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UVT, UVB, minimum wage and the TRM: the units Colombian law is written in

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

Colombian law rarely states amounts in pesos. Tax thresholds, tax fines and customs and exchange penalties are written in UVT (COP 52,374 in 2026), most other fees, fines and corporate thresholds created since 2024 are written in UVB (COP 12,110 in 2026), and labor rules and many older thresholds still use the monthly minimum wage (COP 1,750,905 in 2026). All three units reset every 1 January: DIAN publishes the UVT and the Ministry of Finance the UVB before the year starts, and the minimum wage is agreed or decreed by 30 December. Foreign currency amounts are converted at the TRM, the daily official peso and dollar rate certified by the Superintendencia Financiera; the UVR indexes mortgage credit, and from 1 January 2027 every legal reference to the DTF rate becomes a reference to the three month IBR.

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 certified by the Superintendencia Financiera and published on the national open data portal. Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

UVT 2026	52374 COPDIAN Resolución 238 de 2025, as of 2026-01-01 · in force
UVB 2026	12110 COPMinisterio de Hacienda Resolución 3488 de 2025; Ley 2294 de 2023 art. 313, as of 2026-01-01 · in force
Monthly minimum wage 2026	1750905 COPDecreto 1469 de 2025, as of 2026-01-01 · in force
Minimum wage increase for 2026	23 %Decreto 1469 de 2025, as of 2026-01-01 · in force
Transport allowance 2026 (workers up to 2 minimum wages)	249095 COPDecreto 1470 de 2025, as of 2026-01-01 · in force
Minimum tax fine	10 UVTEstatuto Tributario art. 639, as of 2026-01-01 · in force
Official reference exchange rate	TRM, certified daily by the Superintendencia Financiera textResolución Externa 1 de 2018 art. 40, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
TRM valid 24 to 26 October 2026	3158.43 COP per USDResolución Externa 1 de 2018 art. 40, as of 2026-10-24 · in force
DTF references read as three month IBR	From 1 January 2027 dateLey 2294 de 2023 art. 314, as of 2026-10-26 · pending

The rule

1. The UVT (unidad de valor tributario) is the unit for every amount in tax rules administered by DIAN: thresholds, tax fines and in general all tax matters. It is adjusted each year by the change in the middle income consumer price index certified by DANE for the twelve months to 1 October, and DIAN must publish the new value by resolution before 1 January. When UVT amounts are converted to pesos, results up to COP 100 drop fractions, results between COP 100 and COP 10,000 round to the nearest hundred and results above COP 10,000 round to the nearest thousand. The minimum value of any tax fine, including reduced fines, is 10 UVT.
Example: Minimum tax fine 2026: 10 x COP 52,374 = COP 523,740, rounded to COP 524,000. / About US$165.91.Estatuto Tributario (Decreto 624 de 1989), art. 868 as amended by Ley 1111 de 2006 art. 50; art. 639, Art. 868 and art. 639, 2006-12-27 official text · verified 2026-10-26

2. The UVT for 2026 is COP 52,374, fixed by DIAN Resolución 238 of 15 December 2025 (Diario Oficial 53.338 of 17 December 2025), which replaced art. 1.2.1 of DIAN's single resolution 227 de 2025. The 2027 value is due by resolution before 1 January 2027.
Example: 1 UVT = COP 52,374; the 92,000 UVT bimonthly VAT threshold = COP 4,818,408,000. / 1 UVT is about US$16.58; 92,000 UVT is about US$1.53 million.DIAN Resolución 000238 de 2025, Art. 1 (art. 1.2.1 of Resolución 227 de 2025), 2025-12-15 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. The UVB (unidad de valor básico) was created from 1 January 2024 and is adjusted each year by DANE's consumer price index excluding food and regulated items for the twelve months to 1 October; the Ministry of Finance publishes it by resolution before 1 January (2023 base value COP 10,000). Charges, fines, fees, financial and capital requirements for companies, thresholds that classify companies by assets or income and board fees that were set in minimum wages or UVT are converted to their UVB equivalent. Tax, customs and exchange control amounts measured in UVT stay in UVT, and amounts already final before 1 January 2024 stay in minimum wages or UVT. Converted UVB amounts are rounded to two decimals, or three decimals below one UVB.Ley 2294 de 2023 (Plan Nacional de Desarrollo 2022 to 2026), Art. 313, par. 1 to 4, 2023-05-19 official text · verified 2026-10-26

