Property tax clearance certificate: download online and what the notary office checks

You already have a buyer, a signed agreement, and a date at the notary's office. The property papers are missing, and the first one they ask for is proof that the property tax is up to date. The problem is that in Colombia there is no national button: the unified property tax is municipal, and each mayor's office decides what the PDF is called, how it is downloaded, and how long it is valid. Here are three portals: Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali.

Quick answer: First, ask the notary which document they accept for your property. Then, download it from your city's portal, ensuring the property has no balance or surcharges, and check that the PDF corresponds to the property and the tax period.

Before proceeding, distinguish between three terms people often confuse: the property tax certification or report (this article), the betterment levy clearance certificate, which is a different process and has its own guide, and the cadastral certificate, which describes the property and does not prove you have paid anything.

What the law requires and what the municipality can change

Article 27 of Law 14 of 1983 states that, to execute acts of transfer, constitution, or limitation of domain of real estate, the notary must demand and insert into the instrument the cadastral certificate and the municipal clearance certificate. That is the base rule, which is why almost every owner ends up looking for this document.

However, Article 16 of Law 44 of 1990 nuances this: if a municipality adopts the annual unified property tax declaration, it may eliminate the clearance certificate. It is a power, not an automatic elimination throughout the country. That is why in one city they give you something called a clearance certificate and in another they give you a payment certification.

My advice: do not accept what a third party tells you about "what they always ask for." The notary's office in the circle where you are signing the deed is the one that confirms which file works for them and until what date.

Bogotá: CHIP, payment certification, and obligations report

Here comes the naming trap. In Bogotá, the downloadable document from the Virtual Office is requested as payment certification by period, and the Treasury also describes an outstanding obligations report. Do not assume it is a "property tax clearance" like the one in Medellín: confirm the label that appears on your screen and ask the notary if they accept it.

To consult and pay on the Bogotá payment portal, you need two pieces of information. First, the ID of the person responsible for the property as of January 1, 2026 (if it is a legal entity, the NIT without the verification digit). Second, the CHIP, which appears on a previous receipt or in the deed of tradition and is recognized because it starts with the letters AAA.

The route published by Bogotá.gov.co on May 8, 2023, is this: Virtual Office, taxpayer, inquiries, payment certifications, type of tax and period, generate. Take it as a menu guide, because the screens may have changed and the 2023 deadlines in that note do not apply today. For payment dates for this year, check the tax calendar in the Virtual Office.

If you still haven't entered the Virtual Office, this RIT guide helps you with registration. And if you owe a balance, the obligations report shows you the debt; it is not a clearance certificate. To understand the annual billing by city, check the property tax guide. If the balance seems inflated, check if the problem is the appraisal in this claim guide.

Medellín: registration number, portal, and validity until the end of the year

Medellín does issue a unified property tax clearance certificate, and its municipal file is clear: it has no cost, it is issued immediately, it applies only for the current year, and is valid until the last day of the year of payment. If there is a balance or surcharge, they will not give it to you until you pay.

The virtual route, according to the unified property tax FAQ guide: www.medellin.gov.co, Treasury Secretariat, Tax Portal, Property Zone, log in, "Property tax clearance certificate", select the property registration numbers and download. If you paid late and there is a surcharge, regenerate the payment document first and pay.

Two separate cases. If it is a lot, the process is only in-person because it requires the waste collection clearance from Emvarias. And if you need a betterment levy certificate, it does not come from this process: it is requested from Fonvalmed. The Treasury's in-person service is at the La Alpujarra Administrative Center, Calle 44 #52-165.

Cali: informative certificate and notarial version

Cali's Treasury publishes two versions: an informativeproperty tax clearance, which is downloaded from the electronic headquarters without filing or cost, and another for notarial procedures, which the official publication associates with legal stamps. You will not find the values of those stamps here; check them at the official source before counting on a figure.

The search is done by reference number, property number, or identifier. Note: each city asks for a different piece of information. Bogotá uses CHIP, Medellín asks for the registration number on the tax portal, and Cali uses reference, property number, or identifier. The cadastral ID alone does not replace those fields.

As in Bogotá, the notary confirms which PDF they accept and until what date. Do not assume a validity of 30 or 90 days: there is no confirmed national rule.

If you are signing near October 12, 2026

If your deed falls near that date, download the PDF in advance and confirm the notary and treasury office hours before leaving. I do not assume that all offices close, but it is better to have a process that is resolved in minutes online ready beforehand.

According to the active ads on Colombia Move (October 6, 2026), the housing section gathers 198 active ads and 79 published in the last month, with 36,896 views. The ad does not replace that PDF: the clearance certificate is delivered at the notary's office.

What else to bring and what a manager does not buy

The property tax PDF does not cover everything. Also check the betterment levy, the administration clearance if the property is a horizontal property (provided by the administrator, not the tax portal), and the cadastral certificate, which is another document.

Regarding deed costs, do not memorize percentages: ask the notary for the liquidation in writing. To understand what is included, see the notary and registration fee guide.

And a warning: the official PDF is not for sale on WhatsApp. The process in Medellín has no cost, and the Bogotá fact sheets indicate that tax procedures do not require intermediaries. If someone charges you to "get it," be suspicious and log in to the portal yourself.

Before signing, check three things on the PDF: that the property is correct, that the validity covers the date of the deed, and that no balance appears. Then ask the notary office if that file works for them. If you have questions about a particular case, ask in the Colombia Move community.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does Bogotá issue a property tax clearance certificate (paz y salvo predial) under that name?

Do not take it for granted. In the Virtual Office, download the payment certification or the report of pending obligations and confirm the label on the screen. Medellín and Cali handle documents with their own specific names, so ask the notary office which one they accept (verify with the official source).

❓ Is the property tax clearance certificate also valid for valorization?

No. Valorization is a different contribution with its own certificate. In Medellín, it is requested from Fonvalmed and is not part of the property tax process. For details, consult the Colombia Move valorization guide and the entity that collects it in your city (verify with the official source).

❓ How long is the one from Medellín valid?

The municipal record limits it to the current fiscal year and the last day of the year in which payment was made. In Bogotá and Cali, do not assume a deadline: the notary of the circuit will confirm which PDF they accept and until what date they receive it (verify with the official source).

❓ Can I download it if the property has outstanding property taxes?

No. As long as there is a balance or surcharge, the Medellín certificate will not be issued, and in Bogotá, the report will show the debt instead of providing a clearance certificate. Pay first through your city hall's official channel and then download the document (verify with the official source).

❓ Which code should I use, CHIP or cadastral ID?

In Bogotá, the portal asks for the CHIP, which includes the letters AAA. In Medellín, the registration number is used within the tax portal, and in Cali, the reference, property number, or identifier. The cadastral ID alone does not replace those fields (verify with the official source).

❓ Do I have to pay an agent?

Not for the certificate. In Medellín, the process is free, and Bogotá indicates that its tax procedures do not require intermediaries. The deed does have a separate notary liquidation, which you must request in writing from the notary office (verify with the official source).

❓ Does the notary office check it themselves, and do I no longer need to bring paperwork?

Do not count on that. A 2022 note indicates that some notary offices in Bogotá can check the property tax status online, but you should still ask what PDF they require for your property and bring it downloaded before the appointment (verify with the official source).