In brief
Through Decrees 1469 and 1470 of 2025, the national government set the amount of the current legal monthly minimum wage (“SMLMV”) and the legal transportation or connectivity allowance, as applicable, for the year 2026, as follows:
| Concept |
Value (COP) |
Value (USD)1 |
| SMLMV | 1,750,905 | 473 |
| Transportation/connectivity allowance | 249,095 | 67 |
Key aspects
This adjustment impacts other items such as:
| Item |
Value (COP) |
Value (USD) |
| 2 SMLMV (reference for allowances and transportation/connectivity allowance) | 3,501,810 | 94 |
| Minimum monthly integral salary (13 SMLMV) | 22,761,765 | 6,152 |
| Cap for calculating and paying contributions to the social security systems in health, pension and occupational risks (25 SMLMV) | 43,772,625 | 11,830 |
| Maximum amount for calculating and paying contributions to the pension social security system managed by Colpensiones (2.3 SMLMV) – This does not apply yet as the pension reform (Law 2381 of 2024) remains suspended. | 4,027,081 | 1,088 |
The SMLMV increased by 23%, while transportation allowance increased by 24.5%.
Practical recommendations
- Adjust the salary of employees earning the equivalent of the legal monthly minimum wage (or less for part-time work) and the integral minimum salary.
- Adjust the transportation/connectivity allowance for employees earning up to 2 SMLMV.
- Update payroll settings according to the new reference values and related items such as night surcharges, overtime, and work on mandatory rest days and holidays.
- Adjust the bases for contributions to the Social Security System and payroll taxes.
- Provide the statutory work supplies to employees earning up to 2 SMLMV.
- Review whether the increase in the SMLMV exceeded what the company had included in its budget and, if so, design and implement an action plan to manage the discrepancy.
- Review whether the new SMLMV amount impacted internal equity in terms of salary bands and the compensation and benefits structure, and if so, evaluate alternatives to neutralize the impact.
For more information, please refer to Decrees 1469 and 1470 of 2025 at the following links: 251230-Decree-1469-Ministry of Labor.pdf and 251230-Decree-1470-Ministry of Labor.pdf
Download the Spanish version of 'Colombia: Adjustment for 2026 of the minimum monthly legal wage and the legal transportation/connectivity allowance'
1 Estimated conversion rate: 1 USD = 3,700 COP