Bilingual Legal & Accounting in Colombia -
We're here to sort it out.
Bilingual legal, tax, corporate structuring, and regulatory compliance for expats, digital nomads, and foreign investors operating in Colombia. No pressure. No sales pitch. Just straight answers from practitioners who do this every day.
Andrew & Luz Gallie
Before founding Maia, Andrew spent over a decade structuring cross-border commercial arrangements for multinationals - advisory work spanning regulatory due diligence, market-entry risk, and compliance frameworks for the likes of Nando's, Rio Tinto, and a2 Milk Company. He's since built and operated seven Colombian entities of his own. Luz brings institutional-grade regulatory and compliance expertise honed across Colombia's legal landscape - the kind that keeps foreign operators on the right side of DIAN, Superintendencia, and Migración Colombia. Together they lead a licensed team of six and make sure you actually understand what's happening - in plain English, or Spanish.
Licensed Professionals. Real Numbers. No Ambiguity.
We're not going to scare you into hiring us.
A lot of firms in this space will make Colombia sound impossible - endless acronyms, confusing agencies, paperwork nightmares. It's not. It's process. And process is what we do. The difference is we're not going to exaggerate the complexity to justify a bigger invoice. We'd rather just tell you what actually needs doing and get on with it.
No bloated meetings, no chasing, no six-email sales sequence. We figure out if we can help, tell you what it costs, and let you decide.
We just do the work. Our partners include a licensed Abogado and a licensed Contador Público - between them, over 25 years of practice across Colombian corporate law, tax compliance, and regulatory affairs. They know the ins and outs of every entity we manage, and they run compliance across seven active ventures in our own group. If we can help you, we'll tell you how. If your plan's got a problem, we'll tell you that too. And if you don't need us? Sweet as. No hard feelings.
Five things, done properly.
Visa & Immigration
Type V, M, and R visa applications handled start to finish. Cancillería paperwork, apostilles, Migración Colombia renewals. We give you a checklist, a timeline, and a lawyer who picks up the phone.
What we catch before submission
- Digital nomad (V), work/spouse (M), and investment-route (R) visas - each with different income thresholds, supporting documents, and processing quirks
- Pre-submission audit of your documents against the latest Resolución criteria - rejection rates spike when applicants use outdated templates
- Apostille coordination with your home country (we know which countries require chains of authentication, and which accept e-Apostille)
- Cédula de extranjería registration and Migración Colombia biometrics scheduling - the step most people forget until they're already in trouble
- Visa-to-residency pathway planning so your immigration status supports long-term business and tax goals, not just next year's stamp
Visa sorted? Find your home in Colombia ?
S.A.S. Incorporation
Full corporate formation for foreign-owned entities. Estatutos drafted to your specific commercial purpose - not a template. NIT, RUT, Cámara de Comercio registration, beneficial ownership filings, bank account, and electronic invoicing. Structured to withstand regulatory scrutiny from day one. Generally operational in 3-4 weeks.
Built clean from day one
- Custom estatutos with an object clause scoped to what you actually do - not the "everything under the sun" templates that flag you with regulators later
- Capital structure and shareholder agreements drafted for your ownership reality, including multi-nationality structures and silent partner arrangements
- Beneficial Ownership Registry (RUB) compliance from incorporation - a requirement many firms skip until DIAN comes asking
- SAGRILAFT anti-money laundering programme setup where applicable, because foreign-owned companies draw scrutiny by default
- Banco de la República foreign investment registration (Form 11) - the mechanism that lets you legally repatriate profits and dividends
- Full electronic invoicing and digital signature integration from week one, not bolted on later
Ready to hire in Colombia? Our staffing arm can help →
Expat Tax Compliance
183+ days in Colombia? You're a tax resident - most people don't realise until it's too late. We sort DIAN residency declarations, Form 160 and 210, wealth tax, and coordinate with your home-country accountant on FATCA and FBAR.
