty with the issuing country gives it or, absent a treaty, the effect that country gives Colombian judgments (legislative or diplomatic reciprocity); to produce effects it needs exequatur from the Supreme Court Civil Chamber. The judgment must be final, properly legalised, not about rights in rem over property in Colombia, not contrary to Colombian public order, not in a matter of exclusive Colombian jurisdiction, and not in conflict with a Colombian case on the same matter. Colombia is not a party to the 2019 Hague Judgments Convention; the 1979 Montevideo Convention covers several American states, and the Supreme Court has applied it to judgments from Argentina.

USD figures use the TRM (tasa representativa del mercado) of COP 3,158.43 per US dollar, valid 24 to 26 October 2026, from the official TRM series published by the Superintendencia Financiera on the national open data portal. Peso figures in UVB use the 2026 UVB of COP 12,110 (Res. MinHacienda 3488 de 2025, as reported by the Ministry of Transport); figures in minimum wages use the 2026 monthly minimum wage of COP 1,750,905 (Decreto 1469 de 2025). Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Foreign judgments recognised on treaty or reciprocity basis	yes yes or noLey 1564 de 2012 art. 605, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Court granting exequatur	Corte Suprema de Justicia, Sala de Casación Civil textLey 1564 de 2012 art. 30 and 607, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Time given to the affected party in exequatur	5 daysLey 1564 de 2012 art. 607, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Party to the HCCH 2019 Judgments Convention	no yes or noHCCH status table, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum agencias en derecho in exequatur 2026 (20 minimum wages)	35018100 COPAcuerdo PSAA16-10554 de 2016 art. 5 num. 10, as of 2026-10-26 · in force

The rule

1. Judgments and similar decisions of foreign authorities have in Colombia the force given by treaties with that country or, failing a treaty, the force that country gives to Colombian judgments. Exequatur of foreign arbitral awards follows its own rules.Ley 1564 de 2012 (Código General del Proceso), Art. 605, 2012-07-12 official text · verified 2026-10-26

2. To take effect a foreign judgment must: not concern rights in rem over property located in Colombia when the case began; not be contrary to Colombian public order laws (other than procedural ones); be final under the law of origin and presented in a duly legalised copy; not concern a matter of exclusive Colombian jurisdiction; not conflict with a pending case or final judgment in Colombia on the same matter; in contested cases, have involved proper service and an opportunity to defend (presumed from finality); and obtain exequatur.Ley 1564 de 2012, Art. 606, 2012-07-12 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. The application goes to the Supreme Court Civil Chamber, unless a treaty provides otherwise, with a legal translation if not in Spanish. The court rejects it if requirements 1 to 4 are missing; otherwise it serves the affected party and the relevant procurator for five days, orders evidence, holds a hearing for evidence, argument and judgment, and, once exequatur is granted, enforcement goes to the competent judge under the general rules.Ley 1564 de 2012, Art. 30 num. 4 and 607, 2012-07-12 official text · verified 2026-10-26

4. Congress approved 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 has granted exequatur to Argentine judgments on the basis that this convention is in force between Argentina and Colombia (for example decisions of 24 October 2011 and 18 December 2012).Ley 16 de 1981 (Diario Oficial 35.711 of 27 February 1981), Approval article and Convention text, 1981-01-20 official text · verified 2026-10-26

5. Colombia is not listed as a contracting party to the HCCH Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters.HCCH status table, Judgments Convention 2019, Status table, 2019-07-02 official text · verified 2026-10-26

6. The judiciary's tariff for agencias en derecho in exequatur proceedings is between 1 and 20 monthly minimum wages.
Cost to do it: 2026: COP 1,750,905 to COP 35,018,100 (US$554.36 to US$11,087.19), payable by the losing party.Acuerdo PSAA16-10554 de 2016, Art. 5 num. 10, 2016-08-05 official text · verified 2026-10-26

Worked example

A New York judgment orders a Colombian company to pay US$1,000,000 (COP 3,158,430,000). With no bilateral treaty, the creditor must show that New York courts would give effect to a Colombian judgment (reciprocity), with evidence of foreign law.
The Supreme Court serves the company for five days, takes evidence and decides at a hearing. If exequatur is granted, the creditor enforces before a civil judge and may attach assets.
If exequatur is refused, the creditor must litigate the merits again in Colombia, so contracts with Colombian counterparties often choose arbitration instead.

Step by step

Obtain a final, certified copy of the judgment with proof of service and of finality; apostille it and have it translated.
Identify the legal basis: a treaty (such as the Montevideo Convention for its parties) or evidence of reciprocity in the issuing country.
Check there is no Colombian case on the same matter and that it does not concern Colombian real estate.
File with the Supreme Court Civil Chamber through Colombian counsel, requesting evidence on foreign law.
After exequatur, enforce before the competent civil judge.

Common traps

Reciprocity must be proven; a lack of evidence on how the foreign country treats Colombian judgments sinks the application.
Judgments affecting real estate in Colombia cannot be recognised.
A Colombian case on the same dispute filed first blocks exequatur, so delay can be fatal.

Sources

← Enforcing foreign arbitral awards in Colombia: New York Convention, recognition by the Supreme Court and refusal groundsInvestment treaty arbitration and ICSID in Colombia: treaties in force, ICSID membership and how the State defends claims →