4. The UVB for 2026 is COP 12,110, under Ministry of Finance Resolución 3488 of 31 December 2025, as restated by the Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro in its 2026 registry fee resolution.
Example: A chamber of commerce charge of 6 UVB = COP 72,660 before any rounding the fee rule applies. / About US$23.01.Ministerio de Hacienda Resolución 3488 de 2025; Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro Resolución 2026 001726 6, Res. 3488 art. 1, cited in the SNR resolution recitals and art. 1, 2025-12-31 official text · verified 2026-10-26

5. The monthly minimum wage for 2026 is COP 1,750,905, a 23 percent increase over 2025 (Decreto 1469 of 29 December 2025). The Consejo de Estado provisionally suspended that decree on 12 February 2026 and ordered a transitional decree; Decreto 159 of 19 February 2026 set the same COP 1,750,905 transitionally, and it lapsed when the suspension was lifted. The transport allowance, due to workers earning up to two minimum wages, is COP 249,095 (Decreto 1470 de 2025).
Example: Minimum wage plus transport allowance: COP 1,750,905 + COP 249,095 = COP 2,000,000 a month. / About US$554.36 plus US$78.87, total about US$633.23 a month.Decreto 1469 de 2025; Decreto 159 de 2026; Decreto 1470 de 2025, Decreto 1469 art. 1 and 2; Decreto 159 art. 1; Decreto 1470 art. 1, 2025-12-29 official text · verified 2026-10-26 · changed: 2026: minimum wage up 23 percent to COP 1,750,905 from 1 January 2026; suspended by the Consejo de Estado on 12 February 2026, restated transitionally by Decreto 159 of 19 February 2026 at the same amount, and the suspension was later lifted.

6. The minimum wage is set each year by the tripartite Permanent Commission, which must decide by 15 December; if there is no consensus, the Government fixes it by decree by 30 December, weighing the Banco de la República inflation target, agreed productivity, the wage share of national income, GDP growth and the consumer price index.Código Sustantivo del Trabajo art. 147 num. 2, as subrogated by Ley 278 de 1996 art. 8, Art. 147 num. 2, paragraph, 1996-05-10 official text · verified 2026-10-26

7. The TRM (tasa de cambio representativa del mercado) is the volume weighted average of same day settled spot purchases and sales of US dollars against pesos by FX market intermediaries, excluding derivatives and trades with entities not supervised by the Superintendencia Financiera. It is calculated daily and certified by the Superintendencia Financiera; if it cannot be calculated, the last certified TRM applies.Resolución Externa 1 de 2018 of the Board of Banco de la República, Art. 40, 2018-05-25 official text · verified 2026-10-26

8. Obligations agreed in foreign currency that are not exchange operations (for example a lease between residents priced in dollars) are paid in pesos at the TRM of the date they were contracted, unless the parties agreed a different date or reference rate. Obligations that are exchange operations are paid in the agreed currency; when a court must liquidate them in pesos, the TRM of the payment date applies.Resolución Externa 1 de 2018 of the Board of Banco de la República, Art. 86 and par. 1, 2018-05-25 official text · verified 2026-10-26

9. The UVR (unidad de valor real) is a unit of account that reflects the purchasing power of the peso, based only on the change in the consumer price index certified by DANE, under a methodology set by CONPES. It is the unit of the specialized housing finance system.Ley 546 de 1999 (housing finance), Art. 3, 1999-12-23 official text · verified 2026-10-26

10. Banco de la República calculates and publishes the DTF reference rate only until 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027, every reference to the DTF in laws, decrees and general or individual administrative acts is read as a reference to the three month IBR (Indicador Bancario de Referencia) expressed as an effective annual rate; parties to contracts and instruments linked to the DTF may agree a replacement index.Ley 2294 de 2023, Art. 314 and paragraph, 2023-05-19 official text · verified 2026-10-26 · changed: From 1 January 2027 the DTF stops being published and legal references to it switch to the three month IBR.

