Law 1556 of 2012 set up both incentives to develop the audiovisual industry, bring in tourism, and promote Colombia's image. Proimágenes Colombia runs them, and the Comisión Fílmica Colombia site publishes the minimums, caps, and remaining balances. Every figure below comes from pages Proimágenes updated on 9 September 2026.
FFC or CINA
| FFC (Fondo Fílmico Colombia) | CINA (Certificado de Inversión Audiovisual) | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | Cash reimbursement | Income tax discount certificate, transferable through the securities market |
| Rate | 40% of audiovisual services, 20% of logistics services | 35% of audiovisual and logistics services |
| Who | Colombian producers, and foreign producers who don't file Colombian income tax | Foreign productions that don't file Colombian income tax |
| Formats | Films, series, short web or animated series, music video packages, animation, post (if FFC-supported for production the year before) | Films, series, short web series, music videos, video games, commercials, animation, post |
| Cap per project | COP 3,340,196,500 (2026) | Not stated |
| 2026 funds left on 9 September | COP 2,135,109,032 | COP 168,697,858,843 of COP 350,000,000,000 |
A CINA only becomes cash when you sell it to a company that owes Colombian income tax, and the price is whatever that buyer will pay. Proimágenes publishes a guide on negotiating and using CINAs; read it before you put a number in the finance plan.
Minimum spend in 2026
Minimums are set in legal monthly minimum wages (SMLMV), so the peso amounts change whenever the minimum wage is adjusted.
| Format | Minimum spend in Colombia |
|---|---|
| Film | 1,800 SMLMV = COP 3,151,629,000 |
| Series | 1,800 SMLMV total and 450 SMLMV (COP 787,907,250) average per episode; no per-episode test if spend reaches 9,000 SMLMV (COP 15,758,145,000) |
| Short web or animated series, music video package | 1,800 SMLMV total and 72 SMLMV (COP 126,065,160) per episode or video |
| Single music video (CINA) | 200 SMLMV = COP 350,181,000 |
| Commercial (CINA) | 400 SMLMV = COP 700,362,000 |
| Video game (CINA) | 1,215 SMLMV = COP 2,127,349,575 |
| Post-production (CINA) | 360 SMLMV = COP 630,325,800 |
Proimágenes also prints USD equivalents next to these figures, marked as approximate. They don't match the current market rate, so do your own conversion.
Worked example: $1,000,000 misses the film minimum
At the Tasa Representativa del Mercado valid 12 to 14 September 2026 (USD 1 = COP 3,072.27), $1,000,000 is COP 3,072,270,000. That's below the COP 3,151,629,000 minimum even if the whole budget were spent in Colombia. As a commercial or a CINA post-production job, the same money would clear the lower thresholds.
Worked example: $5,000,000 feature
$5,000,000 is COP 15,361,350,000. The production spends COP 9,000,000,000 in Colombia with Colombian-resident vendors: COP 6,000,000,000 on audiovisual services (crew, equipment, stages, post) and COP 3,000,000,000 on logistics (hotels, catering, ground transport).
Through the FFC:
- Audiovisual: COP 6,000,000,000 x 40% = COP 2,400,000,000
- Logistics: COP 3,000,000,000 x 20% = COP 600,000,000
- Total: COP 3,000,000,000, under the COP 3,340,196,500 cap
- But only COP 2,135,109,032 was left in the 2026 FFC on 9 September, so this project would be looking at 2027 money
Through CINA:
- COP 9,000,000,000 x 35% = COP 3,150,000,000 in tax certificates
- Cash received depends on the sale price to Colombian taxpayers
For a foreign production that qualifies for both, the CINA is larger on paper and has far more money left this year. The FFC pays cash without a secondary sale.
Steps and timing
- Confirm format and minimum spend for the current year's SMLMV.
- Get the Colombian service company and vendors lined up; every eligible service has to be contracted with Colombian residents.
- Apply to Proimágenes. CINA files take 4 to 8 weeks to review and correct, and the committee meets monthly, so apply at least a month ahead.
- Spend within the approved period: up to 24 months, or 48 for animation.
- Submit the fiduciary and audit certifications Proimágenes specifies. Payment (FFC) or certificate issue (CINA) follows.
Watch-outs
- Services supplied in Colombia but used exclusively abroad by companies with no business in Colombia are VAT-exempt with a right to a bimonthly refund, according to Proimágenes' summary of the tax code. Build the refund into cash flow separately from the incentive.
- Hotels, catering, and transport earn only 20% under the FFC.
- A post-production project can only get FFC money if the same project received FFC support for production the year before.
- Ask Proimágenes before assuming a project can use both incentives on the same spend.
Nearby options
Mexico introduced a transferable federal tax credit in 2026 with much higher minimum spends. Brazil has no federal rebate but runs state and city programs such as São Paulo's. The Dominican Republic is the Caribbean comparison. A transferable tax credit like the CINA behaves differently from a cash rebate; transferable vs refundable tax credits explains the discount you should expect.