International judicial cooperation is understood to be collaboration or mutual assistance between states for the purposes of the procedures necessary for a process outside the territory of the requesting state.

Internationally, this procedure may be carried out at a consulate or before the judicial authority of the same rank in the country receiving the request.

International conventions on matters of judicial cooperation refer, without differentiation between requests for letters requisitorial (exhortos) and letters rogatory (cartas rogatorias). However, the Colombian Civil Procedures Code differentiates between letters rogatory and delegation of authority to examine evidence in the case of a request to a consul and letters rogatory when requesting the assistance of a judicial authority of the same rank.

Functions involved in International Judicial Cooperation are assigned to the Department of Migratory, Consular and Citizen Service Affairs, which will coordinate, when appropriate, the procedure of letters requisitorial and letters rogatory with the International Legal Matters Department in accordance with Decree 3355 of September 7, 2009.

In addition, the divisions of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for performing duties abroad in matters of international judicial cooperation are its diplomatic missions (embassies) and consular offices (consulates).