Did something happen to you in Colombia? You can file a claim from home.
As a foreigner, you have the same civil rights as Colombians. If you were hurt in an accident, a surgery went wrong or someone else caused you harm, we handle the claim in Colombia while you follow it from home.
To assist you in other languages, we use artificial intelligence (AI) agents and virtual translators. Your case is reviewed by a lawyer from our team.
Your rights as a foreigner in Colombia
When it comes to claiming for harm, Colombian law makes no distinction by nationality. These are the rules that protect you.
The same civil rights as Colombians
Colombian law gives foreigners the same civil rights as its own citizens: your passport doesn’t take away your right to file a claim.
Colombian Constitution (Constitución Política), art. 100; Civil Code (Código Civil), art. 57
Emergency care and SOAT, whatever your nationality
Every clinic must treat you in an emergency, even if you can’t pay right then. In a traffic accident, medical bills go to the vehicle’s mandatory insurance (SOAT), up to the legal limit, not to you.
Law 100 of 1993 (Ley 100 de 1993), art. 168; SOAT rules (Decreto 663 de 1993 and Decreto 780 de 2016)
A copy of your medical record
You’re entitled to your complete medical record (historia clínica). Ask for it in writing before you leave Colombia; with your authorization, we can also request it for you.
Ministry of Health Resolution 1995 of 1999 (Resolución 1995 de 1999), art. 14
An interpreter at hearings
Court proceedings are in Spanish, but if you have to testify and don’t speak it, the judge appoints an interpreter.
General Code of Procedure (Código General del Proceso), arts. 104 and 181
Documents from home: official translation and apostille
A document in another language needs an official translation to count as evidence, and a foreign public document (like a birth or marriage certificate) needs an apostille. We’ll tell you which ones you need.
General Code of Procedure (Código General del Proceso), art. 251; 1961 Hague Apostille Convention (Ley 455 de 1998)
Power of attorney online and virtual hearings
You can grant us power of attorney by email, with no notary or consulate visit, and hearings can be held by video call.
Law 2213 of 2022 (Ley 2213 de 2022), arts. 5 and 7
Medical tourism: if something went wrong
Cosmetic surgery, dental work, bariatric surgery, fertility treatment… If your procedure left you with complications or harm, here’s what to do first, ideally before you leave Colombia.
To be straight with you: in medicine, as a general rule, doctors commit to careful, professional care (an “obligation of means”), not to a guaranteed result. An outcome you didn’t expect isn’t always compensable on its own; a failure in the care, the follow-up or the information you got about the risks may be. We review your case and tell you plainly whether we see that failure.
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Get your complete medical record
Including the surgical report, the anesthesia record, nursing notes and discharge orders. It belongs to you: the clinic has to give you a copy.
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Keep the informed consent
Ask for a copy of what you signed before the procedure. Signing it doesn’t authorize mistakes or negligence.
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Document everything
Dated photos of your recovery, invoices, the contract or package you paid for, and your messages with the doctor, the clinic or the agency that booked you.
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Don’t sign anything without advice
Releases, confidentiality agreements or a “free touch-up” in exchange for your signature can limit your claim. Show them to us before you sign.
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Get a second medical opinion
In Colombia or back home. Ask the doctor to put their findings in writing; if it’s in another language, it can be officially translated later.
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Check the doctor and the clinic
You can look up whether the doctor is registered as a specialist in ReTHUS and whether the clinic is licensed in REPS, Colombia’s official public registries.
What to do, depending on what happened
Each case needs different evidence. Much of it is easy to get while you’re in Colombia and hard to get from abroad, so collect it before you fly home.
Traffic accident
You were hit as a pedestrian, rode in a taxi or on a rented motorbike, or the car you were in crashed. Before you leave, get the police report (IPAT), write down the vehicle’s plate and SOAT, take photos and keep the witnesses’ contact details.
See the serviceSurgery or medical care
A complication, an infection or harm from poor care at a clinic or hospital. Get your complete medical record and the informed consent before you leave the country.
See the serviceA fall at a hotel, mall or business
A wet floor with no warning sign, broken stairs, a pool or a tourist attraction. Report it in writing, ask for the incident report and ask them to keep the security footage: it’s often erased quickly.
See the servicePublic or tour transportation
Bus, metro, cable car, taxi, boat or tour shuttle. The company is bound to get you to your destination safe and sound; keep your ticket or receipt and write down the company name and the vehicle number.
See the serviceDog bite or other harm caused by a private person
In Colombia, an animal’s owner answers for the harm it causes. Get the owner’s details and the dog’s vaccination record, take photos of your injuries, go to the ER and keep your medical record.
See the serviceWork accident in Colombia
If you work here under a Colombian employment contract and got hurt because safety measures failed, besides the ARL (workers’ comp insurer) you may claim all your damages from your employer. Keep your contract, the accident report (FURAT) and proof of your social security payments.
