Alcohol regulations in Colombia

Licences needed

Certificado de Buenas Prácticas de Manufactura (BPM / GMP) for alcoholic beverages, Registro Sanitario per product/brand, and Departmental Production/Introduction Authorization under Law 1816 of 2016.

Authority

Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos (INVIMA) and Departmental Secretarías de Hacienda

Documents

Chamber of Commerce certificate (Certificado de Existencia y Representación Legal), plant layout and technical process descriptions, water quality and sanitation plans, laboratory quality control specifications, and financial/tax guarantees for departmental authorities.

Fees

INVIMA tariff rates based on UVB (Unidades de Valor Básico) depending on inspection and registration category; exact figure not confirmed.

Time to obtain

15 to 30 business days for online product registration via InvimÁgil; BPM facility inspection timelines not confirmed.

Who can import

Any legal entity or natural person registered in the Colombian Chamber of Commerce and in the DIAN Registro Único Tributario (RUT) as a customs user/importer, holding an INVIMA sanitary registration (or authorization from the registration holder) and Departmental Introduction Permits.

Licences or registrations

RUT registration with import activity code (DIAN), Registro de Importación via VUCE (Ventanilla Única de Comercio Exterior - MinCIT), INVIMA Sanitary Registration, and Permiso de Introducción issued by each Department where the spirits will be distributed.

Authority

Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN), Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo (MinCIT - VUCE), INVIMA, and Departmental Secretarías de Hacienda.

Documents

Commercial invoice, packing list, Bill of Lading, Certificate of Origin (if claiming FTA preferences), INVIMA Sanitary Registration, GMP/BPM Certificate (or TTB Certificate of Free Sale for US products), Certificate of Analysis, and Departmental Tornaguía (transit/movement permit).

Fees

not confirmed

Time to obtain

1 to 30 days depending on VUCE, INVIMA (via InvimÁgil), and departmental processing (up to 10 business days by law for departmental introduction permits).

Required

yes

Process

Mandatory Sanitary Registration (Registro Sanitario) and label review with INVIMA prior to importation or commercialization, processed online through the InvimÁgil platform (launched May 2025). Brands and SKUs must also be registered with the DANE price database and Departmental tax authorities for excise tax and tax stamp purposes.

Authority

INVIMA (Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos)

Documents and samples

Application via InvimÁgil, qualitative-quantitative formula, manufacturing process description, Certificate of Free Sale (stating the product is fit for human consumption), GMP/BPM certificate from country of origin, physicochemical and microbiological Certificate of Analysis (including methanol and congeners), 3 copies of Spanish labels/mockups, and Power of Attorney if applicant is not the brand owner.

Fees

Set annually in UVB by INVIMA schedule; exact amount not confirmed.

Renewal

Every 10 years (per Decree 1686 of 2012, as modified by Decree 162 of 2021).

Time to obtain

15 to 30 days via the InvimÁgil platform.

Importers must use a licensed customs broker (Agencia de Aduanas) for shipments over USD 1,000. Distilled spirits are subject to Departmental Revenue Monopolies (Law 1816 of 2016), requiring a Permiso de Introducción in every department where the product is sold, movement permits (Tornaguías) to transport spirits between departments, and physical/fiscal excise tax stamps (Estampillas Fiscales) affixed to each bottle before nationalization or in authorized customs warehouses.

15% ad valorem MFN tariff (Andean Community NANDINA common external tariff for HS 2208); 0% under Free Trade Agreements with the United States, European Union, UK, CAN, Mercosur, and Pacific Alliance (subject to rules of origin).

Subject to the Departmental Liquor Consumption Tax (Impuesto al Consumo de Licores - ICL) or Participación, which has two components under Law 1816 of 2016: (1) Specific component for 2026 (MinHacienda Certificación 003 of Dec 9, 2025): COP 360 per degree of alcohol per 750cc unit (or proportional) for spirits and aperitifs (>15% ABV), and COP 243 per degree for wines/wine aperitifs; (2) Ad valorem component: 25% calculated on the DANE-certified retail price before taxes. Value Added Tax (IVA) on liquors is 5% (the emergency increase to 19% under Decree 1474 of Dec 2025 was struck down as unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court on April 15, 2026).

