Bank Account Seizure in Colombia: Non-attachable Amount and How to Request Unfreezing

Finding your bank account or digital wallet frozen due to a precautionary measure is a stressful situation. When an authority or judge issues a seizure order, the financial institution is obligated to freeze the available funds until the debt amount is covered. However, Colombian legislation protects a minimum subsistence level through non-seizure limits on savings accounts.

Who can order the seizure of a bank account in Colombia?

It is essential to understand that banks do not seize accounts on their own initiative; they act solely as executors of an order issued by a competent authority. In Colombia, there are three main issuers of seizure orders: If you want to see real options right now, you can see cars and motorcycles available on Colombia Move — posting is completely free.

• The DIAN and territorial entities: Through coercive collection processes for pending taxes, withholdings, or penalties.
• Mobility or Traffic Secretariats: For unpaid photo-fines or traffic tickets that have moved to the coercive collection stage.
• Judges of the Republic: In executive proceedings for civil or commercial debts, promissory notes with banks, cooperatives, or child support lawsuits.

Non-seizable amounts in savings accounts (2026 Limits)

Colombian regulations establish differentiated non-seizure rules depending on which entity ordered the measure against the individual:

1. Tax seizures issued by the DIAN

According to the criteria of DIAN Concept 1763 of 2026, in tax coercive collection processes against individuals, the seizure on the oldest savings account cannot affect the first 510 UVT. With the UVT value set at $52,374 for the year 2026 (Resolution 000238 of 2025), this non-seizable limit is equivalent to exactly $26,710,740. This benefit applies only to individuals and does not cover legal entities.

2. General protection set by the Superintendencia Financiera

For ordinary judicial lawsuits and non-tax proceedings, the Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia (SFC) periodically updates the non-seizable amounts in savings deposits. Check the official current cap from the SFC and present the supporting documents to the authority that ordered the measure; if there is a dispute regarding salary, vital minimum, or due process, seek legal guidance for your case.

3. What happens with credit cards and digital wallets?

The DIAN clarified through Press Release 069 of 2026 that credit cards are not subject to seizure in tax collections, as the approved limit is a line of credit from the bank and not an asset of the taxpayer. In the case of digital wallets like Nequi, since they are structured as low-amount deposits or savings accounts, they can indeed receive withholding orders. However, lifting them always requires formal notification from the competent authority to the platform.

How to know which entity froze your account

Before filing any document, you must identify exactly the origin of the measure:

• Check your bank statement or notification, where the official file number, the frozen balance, and the name of the requesting entity will appear.
• Check the official DIAN platform and log in to your procedures to verify if you have a file in coercive collection. To keep your obligations with the tax administration up to date, you can also check the section on exogenous information at the DIAN.
• Verify in the SIMIT or in your municipality's Mobility Secretariat if you have photo-fines in the coercive collection stage. If the measure is linked to a vehicle, it is recommended to confirm its status in the guide on how to check seizures in the RUNT.

Step-by-step to request the lifting of a seizure from the DIAN

Once the obligation is paid or the non-seizability of the account is demonstrated, you must process the lifting directly with the DIAN following these steps:

Step 1: Gather the documentation

You must prepare a formal request in PDF format that contains:

• Full name, citizen ID or Tax ID (NIT), and contact details (address, phone number, and notification email).
• Identification of the file or seizure resolution officially received.
• Copy of the official DIAN payment receipt confirming the debt cancellation or the supporting documents proving the affected account is the oldest savings account and does not exceed the legal cap of 510 UVT.
• Bank certification showing the account number, account type, and opening date.

Step 2: Filing before the Sectional Directorate

Access the DIAN institutional portal or go to the competent Sectional Directorate where the coercive collection is being processed. File the document attaching the annexes. For other digital procedures, such as requesting the tax residency certificate at the DIAN, the procedure is also carried out through the entity's electronic platform.

Step 3: Issuance of the lifting order

Once the payment is verified or the exemption is approved, the DIAN issues an official resolution or communication addressed to the bank specifying the disbursement or unblocking of the account. The bank will proceed to restore the balances only after the formal receipt of said document.

Procedure for traffic fines (Example: Mobility Secretariat)

When the precautionary withholding is decreed by a Mobility Secretariat (such as Bogotá's):

• You must pay the pending tickets in full or enter into a formal payment agreement.
• In the case of Bogotá, the District Mobility Secretariat indicates that after the payment is verified, the management of the unblocking process before financial institutions is carried out internally within an estimated period of 15 business days.
• The citizen can also submit the proof of payment in person or virtually along with the unblocking request, indicating the ticket number, personal data, and affected account.

Frequently asked questions

❓ How much money is non-seizable in a savings account in 2026?

For tax coercive collection processes carried out by the DIAN against natural persons, the protected cap on the oldest savings account is equivalent to 510 UVT, which in 2026 represents $26,710,740. For other types of judicial debts, the limits set by the Financial Superintendence according to the nature of the deposit apply.

❓ Can the DIAN garnish my bank account without warning?

The DIAN issues the payment order and precautionary measures within the administrative coercive collection process. Although measures on accounts are notified to the bank to prevent the withdrawal of funds, the taxpayer must be notified of the administrative acts of the process in accordance with the rules of the Tax Statute.

❓ How do I request the lifting of an attachment from the DIAN if I have already paid?

You must file an official letter with the DIAN Sectional Directorate managing your collection, attaching a copy of your ID, bank certification for the affected account, and the payment receipt demonstrating full settlement of the obligation subject to the attachment.

❓ What do I do if the attachment was ordered by a Transit Secretariat?

You must access the corresponding Mobility Secretariat platform or SIMIT, pay the traffic fine or payment agreement, and file the lifting request with the clearance certificate so that the entity sends the attachment lifting order to the bank.

❓ Can the balance I have in Nequi or digital wallets be attached?

Yes, entities offering digital wallets or low-amount deposits must comply with judicial or administrative orders. However, lifting the measure requires the issuing authority to send the lifting order directly to the platform.

❓ Can a credit card be attached in Colombia?

No. The DIAN reiterated in 2026 that credit cards are not subject to tax attachment, as the assigned limit does not constitute a deposit or an asset belonging to the debtor, but rather a credit limit granted by the bank.

❓ Why is my account still frozen if I have already paid the debt?

The bank cannot automatically unblock funds with just the payment receipt presented by the customer. It is mandatory to wait for the authority that ordered the attachment (DIAN, Transit, or Court) to formally issue and notify the attachment lifting order to the bank.