Revolut has received a banking licence from Colombia's Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia, completing the regulatory process ahead of its planned market launch.
According to the official press release, the authorisation represents the final regulatory step required before Revolut can begin operating as a regulated bank in the country.
The Colombian approval adds to banking licences Revolut has previously secured in the UK, France, Australia, Lithuania, and Mexico, bringing its total to six worldwide. The company has also expanded its regulatory footprint elsewhere in 2026, including conditional approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a national bank charter, a payments licence in the UAE, and an organisation licence from Peru's Superintendency of Banking, Insurance and AFP (SBS).
Local market entry and product plans
Revolut said around 200.000 people in Colombia have joined a waitlist ahead of the launch. With the licence now granted, the company plans to introduce a range of financial products in the country, covering areas such as remittances and cross-border money management. Deposits will be protected under Colombia's Fogafín insurance scheme, in line with local regulatory requirements.
In addition, the company said that the licence reflects Revolut's long-term commitment to the Colombian market and its intention to connect the country to international financial infrastructure, alongside plans to introduce products already available in other markets where it operates.
Regulatory context and wider expansion
Obtaining a full banking licence in Colombia required Revolut to meet the SFC's capital and compliance requirements, a process that typically involves extended supervisory review given the scope of banking activities involved, including deposit-taking and lending. The move follows a broader pattern of licensing activity by the company across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and the US over the past year, as it continues to seek regulatory approval in additional jurisdictions.
For the Colombian market, the entry adds a new participant to a banking sector that has seen increasing interest from international financial technology firms seeking to offer cross-border payment and account services. The extent to which Revolut's Colombian operations will affect competition in local retail banking and remittances will depend on the pace of its product rollout and adoption following launch.
