How to create offer letters for employees in Colombia [2024]

Interested in hiring a full-time employee in Colombia? Today it is easier than ever, but there are still specific steps you must take before starting the onboarding process. 

After interviewing all the candidates and choosing the one who's the best fit for your open role, you have to send them a job offer letter.

This step in the hiring process may seem straightforward, but it's trickier than you think. In many countries, an offer letter is a legally binding contract—and it needs to meet certain requirements to comply with local labor codes and employment laws. When you send your offer letter to a job candidate in Colombia, it's your chance to outline important aspects of the employment relationship, including the roles and responsibilities of both your employee and you, their employer.

So before you draft and send your offer letter, read this guide to find everything you need to know about creating legally compliant offer letters for full-time employees in Colombia.

Requirements for employment contracts in Colombia

In Colombia, the offer letter is also considered an employment contract (Contrato de Trabajo). It isn't necessary to have an employment contract in writing—verbal agreements are considered valid in most cases with some exceptions (more on those below).

In Colombia, an employment relationship exists when:

• The employee provides services to their employer personally.
• They have a subordinate relationship to their employer.
• They are paid for the service they provide.

Whether an employment agreement is written or verbal, it needs to meet a few requirements:

• It must be agreed upon at the start of the onboarding process.
• Verbal agreements must at least cover the role, salary, and duration of employment.
• Fixed-term contracts must be in writing and can last no longer than three years.
• Probation periods must be in writing and can be no longer than two months for indefinite contracts and no more than 20% of the initially agreed employment term for fixed-term contracts. 
• Medical exams are required for prospective employees and must be performed at least three days before they start work.
• If the work contract is written, it must be signed either digitally or in person.

Colombia job offer letter checklist

• Position (job title), job description, and start date.
• Term of the contract. If the employment agreement is indefinite, state this in the contract. If it's a fixed-term contract, Colombian law requires this to be in writing as well. Fixed-term employment agreements cannot exceed three years.

• Probationary period. If there is a probation period for the role, Colombian law requires this to be outlined and agreed upon in writing. Probation periods can last no longer than two months for indefinite employment, or 20% of the contract duration for a fixed-term role.
• Conditions of employment. Describe when and where your new employee will work, including their working days and hours and whether they will work on site or remotely.

• Background check. Employment background checks are only allowed in Colombia if you have the job seeker's explicit permission.
• Compensation and benefits.
• Salary. Include details about the employee's salary, specifically whether they'll be paid a weekly, biweekly, or monthly salary, and whether it will be paid in Colombian pesos or another currency.
• Benefits. Briefly outline the benefits included in the new hire's compensation, including both mandatory and supplemental benefits (for example, some businesses provide private healthcare, even though social-security-funded public healthcare is available for all Colombians). Mandatory benefits include social security contributions, minimum wage, annual leave, statutory holidays, healthcare, sick leave, parental leave, overtime payment, and 13th-month salary.