Adding Beneficiaries to Your Health Insurer (EPS) in Colombia: Documents and Procedure in Mi Seguridad Social

Quick answer: the policyholder (cotizante) is the one who adds the beneficiary, not the family or the EPS, by logging into Mi Seguridad Social, searching for «Inclusión de beneficiarios», attaching the proof of relationship document, and confirming the summary. Who qualifies is defined by Decree 780 of 2016, not by whatever relationship one thinks should count.

Many people believe that simply taking the child's birth certificate to the EPS is enough. Today the registration is filed on the Sistema de Afiliación Transaccional (SAT) portal, and what confuses families most is not the click, but knowing whether the relative actually qualifies. Let's go step by step.

Before adding anyone, you must already be a contributor. If you have just become self-employed, see how to enroll in an EPS as self-employed after unemployment; if you are not yet enrolled, start with the EPS enrollment form.

Who can enroll as a beneficiary

The list is in article 2.1.3.6 of Decree 780 of 2016. In the order of the decree:

• The spouse.
• In the absence of a spouse, the permanent partner, including same-sex couples.
• Children under 25 years of age who depend economically on the contributor.
• Children of any age with a permanent disability and economic dependence.
• The children of the spouse or partner in those same situations.
• The children of those beneficiaries, as long as they keep that status.
• Certain relatives up to the third degree of consanguinity, under 25 or with a permanent disability, if the parents have died, lost parental authority, or are absent, and depend on the contributor.
• In the absence of a spouse or partner and of children, the parents who are not receiving a pension and who depend economically on you.
• Minors under 18 in legal custody.

Heads up: it is not an open list. Siblings, parents-in-law, or nephews and nieces only qualify if they fit one of those numerals; otherwise the route is the additional member, which I explain below.

There is economic dependence when a person receives from another the means necessary for their decent subsistence, and that condition is recorded in the SAT. The decree does not set an income cap.

Documents by relationship

The supporting documents come from article 2.1.3.7. Here is what the rule says:

Be careful with the lists circulating online: several EPS add attachments such as cohabitation certificates or payment letters. The decree governs, and if the SAT screen asks for a specific file when you open the entry, upload it as an instruction of that screen, not as a change in the law. Also do not assume a sworn statement replaces the deed, the record, or the ruling.

Children and newborns

A child can be enrolled up to age 25 if they depend on you. The decree does not require a study certificate, so do not waste time asking the university for one. Different is the child of any age with a permanent disability: there you do need the assessment.

A newborn is enrolled from birth and registered with the mother's EPS, even if the father is in another EPS or a special regime (except if the mother dies in childbirth). The civil registry is used or, if it does not yet exist, the live birth certificate. The civil registry must be submitted within the following three months when it does not appear in the SAT or is needed to verify beneficiary status. If the mother is a beneficiary, the baby enters as a beneficiary of that same family unit. The contributing father can ask to include the baby as his beneficiary after the first month of life.

Parents: the general rule, the exception, and the additional member

As a general rule, your parents qualify only if there is no spouse, permanent partner, or children, they are not receiving a pension, and they depend on you. «Not receiving a pension» is not the same as «not contributing to a pension fund,» and the decree does not require a Colpensiones certificate: the relationship is proven with civil registry records.

The exception is article 2.1.4.4: if you and your partner (including same-sex partners) are both contributors, parents who depend on one of you and do not contribute can be enrolled together with the other contributor. If one of you stops contributing, those parents can remain in the same EPS as additional members, paying the corresponding amounts.

If they do not qualify as beneficiaries, there is the additional member under article 2.1.4.5: a person who depends on you, is within the fourth degree of consanguinity or second degree of affinity, and cannot be a contributor or beneficiary. Here there is a cost: you pay the UPC for their age group, the per capita for health promotion and prevention, and 10% of the sum of those two concepts to the Solidarity Subaccount. They receive services from the benefits plan, not cash benefits, and the minimum enrollment and payment period is one year, unless you stop being a contributor or the additional member starts contributing. For the peso amount, ask your EPS to confirm the current figure.

The monthly contribution is paid separately; if you need to review that topic, it is in the guide on how to pay social security as self-employed.

