Cesantías Partial Withdrawal Application Colombia (Solicitud Retiro Parcial Fondo)

The Solicitud de Retiro Parcial de Cesantías Fondo Colombia is the formal application through which a Colombian worker who remains actively employed requests a partial withdrawal from the cesantías savings accumulated in their individual account at a Sociedad Administradora de Fondos de Cesantías (SAFC) — commonly known as an AFP cesantías fund — for specific authorized purposes, pursuant to Ley 50 de 1990 Article 14 and Decreto 1072 de 2015 Article 2.2.1.1.1.

Cesantías (severance savings) in Colombia constitute a mandatory labor benefit established by the Código Sustantivo del Trabajo and reformed by Ley 50 de 1990, under which employers are legally required to deposit the equivalent of one month's salary per year of service into a certified cesantías fund by January 31 of each year. The accumulated balance belongs exclusively to the worker and can be withdrawn under two circumstances: (a) at the termination of the employment contract (retiro total por terminación), which entitles the worker to the full accumulated balance including liquidation; or (b) during the active employment contract (retiro parcial), which is only permitted for the two specific purposes established in Article 14 of Ley 50 de 1990: housing-related purposes (compra, construcción, mejora de vivienda, or payment of mortgage loans) and education of the worker or their immediate family members.

This solicitud specifically addresses the partial withdrawal scenario — the more complex and document-intensive process — as opposed to the total withdrawal upon contract termination (which is addressed in a separate document). A partial withdrawal does not affect the continuity of the employment contract or the ongoing cesantías accrual — the employer continues making annual deposits to the fund, and the worker's remaining balance continues earning the legally mandated interest return.

The four authorized funds in Colombia's cesantías system are: Porvenir (administered by Grupo Aval), Protección (administered by Grupo Sura), Colfondos (administered by Scotiabank Colpatria), and Fondo Nacional del Ahorro (FNA), a state entity that also manages housing loans. The FNA has the additional feature of allowing workers to use their cesantías balance as direct collateral for FNA housing loans under Ley 432 de 1998, creating a unique interplay between the partial withdrawal mechanism and FNA mortgage products.

Decree 1072 of 2015, which compiled Colombia's labor regulations into a single regulatory code, establishes in Article 2.2.1.1.1 the precise procedural requirements for partial cesantías withdrawals: the request must be made in writing, must be addressed to the fund where the cesantías are deposited, must specify the exact purpose and amount, and must be accompanied by documentation proving that the withdrawal will be applied to the stated authorized purpose. The fund has a legal obligation under Ley 50 de 1990 to disburse approved withdrawals within five business days of receiving complete documentation.

Critically, unlike the total withdrawal, the partial withdrawal of cesantías does not require prior employer authorization — Article 14 of Ley 50 de 1990 grants workers a direct right to request partial withdrawals from the fund for housing and education purposes, and the fund must honor properly documented requests. However, an employer certification confirming active employment status is typically required as a supporting document by the funds.

The Solicitud de Retiro Parcial de Cesantías Fondo Colombia under Ley 50 de 1990 and Decreto 1072 de 2015 is required in the following specific housing and education scenarios that arise during an active Colombian employment relationship.

Housing Purchase (Compra de Vivienda): When a worker intends to purchase a primary residence (vivienda de habitación), the accumulated cesantías balance can be withdrawn to contribute toward the purchase price or as part of the cuota inicial (down payment). The withdrawal is authorized under Ley 50 de 1990 Article 14(a) for vivienda urbana or rural. Supporting documentation required includes: promesa de compraventa (promise of sale) signed by buyer and seller, identifying the property by Matrícula Inmobiliaria number registered with the Oficina de Registro de Instrumentos Públicos (ORIP); property appraisal if required by the fund; and, if using an intermediary real estate agency, the agency's certification.

Housing Construction (Construcción de Vivienda): Workers who own land and are constructing a home can withdraw cesantías to fund construction costs under Article 14(b). Required documents include: licencia de construcción (construction permit) issued by the Curaduría Urbana or the municipal planning office (Secretaría de Planeación); Certificado de Libertad y Tradición from ORIP confirming the worker's ownership of the lot; and a construction contract or architect's cost estimate.

