Foreigners can use Nequi in Colombia if they are 18 or older, live in Colombia, have a Colombian mobile line, and hold a valid cédula de extranjería (CE) or a Permiso por Protección Temporal (PPT). At Colombia Desk, our concierge works for foreigners moving to Medellín or Bogotá, and for anyone who is not Venezuelan, the cédula de extranjería is the document that opens Nequi. Nequi does not list the passport as an accepted document, so a passport alone will not get you an account. Sign-up happens in the app, with a scan of your physical ID and a face check.
Since September 1, 2026, Nequi has been its own financing company, supervised by the Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia; Bancolombia ran it until August 31, 2026. A new account starts as a low-amount deposit capped at 210.50 UVT a month. Cash withdrawals at Bancolombia automated teller machines (ATMs) are free.
Can a Foreigner Open Nequi?
A foreigner can open a Nequi account in Colombia by holding an accepted identification document. According to Nequi’s official foreign sign-up guide, foreign applicants must be adults aged 18 or older, reside within Colombia, and possess an active cédula de extranjería (CE). Venezuelan citizens residing in the country can register using a Permiso por Protección Temporal (PPT) or a Permiso Especial de Permanencia (PEP).
Nequi’s account requirements policy sets a strict list of accepted identity documents:
- Cédula de ciudadanía (for adult Colombian nationals)
- Cédula de extranjería (for foreign resident adults)
- Permiso por Protección Temporal or Permiso Especial de Permanencia (for Venezuelan nationals)
- Tarjeta de identidad or registro civil (for Colombian minors over 12)
Nequi does not list the passport as an accepted document. A tourist traveling on a foreign passport cannot open an account. Our cédula de extranjería guide covers getting a CE.
You also need a mobile line from a telephone carrier operating in Colombia and a smartphone running Android or iOS.
How to Sign Up, Step by Step
Each individual can hold only one Nequi profile tied to a single document number, one active mobile phone line, and an email address never registered in the system before. The sign-up process takes place entirely inside the mobile application.
Nequi’s registration instructions follow a sequence of steps:
- Download the app from your mobile app store and tap the option to create an account.
- Select your document type from the menu (such as cédula de extranjería or PPT).
- Accept the personal data processing terms.
- Enter your Colombian mobile number and verify it using the text message code sent to your phone.
- Enter your full legal name exactly as printed on your identity card.
- Enter your email address and submit the security code sent to your inbox.
- Fill in your document details, including its official issue date.
- Scan the physical front and back of your identity card using your phone camera.
- Complete the biometric facial recognition scan on your phone screen.
- Accept the contractual terms for the low-amount deposit (depósito de bajo monto).
- Create a PIN.
- Wait for the in-app confirmation screen confirming your profile is open.
Nequi requires the physical document card for capture. Without completing the biometric facial verification photo, registration cannot proceed.
What Nequi Is After the Bancolombia Split
Nequi is a regulated financial institution called Nequi S.A. Compañía de Financiamiento. Until August 31, 2026, Bancolombia S.A. operated Nequi services directly.
On September 1, 2026, Nequi assumed full operational independence as documented on its company independence notice. The legal entity operates under Grupo Cibest, the new corporate name for the financial holding group formerly known as Grupo Bancolombia, as reported by El Tiempo on August 3, 2026. The Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia authorized the standalone financing company under Resolución 2002 of October 31, 2025, and corrected it via Resolución 2021 of November 4, 2025.
Nequi deposits carry state protection through the Fondo de Garantías de Instituciones Financieras. Fogafín provides deposit insurance covering up to COP 50 million per depositor per institution, which applies directly to electronic deposits held in qualifying entities.
The corporate split did not change day-to-day user functionality. Transfers to other Colombian banks remain available, top-ups through PSE (Pagos Seguros en Línea) remain free, and users access free cash withdrawals at Bancolombia ATMs. Nequi told El Tiempo it has more than 27 million users.
Limits, the Savings Upgrade, and the 4x1000 Tax
A newly created profile opens as a “depósito de bajo monto” (low-amount electronic deposit). This baseline account requires no initial balance to open and charges no monthly management fee (cuota de manejo).
According to Nequi’s account limits breakdown, a low-amount deposit caps total monthly cash flow and balance at 210.50 UVT (Unidad de Valor Tributario). With the 2026 UVT set at COP 52,374, the monthly cap equals exactly COP 11,024,727.
| Account Feature | Depósito de Bajo Monto | Cuenta de Ahorros |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Movement Limit | 210.50 UVT (COP 11,024,727 in 2026) | No published monthly cap |
| Monthly Management Fee | COP 0 | Not published |
| National 4x1000 Tax Threshold | Applies to movements over 65 UVT (COP 3,404,310) | Applies over 350 UVT (COP 18,330,900) if marked exempt |
| Conversion Reversibility | Default baseline state | Permanent change (cannot be undone) |
| Eligibility Document Listed | Cédula de ciudadanía, CE, PPT, PEP | Cédula de ciudadanía listed in official help article |
Users can view their current status under the app home screen. Nequi allows users to convert a low-amount deposit into a standard savings account (“cuenta de ahorros”) without paying a fee.
In Nequi’s savings account conversion guide, the listed requirements name only adults over 18 holding a cédula de ciudadanía. The article does not mention cédula de extranjería or PPT holders. It is not published whether foreign residents holding a CE can convert their accounts, so you must verify current eligibility directly in your app menu under “Tus topes.”
The Gravamen a los Movimientos Financieros (GMF), known as the 4x1000 tax, applies differently based on account classification. Under Nequi’s GMF rules updated for September 2026:
- On a depósito de bajo monto, the 4x1000 tax applies to any debits and transfers once monthly movements exceed 65 UVT (COP 3,404,310 in 2026).
