Colombia’s Return Law (Ley 1565): RUR registry, requirements, benefits

Ley 1565 of July 31, 2012, known as the Return Law (Ley Retorno), creates “incentivos de carácter aduanero, tributario y financiero” (customs, tax and financial incentives) and comprehensive support for Colombians who choose to return home voluntarily. To use it you register in the Registro Único de Retornados (RUR), an online form in Cancillería’s SITAC system, and get approval from the Comisión Intersectorial para el Retorno, which according to Colombia Nos Une takes about two calendar months. A key fact for people living in the United States without papers: Colombia Nos Une states that “Su situación migratoria en el extranjero no será tenida en cuenta para obtener el certificado RUR y los beneficios” — your immigration status abroad will not be taken into account for the RUR certificate and the benefits (Colombia Nos Une pages checked October 3, 2026).

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Key facts

ItemDetail (checked October 3, 2026)
LawLey 1565 of July 31, 2012
Who runs itThe Colombia Nos Une working group (Cancillería) verifies; the Comisión Intersectorial para el Retorno decides
RegistryRegistro Único de Retornados (RUR), in SITAC
Time to decisionAbout 2 calendar months
Immigration status abroad“No será tenida en cuenta” (not taken into account)
How oftenOnce only; fiscal and tax benefits are not repeated
RejectionAppeal within 10 business days; no new application for 5 years
CostThe two Colombia Nos Une pages we read mention no fee

Requirements Colombia Nos Une publishes

Colombians living abroad who return may use the law once only, meeting these requirements:

  1. Be an adult (mayor de edad).
  2. Prove you have lived abroad for at least three (3) years.
  3. Have no current convictions abroad or in Colombia, and no conviction for crimes against public administration.
  4. Have lived in Colombia no more than twelve (12) months since returning.

To verify them, Colombia Nos Une explains that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs checks and gathers: the cédula de ciudadanía; disciplinary, fiscal and judicial records; migration movements; and information on current convictions abroad.

US immigration status does not count

Colombia Nos Une’s RUR page says it explicitly: “Su situación migratoria en el extranjero no será tenida en cuenta para obtener el certificado RUR y los beneficios.” The published requirements concern age, time abroad, convictions and time since returning to Colombia; none asks for an immigration status in the country where you lived.

This describes Colombia’s rule for the RUR. This page does not cover how leaving the United States may affect a US immigration case; for that, talk to a lawyer (see find pro bono legal help).

How to apply, step by step

  1. Complete the Registro Único de Retornados in the Sistema Integral de Trámites al Ciudadano (SITAC). Colombia Nos Une says it is reached through links on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, on Colombian consulate websites abroad and on the Colombia Nos Une portal.
  2. Verification: the Colombia Nos Une working group reviews the application, and the ministry gathers the records and migration-movement information.
  3. Decision: the Comisión Intersectorial para el Retorno studies the application, decides whether it meets the requirements and determines the type of return the applicant will be a beneficiary of. Colombia Nos Une estimates “aproximadamente dos (2) meses calendario” between application and decision.
  4. Notice: approval or rejection “se envía al connacional automáticamente a través del correo electrónico inscrito al momento de la solicitud” (is sent automatically to the email given in the application). Colombia Nos Une asks applicants to check the spam folder as well.
  5. Certificate: once approved, the person must “generar en el SITAC el certificado” (generate the certificate in SITAC) that accredits them as a beneficiary.
  6. Incentives: with the certificate, the beneficiary asks the competent entities for access to the incentives and support for their type of return, “conforme cumplan con los requisitos dispuestos por las entidades respectivas” (subject to each entity’s requirements).

Rules worth knowing

  • One type of return per application. Colombia Nos Une allows switching to another type of return “dentro de los dos (2) años en que se le reconoce la condición de retornado” (within the two years you are recognized as a returnee). After that, no.
  • Fiscal benefits once only. “Una vez usted utilice los beneficios fiscales y tributarios otorgados por el RUR, no podrá obtenerlos de nuevo así cambie de tipo de retorno.”
  • If rejected: an appeal for reconsideration (recurso de reposición) can be filed within ten (10) business days of the electronic notice, by entering the online form completed at registration and attaching documents that address the reason for rejection. The Commission resolves it at its next session and notifies by email.
  • New application after rejection: not allowed for a period of less than five (5) years.

What this page does not detail

Colombia Nos Une describes the incentives in general terms (customs, tax and financial) and refers to each competent entity for their requirements. The two pages we read do not list amounts or specific rules for each incentive, such as household goods (menaje), so we do not summarize them here. Confirm them with Colombia Nos Une and the entity responsible.

The ministry checks your cédula and records for the RUR; separately, these consular procedures have their own pages: the Colombian national ID (cédula) from the US, the Colombian passport and, if you have US-born children, their registration as Colombians.

Official sources

Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. Requirements and incentives are set by Colombia’s Cancillería, the Comisión Intersectorial para el Retorno and each competent entity, and can change. Verify directly with Colombia Nos Une or your Colombian consulate. Not legal advice.