Reviewed by Santiago Arroyave, Legal and Commercial Counsel at Nexo Legal.
Quick answer: since Law 2466 of 2025, no fixed-term contract in Colombia — the initial contract plus all of its renewals — can last more than 4 years. Once it reaches that cap, it automatically becomes an indefinite-term contract by operation of law. If your company already had fixed-term contracts in force before the reform, the 4-year count for those contracts does not start from the original signing date: it starts on June 25, 2025, the date the law took effect. Those contracts can remain fixed-term, at the latest, until June 25, 2029.
Table of Contents
- What Changed: The New Article 46 of the Labor Code
- The 4-Year Cap for a Fixed-Term Contract in Colombia, Explained
- The Date Nobody Is Giving You: June 25, 2029
- Renewals and Notice: What Changed in Practice
- Example: A Foreign Company with a Team in Colombia
- What Your Company Should Review Now
- FAQ
What Changed: The New Article 46 of the Labor Code
Law 2466 of 2025 amended Article 46 of Colombia’s Labor Code (Código Sustantivo del Trabajo), the rule that governs the fixed-term contract in Colombia. Before the reform, the law set no maximum total duration: a fixed-term contract could keep being renewed as long as the parties agreed in writing. The reform closes that door. Ministry of Labor Concept 6157 of February 18, 2026, which officially interprets the new Article 46, confirms the purpose of the rule: to limit the extended, open-ended use of fixed-term contracts and reinforce the indefinite-term contract as the general rule in Colombia, not the exception.
For a foreign company with employees in Colombia, this matters more than usual: employment contract templates from headquarters — or even the ones you were already using in Colombia a year ago — may be out of date under this rule if you haven’t reviewed them since mid-2025.
A fixed-term contract in Colombia can no longer be renewed past the 4-year cap.
The 4-Year Cap for a Fixed-Term Contract in Colombia, Explained
The rule: a fixed-term contract, adding the initial term plus all of its renewals (agreed or automatic), cannot exceed 4 years. When it reaches that limit, the contract is deemed to be an indefinite-term contract from that point on, by direct operation of law — without the employer having to acknowledge it, without a new written agreement, and without settling the fixed-term contract first.
It doesn’t depend on how many renewals there were. An initial 1-year contract with three 1-year renewals reaches the cap at the same point — 4 years — as an initial 4-year contract with no renewals at all.
Missing the 30-day notice renews the contract automatically.
The Date Nobody Is Giving You: June 25, 2029
This is what most generic guides to the labor reform don’t explain precisely: from when are the 4 years counted for a contract that was already in force when the law took effect?
According to Ministry of Labor Concept 6157 of 2026: for fixed-term contracts that were already running when Law 2466 of 2025 took effect, the 4-year count is not calculated from the original signing date — it is calculated from June 25, 2025.
In practice: if your company had an employee on a fixed-term contract signed in 2022, that contract did not hit its legal limit in 2026 because of accumulated seniority. The 4-year clock started over on June 25, 2025 for every fixed-term contract running on that day. That means that, unless it ends earlier, it can keep its fixed-term nature until June 25, 2029 — not before. After that date, if the employment relationship continues, it is deemed indefinite by law, with no additional procedure.
This date decides whether your company has to act now or has three more years to plan the transition of a role to an indefinite-term contract. None of the generic summaries of the 2026 labor reform circulating on accounting or payroll-software blogs gives this date this clearly.
Renewals and Notice: What Changed in Practice
When the initial contract is for a term of less than 1 year, the parties can renew it as many times as they agree, but after the fourth renewal, any further renewal cannot be agreed for a period shorter than 1 year — which ends the practice of chaining very short contracts indefinitely. All renewals, agreed or automatic, still count within the same 4-year total cap.
A key operational detail: if neither party gives written notice at least 30 days before the term (or its renewal) expires, the law treats the contract as automatically renewed for a term equal to the one agreed or to its last renewal — without exceeding the 4-year cap. For an HR team managing contracts from outside Colombia, this turns silence into a decision with automatic legal effect: failing to send the notice on time doesn’t leave the contract “on hold,” it renews it and moves it one step closer to the conversion limit.
Contracts already in force before the reform can stay fixed-term until June 25, 2029.
Example: A Foreign Company with a Team in Colombia
A foreign company with a presence in Colombia hired a local operations manager on a 1-year fixed-term contract signed in March 2024.
- The contract was already in force before June 25, 2025, so the 4-year count does not start in March 2024 — it starts on June 25, 2025.
- With its corresponding renewals, it can remain a fixed-term contract, at the latest, until June 25, 2029.
- In 2029, if the relationship continues, it becomes indefinite by law, regardless of what the contract says or whether a formal renewal was signed.
- If HR at headquarters forgets to send the non-renewal notice 30 days before the 2026 expiration, the contract renews automatically — and keeps running toward the 2029 cap, not toward a neutral zone.
Plan the transition to indefinite-term contracts before 2029, not in 2029.
What Your Company Should Review Now
- Inventory of active fixed-term contracts: which ones were already running before June 25, 2025 (the 2029 deadline applies to them) and which were signed afterward (the cap runs from their own start date).
- Notice calendar: an internal alert 45-60 days before each expiration, so notice is given within the 30 days required by law.
- Transition plan for 2029: contracts signed before the reform all reach the same limit — plan whether that means converting several roles to indefinite-term at the same time.
- Review of headquarters’ contract templates, to confirm they reflect the new Article 46 of the Labor Code.
This 4-year limit is part of a broader set of 2026 labor reform changes — working hours, night and Sunday surcharges, paid leave — that we summarize in our complete guide to Colombia’s labor reform.
If your company has employees in Colombia on fixed-term contracts and you haven’t confirmed how this transition applies to your case, our labor and commercial law team can review your contract inventory and expiration calendar before it becomes urgent.
FAQ
What is the maximum duration of a fixed-term contract in Colombia in 2026?
4 years in total, adding the initial contract and all of its renewals. When it reaches that cap, it automatically becomes indefinite (Law 2466 of 2025, Article 46 of the Labor Code).
Can a fixed-term contract be renewed indefinitely?
No. Before the reform there was no total cap; now there is. Renewals can still happen, but all of them count within the 4-year limit.
How many times can a fixed-term contract be renewed?
If the initial term is less than 1 year, it can be renewed freely up to 4 times; from the fifth renewal on, each renewal must be for at least 1 year. The total can never exceed 4 years.
My company had fixed-term contracts signed before Law 2466 of 2025 — from when are the 4 years counted?
From June 25, 2025, not from the original signing date. They can keep their fixed-term nature until June 25, 2029 at the latest.
Does this limit apply to employees of foreign companies operating in Colombia?
Yes. Article 46 of the Labor Code applies to any contract governed by Colombian labor law, regardless of the employer’s nationality or where its headquarters are.
Published: October 2026 — Nexo Legal
Sources: Law 2466 of 2025, Article 46 of the Labor Code | Concept 6157 of 2026 — Ministry of Labor | Función Pública — Gestor Normativo, Law 2466 of 2025