- On a full savings account marked exempt, the tax applies only to monthly debits exceeding 350 UVT (COP 18,330,900 in 2026).
- If a savings account is not marked exempt, the 0.4% tax is deducted from every qualifying withdrawal and outgoing transfer. Colombian law permits an individual to maintain only one tax-exempt account across the entire domestic banking system.
The Nequi Card and Getting Cash Out
Account holders can add a payment card to spend balances at physical stores or digital merchants. Nequi issues a Tarjeta Nequi Visa linked directly to your balance.
According to Nequi’s card fee schedule, the digital card is free to activate inside the app. If you want a physical plastic card delivered to your home address, the cost is COP 23,200 including value-added tax (IVA). Nequi’s card order instructions indicate delivery takes 7 to 8 business days across Colombia. The card carries no monthly cuota de manejo, as detailed on Nequi’s card benefits overview. Nequi recommends keeping a balance of at least COP 15,000 when using the card.
Getting physical cash out of your account does not require a debit card. You can generate a withdrawal code on your phone screen:
- In the app, select the cash-out option to generate a temporary six-digit code.
- You must have more than COP 10,000 available in your balance.
- The six-digit code is valid for one use and expires after 30 minutes.
- Enter the code at Bancolombia ATMs or authorized corresponsales bancarios.
Cash withdrawals at Bancolombia ATMs and authorized corresponsales are free, as confirmed on Nequi’s withdrawal pricing page. The 4x1000 tax can still apply to a withdrawal, as described above. If a third-party merchant attempts to charge an extra fee for a withdrawal, report the location to customer support.
Nequi’s ATM rules, last edited in July 2025 before the separation, allow 10 withdrawals a month at Bancolombia ATMs by default, adjustable up to 20 in the app. Each withdrawal must be at least COP 10,000, and the daily cash cap is COP 2,700,000.
Under Nequi’s foreign usage rules, you cannot withdraw cash outside Colombia. Cash services operate exclusively at authorized domestic ATMs and payment points.
Paying and Getting Paid in Colombia
For moving funds across different banks, Colombia runs Bre-B, the interoperable instant payments system managed by the Banco de la República. Bre-B began full operation on October 6, 2025, and runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Transfers settle within 20 seconds. It links roughly 245 financial entities, including commercial banks, cooperatives, and electronic wallets.
Transfers through Bre-B use identifier tags called “llaves.” Nequi’s Bre-B rules define which identifiers you can register:
- A 10-digit Colombian mobile number starting with 3
- An email address
- A national identification document number (cédula de ciudadanía or cédula de extranjería)
- A personalized alphanumeric username starting with @ (between 5 and 20 characters)
- A 10-digit Nequi Negocios merchant code starting with 00
Holders of a PPT cannot register their document number as an identification llave in Nequi, though they can register their mobile number, email, or alphanumeric username. Bre-B transfers are free for individual senders and recipients, as confirmed by Noticias RCN. Nequi sets an internal transaction limit of COP 3,000,000 per Bre-B operation, detailed on Nequi’s Bre-B page.
You can also pay online with PSE.
Receiving international funds is supported through specific inbound channels. Under Nequi’s remittance terms, adults holding a CC, CE, or PPT can receive remittances sent via partnered transfer operators. Funds arrive immediately if the data is complete, otherwise in up to 2 days.
Under Nequi’s international inbound limits, international receipts are capped at USD 2,000 per month on low-amount accounts and USD 5,000 per month on full savings accounts. Each single transaction has a ceiling of USD 2,000 on both tiers. Nequi’s international options guide also lists PayPal balance transfers (converting USD into Colombian pesos) and “Giros a un link” for transfers from the United States, which requires an active Nequi Visa card.
Staying Safe with Your Account
Nequi’s security tips say Nequi never asks for your clave, username or card details.
The same page sets these rules:
- Credit is requested only inside the Nequi app.
- If you lose your smartphone or suspect unauthorized access, immediately call (+57) 300 600 0100 to block your profile.
- Forward fraudulent or suspicious text messages directly to correosospechoso@nequi.com or via WhatsApp to (+57) 300 887 6817.
Around the separation, Nequi told Vanguardia it never asks for passwords, verification codes or financial data by phone, message or external link.
Because Bre-B transfers settle automatically without requiring manual acceptance, verify the recipient’s phone number or llave carefully before authorizing any payment.
If You Cannot Open Nequi Yet
On a tourist stay without a cédula de extranjería, you pay with foreign cards and cash; our credit cards and cash guide covers both.
Other Colombian wallets also list only Colombian-issued documents for foreigners:
- DaviPlata: Banco Davivienda S.A. runs DaviPlata, and DaviPlata’s foreigner registration page lists only a physical cédula de extranjería or PPT. The registration page does not list a foreign passport or PEP. Our Nequi vs DaviPlata comparison examines how the two services differ for foreign residents.
- Dale: Operated by Aval Soluciones Digitales S.A., Dale allows foreign registrations with a CE or PPT. The official FAQ explicitly states that a foreign passport alone is not sufficient to open an account.
- Nu Colombia: According to a 2024 Nu blog post, applicants must be adults living in Colombia with an email, a Colombian mobile line, and a valid cédula de ciudadanía, PPT, or cédula de extranjería. The passport is absent from its document list.
If you plan an extended stay, our guide on how to open a bank account in Colombia outlines the institutional documentation required for formal savings accounts.
Once your physical cédula de extranjería is in hand, you can open an account.
Our guide on how to pay in Colombia covers cards, cash and transfers for the months before your cédula arrives. If you want help lining up the cédula, the phone line and the accounts in the right order, contact Colombia Desk.