Can I form an LLC in Wyoming if I live in Colombia and have never visited the US?

If you are based in Colombia, yes. US LLC formation does not require US residency, a US visit or a Social Security Number. Founders based in Colombia form Wyoming LLCs remotely using a registered agent for the required US address, and they apply for an EIN with "Foreign" or "N/A" in place of an SSN.

What is Colombia's ECE regime and does it apply to a US LLC?

ECE stands for Entidades Controladas del Exterior, the Colombian controlled-foreign-entity rules introduced by Law 1819 of 2016. They can apply when a Colombian resident holds a 10% or greater stake in a foreign entity, and a US LLC can fall within them, depending on its income.

How long does a Wyoming LLC take from Colombia?

If you are based in Colombia, state approval in Wyoming typically takes a few business days to about two weeks depending on filing volume, and the EIN can often be obtained the same week by phone. Most founders have the LLC, the EIN and a bank application in 2-4 weeks.

Is there a US-Colombia income tax treaty?

No comprehensive income tax treaty is in force between the two countries, so relief from double taxation depends on Colombian foreign-tax-credit rules rather than a treaty article.

What ongoing filings does a Colombian founder need for a Wyoming LLC?

If you are based in Colombia, two matter most: Wyoming's own annual requirement ($60 minimum, filed in your LLC's anniversary month) and the federal Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120, due every year for a foreign-owned single-member LLC. Missing the federal filing carries a $25,000 minimum penalty.

Can a Colombian resident open Mercury or Relay accounts?

Yes in principle. Colombia is not on Mercury's prohibited list (residence-based) or Relay's (citizenship/residency of owners), subject to each bank's own review, which is never guaranteed.

Form a Wyoming LLC from Colombia: Complete 2026 Guide

Q: Is LLC income taxed in Colombia only when I withdraw it?

Not necessarily. Under the ECE regime, passive income of the foreign entity can be taxed to the Colombian owner on an accrual basis, in the year it arises. Active business income is analysed differently, so classification matters.

Everything a Colombia-based founder needs to form, bank, and run a Wyoming LLC — costs, EIN process, and tax angles specific to Colombia.

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$100 · State filing fee

$60 minimum · Annual fee

2-5 business days · Avg. filing time

Quick Summary

Country: Colombia
State: Wyoming
Avg. filing time: 2-5 business days
State filing fee: $100 (mail) / $102-104 (online)
Annual report fee: $60 minimum (based on in-state assets, per Wyoming Statute § 17-29-209)

Why Wyoming

Start with the numbers. A Wyoming LLC costs $100 to file (or $102 online), and the recurring state cost is $60 (based on in-state assets, minimum $60, filed on the anniversary month). State tax treatment: no state income tax and no franchise tax. Privacy treatment: Wyoming does not publicly list LLC member or manager names in its formation filings. For a founder in Colombia the practical reading is that Wyoming is the lowest-friction ongoing cost among the privacy-oriented states, so the question to ask is whether that trait matches how you plan to run the business.

What It Costs

Wyoming state fees are $100 to file ($102 online where available). The other line items are the same wherever you form: a registered agent at roughly $100-150 a year, a free EIN straight from the IRS, and a free business bank account at Mercury or Relay. What differs by state is the recurring cost, and for Wyoming that is $60 (based on in-state assets, minimum $60, filed on the anniversary month). With EasyBrise Global Launch ($295 in year one, registered agent included; $149 a year to renew) the typical first year stays well under $500.

Who This State Is For

A Colombia-based founder should lean toward Wyoming if you want the lowest ongoing annual cost combined with strong privacy and no state income tax, and you don't need a Delaware-specific court system or investor familiarity. Weigh it against the other four states on cost, privacy and reporting now, since a later switch is a dissolve-and-reform exercise, not an amendment.

For Colombian Founders

Colombian freelancers, agency owners and online sellers form US LLCs to bill clients in dollars, accept US payment processors and operate through a US business bank account. Colombian tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, so the LLC does not shelter profit from Colombian tax. What it does give you is a US operating entity, and the key Colombian question is whether the LLC counts as an entity controlled from abroad under the country's ECE rules, because that decides when profit is taxed to you.

Post Formation Checklist

Housekeeping for a new Wyoming LLC owned from Colombia. Federal Beneficial Ownership Information reporting is not something you need to do: FinCEN's rule in force since August 14, 2026 permanently exempts all US-formed LLCs. What you do need: an Operating Agreement, a business bank account, payment-processor accounts if you will take cards, and two recurring dates, your Wyoming annual obligation ($60 minimum, filed in your LLC's anniversary month) and the annual federal Form 5472 and pro forma 1120.

How The Formation Process Works

Nothing about Wyoming formation requires you to be in the US. Your registered agent supplies the Wyoming address and receives official mail, the Articles of Organization go to the Wyoming Secretary of State, and the EIN comes from the IRS afterwards. Since a Colombia resident has no SSN, Form SS-4 gets "Foreign" or "N/A" in the SSN line. The international phone line (267-941-1099) takes roughly 45-60 minutes and is the quickest route; fax and mail take 4-6 weeks.