Unit	2026 value	Approx. USD	Who sets it and when	Typical uses	Legal basis
UVT	COP 52,374	US$16.58	DIAN resolution before 1 January; middle income CPI to 1 October	Tax thresholds, tax fines, customs and exchange penalties measured in UVT	Estatuto Tributario art. 868; Res. DIAN 238 de 2025
UVB	COP 12,110	US$3.83	Ministry of Finance resolution before 1 January; CPI without food and regulated items to 1 October	Non tax fees and fines, chamber of commerce charges, company size and capital thresholds set since 2024	Ley 2294 de 2023 art. 313; Res. MinHacienda 3488 de 2025
Monthly minimum wage	COP 1,750,905	US$554.36	Tripartite commission by 15 December, or Government decree by 30 December	Wage floor, labor and social security thresholds, older legal thresholds still stated in minimum wages	CST art. 147; Decreto 1469 de 2025
TRM	COP 3,158.43 (24 to 26 Oct 2026)	1.00	Calculated daily, certified by the Superintendencia Financiera	Converting foreign currency obligations and amounts	Res. Ext. 1 de 2018 art. 40 and 86
UVR	Daily value, CPI based		Methodology set by CONPES	Housing finance	Ley 546 de 1999 art. 3

Which unit applies, 2026 values. USD at the TRM of COP 3,158.43, for orientation only.

Worked example

A 2026 tax fine computed at 4 UVT would be raised to the 10 UVT floor: COP 524,000 after rounding (about US$165.91), under Estatuto Tributario art. 639 and art. 868.
A worker on the minimum wage costs at least COP 1,750,905 in salary plus COP 249,095 transport allowance a month, COP 2,000,000 in total (about US$633.23), before benefits and contributions.
A supply contract between two Colombian residents priced at US$10,000 without an agreed rate is paid in pesos at the TRM of the contract date: at COP 3,158.43, COP 31,584,300 (Res. Ext. 1 de 2018 art. 86).

Step by step

1. Before quoting any legal amount, check its unit: UVT for tax, customs and exchange matters; UVB for most other fees, fines and thresholds created or converted since 2024; minimum wages for labor rules.
2. Update budgets each January: the new UVT (DIAN resolution), UVB (Ministry of Finance resolution) and minimum wage (decree by 30 December) apply from 1 January.
3. Convert with the right rounding: UVT amounts round to the nearest thousand above COP 10,000 (art. 868); UVB amounts round to two decimals of UVB (Ley 2294 art. 313 par. 1).
4. For dollar priced contracts between residents, state the reference date or rate in writing; otherwise the TRM of the contract date applies (Res. Ext. 1 art. 86).
5. Review loans, leases and other contracts indexed to the DTF before 1 January 2027 and agree a replacement, or accept the statutory switch to the three month IBR (Ley 2294 art. 314).

Common traps

Do not convert a UVT based tax threshold with the UVB or vice versa: Ley 2294 art. 313 par. 2 keeps tax, customs and exchange control amounts in UVT.
Amounts that were final before 1 January 2024 remain in minimum wages or UVT (Ley 2294 art. 313 par. 3), so the same type of fee can be in different units depending on when it was set.
The 2026 minimum wage decree was suspended for a period in 2026; payroll systems that changed during the suspension should be reconciled, as the amount stayed at COP 1,750,905 throughout (Decreto 159 de 2026).
One certified TRM can cover several calendar days (for example 24 to 26 October 2026 shared COP 3,158.43), so always check the validity dates in the official series rather than the publication date.
The DTF disappears on 1 January 2027: contracts that rely on it without a fallback switch automatically to the three month IBR in effective annual terms.

Sources

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