How to Start a Fumigation and Pest Control Company in Colombia: Health Requirements and Licenses

Quick answer: To set up an urban fumigation and pest control company in Colombia, you need to incorporate your commercial company, have an adequate commercial premises with permitted land use, hire a professional technical assistant (minimum 40 hours per month according to Decree 1843 of 1991), and request an Inspection, Surveillance, and Control (IVC) visit from your municipal Health Secretariat to obtain the favorable sanitary certificate. Unlike years ago, today you do not process a 5-year operating license but rather a sanitary certificate, for which the inspection visit is free according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health (consulted in August 2026).

1. Legal framework: Urban pest control vs. Agricultural registry

One of the most common mistakes when starting a pest control service in Colombia is confusing the agricultural plant health regime with pest control in urban areas. If you are going to fumigate crops or grains on a farm, the process is handled by the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) and requires the supervision of an agronomist engineer.

However, when your service is focused on buildings, restaurants, hotels, warehouses, transport vehicles, and public areas, the Colombian technical standard that applies is Decree 1843 of 1991 under the surveillance of municipal and district Health Secretariats. Under this legal framework, the company provides an environmental hygiene and public health service, using exclusively authorized pesticides with a valid sanitary registration issued by INVIMA.

2. Commercial and business infrastructure requirements

Before requesting any sanitary inspection, you must structure the legal and physical basis of your company. Law 9 of 1979 and Decree-Law 2150 of 1995 require that all commercial establishments meet basic commercial operating requirements before providing services.

• Company incorporation: Register at your city's Chamber of Commerce as a natural person with an establishment or as a company (for example, an S.A.S.). To see the exact steps to register your business, review our guide to register an SME at the Chamber of Commerce in Colombia. In the RUT and commercial certificate, various secretariats (e.g., Santander) request ISIC 8129 (Other building and industrial cleaning activities); confirm the code with your Chamber and the local secretariat, do not assume a single national code.
• Compatible land use: The company premises cannot be located in exclusively residential zones nor inside family homes (Art. 105 of Decree 1843). You need a land use certificate issued by Municipal Planning or Urban Curator that authorizes the storage of chemical supplies.
• Technical infrastructure of the premises: The space must have an administrative area separated from the pesticide storage, adequate ventilation, washable floors and facilities, emergency shower, eyewash station, fire extinguishers, and a secure locked area for weighing and preparing products.
• Local tax structure: When formalizing your business, you must register for the Industry and Commerce tax in your municipality. If you provide services independently or as a small business, consult how to pay the ICA tax in Colombia, or evaluate joining the Simplified Tax Regime (RST) to unify your tax obligations.

3. Technical personnel: Technical assistant and certified operators

Decree 1843 establishes strict requirements regarding personnel who handle chemical substances. It is not legal to operate a fumigation business as an empirical worker without professional backing and certified technical proficiency.

For their part, field operators who apply the products must meet the following requirements:

1. 60-hour training: Have passed a theoretical-practical course on safe pesticide handling and integrated vector control with a minimum intensity of 60 cumulative hours, taught by an entity authorized by the health authority.
2. Applicator ID card: Have the certification or ID card issued or endorsed by the Health Secretariat of the jurisdiction where the services are provided.
3. Occupational health exams: Periodic occupational medical evaluations and complete personal protective equipment (PPE): respirators with organic vapor filters, waterproof overalls, nitrile gloves, and safety glasses.

4. How to process the Sanitary Certificate before the Health Secretariat

Historically, Decree 1843 mentioned a "5-year sanitary operating license." However, by virtue of Decree-Law 2150 of 1995 and Resolution 1229 of 2013 from the Ministry of Health, previous licenses were suppressed to make way for the model of Inspection, Surveillance, and Control (IVC) supported by the sanitary certificate.

According to the IVC A-B-C from the Ministry of Health (consulted in August 2026), sanitary inspection visits have no official cost and the concept granted does not have a fixed duration in years, but rather depends on the follow-up visits periodically carried out by the local authority.

Process Step	Process Description	Key Documents Required
1. Territorial registration	Registration of the establishment on the Health Secretariat platform (e.g., Healthy Businesses in Bogotá).	RUT, Chamber of Commerce (ISIC 8129 if your secretariat requests it), ID of the legal representative.
2. Filing of the request	Formal petition for a sanitary inspection visit for a pesticide application company.	Technical assistant contract (≥40 h/month), professional degrees, and personnel certificates.
3. On-site audit and inspection	A sanitary inspector evaluates facilities, Safety Data Sheets (SDS), PPE, and the hazardous waste protocol.	Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan, hazardous waste (RESPEL) container disposal contracts.
4. Issuance of the Visit Report	The authority issues the official sanitary certificate after the review of the headquarters and equipment.	Favorable, Favorable with Requirements o Unfavorable.

