Colombia
Worked in Colombia? Any pension you built up here is yours to keep and can usually be paid to you abroad — but you have to claim it; it won't start automatically. The full state pension age is 62. On totalization, Colombia has bilateral totalization agreements, so the years you worked here may combine with other countries you've worked in. Below is Colombia's system at a glance and what expats should check.
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Overview
Colombia's pension system is currently governed by Law 100 of 1993, which established two competing mandatory regimes: the public defined-benefit pay-as-you-go scheme (RPM – Régimen de Prima Media) managed by Colpensiones, and the private individual savings scheme (RAIS – Régimen de Ahorro Individual con Solidaridad) managed by private Pension Fund Administrators (AFPs: Porvenir, Protección, Colfondos, and Skandia). Workers choose between the two regimes and may switch every five years, up to ten years before reaching retirement age. The RPM requires 1,300 weeks of contributions and retirement at age 62 (men) or 57 (women) for a defined-benefit pension calculated by formula; the RAIS has no minimum age or weeks requirement but requires sufficient accumulated capital to fund a pension of at least 110% of the minimum wage. Pension benefits are paid 13 times per year. The minimum pension in both regimes equals the legal minimum wage (SMLMV), set at COP 1,750,905 for 2026.
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In July 2024, President Petro signed Law 2381 of 2024, a sweeping pension reform designed to replace the dual-regime system with a four-pillar structure: (1) Solidarity Pillar for those in extreme poverty; (2) Semi-Contributory Pillar for those who reach retirement age without meeting full contribution requirements; (3) Contributory Pillar combining a public Average Premium Component (Colpensiones, for earnings up to 2.3 SMLMV) and a private Complementary Individual Savings Component (ACCAI/AFPs, for earnings above 2.3 SMLMV); and (4) Voluntary Savings Pillar. However, the Colombian Constitutional Court suspended the law's July 1, 2025 implementation date on June 17, 2025, due to a procedural flaw ('vicio de trámite') in the legislative process, with 93 of its 95 articles rendered inactive. The Court returned the law to the House of Representatives for a corrective vote. Congress attempted a correction, and the Constitutional Court is scheduled to resume its review on August 13, 2026, with a tie-breaking vote by substitute judge Carlos Pablo Márquez. The current RPM/RAIS dual system therefore remains in force. Additionally, the Council of State suspended Decree 415 of 2026 (which had ordered AFPs to transfer assets to Colpensiones for affiliates who exercised the Article 76 regime-transfer window), further complicating the reform's implementation.
The Article 76 regime-transfer window of Law 2381 — allowing workers with ≥750 weeks (women) or ≥900 weeks (men) who are within 10 years of retirement age to transfer between regimes — remains active until July 16, 2026, despite the broader suspension. Colombia's pension system faces structural challenges: only about 25% of the elderly receive a contributory pension, coverage is low due to high labour market informality, and pension subsidies are heavily skewed toward higher-income groups. The OECD (Pensions at a Glance 2025) projects a gross replacement rate of 74.8% at average earnings for a full-career worker retiring at 62, placing Colombia among the most generous mandatory pension systems in the OECD.
74.8% of individual gross earnings at average wage for a full-career worker (OECD Pensions at a Glance 2025, projected for retirement at age 62). RPM formula: 55%–80% of Base Settlement Income depending on weeks contributed and contribution base; RAIS: actuarially determined based on accumulated capital.
Current system (Law 100/1993): Pillar 1 – RPM Colpensiones (DB PAYG, public); Pillar 2 – RAIS AFPs (DC individual accounts, private). Pending reform (Law 2381/2024, suspended since June 17, 2025): Pillar 1 – Solidarity (non-contributory, poverty relief, COP 223,800/month minimum); Pillar 2 – Semi-Contributory (partial lifetime benefit up to 80% SMLMV for those who miss full requirements, ages 65 men / 60 women); Pillar 3 – Contributory (Colpensiones up to 2.3 SMLMV + ACCAI/AFP above 2.3 SMLMV); Pillar 4 – Voluntary Savings
Hybrid – Public DB PAYG (RPM/Colpensiones) competing with Private DC individual accounts (RAIS/AFPs); four-pillar reform (Law 2381 of 2024) suspended since June 17, 2025, pending Constitutional Court final ruling (scheduled August 13, 2026)
Employee
4%
Employer
12%
Self-Employed
16% (on 40% of net income, minimum 1 SMLMV, maximum 25 SMLMV)
Notes
Total mandatory pension contribution is 16% of the Contribution Base Income (IBC): employer pays 12%, employee pays 4%. Contribution base: minimum 1 SMLMV (COP 1,750,905 in 2026), maximum 25 SMLMV (COP 43,772,625 in 2026). For integral salary employees, contribution base is the lower of 25 SMLMV or 70% of integral salary. Additional Solidarity Fund contributions apply for incomes above 4 SMLMV: currently 1%–2% (under Law 100); under suspended Law 2381 reform these would increase to 1.5%–3%. Foreign employees already contributing to a pension system in their country of origin are exempt from mandatory Colombian pension contributions. The UVT for 2026 is COP 52,347 (up from COP 49,799 in 2025). SMLMV for 2026: COP 1,750,905 (23% increase from 2025, set by Decrees 1469 and 1470 of 2025).
Common questions
What is the retirement age in Colombia?
The full state pension age in Colombia is 62.
Can I claim a Colombia pension if I live abroad?
Yes. A pension you've earned in Colombia stays yours wherever you retire, and can usually be paid into an overseas account once you reach pension age. It won't start automatically, though — you need to claim it, typically a few months in advance, through Colombia's pension authority.
Do totalization agreements affect my Colombia pension?
Colombia has bilateral social-security (totalization) agreements. These can let you combine the years you worked in Colombia with years in partner countries to meet a minimum qualifying period, so short stints aren't wasted. Which partners and rules apply depends on your own work history.
How is the pension system structured in Colombia?
Hybrid – Public DB PAYG (RPM/Colpensiones) competing with Private DC individual accounts (RAIS/AFPs); four-pillar reform (Law 2381 of 2024) suspended since June 17, 2025, pending Constitutional Court final ruling (scheduled August 13, 2026) Current system (Law 100/1993): Pillar 1 – RPM Colpensiones (DB PAYG, public); Pillar 2 – RAIS AFPs (DC individual accounts, private). Pending reform (Law 2381/2024, suspended since June 17, 2025): Pillar 1 – Solidarity (non-contributory, poverty relief, COP 223,800/month minimum); Pillar 2 – Semi-Contributory (partial lifetime benefit up to 80% SMLMV for those who miss full requirements, ages 65 men / 60 women); Pillar 3 – Contributory (Colpensiones up to 2.3 SMLMV + ACCAI/AFP above 2.3 SMLMV); Pillar 4 – Voluntary Savings It includes 3 schemes in our directory.
How do I get a copy of my Colombia pension record?
Ask Colpensiones for your Historia laboral / estado de cuenta (the Contribution history statement). It's free and you can request it yourself — our step-by-step guide on this page walks through the portal, what to have ready, and what to do if the login fails.