See the serviceHarm caused by a public entity
A pothole on a public road, an unmarked construction site, a public hospital or a police action. Take photos of the place with the date and location, and keep any official report: you only have 2 years.
See the serviceWrongful detention
If you were arrested or held in custody and later acquitted, or the case against you was dropped, you may have the right to claim against the State; each case is reviewed to see whether the detention was justified. Keep a copy of the decision that set you free and the criminal case documents.
See the serviceThe insurer won’t pay
The SOAT, the other vehicle’s policy, or the hotel’s or clinic’s insurer denies, delays or cuts your payment. Keep the policy, your claim and the insurer’s written response.
See the serviceFile your claim from your country
You don’t need to come back to Colombia. We have offices in Medellín, Bogotá, Pereira and Montería and take cases from anywhere in the country remotely.
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Write to us
Through the chat on this page (it answers in English) or on WhatsApp. Tell us what happened, where and when.
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Send your documents
By chat or email: passport, medical records, photos, invoices and reports. We’ll tell you which ones need an official translation or an apostille.
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Grant the power of attorney online
We send you the document and you grant it from your email, with no notary or consulate visit, as Law 2213 of 2022 allows.
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We handle the process in Colombia
We file the claim, the conciliation request and, if needed, the lawsuit. Hearings can be held by video call, and if you have to testify before a judge, an interpreter is appointed.
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Follow your case from home
We update you on every step by WhatsApp or email, in writing, in Spanish or English.
Deadlines to file a claim
The clock keeps running even after you leave Colombia. These are the general rules:
| Case | General deadline | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| General civil claim (an accident, a fall at a business, a dog bite, surgery at a private clinic)Civil Code (Código Civil), art. 2536 | 10 years | Civil Code (Código Civil), art. 2536 |
| Claim against a public entity (public road, public hospital, police): “reparación directa”CPACA (Ley 1437 de 2011), art. 164, num. 2, lit. i | 2 years | CPACA (Ley 1437 de 2011), art. 164, num. 2, lit. i |
| Wrongful detentionCPACA (Ley 1437 de 2011), art. 164, and Consejo de Estado case law | 2 years, generally from when the decision acquitting you or dropping the case becomes final | CPACA (Ley 1437 de 2011), art. 164, and Consejo de Estado case law |
| Passenger on a bus, taxi or boat (contract of carriage)Commercial Code (Código de Comercio), art. 993 | 2 years | Commercial Code (Código de Comercio), art. 993 |
| Claim against an insurer under a policy, including SOATCommercial Code (Código de Comercio), art. 1081 | 2 years, as a general rule | Commercial Code (Código de Comercio), art. 1081 |
| Work accident caused by the employer’s faultLabor Code (Código Sustantivo del Trabajo), art. 488 | 3 years | Labor Code (Código Sustantivo del Trabajo), art. 488 |
| Criminal complaint (querella) for negligent bodily injury, for example in a traffic accidentCriminal Procedure Code (Ley 906 de 2004), arts. 73 and 74 | 6 months | Criminal Procedure Code (Ley 906 de 2004), arts. 73 and 74 |
These are general rules: there are exceptions, and the deadline can start counting from different dates depending on the case. A lawyer needs to confirm the exact deadline for yours, so write to us as soon as you can.
What people usually ask us
No. You can grant us power of attorney by email, and hearings can be held by video call (Law 2213 of 2022). If a judge ever asks you to appear in person, we’ll let you know well in advance.
Yes, as long as the deadline hasn’t passed. The claim is handled in Colombia and you follow it from home; what matters is acting soon and keeping your evidence.
No. The assistant on this page answers in English, and our team can write to you in English. We coordinate the official translations and interpreters the process requires.
Your passport, medical records, invoices, photos, the police or incident report, and witnesses’ contact details. If something is missing, write to us anyway: many documents can be requested later.
Fees are explained clearly in the consultation, depending on the case. Before you sign anything, you’ll know what they cover and how they’re paid.
Yes. The spouse or partner, children, parents and other close relatives can claim for the harm they suffered; in a traffic accident, SOAT also covers death and funeral expenses. Family ties are proven with documents from your country, apostilled and officially translated, and we guide you through it.
It depends on what you signed. Informed consent doesn’t authorize mistakes, and not every document waives your rights, but a settlement agreement (transacción) can close the claim. Send it to us and don’t sign anything else without advice.
It depends on each case. Some are resolved at the claim or conciliation stage; others need a lawsuit and take longer. We explain the stages of yours from the start.
You can still file a claim. In those cases, SOAT coverage is paid by ADRES, a Colombian government entity, and the person responsible is pursued separately.
Yes. What you tell us is protected by attorney-client privilege (Colombian Constitution, art. 74), and we handle your data under Colombia’s data protection law, Ley 1581 de 2012.
Tell us what happened
We review your case and explain, in writing and in plain words, whether you have the right to file a claim and what the path looks like. Write to us in English or Spanish.
