Service Execution Playbook

The complete operating manual behind the ten services — how to deliver each one, who to partner with, the contracts you need, and the money model that governs everything. This is the written reference; the interactive playbook turns these steps into a checklist you work through per client.

Internal operating manual · Prepared June 2026 · Primary market: Medellín · Costs are 2026 reference points

Part 1 · Read first

The Money Model

The single most important section. Get it wrong and one bad month wipes out a year of margin.

The golden rule

Collect before you disburse. A relocation agency is not a bank. Large third-party costs — rent deposits, school fees, government visa fees, premiums, freight — are collected from the client first, held briefly, then paid to the provider on their behalf. You front only small operating costs you could absorb if a client disappears.

Two kinds of money — never mix them

Bucket	What it is	Markup?	Handling
Service revenue	Your work: coordination, search, accompaniment, advisory, processing	Yes — your 30% lives here	Yours to keep. Invoice as a Move Colombia service.
Pass-through	Govt fees, deposits, premiums, tuition, freight paid to a third party for the client	No — pass at cost	Held in trust, paid to provider, reconciled with receipts.

Show clients both lines on every quote: "Our fee" vs "Fees paid on your behalf." That transparency is itself a selling point against the gringo-price operators clients have been warned about.

The standard payment schedule

Booking retainer — 30–50% of the service fee, upfront, non-refundable once work starts. Lean 50% on Starter; 30% on Elite where milestones follow.
Pass-through escrow — 100% of third-party costs, collected before each disbursement. Never pay a landlord, school, or Migración from your own funds.
Milestone payments — service-fee balance released as deliverables complete (visa filed, lease signed, school place confirmed).
Final 10–20% on completion / handover. Elite / ongoing concierge adds a monthly retainer.

How money moves in Colombia

Be a formal business. Register a SAS + RUT so you can issue factura electrónica (mandatory) — eat your own cooking.
IVA is 19% on most services. Decide if prices are IVA-included or IVA-added, and state it.
Retención en la fuente (withholding) applies when you pay Colombian contractors — your contador handles rates; it affects how you negotiate.
Rails: international wire / Wise inbound; PSE / Bancolombia for landlords & schools; Nequi / Daviplata for small payments. Minimize cash.
Hold pass-through funds in a separate tagged ledger so any client's receipt is 30 seconds away.

Margin policy

Default 30% on service revenue only — never on government fees or deposits.
Premium tiers carry premium margin — Elite buys certainty; 30% is a floor there.
Inflation cushion: 2026 inflation ~5.3–5.8%, with education ~7.5% and healthcare ~7.9% running hotter. Re-base last year's supplier prices to today so your 30% is real, not nominal.

Contractor & Supplier Framework

You orchestrate a vetted network — you deliver almost nothing alone. Two relationship types:

A. Contractors you pay (immigration lawyers, movers, teachers, drivers, pet shippers). Buy at an agency/wholesale rate, bill at retail, keep the spread plus coordination margin. These need a written services agreement.

B. Aligned suppliers you refer to / co-sell with (schools, insurers, banks, realtors). Often they pay you a referral commission, or you get preferential access and speed. These need a lighter referral / cooperation agreement.

What every contractor contract must contain

#	Clause	Why
1	Scope of work	Exactly what they deliver, per client, in writing.
2	Agency pricing / commission	Your wholesale rate or their referral fee, and how it's calculated.
3	Service levels (SLAs)	Response times, turnaround, definition of "done" — lets you promise clients reliability.
4	Quality & conduct	They represent Move Colombia: behavior, dress, language, punctuality.
5	Confidentiality + Habeas Data	They touch passports & financials — bind them to Ley 1581/2012.
6	Liability, indemnity & insurance	Who pays if they botch it; require their insurance (movers, drivers, pet shippers).
7	Non-circumvention	They may not poach or bill your client directly — critical in real estate.
8	Payment terms	Net-15/30 or milestone; pay after you've been paid where possible.
9	Term & termination	Exit a bad contractor cleanly.
10	Compliance warranty	They hold required licenses (registered abogado, permitted movers, IPATA pet shippers).