Wyoming LLC For Colombian Founders

A Colombian owner who picks Wyoming gets a $100 filing fee and a $60 minimum annual fee. Because the Colombian ECE analysis, not the US state, determines most of your tax outcome, many founders choose the cheapest low-friction state and spend their advice budget in Colombia.

Five Year State Cost Of A Wyoming LLC

Over five years, the state-level cost of a Wyoming LLC is a $100 filing fee plus $60 a year for five years, so $400 in total, before the registered agent. That makes Wyoming the middle of the five states on this measure. The same arithmetic across the five states runs from $50 to $2,110. For a Colombian owner, the bigger variable is not this US state cost but how the ECE regime treats the LLC's income, since passive income can be taxed on accrual.

Banking From Colombia Mercury And Relay

Colombia is not on Mercury's prohibited-countries list, which is based on the founder's country of residence, and it is not on Relay's list, which looks at the owners' citizenship and residency. Both banks run their own reviews, so approval is not automatic, but Colombian residents are not excluded by country. Neither bank's published rules restrict international wires involving Colombia. Keep the EIN letter, the Articles of Organization and your Colombian identity document ready when you apply.

Your Recurring Dates As A Colombian Owner

As a Colombian owner, your recurring dates look like this. State: Wyoming's annual report and $60 minimum fee fall due in your LLC's anniversary month. Federal: Form 5472 with the pro forma Form 1120 is due on the return due date, April 15 for a calendar-year LLC, extendable with Form 7004. For the one-off EIN call, the IRS line (6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern) is open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Colombian time in US daylight time (6 a.m. to 11 p.m. in US standard time). Put the state date and the federal date in your calendar when the EIN arrives, because a missed Form 5472 carries a $25,000 minimum penalty.

Dual Citizenship And The Mercury Relay Rules

Mercury and Relay test eligibility in different ways. Mercury's prohibited-countries list is based on country of residence, not citizenship, and a citizen of a listed country who lives elsewhere may still be eligible after review. Relay looks at the citizenship or residency of the owners. Colombia is on neither list, so a Colombian citizen resident in Colombia is not excluded by country. If you hold another passport or live in a third country, check whether that country appears on either list before you apply.

No Income Tax Treaty Between Colombia And The US

Colombia and the United States do not have a comprehensive income tax treaty in force, so there is no treaty article to cite when the same income is taxed twice. Relief therefore depends on Colombia's own foreign tax credit rules and on how the US tax outcome is documented. That makes record-keeping more important: keep the LLC's US filings, proof of any US tax paid and the bank statements together for your Colombian accountant.

Colombia Controlled Entity Rules And Accrual Taxation

Colombia's Controlled Foreign Entities regime (Entidades Controladas del Exterior, or ECE), introduced by Law 1819 of 2016, can apply when a Colombian resident holds 10% or more of a foreign entity. The practical consequence is the part that surprises founders: passive income of an ECE can be taxed to the Colombian owner on an accrual basis, in the year it arises, rather than only when you take money out. Whether your LLC's income is passive or active business income is therefore central, and a Colombian accountant should classify it before the first invoice. On the US side the LLC files Form 5472 and a pro forma Form 1120 every year, with a $25,000 minimum penalty for a missed or incomplete filing.

Requirements

Requirement	Needed
US Social Security Number
US visit required
Registered agent with US address
Wyoming annual filing
Federal Form 5472 + pro forma 1120

Costs

Item	Cost
State filing fee	$100 (mail) / $102 (online)
Registered agent (annual)	$100-150/yr (or included in EasyBrise Global Launch)
EIN application	Free via IRS (or via a paid service)
US business bank account	Free (Mercury / Relay)
EasyBrise Global Launch (year 1, incl. registered agent)	$295
EasyBrise renewal (year 2+)	$149/yr

Who Should Choose Wyoming

Choose Wyoming if

you want the lowest ongoing annual cost combined with strong privacy and no state income tax, and you don't need a Delaware-specific court system or investor familiarity

Consider another state if

your priorities (fundraising plans, revenue level, or reporting tolerance) point more strongly to one of the other four states in the comparison table above.

Comparison

State	Filing Fee	Annual Requirement	State Income Tax	Privacy
Wyoming	$100 mail / $102 online	$60	None	No public member names
Delaware	$110	$400 flat annual franchise tax	None	No public member names
Texas	$300	$0 franchise tax for LLCs with revenue below the no-tax-due threshold	None	No public member names
New Mexico	$50	$0 ever	None	No public member names
Florida	$125	$138.75 mandatory annual report fee, due every year	None	Member names public

Banking

Mercury
Popular with non-resident founders; requires US LLC + EIN; no US visit needed
Relay
Remote-friendly for non-residents; requires formed US entity

Frequently Asked Questions

More guides for founders in Colombia

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