Commercial registration renewal in Colombia: annual deadline, fees in UVB, and what happens if you fail to comply

Short answer: The mercantile registration is renewed every year between January 1 and March 31 at the chamber of commerce of your registered address, and the fee is calculated in UVB based on your ordinary assets. Watch the date: as of October 2026, the window for that year has already closed, and the next one opens on January 1, 2027.

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

Who has to renew

The obligation is set out in Article 33 of the Code of Commerce: the merchant, whether a natural person or a company, must renew 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 fee 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 the article about the CIIU code 6810. Do not assume that 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 mercantile registration of a natural person. And if you change your address or lose your status as a merchant, you must also report it.

How the fee is calculated in UVB

Since Decree 0045 of 2024, 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 applies from 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 fee: the amount you must pay is the one shown in your chamber's invoice. For establishments, branches, and agencies, the calculation is unique and is calculated by the chamber based on the owner's assets and the registered address.

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 That reference is outdated; the current rule is UVB.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

Regarding which assets are looked at: for the year you are renewing, the 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 year-end and the 2026 UVB; the 2027 renewal will look at the 2026 year-end and the UVB set by the Ministry of Finance.

Step by step to renew online

1. Enter the VUE and search by your identification number.
2. Choose the address of your active registration; the VUE redirects you to that address's chamber.
3. Fill out the RUES form with the merchant's data and financial information.
4. Sign electronically.
5. Pay the invoice generated by the chamber.
6. Request the renewed certificate, in the RUES or the chamber, after payment.

Some chambers have their own specific steps, such as a virtual password for the online procedure; this is not a rule for all of them.

Watch out for scams: pay only against the invoice 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 used to search and request certificates, but the payment is finalized at the chamber.

If March 31 has already passed

You can still proceed with the process at the chamber, but the renewal will be late. Law 1727 of 2014 (art. 30) subjects it to the penalties of Article 37 of the Code of Commerce. Since January 1, 2022, this function has belonged to the Superintendence of Companies, not the SIC (the VUE contradicts itself on this).

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

Additionally, those who benefited from Law 1780 of 2016 may lose them if they do not renew on time. My advice: do not wait for requests to arrive, renew now with the latest year-end statement.

Three years without renewing: 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 Superintendence of Companies, which are not under Law 1116 of 2006 insolvency or specialized supervision, may be presumed non-operational and declared dissolved by operation of law. They have 30 days to refute it (Decree 1068 of 2020). This does not apply to natural persons or establishments.

Five years without renewing: the purging of the RUES

With five years in a row without renewing, Law 1727 of 2014 (art. 31) allows for the annual purging of the RUES. Legal entities are dissolved and 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.

Why being up to date is useful for you

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

Frequently asked questions

❓ By what date is the mercantile 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 (check the official source).

❓ Is the 2026 fee in UVT or UVB?

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

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

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

❓ What happens if I didn't renew before March 31, 2026?

The renewal becomes late and can trigger a sanctioning procedure of up to 17 SMMLV at the time it is imposed. It is not an automatic fine or a fixed amount, and jurisdiction has belonged to Supersociedades since 2022 (check the official source).

❓ Will my company be dissolved for failing to renew for a single year?

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

❓ Is the commercial establishment paid for 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 indicates the amount for each one (check the official source).

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

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