Renewal of the commercial registration in Colombia: annual deadline, fees in UVB, and what happens if you fail to comply

Short answer: The commercial registration is renewed every year between January 1 and March 31 at the Chamber of Commerce of your domicile, and the fee is calculated in UVB based on your ordinary assets. Watch the date: as of October 2026, that year's window has already closed, and the next one opens on January 1, 2027.

If you are just about to register your business, that is another step: we explain it in our guide to registering an SME with the Chamber of Commerce. Here we are talking about keeping the registration up to date, which is where merchants are most negligent.

Who has to renew

The obligation is in Article 33 of the Commercial Code: the merchant, whether a natural person or a company, renews their registration within the first three months of each year. And it is not just one: branches, agencies, and each commercial establishment are renewed separately, with their own calculation.

If you are a landlord and are unsure if your activity code requires you to be registered, that depends on your case, which we detail in our article on CIIU code 6810. Do not assume one implies the other.

If the business is no longer operating

Do not keep renewing out of inertia. If you closed, the correct thing to do is to cancel. See how it is done in canceling the commercial registration of a natural person. And if you change your domicile or lose your merchant status, you must also report it.

How the fee is calculated in UVB

Since Decree 0045 of 2024, the registration and its renewal are calculated in UVB (Basic Value Unit), not in UVT, based on ordinary assets. The 2026 UVB is $12,110 and has been in effect since January 1, 2026 (Resolution 3488 of 2025, Ministry of Finance). The table is as follows:

I will not give you a value in pesos because there is no single national rate: the amount you must pay is what your Chamber's calculation shows. For establishments, branches, and agencies, the calculation is separate and is calculated by the Chamber according to the owner's assets and the registered domicile.

A hint I complain about a bit: the Single Business Window (VUE) website still mentions UVT and Decree 2260 of 2019. That reference is outdated; the current rule is UVB. It works for the online process, but not for the collection unit.

Regarding which assets are looked at: for the year you are renewing, assets as of the previous December 31 are used (verify the current figure with your Chamber). The late 2026 renewal still looks at the 2025 closing and the 2026 UVB; the 2027 renewal will look at the 2026 closing and the UVB set by the Finance Ministry.

Step-by-step for online renewal

1. Enter the VUE and search by your ID number.
2. Choose the domicile of your active registration; the VUE will redirect you to the Chamber of that domicile.
3. Complete the RUES form with the merchant's data and financial information.
4. Sign electronically.
5. Pay the bill generated by the Chamber.
6. Request the renewed certificate on the RUES or at the Chamber after payment.

Some Chambers require their own steps, such as a virtual password for the online process; this is not a rule for all of them.

Watch out for scams: pay only against the calculation generated at the Chamber after signing. No intermediary on WhatsApp can replace it, and Colombia Move does not charge for or process registrations. The RUES is useful for checking and requesting certificates, but the payment is finalized at the Chamber.

If March 31 has already passed

You can continue the process at the Chamber, but the renewal will be late. Law 1727 of 2014 (art. 30) subjects it to the sanctions of Article 37 of the Commercial Code. As of January 1, 2022, this function belongs to the Superintendency of Companies, not the SIC (the VUE contradicts itself on this).

The special sanction for engaging in commerce without a registration is up to 17 current legal monthly minimum wages at the time of imposition (Decree 2153 of 1992, art. 11, numeral 5). This is a ceiling within a procedure, not an automatic charge or a fixed value. If this were to happen to you, verify the current figure with the Superintendency of Companies.

Additionally, anyone who took advantage of the benefits of Law 1780 of 2016 may lose them if they do not renew on time. My advice: do not wait for requirements to arrive, renew now with the latest closing's calculation.

Three years without renewing: it is not the same as five

This is the most common confusion, so they are in separate blocks.

Three consecutive years. Only certain commercial companies subject to the Superintendency of Companies that are not in insolvency under Law 1116 of 2006 nor under specialized supervision can be presumed non-operational and declared dissolved by operation of law. They have 30 days to refute it (Decree 1068 of 2020). It does not apply to natural persons or establishments.

Five years without renewing: RUES purging

With five consecutive years without renewing, Law 1727 of 2014 (art. 31) allows for the annual purging of the RUES. Legal entities are dissolved and placed in liquidation status; for natural persons, establishments, branches, and agencies, the registration is canceled. This is an independent path from the previous one. A single year of delay does not dissolve or cancel anything on its own.

What is the point of being up to date

A current registration is what clients, banks, and other companies see when they ask for your certificate. If you participate in tenders, the RUP has its own calendar and does not automatically share the March 31 closing: check RUP registration and renewal.

Frequently asked questions

❓ By what date is the commercial registration renewed?

Every year, between January 1 and March 31. As of October 1, 2026, the 2026 window has already closed and the next one opens on January 1, 2027; renewing after March 31 is late (verify at the official source).

❓ Is the 2026 rate in UVT or UVB?

It is in UVB, according to Decree 0045 of 2024. The 2026 UVB is $12,110 and the calculation in pesos is issued by the Chamber; the phrase about UVT that still appears on the VUE is outdated (verify at the official source).

❓ How much does it cost to renew if my assets are low?

There is no single fee in pesos. The first bracket starts at 2 UVB and increases with ordinary assets, with a ceiling of 1,000 UVB. The exact amount is shown in your chamber's invoice (check the official source).

❓ What happens if I did not renew before March 31, 2026?

The renewal becomes late, and a sanctioning procedure of up to 17 SMMLV can be opened at the time it is imposed. It is not an automatic fine or a fixed value, and the authority lies with Supersociedades since 2022 (check the official source).

❓ Will my company be dissolved for failing to renew for just one year?

No. One year of delay alone does not dissolve or cancel it. There are two different rules: three years (presumption only for certain companies supervised by Supersociedades) and five years (RUES purging under Law 1727) (check the official source).

❓ Is the commercial establishment paid separately?

Yes. The registration of the establishment, branch, or agency is renewed in addition to that of the owner, with a separate invoice, and it also expires on March 31. The chamber will indicate the amount for each one (check the official source).

❓ Can I renew through RUES without going to the chamber?

Payment is finalized at the chamber of commerce in your jurisdiction. The VUE redirects you there, and the RUES is used to check and request the certificate after paying (check the official source).