The rules most expats learn too late
- The 183-day count resets on a calendar year basis, not from arrival - digital nomads who straddle December often miscalculate and trigger obligations unknowingly
- Colombian tax residents report worldwide income, including foreign rental yields, share sales, and crypto gains - not just what you earn here
- Double taxation treaty mapping (Colombia has active treaties with Spain, UK, Canada, Chile, Mexico, and others) to prevent paying twice on the same income
- Foreign asset disclosure requirements - balances above threshold in overseas bank accounts, investments, and property must be declared annually
- Ley 2277 tax reform impact assessment: updated rate brackets, anti-avoidance provisions, and the new significant economic presence rules for digital services
- Direct coordination protocol with your home-country CPA so both filings tell the same story - mismatches between jurisdictions are the single fastest way to draw audit attention
Bookkeeping & Payroll
Monthly books under NIIF standards, electronic invoicing, IVA filings, payroll with all the prestaciones sociales calculated properly. Delivered bilingually so you actually understand your own financials.
Every peso accounted for, every month
- Full prestaciones sociales breakdown: prima de servicios, cesantías, intereses sobre cesantías, vacaciones, dotación - we calculate every component, not just the headline number
- Electronic payroll (nómina electrónica) transmitted to DIAN in real time as required since 2022 - not batched and backdated, which is how fines happen
- Monthly DIAN reporting calendar managed for you: retención en la fuente, IVA, ICA, industry and commerce tax, information exógena deadlines
- NIIF for SMEs framework applied correctly - the simplified standard most Colombian businesses should be using but many accountants still get wrong
- Bilingual monthly financial summary: P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow delivered in English and Spanish so you can share with investors, partners, or your home-country accountant without translation
- Platform-agnostic: we work across SAP Business One, Siigo Nube, and Helisa NIIF depending on your business size and complexity
Market Entry & Business Viability
Thinking about Colombia but haven't committed yet? We'll tell you whether your idea actually works here. Regulatory landscape mapping, cost-of-operation modelling, entity structuring advice, labour law briefing, and a straight assessment of whether the numbers make sense - before you spend anything setting up. Used by everyone from solo entrepreneurs to multinationals exploring LATAM expansion.
The study that saves you from expensive mistakes
- Regulatory body mapping specific to your industry - INVIMA for food and health, ANLA for environmental, SIC for consumer protection, MinTIC for tech, Superintendencia de Sociedades for corporate governance
- Realistic labour cost modelling including the 52%+ employment burden that catches most foreign operators off guard (prestaciones, parafiscales, safety contributions)
- Free Trade Zone analysis where applicable - up to 20% effective tax rate vs. the standard 35%, but only if your operation qualifies and is structured correctly
- Corruption risk assessment: we map the specific regulatory touchpoints in your sector where informal payments get requested, and build your compliance framework to handle them cleanly under Ley 1778
- Entity structuring comparison: S.A.S. vs. branch office vs. representative office vs. joint venture - each has different liability exposure, tax treatment, and exit flexibility
- Honest viability opinion: if the numbers don't work, we tell you before you spend $10,000 setting up. About 30% of the assessments we do result in a "not yet" recommendation - and clients thank us for it later
Straight up. No surprises.
Most firms make you book a call just to find out what anything costs. Not here. All in USD. Monthly billing. 30 days notice to cancel.
Getting started. Good for freelancers and new arrivals sorting out the basics.
- Monthly bookkeeping (1 entity)
- DIAN filing reminders & prep
- Bilingual financial summary
- Email support (24hr response)
- 1 legal consultation / month
The full package. For settled expats and growing businesses that need proper coverage.
- Everything in Explorer
- Full payroll management
- Tax return prep & filing
- Contract review & drafting
- Priority WhatsApp support
- 3 legal consultations / month
For operators running multiple entities or scaling something bigger.
- Everything in Navigator
- Multi-entity accounting (up to 3)
- Transfer pricing docs
- Corporate governance advisory
- Unlimited legal consultations
- Dedicated account manager
Pretty simple, really.
Initial Consultation
15 minutes, no obligation. We assess your situation, identify the jurisdictional issues, and give you an honest preliminary opinion. Sometimes you need less than you think.
Scope & Engagement
Within 24 hours: a written scope of work, fixed-fee quote, and clear timeline. No ambiguity, no billable-hour surprises. You sign off before anything starts.
Execution
Licensed counsel and certified accountants handle every filing, submission, and document. Every deliverable reviewed and signed off by a qualified professional before it reaches you.
Ongoing Compliance
Proactive regulatory monitoring, automated deadline management, and monthly bilingual reporting. You focus on your business - we ensure you stay compliant.
We don't just give advice. We live this.