Origin Logic — why SA / EU / USA matters everywhere

The service is the same; the inputs differ on three recurring axes:

Documents & apostille: USA and EU documents need an apostille + sworn Spanish translation. Most of South America is also Hague, but Spanish-native docs and shared bureaucracy make it lighter and cheaper. Budget more apostille/translation line items for EU/USA.
Visa profile: Americans & Europeans skew digital-nomad / retirement / investor. South Americans more often arrive via Mercosur/Andean agreements, work, or family — sometimes needing no visa for short stays.
Logistics & cost sensitivity: EU/USA ship farther (higher freight, vehicle import, stricter EU pet-passport rules) with higher budgets and expectations. South Americans move lighter and faster, are more price-sensitive, and value navigation over hand-holding.

Service 01

Visa & Immigration

Visa Applications · Residency Permits · Citizenship Guidance

What we deliver: End-to-end management of the right visa — document checklist, apostille/translation coordination, filing through Migración / Cancillería, cédula registration, and a residency roadmap.

How to execute

Visa-fit consultation → pick the category (V Digital Nomad, M, R, Investor).
Issue a personalized document checklist; coordinate apostilles + sworn translations.
Verify thresholds — DNV income ≥ 3× min wage (≈ COP 5,252,715/mo ≈ USD 1,375) and repatriation-inclusive insurance (mandatory).
File online; track the 5–30 business-day decision; pay issuance fee on approval.
Within 15 days of arrival (visas >3 months), register and obtain the cédula de extranjería.

Partners: Licensed immigration attorney (contractor, agency rate) · sworn translators · apostille runner.
Contract: Yes. Per-case wholesale fee · re-file free if denied · SLA on turnaround · confidentiality over passport/financials · non-circumvention.
Supplier: Negotiate a flat per-visa-type wholesale rate with 1–2 firms for volume. Keep a backup.
Costs: Attorney wholesale 1.8–2.8M · apostille+translation ≈ 560k/doc MARGIN · Govt V/DNV ≈ 1.03M · M ≈ 1.18M · R ≈ 2.15M · cédula ≈ 250k PASS-THRU
Origin: USA: state apostille + FBI check via US Dept. of State (slow), ~4 docs. EU: apostille per state, still needs Spanish, ~4 docs. SA: Spanish-native → ~2–3 docs; some exemptions change the route.

Service 02

Housing & Real Estate

Rental Search · Property Purchase · Neighborhood Tours

What we deliver: Curated rental shortlist (or purchase brokerage), neighborhood tours, lease negotiation & review, guarantor solution, move-in coordination.

How to execute

Brief: budget, neighborhood (El Poblado, Laureles, Envigado…), furnished/unfurnished, pets, term.
Source from multiple agents/portals — cross-check local sites (Espacio Urbano, Fincaraíz) to defeat gringo pricing.
Run neighborhood tours; shortlist 3–5.
Negotiate lease; review hidden costs — cuota de administración (HOA 150k–800k), utilities, furnished premium (+30–50%).
Solve the guarantor problem — codeudor/fiador or rental-guarantee insurance for foreigners.
Coordinate deposit + first month (collected from client, paid on their behalf), inventory, handover.

Partners: 2–3 vetted bilingual realtors · rental-guarantee insurer · lease lawyer.
Contract: Yes for co-sell realtors. Non-circumvention is critical — agents pocket spreads and bill clients directly. Purchase commission 3–5%, customarily seller-paid — confirm in writing.
Supplier: Agree referral fees / co-broke splits in writing; keep a shadow-pricing reference to catch inflation.
Costs: Search & placement ≈ 2.5M · guarantor solution ≈ 600k MARGIN · deposit & rent (furnished 1BR Poblado ≈ 4.5M/mo) PASS-THRU
Origin: USA/EU: pay the gringo premium, expect English paperwork & hand-holding. SA: sharper on price; may want unfurnished + furniture sourcing.

Service 03

Schools & Education

School Search · Enrollment Support · Tutoring Network

What we deliver: School matching, admissions coordination, record apostille/translation, enrollment support, tutoring referrals.

How to execute

Profile children: ages, curriculum continuity (IB / American / British / German), language level, budget.
Match schools (Columbus, Deutsche Schule, Marymount, Montessori, KSI).
Coordinate apostilled + translated transcripts; book Casa Abierta visits (fastest path to acceptance).
Manage timeline (apply Sept–Nov), interviews, matrícula + pensión schedule.
Arrange bridge-Spanish / tutoring for non-Spanish-speaking kids.

