A founder in Bogotá, Medellín or Cali can form a U.S. LLC entirely online, and the state treats the filing the same way regardless of where the owner lives. What takes longer afterward is the paperwork a U.S. bank, payment platform or client wants signed and notarized before it treats the company as operational.
This guide only covers that U.S. execution side. Colombian tax residency, what DIAN expects from an owner of a foreign company, and whether an LLC is the right vehicle belong to a contador or attorney, not to this guide.
What the filing covers, and what it leaves for later
Once a state accepts the articles of organization and the IRS issues an EIN, the LLC exists on paper. A bank, however, wants more than the filing: a signed operating agreement, proof of who controls the company, and a U.S. address it can mail to. For founders in Colombia, that second stage is usually where the real work starts.
Documents a bank or payment platform typically requests
- The filed formation documents and the EIN confirmation letter.
- A signed operating agreement, sometimes with a resolution naming who can open accounts or sign contracts.
- Proof of ownership: a membership certificate or a declaration identifying who holds the company.
- A valid passport or Colombian cédula for each member, depending on what the institution accepts.
- A U.S. business address used the same way on every document.
A notary confirms that a signature was made willingly by the person named on the document; it does not confirm that a resolution is properly authorized, which remains a question for your attorney.
Founders who incorporated with a co-founder or an investor should expect the bank to ask for a signature from each member separately, not just from the person listed as the main contact. If a co-founder lives in a different Colombian city, such as Medellín while you are in Bogotá, scheduling two separate online sessions is usually simpler than coordinating a single appointment around both calendars.
A related question that comes up early is which state to form the LLC in, often a choice between Delaware and Wyoming. That decision depends on cost, privacy preferences and how the company will be used, so it is worth settling with an accountant or attorney before any of the paperwork above becomes relevant.
Scheduling around the clock, not against it
Colombia does not observe daylight saving time, which means Colombian time tracks close to the U.S. Eastern clock for most of the year. For founders in Bogotá, this makes scheduling a remote online notarization with a New Jersey notary easier than it is for founders further east or west: a mid-morning session in Colombia usually lines up with a mid-morning session in New Jersey. Our guide on notarizing U.S. documents from Colombia covers the embassy, a local notary and the online option in detail.
Form 1583 and a U.S. mailing address
A virtual mailbox gives a founder a stable address for bank letters and IRS notices, and opening one requires a notarized Form 1583. For a company mailbox, the form names the LLC along with anyone allowed to receive its mail. The usual rejection reasons are a name that does not match the passport exactly, or a company name typed differently from the filed articles. Our step-by-step guide on getting Form 1583 notarized online walks through the form field by field, and TR Signing Group handles Form 1583 notarization for a virtual mailbox directly.
Ownership documents payment platforms ask for
Separate from the mailbox, a payment platform or marketplace may ask directly who owns the LLC, usually through a signed ownership declaration or a membership certificate. The exact wording should come from the platform, the bank or your attorney; TR Signing Group executes the signature and notarization once that wording is set, through corporate ownership document support.
Sending an original between Bogotá and the United States
Some recipients will not accept a scanned copy and ask for a wet ink original. When that happens, either have someone in the United States sign on the company's behalf where it has authorized them to, or print, sign and ship the document from Colombia using a tracked courier, keeping a full scan on file before it leaves. Build in time for customs rather than counting on a fixed arrival date. Keep the tracking number next to your scan, since a bank reviewing the shipment later may ask for both before it treats the original as received.
How TR Signing Group handles it
TR Signing Group handles the U.S. execution side for founders in Colombia: reviewing exactly what a bank, platform or client has asked for, running remote online notarizations with a New Jersey commissioned notary, and arranging printing or shipping when a scan is not enough. Colombian tax treatment and reporting stay with your own contador or attorney. Start with support for foreign founders with a U.S. LLC, or send your document list through a quote request.
Ready when you are
Services for this guide
U.S. LLC Support for Foreign Founders
Foreign founders: we coordinate your U.S. or Wyoming LLC formation and execute the documents around it: operating agreement, membership certificate, Form 1583, ownership declarations, apostille.
USPS Form 1583 / Virtual Mailbox
Get your USPS Form 1583 notarized online and validated by your virtual mailbox provider the first time, from anywhere in the world. IDs checked before the session, form returned promptly.
Corporate Ownership Documents
Bank-account ownership documentation, notarized: sole shareholder declarations, ownership confirmations, membership certificates and shareholder documents for banks, payment providers and partners. Sole shareholder declarations, ownership confirmations, membership certificates and shareholder documents executed and notarized for banks, payment providers and partners in the U.S. and abroad.
Remote Online Notarization
Get documents notarized online by a New Jersey commissioned notary, from anywhere. Identity verification, recorded session, digital certificate. International signers welcome.
Not sure which one? Book a free 15-minute video call
Questions we hear often
Do I need to travel to sign documents for my U.S. LLC from Colombia?
Usually not. Most LLC paperwork can be handled through remote online notarization when the receiving institution accepts it.
Will a Colombian cédula be accepted instead of a passport?
It depends on the receiving institution. A passport is the more commonly accepted form of identification for an international signer, so confirm before the session if you plan to use another document.
Is it easier to schedule a remote session from Colombia than from other countries?
Scheduling tends to be simpler because Colombian time stays close to the U.S. Eastern clock for most of the year, which leaves more overlapping business hours.
Can TR Signing Group tell me whether DIAN requires anything from my LLC?
No. Colombian tax questions belong to a contador or attorney. TR Signing Group handles the U.S. signature and notarization once the documents are ready.
What usually causes a Form 1583 to be rejected?
A name or company name that does not match exactly across the passport, the form and the filed articles is the most common reason.
Notary and document-execution services only. TR Signing Group does not provide legal, tax or immigration advice and is not affiliated with USCIS or any government agency.