Private retail shops (licoreras, supermarkets, tiendas de barrio), bars, and restaurants may sell alcoholic beverages subject to municipal land-use and commerce rules. Under the National Police Code (Law 1801 of 2016), local mayors (Alcaldes) regulate retail and on-premise operating hours and prohibits sales near schools or during temporary public order restrictions.

Allowed, provided the seller is a legally registered establishment, verifies the buyer is at least 18 years old, displays mandatory health warnings, and complies with local municipal curfews or dry law (Ley Seca) decrees.

Labels must be in Spanish (supplementary stickers permitted for imports) and include: Product name, brand, name and address of producer and importer, country of origin, INVIMA Sanitary Registration number, lot number, net content in metric units, alcohol content (% Vol or grados alcoholimétricos), and two mandatory warnings: 'El exceso de alcohol es perjudicial para la salud' (must occupy at least 10% of the main front label area) and 'Prohíbese el expendio de bebidas embriagantes a menores de edad'. Bottles must also carry the departmental fiscal stamp (estampilla).

Regulated by Law 9 of 1979, Law 124 of 1994, and Decree 1686 of 2012. All visual, audio, and digital advertising must include the health warning 'El exceso de alcohol es perjudicial para la salud' and the minor sales prohibition warning. Advertising cannot target minors, feature minors consuming alcohol, associate consumption with athletic/academic success or driving, or take place inside educational or health institutions.

Defined in Decree 1686 of 2012 (modified by Decree 162 of 2021). Spirits (licores/bebidas alcohólicas destiladas) are classified for tax purposes above 15% ABV. Specific ABV minimums and congener limits are set by product category in Decree 1686 of 2012 (exact ABV percentage thresholds per spirit type not confirmed in search results).

No permanent dry regions exist, except the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina has a special tax regime. Temporary bans ('Ley Seca') are mandatory nationwide during national and local elections and may be declared temporarily by municipal mayors or departmental governors for public order.

• February 2025 (Sentencia C-032 de 2025): The Constitutional Court struck down paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 28 of Law 1816 of 2016, eliminating the power of departments to ban or suspend introduction permits for domestic or foreign aguardiente (salvaguarda), opening all departments to free competition.
• May 2025: INVIMA launched the 'InvimÁgil' web platform on May 8, 2025, digitizing and accelerating sanitary registrations for food and alcoholic beverages to 1 to 30 days.
• December 2025: Ministry of Hacienda issued Certificación 003 of 2025, adjusting the 2026 specific excise tax rate on spirits by 5.30% (IPC) to COP 360 per degree of alcohol per 750cc.
• December 2025 – April 2026: The government issued Emergency Decree 1474 of Dec 29, 2025 raising the VAT (IVA) on liquors from 5% to 19% and increasing excise rates for 2026; however, on April 15, 2026, the Constitutional Court struck down Decree 1474 of 2025 in its entirety and ordered DIAN to refund the excess indirect taxes collected, restoring the standard 5% IVA and Law 1816 excise regime.

Zero-tariff access under major FTAs (US, EU, UK) combined with the May 2025 launch of INVIMA's faster InvimÁgil registration platform and the April 2026 Constitutional Court reversal of the 19% emergency VAT hike support strong demand for imported premium whisky, rum, gin, and agave spirits. Furthermore, the 2025 Constitutional Court ruling ending departmental aguardiente blockades has dismantled historic regional entry barriers across Colombia.

• Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos (INVIMA)
• Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN)
• Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social
• Ministerio de Hacienda y Crédito Público (Dirección General de Apoyo Fiscal)
• Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo (VUCE)

1. Ministerio de Hacienda - Certificación 003 de 2025 (Tarifas Impuesto al Consumo de Licores 2026)
2. INVIMA - Decreto 1686 de 2012 y Decreto 162 de 2021 (Reglamento Técnico de Bebidas Alcohólicas)
3. U.S. TTB - Colombia International Import Requirements (Updated Dec 2025)
4. U.S. International Trade Administration - Colombia Food and Drug Sanitary Registration InvimÁgil (May 2025)
5. Pérez-Llorca / Corte Constitucional - Sentencia C-032 de 2025 sobre monopolio de licores y aguardiente
6. Radio Nacional de Colombia - Corte Constitucional tumbó Decreto 1474 de 2025 e IVA del 19% a licores (April 2026)
7. Siempre Al Día - Impuesto al consumo de licores, vinos y aperitivos en Colombia 2026 (April 2026)