Partners: Admissions offices at 4–6 schools (relationships) · independent tutors (contractors — background-check, they work with minors).
Contract: Light referral arrangement with schools · contractor agreement with tutors (rate, conduct, confidentiality).
Supplier: Build named admissions contacts; know each school's English-immersion flexibility and entry-Spanish expectation.
Costs: Placement & enrollment ≈ 3.2M · tutoring ≈ 1.2M/child MARGIN · matrícula 3–8M/child · tuition 25–72M/yr · uniforms 800k–1.5M · bus 3–6M/yr PASS-THRU
Origin: USA: American curriculum (Columbus). EU: Deutsche Schule / European. SA: Spanish-native kids integrate into local-bilingual schools → cheaper, wider options.

Service 04

Healthcare Setup

Insurance Setup · Doctor Network · Emergency Contacts

What we deliver: Guidance through Colombia's three layers (EPS → prepagada → international), enrollment, doctor/clinic intros, emergency pack.

How to execute

Explain layers: EPS (mandatory, ~12.5% of income) → prepagada (private, on top) → international (arrival/tourist stage).
Flag the 2026 rule: visa applicants need repatriation-inclusive insurance — sort before the visa file.
Enroll EPS first, then prepagada (Sura / Colsanitas / Colmédica). Watch age cutoffs (~62–65) and pre-existing waiting periods — apply early.
Hand over doctor/clinic list + emergency sheet (line 123, nearest urgencias, insurer contacts).

Partners: Health-insurance broker (insurer pays commission → revenue to you) + direct Sura/Colsanitas contacts.
Contract: Referral/agency agreement with broker (commission, data protection).
Costs: Setup & enrollment ≈ 900k MARGIN · prepagada 290k–650k/mo/person · intl ≈ USD 56/4wks PASS-THRU

Retirement-visa (M-Pensionado) holders excluded from EPS since Oct 2022 — route older retirees to prepagada/international, not EPS.

Service 05

Banking & Finance

Bank Account Opening · Tax Advice · Currency Exchange

What we deliver: Accompanied account opening, FX/remittance intro, and tax orientation (with a contador referral for anything real).

How to execute

Match client to a bank that opens foreigner accounts (Bancolombia, Davivienda, BBVA) — usually needs cédula, so it follows the visa.
Accompany to branch with the document pack; translate/interpret.
Set up digital banking, PSE, and a low-cost FX channel (Wise).
Tax orientation: 183-day residency rule; foreign capital must register with Banco de la República. Hand off to a contador to file.

Partners: Bilingual contador · a named banker who expedites foreigner onboarding · FX/remittance partner.
Contract: Referral agreement with contador. Never give tax advice yourself — you orient, they advise.
Costs: Account-opening + tax orientation ≈ 1.2M MARGIN · contador's fee PASS-THRU
Origin: USA: FATCA — warn US banks may flag foreign accounts. EU: CRS. SA: simpler familiarity but still cédula-first.

Service 06

Transport & Logistics

Household Shipping · Vehicle Import · Driver's License

What we deliver: Household-goods shipping coordination, optional vehicle import (heavy — warn), and driver's-license conversion.

How to execute

Shipping: scope volume; quote movers + a licensed customs broker (agente de aduanas); manage clearance. Used household goods (menaje) can enter with relief if rules are met.
Vehicle import: flag upfront it's expensive/slow and often not worth it vs buying locally; if proceeding, broker-led with duties — coordinate, don't improvise.
License: assist conversion once they have a cédula (medical exam, examen teórico, paperwork).

Partners: Freight forwarder + licensed customs broker (non-negotiable) · trámites runner.
Contract: Yes — movers/broker. Require their insurance & liability terms for lost/damaged goods.
Costs: Shipping coordination ≈ 2M · vehicle-import coord ≈ 3.5M · license assist ≈ 700k MARGIN · freight & duties PASS-THRU
Origin: USA/EU: long-haul ocean freight, more vehicle interest; EU licenses may convert via reciprocity. SA: shorter/overland; lighter shipments.

Service 07

Business Setup

Company Registration · Legal Compliance · Business Network

What we deliver: SAS incorporation, NIT/RUT, Chamber of Commerce + foreign-investment registration, and warm network intros.

How to execute

Entity choice — SAS for ~90% (single shareholder OK, 100% foreign ownership, capital over 2 years).
Draft bylaws → register with Cámara de Comercio → obtain NIT/RUT from DIAN → set up e-invoicing.
Register foreign investment with Banco de la República (Decreto 119/2017) — skipping causes FX-penalty & repatriation problems.
Appoint a local legal representative if owner is abroad (must be Colombian resident) — you can broker this.
Hand to a contador for ongoing DIAN compliance; align the M – Socio/Propietario visa with the activity.

