In Colombia registration of foreign arbitration awards is not applicable. In order to be enforced, an arbitral award rendered in another jurisdiction has to be recognized according to Article 116 of Law 1563 of 2020. Recognition claims of foreign arbitral awards must be submitted before the Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice or the State Council if the award involves a public entity. Once the foreign award has been recognized, the interested party may enforce it through collection proceedings before Colombian courts.
According to Article 111 of Law 1563 of 2012, the recognition of foreign arbitration awards can take up to 30 business days. However, in practice, it can take between 1- 2 years. In respect of the enforcement, the proceeding can take also approximately 1 to 2 years.
Please see the previous section.
Access to justice is a fundamental civil right in Colombia and free of charge. Thus, there are no costs for filing recognition or enforcement proceedings in Colombia of foreign arbitral awards. This excludes attorney's fees, which will depend on the respective arrangement.