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To see the IMEI, dial *#06# on the phone. Colombia has two separate procedures. Homologation is per model and is done by the CRC, the communications regulator. IMEI registration is per device and is done with the carrier. A phone you bring from abroad as a traveller or by post is registered by you with your carrier, free of charge according to the CRC. If the IMEI is not registered, the carrier warns you by SMS and you have 20 calendar days to register it before it is blocked. To find out whether a device is listed as stolen or lost, the site imeicolombia.com.co checks the negative database from the IMEI.

How do I see the IMEI?

There are several places to find it. It may appear on the device, on the box and sometimes on the invoice.

  • Dial *#06# on the keypad. The IMEI appears at once, without calling.
  • In Settings. On iPhone, Settings > General > About. On Android, Settings > About phone, or a similar path depending on the brand.
  • On the physical label, under the battery on devices with a removable battery, or on the SIM tray.
  • On the box and, if it carries one, on the invoice.

If you buy at a distance, ask for the IMEI in writing before paying. A seller who will not give it does not deserve your money. A dual-SIM device has two IMEIs, and according to the CRC each one is registered with the carrier of the matching SIM.

What to compare

Compare the device's IMEIs (the one from *#06# and the one in Settings) with any printed on the box and the invoice. On a dual-SIM device, compare both. If you see a difference, ask the seller to explain it in writing before deciding. If the answer does not convince you, on a distance purchase you can withdraw within five business days if no legal exception applies, as explained in your rights when buying refurbished.

Checking whether the device is reported

The site imeicolombia.com.co says it was enabled by the country's mobile carriers through the company Inetum, as part of the government strategy against phone theft. According to its own text, it lets you check from the IMEI whether a device is reported in the negative database and therefore blocked from the country's networks, and what the cause of the block is. If it appears reported, do not buy the device, and if you have already paid, ask for a refund.

Two limits of that check.

  • It checks the negative database. It does not say whether the IMEI is registered in the positive database, and it does not replace the account-lock or carrier-lock test. Those are checked with the device in your hands.
  • The CRC rule allows the negative database to include an IMEI reported stolen or lost in countries that exchange those databases through the GSMA. A device blocked for theft in another country can end up blocked here too.

What happens if the IMEI has a problem

The CRC rule (Resolution 5050 of 2016, amended by Resolution 7811 of 2025, in force since 1 October 2025) describes four cases. For unregistered and invalid IMEIs, the rule specifies a notice and period before entry into the negative database. For duplicate IMEIs, the notice asks for evidence within 30 calendar days. An IMEI without format has no grace period.

  • IMEI not registered. The carrier sends you an SMS and you have 20 calendar days from the notice to register it. If you do not, the IMEI goes to the negative database as "No registrado".
  • Invalid IMEI. The SMS fixed by the rule says the device will be blocked permanently in 48 hours and that, if you bought it in Colombia, you should claim from the seller.
  • Duplicated IMEI. The SMS asks you to show the carrier your proof of purchase within the next 30 calendar days.
  • IMEI without format. The network must block operation, with no grace period.

An IMEI reported stolen or lost enters the negative database when the carrier has a record of the report made by a user or by an authority.

A phone bought abroad

A phone that a person brings from abroad as a traveller or by postal shipment, is registered by the user with the carrier that provides their service. Devices imported through formal channels are registered during customs clearance, so a phone that a Colombian shop imported legally should arrive already registered, although we did not verify it.

  • Documents. The purchase invoice from abroad or the payment receipt, when they are in your name, or the sworn declaration of sole user and owner of the device.
  • Steps. The carrier activates the device with your SIM, checks that you hold it with a code it sends by SMS, identifies the IMEI, confirms your details and confirms the registration.
  • Where. Carriers must show a "Registre su equipo" option in the main menu of their website.
  • Cost. According to the CRC, the procedure is free.

In the rule we read we found no deadline for a traveller to register and no extra fee, so we give no figures. Register as soon as you activate the device with your SIM.

This matters when buying refurbished, because many listings on platforms such as Mercado Libre carry the "Internacional" tag. In a sample of 450 refurbished iPhone and Samsung listings we reviewed on 25 September 2026, 227 had it. We did not verify whether those devices arrive registered, so ask the seller whether the device is sold with the registration done.

Homologation, a separate matter

Homologation is the procedure through which the CRC seeks to make sure phones entering the country meet minimum technical standards. It is per brand and model, not per unit. The CRC says in its FAQ that not every imported device necessarily has to be homologated, only one that has not been homologated and uses the voice network.

The CRC also says it publishes an interactive list of homologated terminal equipment, organised by brand and model, and that those details must match your device exactly. The link it gives is bit.ly/ETMHomologados. We did not open that list from here, so we cannot tell you which models it includes. Nor did we confirm whether a non-homologated device is blocked for that reason alone, because the rule that existed before October 2025 does not appear in the current text we read.

What the IMEI does not tell you

A clean IMEI is necessary but not sufficient.

  • Activation Lock (iPhone). Third-party pages that claim to check it by IMEI have no confirmed accuracy. The reliable test is to erase the device and confirm that on startup it does not ask for someone else's Apple ID.
  • FRP (Android). Factory Reset Protection ties the device to the previous owner's Google account. Factory reset it and confirm it does not ask for someone else's Google account.
  • Carrier lock. We found no Colombian source on how a device is unlocked. Test with a SIM from another carrier and confirm it registers on the network and can call.
  • Network compatibility. A phone made for another market may not use all the bands of your carrier.

How to run these tests with the device in your hands is in what to check when your refurbished phone arrives.

Carriers and 5G

The mobile carriers with their own network are Claro, Movistar, Tigo and WOM. We found no official table of bands by carrier. What follows comes from the MinTIC spectrum assignments and Claro's terms, and the band numbers are those that correspond to those frequencies in the 3GPP standard.

  • Claro. 4G at 2500 MHz (band 7) and a 700 MHz block (band 28). Its own terms ask for an LTE device on band 7 or 2500 MHz for 4G speed. It won an 80 MHz block at 3.5 GHz (n78) for 5G, and its terms mention 5G coverage zones.
  • Movistar. 4G on AWS (band 4). It won the 3.5 GHz 5G block together with Tigo, and we did not confirm that its 5G service is live.
  • Tigo. 4G on AWS (band 4) and two 700 MHz blocks (band 28), plus the 5G block shared with Movistar, with no service confirmed.
  • WOM. MinTIC assigned Partners a 700 MHz block and two 2500 MHz blocks in 2020, and the press identifies Partners with WOM. WOM also won a 3.5 GHz block for 5G, with no service confirmed.

We did not read which network Avantel, ETB, Virgin or Éxito Móvil use, and we found no shutdown dates for the 2G and 3G networks. The safe test is to try your SIM in the device before the withdrawal period closes and to ask your carrier which bands your plan needs.

Sources

The IMEI rules come from the CRC compilation read on 1 October 2026 and may change. We did not look up the IMEI of any device on imeicolombia.com.co. Confirm the deadlines with your carrier before deciding.