These are the entities our practice actively manages - corporate governance, tax compliance, regulatory filings, and legal counsel across real estate, hospitality, beverages, marine manufacturing, talent management, and digital commerce. Not former clients. Live mandates we administer every month.
Be-Vida
Maia Botánicas
Mapana Marine
Ruta Colombia
Maia Masters
El Sanatorio
Andrew & Luz's side of the desk - advisory.
While the licensed team handles day-to-day compliance and filings, Andrew and Luz lead the advisory practice - working directly with companies evaluating Colombian market entry. Andrew brings over fifteen years of cross-border commercial experience across construction, maritime, and manufacturing, including a decade of corporate governance in New Zealand. Luz contributes institutional-level regulatory knowledge from senior operations management at the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros. Between them: jurisdictional risk assessment, regulatory mapping, entity structuring, and candid viability opinions backed by real operational data.
Advised on the regulatory and operational feasibility of entering the Colombian food-service market. Covered INVIMA food safety licensing, franchise structuring under Colombian commercial law, supply-chain sourcing for imported ingredients, and labour cost modelling for restaurant operations across multiple cities.
Conducted risk profiling for Colombian extractive operations. Mapped environmental compliance obligations under ANLA licensing, indigenous community consultation requirements (consulta previa), anti-corruption frameworks under Ley 1778, and repatriation of mining royalties through Banco de la República foreign investment channels.
Guided a New Zealand premium dairy brand through the feasibility of Colombian market entry. Mapped INVIMA registration pathways for imported dairy, labelling and health claims compliance, distribution channel analysis for premium consumer goods, and tariff optimisation under the Colombia - New Zealand trade framework.
Licensed counsel. Certified accountants. No outsourcing.
Roiser Fernández Barrientos
Three years leading legal operations across seven Maia Group entities. Trained at Martínez de Hoz & Rueda (MHR), a Chambers-ranked Argentine firm recognised for elite corporate, energy and finance practice. Specialises in S.A.S. formations, immigration matters, contracts and regulatory compliance for foreign-owned businesses.
Emanuel Bravo Salas
Head of Finance for the Maia Group, responsible for accounting, tax and payroll across seven active entities. Graduated from Universidad del Magdalena and earned his Tarjeta Profesional de Contador Público in 2021. Manages all DIAN filings, electronic invoicing and financial reporting — the kind of accountant who catches the problem before it becomes one.
Each handpicked from competitive applicant pools and trained to the standards of a firm that runs compliance for seven live businesses, not hypothetical ones.
Free chat. No commitment.
Drop us a line and we'll get back to you within a couple of hours during business hours. First conversation's always free - we reckon you should know who you're dealing with before you spend anything.
Calle 24 #3-99, Edificio Banco de Bogotá, Suite 1102, Level 11
Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia
Tel/WhatsApp: +1 (903) 459-8763
RUES Status: Active - Incorporated under Colombian Law
Privacy Policy
Effective: February 2026 - Entity: MAIA MANAGEMENT S.A.S. (NIT 901.862.977-7) - Privacy Contact: privacy@maia-management.com
What we collect. When you fill out our contact form, we collect your name, email address, phone number (if provided), service interest, and message content. We also collect standard web analytics data (pages visited, device type, approximate location) through Google Analytics.
Why we collect it. To respond to your enquiry, provide the services you've requested, and improve our website. We may use your email to follow up on your enquiry if you don't respond to our initial reply. We don't send marketing emails unless you explicitly opt in.
Who sees it. Your data is accessible only to the Maia Legal & Accounting team (Andrew Gallie, Luz Estela Petro Guerra Gallie, and our licensed professionals). We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties. Our website is hosted on Netlify and uses Google Analytics for traffic analysis - both services have their own privacy policies governing how they process data on our behalf.
Cookies. We use cookies for Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site. These are standard analytics cookies. You can disable cookies in your browser settings at any time.
Your rights. Under Colombian law (Ley 1581 de 2012) and applicable international regulations, you have the right to access, correct, update, or delete your personal data at any time. To exercise these rights, email privacy@maia-management.com.
Data retention. We retain enquiry data for up to 24 months after your last interaction with us, after which it is deleted. If you become a client, data retention is governed by your service agreement and Colombian legal record-keeping requirements.
Changes. We may update this policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date.
Cost of Doing Business in Colombia
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