🇨🇴Import Korean Cosmetics to Colombia
Registration, duties and freight — what a distributor needs to bring K-beauty into Colombia, with vetted Korean suppliers at 0% commission and one logistics partner from supplier to shelf.
Why Colombia
Colombia is one of Latin America’s larger beauty markets, and Korean skincare is gaining ground fast through e-commerce, pharmacy chains and department stores in Bogotá and Medellín. With a Korea–Colombia FTA in force since 2016 and a single Andean notification system, it is a practical base for expanding into Peru and Ecuador.
Product registration in Colombia
Local responsible party
A Colombian company acts as the responsible party: it files the notification with INVIMA and answers for the product on the market.
Mandatory Sanitary Notification (NSO)
Under Andean Decision 833, each product is notified with its formula, technical specifications and a Certificate of Free Sale from Korea. INVIMA issues an NSO code valid for 7 years.
Spanish labelling
Safety-critical label content — instructions for use, precautions, contents and lot — must be in Spanish. Decision 944 (2025) relaxed translation of commonly understood generic names, and stickering is common practice.
Typical lead time: Once the dossier is complete, INVIMA typically issues the NSO code within a few weeks — and an NSO from one Andean country can be recognised in Peru or Ecuador through a simplified procedure.
Duties & taxes
Under the Korea–Colombia FTA (in force since July 2016), most Korean cosmetics now qualify for 0% duty with a certificate of origin as the phase-out schedule has run its course. Confirm the rate for your exact HS line; without origin documents, Colombia’s general (MFN) rates apply.
Colombian IVA is 19%, collected at import on customs value + duty.
Estimate your landed cost per HS code with our free import duty calculator. Open the import duty calculator
Regulations, duty and tax information is general guidance and may change. We confirm the exact requirements for your product and HS code before every shipment.
Shipping from Korea to Colombia
We consolidate LCL and FCL cargo from Busan every week. Below are indicative LCL rates from our internal tariff — the same data our freight team quotes from.
| Destination port | LCL rate | Transit |
|---|---|---|
| BUENAVENTURA | $75 / CBM | 29 days |
| BARRANQUILLA (VIA COLON FREE ZONE) | $190 / CBM | 24 days |
| BOGOTA (VIA BUENAVENTURA) | 165 (MIN 2CBM) | 34 days |
| CARTAGENA (VIA COLON FREE ZONE) | $185 / CBM | 24 days |
Indicative LCL ocean rates from Busan, Korea — from TY's internal tariff, updated regularly. Ocean freight portion only; your final DDP quote covers the full door-to-door cost.
How importing with TY works
Tell us your product
Send your category, target price and market — the matching form takes 3 minutes.
Supplier match + DDP quote
Within one business day we propose a vetted Korean supplier and a total landed-cost quote.
Samples & first order
We arrange sample shipping and consolidate small first orders with weekly LCL departures.
Ship, clear, deliver
TY handles export docs, ocean or air freight, customs and duty, and final delivery — tracked on our portal.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need product registration to import Korean cosmetics to Colombia?
Yes. Every cosmetic needs a Mandatory Sanitary Notification (NSO) filed with INVIMA by a Colombian responsible party before sale, backed by the formula and a Korean Certificate of Free Sale. The NSO is valid for 7 years and can be extended to Peru and Ecuador. TY supplies the CFS, FTA origin certificate and DDP delivery to Bogotá.
How long does shipping from Korea to Colombia take?
LCL from Busan to BARRANQUILLA (VIA COLON FREE ZONE) takes about 24 days port-to-port. Add customs clearance and inland delivery for the full door-to-door DDP timeline. We consolidate weekly, so small first orders move fast.
What does DDP shipping mean for my order?
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means one all-in price to your door: pickup in Korea, ocean or air freight, customs clearance, import duty and taxes, and final delivery. You see your total landed cost before you commit to the order.
More import guides for Colombia
Ready to source and ship from Korea?
Tell us your product and market — we reply with a matched Korean supplier and an all-in DDP quote within one business day. 0% commission: we make money on shipping, not on you.