Home Improvement (Mejora de Vivienda): Workers who already own their primary residence and need funds for structural improvements or expansions can withdraw cesantías under Article 14(c). Required documents include: Escritura Pública evidencing ownership registered at the Notaría and ORIP; technical description of improvements prepared by a licensed architect or engineer; and, where applicable, a Curaduría-issued licencia de adecuación or licencia de reparación.

Mortgage Payment (Pago de Crédito Hipotecario): Workers paying a mortgage on their primary residence can use cesantías to make regular mortgage payments or reduce the outstanding principal under Article 14(d). Required documents include: mortgage bank certificate (certificado de saldo de crédito hipotecario) identifying the lender, loan number, outstanding balance, and monthly payment; and property registration confirming the worker's ownership.

Education of the Worker or Immediate Family (Educación Propia o Familiar): Cesantías can be withdrawn for tuition payments at educational institutions recognized by the Ministerio de Educación Nacional and listed in the SNIES (Sistema Nacional de Información de la Educación Superior) — universities, technical institutes (SENA programs), and recognized secondary institutions. The educational beneficiary can be the worker, the worker's spouse or domestic partner, or dependent children. Enrollment certificate and tuition invoice from the institution are required.

Timing: The optimal time to file is immediately after the specific housing or education commitment is documented — for housing, once the promesa de compraventa is signed; for education, at the start of each academic semester when the tuition invoice is available. The fund must disburse within five business days of complete documentation per Ley 50 de 1990 Article 14.

A complete Solicitud de Retiro Parcial de Cesantías Colombia under Ley 50 de 1990 Article 14 and Decreto 1072 de 2015 must contain the following essential elements to be accepted and processed by the cesantías fund within the legally mandated five-business-day disbursement window.

Worker Identification and Account Details (Identificación del Trabajador y Datos de Cuenta): Full legal name matching the cédula de ciudadanía; cédula de ciudadanía number; cesantías fund name (Porvenir, Protección, Colfondos, or FNA); individual cesantías account number with the fund; current residential address; telephone and email contact; and AFP affiliation number if the worker is also affiliated with a pension AFP.

Employer Data and Active Employment Certification (Datos del Empleador y Certificación de Empleo Activo): Employer legal name (razón social); employer NIT; worker's current job title (cargo); current monthly salary; and employment start date. Most funds require a signed employer certification (certificación laboral) confirming that the employment contract is currently active and specifying the worker's salary — this document is required to verify that the partial withdrawal is within the authorized scope under Ley 50 de 1990 Article 14.

Withdrawal Purpose and Amount (Propósito y Valor del Retiro): Explicit statement of the authorized purpose — one of: compra de vivienda, construcción de vivienda, mejora de vivienda, pago de crédito hipotecario, educación propia, educación del cónyuge/compañero/a, or educación de hijos dependientes. The requested amount in Colombian pesos must be specified and cannot exceed either the available cesantías balance or the documented cost of the authorized purpose. Funds may require a disbursement recipient — the worker's bank account, the seller/notary for housing purchases, the mortgage bank for mortgage payments, or the educational institution.

Bank Account for Disbursement (Cuenta Bancaria para Desembolso): Bank name (Bancolombia, Banco de Bogotá, Davivienda, etc.); account number; account type (cuenta de ahorros or cuenta corriente); and account holder name confirming the account belongs to the worker or, for direct-to-institution disbursements, the institution's bank account details.

Purpose-Specific Supporting Documents (Documentos de Soporte Específicos por Propósito): For housing purchase: promesa de compraventa with Matrícula Inmobiliaria number and property address. For construction: licencia de construcción from Curaduría Urbana and Certificado de Libertad y Tradición from ORIP. For improvement: escritura pública of ownership and technical description of works. For mortgage payment: mortgage balance certificate from the lending bank. For education: enrollment certificate (certificado de matrícula) and tuition invoice from the Ministerio de Educación-recognized institution registered in SNIES.

Declaration and Signature: Worker's declaration that the information is accurate and that the withdrawn funds will be applied exclusively to the stated authorized purpose. The declaration must include the worker's handwritten signature, printed name, cédula number, and date and city of filing. Forms-legal.com provides this partial cesantías withdrawal solicitud template to help Colombian workers correctly structure their fund withdrawal requests under Ley 50 de 1990.