3 Easy Paths to Obtain Residency in El Salvador

Video: How to get Residency in El Salvador

• Rentista visa residency or private income residency in El Salvador
• Which dependents can be added to a residency in El Salvador?
• How to get the pensionado retiree visa residency in El Salvador
• Create a company in El Salvador to get residency
• How long is residency in El Salvador valid for?
• Minimum physical presence requirements to maintain residency
• How to get permanent residency in El Salvador

Why get residency in El Salvador?

Explore the benefits of Salvadoran residency, offering breathtaking scenery, low cost of living, and favorable tax conditions, making it an ideal destination for investors, expats and remote workers alike.

• An absolutely gorgeous country with mountains, beaches, and colonial towns.
• A low cost of living; El Salvador is competitively ranked in the Numbeo Cost of Living Index.
• Geographic location – same timezone as North America. It’s fantastic for remote workers.
• No taxes on worldwide income. Residents get taxed on Salvadoran-sourced income only.
• No property tax.
• Bitcoin is legal tender.
• Affordable healthcare.

What are the Residency options in El Salvador?

El Salvador offers three main visa options for investors and expats: the rentista visa, the pensionado / pensioner visa, and residency through company formation

• El Salvador Rentista visa
• El Salvador Pensionado or Pensioner Visa
• El Salvador residency through company formation

How to get the Rentista visa in El Salvador

El Salvador is very easy to move to if you can demonstrate at least $1,500 of monthly passive income. If you can show that you earn at least this amount on a monthly basis from dividends, distributions from a trust, rental income, royalties, life insurance payments, etc, then you can qualify for the rentista visa in El Salvador.

The El Salvador rentista visa is valid for one year, renewable.

The applicant can bring his spouse, children, and parents as well.

Required Documentation for the Rentista visa in El Salvador

You’ll need the following documentation to obtain your rentista visa in El Salvador :

• Proof of income, certified and apostilled
• Letter of application for registration
• Tax payer ID (NIT) (single copy)
• Criminal background check from back home (apostilled)
• Original passport and photographs
• Birth certificate (apostilled)
• Marriages certificate if applicable (apostilled)
• Affidavit confirming financial support for family members

Renewal Requirements Temporary Residence for Rentiers

Do note that you will need to stay in El Salvador for 8 months of the year and not leave for more than 3 months in a row to be able to renew your residency.

Use a good attorney in El Salvador to prepare your residency application

My Salvadoran attorney Rodrigo is really great and can help you with the process. He speaks English fluently, is highly regarded, and has helped many foreigners in El Salvador.

How to get the Pensionado visa / Pensioner residency in El Salvador

This applies to anyone who can credibly claim they are retired and have guaranteed income from a public or private pension of at least $1,100 per month.

The El Salvador pensionado visa is valid for one year, renewable. The applicant can bring his spouse, children, and parents as well.

• Proof of pension income, certified and apostilled
• Letter of application for registration
• Tax payer ID (NIT) (single copy)
• Criminal background check from back home (apostilled)
• Original passport and photographs
• Birth certificate (apostilled)
• Marriages certificate if applicable (apostilled)
• Affidavit confirming financial support for family members

Renewal Requirements

Do note that you will need to stay in El Salvador for 8 months of the year and not leave for more than 3 months in a row to be able to renew your residency.

Pensioner and Rentista Visa Legal Services

$1000

• Document preparation
• Application screening by immigration lawyer
• Support at the immigration department to navigate the process
• Help to get the actual residency card / cedula
• $250 for each additional dependent family member

How to get residency in El Salvador through company formation

Luckily, for people who don’t have such passive income, there is a residency option for entrepreneurs. It requires you to create a local El Salvador corporation and to then employ yourself. The corporation then applies for a work permit. You’ll have to pay yourself at least the minimum wage and pay some payroll and income tax.

Renewal Requirements

Do note that you will need to stay in El Salvador for 8 months of the year and not leave for more than 3 months in a row to be able to renew your residency.

The corporation also needs to demonstrate some level of activity. It can’t be completely dead. Just bill for some consulting services and you should be fine.

How to obtain permanent residency in El Salvador

The requirements to obtain permanent residency in El Salvador are relatively strict. You must have lived in El Salvador for 3 years on a temporary residency (the three options we discussed).

This means meeting the stringent physical presence requirements of at least 8 months per year and not leaving the country for more than 3 consecutive months.

However once you have permanent residency in El Salvador, maintaining it is easy and requires checking in to the country once every two years, like in Panama.

How to obtain citizenship in El Salvador

You will have had to live in El Salvador for 5 years before being able to apply. Also, you can’t just get permanent residency after year 3 and not be in El Salvador for two years before applying for citizenship. They want you to show presence and that you actually live in the country and have integrated.

However once you have permanent residency in El Salvador, maintaining it is easy and requires checking in to the country once every two years, like in Panama.

Do I need an attorney to get residency in El Salvador?

Don’t be fooled by dishonest attorneys!

Some people will try to convince you that you need a lawyer to apply for residency in El Salvador.

You don’t.

You can do it by yourself, and save a few hundred dollars in the process. The immigration department has all the information here https://www.migracion.gob.sv/

That said, the process typically takes a few months. If you make a single mistake, then you are back to zero and have to pay the government fees all over again. A good attorney will save you a lot of time, stress, and probably even money by helping you avoid making mistakes.