In Bogotá, the process is carried out through the District Health Secretariat (Carrera 32 # 12-81) or via the institutional virtual platform. In other departments, such as Santander, the Sectional Secretariats may require additional documents such as an extra-contractual civil liability policy or an environmental contingency plan. Always check the specific checklist at your city's mayor's office or governor's office. The Santander checklist (updated November 18, 2025) is a territorial example, not a fee or a national requirement.

5. Authorized products and Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Professional fumigation companies in Colombia do not apply agricultural-use substances in enclosed spaces. Decree 1843 and the Ministry of Health guidelines mandate the use of only pesticides formulated for public health or domestic use that possess an active sanitary registration with INVIMA.

Except for very specific technical cases (such as rodenticides in protected bait stations, wood treatments, or fumigation of grain stored in silos), urban application companies are prohibited from using products classified in toxicological categories I and II (extremely and highly hazardous) in areas where people or domestic animals circulate.

In addition, to sell your services to food companies, hospitals, or shopping malls, you must design a Integrated Pest Management (IPM)program. Chemical control is only the last resort; the plan must prioritize physical control (mesh, sealing cracks, mechanical traps) and client education on storage and hygiene.

6. Capturing B2B clients and how to publish your service

The residential market generates daily income, but the financial stability of a pest control company comes from recurring B2B contracts with residential complexes, restaurants, schools, industries, and offices. To compete in this segment, your commercial proposal must reflect technical rigor and full legal compliance.

Every time you perform a B2B service, you must deliver a Fumigation and Disinfection Certificate or Record signed by the technical assistant. This document must include the service date, the pesticides applied, their INVIMA registration numbers, dosages used, the re-entry period for the area, and cleaning and organization recommendations provided to the client.

According to active ads on Colombia Move (August 2026), in the cleaning category there is currently 1 active ad and 1 recent one, with 68 views: the supply of hygiene services is thin compared to the target of 5 ads. To connect directly with property managers and operations managers without paying commissions to intermediaries, you can structure your commercial profile on the platform.

When publishing your ad in the services section of Colombia Move, highlight your legal differentiators: valid favorable sanitary concept, personnel application licenses, geographic coverage, and availability of electronic invoicing. This clarity generates immediate trust in institutional buyers.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Do I still need to request a 5-year health license under Decree 1843?

Not as a current sectional procedure. Today, the authority issues a sanitary concept of IVC (Ministry of Health/ABECÉ, consulted August 2026), not the old five-year license. Decree 1843 remains the technical standard for the facility, personnel, and products.

❓ How much does the visit to obtain the sanitary concept cost?

The Ministry of Health indicates that the visit and the concept have no cost (guideline consulted August 2026). Other local policies or certificates may charge; the Santander example is not a national fee. You must budget for the Chamber of Commerce, facility adaptation, and occupational health exams.

❓ Which professional can serve as a technical assistant?

The decree requires a university professional with training and health registration and a contract of at least 40 hours per month. The list of degrees is determined by each secretariat; do not assume a national list.

❓ Can I use chemical products bought in agricultural supply stores?

Not for urban services. Only pesticides with INVIMA registration for domestic or public health use, with the restrictions of article 114 (Ministry of Health/INVIMA, 2026). Agricultural inputs not authorized for indoor use expose you to measures under Law 9, depending on the case.

❓ How do I avoid being seen as an informal or unsafe fumigator?

Show the record or concept, licenses, product data sheet, and PPE (Decree 1843, consulted 2026). Do not apply with people, pets, or food in the area; attach Chamber of Commerce, ARL, and the record model for each visit.

❓ Where can I advertise my fumigation services to capture B2B clients?

In service classifieds, for example, the cleaning category, with area, starting prices, and documents clearly visible (August 2026). Real photos of the team with PPE and the up-to-date concept help with corporate prospects.

❓ Does the CIIU code have to be 8129?

Several secretariats (e.g., Santander) require it on the Chamber of Commerce registration and RUT. Confirm the code with your Chamber of Commerce and the local secretariat; do not assume a single national code.