Key takeaways
- In Antioquia, an apartment starts at about US$96,000, with a typical asking price near US$199,000.
- Buyer closing costs run about 2 percent of the purchase price, split as notary 0.27 percent, registry 0.67 percent and beneficencia 1 percent, plus your lawyer's fee on top.
- Foreigners can own property in Colombia outright with a passport.
- The Devimed highway concession reverts on July 31, 2026, with the financing trust expected in 2027 and handover to Invías in 2028, which means major works on that corridor would not begin before late 2027.
- Normally 30 to 45 days from the moment the deal is agreed.
Buying a house in Colombia takes 30 to 45 days from agreed price to registered deed, costs about 2 percent of the price in closing fees plus your lawyer, and needs only a passport if you are a foreigner. Everything else is sequence: verify the title, sign the deed before a notary, register it.
Checklist · Before you sign a promesa
The 12 documents I check on every deal
Tick them off as you collect them. Saved on this device.
Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro, online; valid 30 days
The notaría where it was signed; ask for a certified copy
The municipality's tesorería or hacienda office
The building's or gated community's administración
From the seller; the RUT downloads from the DIAN site
Granted at a notaría, or at a consulate if the seller is abroad
Printed on the predial bill, or from the municipal catastro
In the deed and on the cadastral record
Latest paid bills from EPM or the local operator
Declared before the notary in the deed itself
Drafted by your lawyer or agent; never sign the seller's version unread
Curaduría urbana or the municipal planning office
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Where each document comes from
- Certificado de tradición y libertad: Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro, online; valid 30 days
- Prior deed: The notaría where it was signed; ask for a certified copy
- Property-tax good standing: The municipality's tesorería or hacienda office
- HOA good standing, if applicable: The building's or gated community's administración
- Seller's ID / RUT: From the seller; the RUT downloads from the DIAN site
- Power of attorney, if the seller is represented: Granted at a notaría, or at a consulate if the seller is abroad
- Cadastral appraisal: Printed on the predial bill, or from the municipal catastro
- Survey and boundaries: In the deed and on the cadastral record
- Utilities up to date: Latest paid bills from EPM or the local operator
- Family-home protection certificate: Declared before the notary in the deed itself
- Promesa de compraventa draft: Drafted by your lawyer or agent; never sign the seller's version unread
- Building permit, if applicable: Curaduría urbana or the municipal planning office
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What do I actually do, in order?
1. Fix the budget in pesos. Colombian pesos are the source of truth for every price. A US-dollar figure is an approximation at the day's TRM and will move between your offer and your closing.
2. Pick the asset type, because the floors differ. In Antioquia, an apartment starts at about US$96,000, with a typical asking price near US$199,000. A country house starts at about US$374,000 (typical: US$919,000), a finca at about US$280,000 (typical: US$592,000), a lot at about US$118,000 (typical: US$265,000). In Guatapé and El Peñol the same categories sit lower: apartments from about US$89,000 (typical US$159,000), country houses from about US$187,000 (typical US$335,000), fincas from about US$234,000 (typical US$467,000), lots from about US$128,000 (typical US$431,000, pushed up by lakefront).
3. Pull the certificate of tradition and freedom. You request it with the property's registry number. It shows the registered owner, the chain of owners before them, and every mortgage, lien and encumbrance attached. Read it before any money moves. This is the single document that separates a purchase from a loss.
4. Check land use at the municipality. Each municipality's territorial plan (POT) decides whether a parcel allows country housing, subdivision, or agricultural use only. A seller's description is not zoning.
5. Sign a promesa de compraventa. The promise of sale fixes price, deposit, closing date and penalties. Your lawyer drafts or reviews it.
6. Sign the escritura before a notary, then register. Property is transferred by public deed and then recorded at the property registry. Until it is registered, you are not the owner against third parties. The deed alone is not enough.
What does it cost on top of the price?
Buyer closing costs run about 2 percent of the purchase price, split as notary 0.27 percent, registry 0.67 percent and beneficencia 1 percent, plus your lawyer's fee on top.
After you own it, annual property tax (predial) runs from 0.3 to 1.2 percent of the cadastral value, and the rate depends on the municipality, not on what you paid. If you buy an apartment, propiedad horizontal applies: you pay a monthly administration fee and follow the building's reglamento, so ask for the current fee and the last assembly minutes before you commit.
When you eventually sell, capital gains are taxed at 15 percent if you held the property two years or more.
Do I need residency, and what about a visa?
No. Foreigners can own property in Colombia outright with a passport. No residency, no local partner, no company required.
Separately, Colombia has several visa categories for people who own property or live in the country, with requirements set by the foreign ministry. Thresholds and rules change, so check the current ones before you buy with a visa in mind, and buy the property first: the visa follows registered ownership, not an intention to buy.
Where should I buy, Medellín or Oriente?
It depends on what you want the house to do.
Medellín and its metro area give you an apartment market with the deepest supply and the lowest entry point of the categories above. Oriente Antioqueño (Rionegro, Guatapé, El Peñol, La Ceja, El Retiro) gives you land, cooler air, and the lowest asking prices for country houses and fincas in the department.
Two things worth knowing about Oriente access. The Devimed highway concession reverts on July 31, 2026, with the financing trust expected in 2027 and handover to Invías in 2028, which means major works on that corridor would not begin before late 2027. And the Marinilla to El Peñol to Guatapé doble calzada is not under construction and has no completion date, so do not price a property on the assumption that it is coming.
On returns, keep expectations grounded in what has happened rather than what is promised. Appreciation in the area has historically run 7 to 8 percent a year, long-term rentals have yielded 5 to 9 percent gross and short-term rentals 8 to 15 percent gross. That is history, not a forecast, and short-term rental yields depend on the building's reglamento permitting it at all.
How we knowFigures as of November 5, 2026. Prices: active listings we verified ourselves; USD rate: TRM 3,221.19 COP per US$1, valid November 5, 2026 (Banco de la República, via datos.gov.co).
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy a house in Colombia without residency?
Yes. Foreigners can own property in Colombia outright with a passport. No residency, no visa and no Colombian partner is required to buy or to hold title.
How long does it take to close on a house in Colombia?
Normally 30 to 45 days from the moment the deal is agreed. That covers title verification, the promesa de compraventa, signing the public deed before a notary, and registration at the property registry.
What are the closing costs for a buyer in Colombia?
About 2 percent of the purchase price: notary 0.27 percent, registry 0.67 percent and beneficencia 1 percent, plus your lawyer's fee. Annual property tax afterwards runs 0.3 to 1.2 percent of cadastral value by municipality.
What is the certificate of tradition and freedom?
A registry document requested with the property's registry number. It shows the registered owner, the chain of previous owners, and any mortgages, liens or encumbrances. Read it before any money moves.
Is the deed enough to own the property?
No. Property is transferred by public deed (escritura) before a notary and then registered at the property registry. Until registration is complete, you are not the owner against third parties.
