No, There Are No Mobile Notaries in Colombia

If you’re an expat coming from the United States, Canada, or the UK, you probably expect to call a mobile notary public to meet you at your home, hotel, or coworking space to witness a signature. That service does not exist in Colombia — and understanding why will save you hours of frustration.

In Colombia, a notario is not a private individual with a stamp. A Notaría is a public-function office authorized by the Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro, staffed by a state-appointed Notario and multiple clerks. Notarial acts must be performed inside the Notaría (with very narrow exceptions for the terminally ill or incarcerated, which require a formal request and additional fees).

What This Means in Practice

• You must go in person. The signer must physically appear before the Notaría with a valid ID (cédula for Colombians, passport or cédula de extranjería for foreigners).
• No “come to me” service. There is no equivalent of a U.S. mobile notary who drives to your location. Promotional websites offering “notario a domicilio” almost always refer to document-pickup couriers, not actual notarial authentication.
• Notarías have fixed schedules. Most operate Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday mornings. Hours vary by notaría.
• Fees are standardized. Notarial tariffs are set nationally by decree each year and are identical at every notaría in Colombia.
• All 31 Medellín notarías are competent for most routine acts (powers of attorney, authenticating signatures, copies, affidavits). You can walk into the closest one.

Common Acts Expats Need a Notaría For

• Authentication of signatures on powers of attorney (poder especial / poder general)
• Authentication of copies of passports, diplomas, or marriage certificates
• Escritura pública (public deed) for real estate purchases, mortgages, and company formation
• Declaraciones extrajuicio (sworn declarations) for single status, dependents, or residence
• Apostille prerequisites — before the Cancillería apostilles a Colombian document, it usually must first pass through a notaría

Before You Walk Into the Wrong Notaría

Here’s what most guides won’t tell you: the notaría’s territorial competence, the order in which documents pass through (notaría → gobernación → apostille) and the exact Spanish wording on a power of attorney or affidavit can void the whole procedure. A rejected document means another trip, another wait, and — if you’re on a visa clock — real consequences.

Tell us what you’re trying to authenticate and we’ll tell you which of the 31 notarías below to use and what the document has to say before you sign.

Complete List of Notarías in Medellín (2026)

There are 31 notarías in the city of Medellín, numbered 1 through 31. Below is the current directory compiled from the Alcaldía de Medellín and notariasenmedellin.com. Addresses and phones can change — please call ahead.

Common Mistakes That Send Expats Back to the Line

• Using a template power of attorney translated from English — Colombian notaries reject these regularly because the scope, language, or formalities don’t match local requirements.
• Authenticating a document at a notaría that’s not territorially competent for the next step (real estate deeds, for instance, have strict rules about which notaría can issue them).
• Forgetting the apostille chain order: documents for use abroad need the right sequence through the notaría and the Cancillería, and going out of order means starting again.
• Assuming the staff will flag these problems for you. They won’t — and a rejected document on a visa deadline is an expensive surprise.

Let Us Handle the Paperwork

Our team walks expats through the Colombian notarial system end to end — from drafting the Spanish-language document correctly the first time, to routing it through the right notaría, coordinating the apostille, and shipping it to the receiving party abroad.

Book a consultation and we’ll scope your specific need, quote fixed fees, and save you the trips.

Sources: Alcaldía de Medellín – Listado de Notarías · Notarías en Medellín. Guides for Bogotá and Cali are coming soon.