Step by step in Mi Seguridad Social

1. Log in at miseguridadsocial.gov.co with your contributor username and password.
2. In the search bar, type «Inclusión de beneficiarios» and choose Comenzar.
3. Read the recommendations and choose Comenzar again.
4. Update your supplementary data.
5. Enter the beneficiary's data.
6. Attach the document that proves the relationship.
7. If there are more people, repeat; if not, choose «No tengo más».
8. Accept the declarations and authorizations.
9. Review the summary of the entry and confirm it.

Have the documents scanned before you start. And an honest warning: if you do not confirm the summary, the entry is not saved, and this is the step where the most people get stuck halfway.

From when is it covered? The effective date is the one shown in the SAT summary when you confirm. Some EPS pages publish their own filing windows; do not copy them as a rule for the whole country.

Enrollment is done with the same EPS as the contributor. If you enroll someone who does not meet the conditions, or fail to report someone who loses beneficiary status, you must refund the UPC and the per capita for health promotion and prevention received for the period without entitlement. If your case involves arrears or returning to the country, it is a different procedure: see how to activate your EPS when returning to Colombia. EPS transfers are not explained here either.

How to check that it is active

Consult «Consulte su EPS» on the ADRES site with the beneficiary's ID document. What appears is what the EPS reported to the BDUA, so do not expect to see it the same day. ADRES does not issue an affiliation certificate; if the data does not match, request the correction from your EPS or through the SAT, and remember that the query cannot be the only criterion for denying care.

On intermediaries: the official channel is the contributor's account on the portal. Be wary of anyone who charges you to “expedite” what you can do yourself.

Holiday on Monday, November 2, 2026

November 1 is a paid rest holiday and, when it does not fall on a Monday (also when it falls on a Sunday), it is moved to the following Monday. The Ministry of Finance calendar lists Monday, November 2, 2026 as the national All Saints' Day holiday. If you are traveling that weekend, check on ADRES before leaving whether your beneficiary already appears.

This text does not calculate PILA contributions or cover EPS transfers: these are separate procedures.

Frequently asked questions

❓ How do I add a beneficiary in Mi Seguridad Social?

The contributor logs into the portal, searches for «Inclusión de beneficiarios», attaches the proof of relationship, and confirms the summary of the entry. The effective date is the one shown on that confirmation, not a date copied from another EPS page. If you do not confirm the summary, the information is not saved (verify at the official source).

❓ Which document is required for a permanent partner?

The decree refers to Law 979 of 2005: a public deed before a notary, a conciliation record from a legally established center, or a ruling by a family court judge. The specific file you must upload is the one the SAT screen asks for when you open the entry, not a particular EPS's list (verify at the official source).

❓ Can I enroll my parents if I already have a spouse or children?

Under the general rule, no: they qualify only if there is no spouse, partner, or children, they are not receiving a pension, and they depend on you. The exception is when you and your partner both contribute; then parents who depend on one of you and do not contribute can be enrolled with the other contributor (verify at the official source).

❓ Up to what age does a child qualify, and is a study certificate needed?

Up to age 25 if they depend economically on you, and the decree does not require a study certificate. Different is a child of any age with a permanent disability and economic dependence, which is proven with the assessment from the EPS or the entity that rates disability (verify at the official source).

❓ Does enrolling beneficiaries raise the contribution?

Someone within the core group of article 2.1.3.6 is not described as an additional member. The additional member does involve payment: UPC by age, per capita for health promotion and prevention, and 10% of that sum, for a minimum of one year. Ask your EPS for the peso amount (verify at the official source).

❓ Does the newborn stay in the mother's EPS or the father's?

The newborn stays in the mother's EPS from birth, even if the father is in another. The civil registry must be submitted within three months if needed, and the contributing father can include the baby as his beneficiary after the first month of life (verify at the official source).

❓ Where can I check whether it is already active?

In «Consulte su EPS» on ADRES, with the beneficiary's ID document. ADRES does not issue an affiliation certificate and shows what the EPS reported; if the data does not match, the correction is requested from the EPS or through the SAT (verify at the official source).