In Colombia, employers may terminate indefinite-term contracts without notice for just cause. Employees under indefinite-term contracts may unilaterally terminate by giving the employer 30 calendar days' prior written notice, without penalty for failing to do so.
Terminating a fixed-term contract requires prior notice of at least 15 days in cases of termination for just cause. Employers may also give an employee pay in lieu of notice when terminating a fixed-term contract.
The immigration law of Colombia requires foreign nationals to obtain a work visa for employment. A Residence Visa (R) allows visa holders to work in Colombia without an additional work permit. The first temporary worker’s visa must always be processed at Colombian consulates abroad. In all other cases it may be granted in Bogota, providing the applicant has a valid visa. The work visa is granted for 2 years for multiple entries. In the case of artistic, sports, or cultural groups, the visa is issued for 6 months. Fee for the visa is USD 50.
Applicants must submit employment contract, certificate of existence of the employer and proof of qualifications.
Colombia's labor law provides 15 consecutive working days of paid annual leave (one and two-thirds of a day for every month of service), after completion of 12 months of continuous service. Employer and employee can agree in writing, upon request of the employee, that up to half of the vacations be paid in money.
The amount of the annual leave benefit is equal to the basic salary that the employee was earning the day on which the annual leave started. Payment for annual leave for employees with a variable salary is calculated as the average wage earned in the year immediately preceding the year in which annual leave commences.
Employees must take at least 6 continuous working days of vacation annually, which are not cumulative. However, the parties may agree to accumulate remaining leave for up to 2 years. The accumulation may be for up to 4 years, when it comes to technical, specialized, trusted, management employees or foreign employees who provide their services in places other than the residence of their relatives.
Effective July 15, 2026, the maximum working hours for adults are 42 per week (down from 44 prior to that date). The number of hours of daily work can be distributed in a variable manner during the respective week, having a minimum of 4 continuous hours and a maximum of up to 8 hours per day without any surcharge for supplementary work, provided the number of working hours does not exceed the average of 42 weekly hours.
The maximum working duration for minors is as follows:
When the nature of the work does not require continuous activity, and it is carried out in shifts, the duration of the workday can be extended to more than 8 hours, or 42 hours per week, provided that the average working hours do not exceed 8 hours per day or 42 per week.
Effective April 2022, Colombia enacted Decree 555 to regulate remote work. Furthermore, employees and public servants have the right to disconnect from work, which begins once the working day is over. The employer must guarantee that the work and public servants can effectively and fully enjoy rest time, licenses, permits, vacations, and their personal and family life.
Female employees are entitled to 18 weeks of maternity leave with full pay, including 1 week of prenatal and 17 weeks of post-natal leave. If, for any medical reason, the expectant mother requires an additional week prior to delivery, she may take 2 weeks, with 16 weeks postpartum. If, in a different case, for a medical reason, she cannot take the week prior to delivery, she may take the 18 weeks immediately postpartum. Maternity leave can be extended up to 2 additional weeks in case of multiple births. In the case of miscarriage and premature birth, a female employee is entitled to paid leave of 2 to 4 weeks.
The leave is fully paid through Colombia's social security system, and the pay is provided in advance. Maternity leave and related benefits are also extended to adoptive mothers. It is illegal for an employer to dismiss a female employee during her maternity leave and nursing period.
Effective January 1, 2026, Colombia increased the minimum monthly salary to COP 1,750,905 (Colombian pesos). The monthly amount of transportation aid for 2026 increased to COP 249,095. The monthly transportation aid must be paid to employees who earn up to double the monthly minimum wage.
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