Short answer: Colombia has become one of Latin America's leading outsourcing destinations. Its BPO sector employs more than 700,000 people, exported USD 2.93 billion in BPO and KPO services in 2025, and sends 60% of those exports to the United States. US companies choose Colombia for its bilingual talent, time zone aligned with US business hours, competitive costs and a mature industry concentrated in Bogotá, Medellín and Barranquilla.
Last updated: October 2026.
Colombia's outsourcing ecosystem covers three main segments:
Colombia runs on UTC-5 all year. It matches US Eastern Time in winter and US Central Time during daylight saving time, so teams work the same business day as their US counterparts.
On the EF English Proficiency Index 2025, customer service professionals in Colombia score 570, a high proficiency level, and Medellín (516) and Bogotá (513) score above the national average of 480. Agents also offer neutral, native Spanish for the US Hispanic market.
Operating from Colombia costs significantly less than staffing the same operation in the United States, while keeping quality, supervision and cultural fit.
The US-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement has been in force since 2012, services exported from Colombia can be exempt from Colombian VAT, and free trade zones offer a 20% income tax rate on export income. Note that the two countries do not have a comprehensive income tax treaty, so contracts should be structured with a tax advisor.
| City | Share of BPO jobs | Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Bogotá | Largest hub, home to many corporate headquarters | |
| Medellín | Second hub, strong English and service culture | |
| Barranquilla | Caribbean coast hub with growing capacity |
Medellín deserves special attention for US buyers: it combines scale with the highest English score among Colombia's major hubs. Read our full guide on why Medellín is a top nearshore call center hub.
Labor outsourcing in Colombia is supervised by the Ministry of Labor under Decree 1072 of 2015, which aims to guarantee fair working conditions and prevent illegal labor intermediation. Personal data is protected under Law 1581 of 2012 (Habeas Data). Reputable providers also hold information security certifications and can adapt to client requirements such as PCI DSS or HIPAA.
Yes. Colombia is one of Latin America's leading BPO destinations, with more than 700,000 people in the sector, a top-five position on the Offshore BPO Confidence Index and the United States as its largest export market.
Customer service and contact centers, technical support, inside sales, collections, back office, software development and, increasingly, AI data operations.
Bilingual agents are widely available in the main hubs. Customer service professionals in Colombia score 570 on the EF EPI 2025, a high proficiency level, and providers test English before assigning agents to US programs.
Colombia is in UTC-5 and does not observe daylight saving time, which aligns it with US Eastern Time in winter and US Central Time in summer.
Intelsa operates from Medellín with bilingual teams and AI Workforce for customer service, sales, collections, back office and AI data operations. Talk to an expert about your program.