Partners: Corporate lawyer + contador (contractors). Network = curated intros (Elite perk).
Contract: Yes — clear split of incorporation fee vs ongoing compliance retainer.
Costs: SAS incorporation ≈ 3.8M MARGIN · chamber/notary ≈ 0.7–1% of capital + fixed (≈ 900k) PASS-THRU

Service 08

Cultural Integration

Spanish Classes · Expat Community · Cultural Events

What we deliver: Spanish packages, cultural orientation, and plug-in to the alumni community & events — your retention + referral engine.

How to execute

Assess Spanish level; place with a vetted teacher/academy (private or small-group).
Run a cultural orientation session: norms, safety, transport, neighborhoods, do's/don'ts.
Onboard into the alumni community (WhatsApp/Discord + events) — your cheapest referral source.

Partners: Spanish teachers/academies (contractors) · event hosts · community manager.
Contract: Contractor agreements with teachers (rate, SLA, conduct, confidentiality).
Costs: Spanish package (~20 hrs) ≈ 1.6M · orientation + onboarding ≈ 800k MARGIN
Origin: USA/EU: beginner immersion is high-value — bundle into Starter. SA: often need little Spanish → upsell business Spanish or lean into networking.

Service 09

Legal Protection

Contract Review · Legal Advice · Rights Protection

What we deliver: Contract review, ongoing legal advisory (retainer), and tenant/consumer-rights protection.

How to execute

Review leases/contracts before the client signs (catches the housing landmines).
Provide a legal point-of-contact for issues (tenant disputes, employment, consumer).
Elite tier: monthly legal retainer with a partner firm.

Partners: A general-practice Colombian firm (overlaps immigration/corporate).
Contract: Yes — retainer agreement. You don't give legal advice — the licensed abogado does. Confidentiality + Habeas Data.
Costs: Contract review ≈ 900k · advisory retainer ≈ 1.5M/mo MARGIN

Service 10

Airport Pickup & Welcome

Airport Transfer · Welcome Kit · City Orientation

What we deliver: The first-impression service — private meet-and-greet, welcome kit, SIM + cash setup, first-day orientation. Over-deliver here; it drives every review.

How to execute

Confirm flight; private driver meets at JMC (Rionegro) with a Move Colombia sign.
Transfer to accommodation; hand over the welcome kit (SIM/eSIM, transport card, cash, neighborhood guide, emergency sheet, branded gift).
Half-day city orientation (key spots, supermarket, pharmacy, clinic, transport).

Partners: Vetted private drivers (insured, background-checked, branded) · SIM provider · gift/kit supplier.
Contract: Yes — driver agreement: insurance, conduct, punctuality SLA, confidentiality, non-solicitation.
Costs: Transfer + kit + orientation ≈ 850k MARGIN (kit contents pass-through within it)

Part 3 · Quick reference

Pass-through vs markup cheat sheet

Always pass-through (no markup)	Always service revenue (apply 30%)
Government visa & cédula fees	Visa coordination / processing
Rent, deposits, HOA	Rental search & placement
School matrícula & tuition	School placement & enrollment support
Insurance premiums	Insurance setup & enrollment
Customs duties & freight	Shipping coordination
Chamber of Commerce / notary fees	Incorporation service
Tutor/teacher pass-through (at cost)	Concierge, advisory, orientation, welcome

Contractor contract — 10-point checklist

Scope · Agency pricing/commission · SLAs · Quality & conduct · Confidentiality + Habeas Data · Liability/indemnity/insurance · Non-circumvention · Payment terms (pay after you're paid) · Term & termination · Compliance/licensing warranty.

Before any quote goes out

Re-base supplier costs to today with the inflation field (~5.5%; healthcare/education ~7.5–8%).
Apply 30% margin to service revenue only.
Add 19% IVA if prices are IVA-added — and say so.
Lock the FX rate you actually got, not yesterday's.
Split the quote into "Our fee" vs "Paid on your behalf."
Collect deposit + pass-through escrow before disbursing anything.

All figures are 2026 reference points for internal estimation, anchored to current Medellín market data. Verify government fees, premiums, tuition and freight with each provider before contracting. This document is operational guidance, not legal or tax advice — confirm IVA, withholding, and foreign-investment specifics with your Colombian contador and abogado.