El Salvador
El Salvador visa and residence guide
- 7 visa types
- checked 24 October 2026
How visas for El Salvador work
El Salvador's Directorate General of Migration and Foreign Nationals (DGME) applies the Special Migration and Foreigners Law and the visa classification shared with Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua (CA-4). That classification sorts nationalities into Category A (exempt from visa), Category B (consular visa without consultation) and Category C (consulted visa); check your nationality on the DGME list before travelling. Inside the CA-4 region, visitors keep the stay granted by the first country they entered, and one extension of up to 90 days can be requested for USD 25.
Residence is applied for at the DGME Foreigners' Office in San Salvador with numbered instruction sheets: F-03 for work, F-04 for investors, F-07 and F-08 for pensioners and rentistas, F-10 for students and F-32 to F-35 for definitive residence. Non-Central Americans pay USD 140 for up to one year or USD 260 for up to two years of temporary residence and USD 345 for definitive residence. The DGME answers within 45 working days of a complete file.
Every file includes the passport and copies of all used pages, a criminal record certificate covering the two years before entry, and a National Civil Police clearance for those who have stayed more than three months. Foreign documents must be apostilled and translated into Spanish. This guide does not cover asylum because the DGME pages reviewed do not describe the claim procedure.
Which visa do I need?
Holiday or short visit: no visa if your nationality is in Category A of the CA-4 list, otherwise a consular visa (Category B or C); one extension of up to 90 days.
Hired by a Salvadoran employer or self-employed: temporary residence with permission to work (F-03).
Studying or doing an unpaid internship: student residence (F-10).
Investing through a company with capital registered at the ONI: investor residence (F-04).
Living on a pension or income from abroad: pensioner or rentista residence (F-07 or F-08).
Married to a Salvadoran: definitive residence after one year of temporary residence (F-34).
Three years as a temporary resident: definitive residence (F-32).
Visa types for El Salvador
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Visitor entry and extension of stay for non-residents (Prórroga de permanencia de no residente)
El Salvador's Directorate General of Migration and Foreign Nationals (DGME) uses the joint visa classification of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua (CA-4).
Maximum stay: Time granted at entry to the CA-4 region; one extension of up to 90 days
Business and self-employment
- Investor visa Temporary residence as investor (Residencia temporal inversionista, F-04)
Presidents, board members, legal representatives and shareholders of a company legally established in El Salvador, and owners or general managers of a business with an active investment there, can apply to the DGME for temporary residence as investors with instruction sheet F-04.
Validity: Up to one or two years, renewable
Study and training
- Student visa Temporary residence for studies (Residencia temporal estudios, F-10)
Foreigners coming to El Salvador for technical, university or specialised studies, research or unpaid internships apply to the DGME for temporary residence as students using instruction sheet F-10.
Validity: Up to one year per grant, renewable
Work
- Work visa Temporary residence with permission to work (Residencia temporal con autorización de trabajar, F-03)
Foreigners who will work in El Salvador apply to the DGME for temporary residence with authorisation to work, using instruction sheet F-03.
Validity: Up to two years for migrant workers (one year for athletes, academics and public-interest projects)
Family
- Spouse and partner visa Definitive residence for spouses or partners of Salvadorans (F-34)
Foreigners married to, or living in a free union with, a Salvadoran citizen can obtain definitive residence once they have held temporary residence for one uninterrupted year, under article 152(11) of the Special Migration and Foreigners Law.
Validity: Definitive residence, renewed (refrenda) for one to four years at a time
Residence
- Retirement visa Temporary residence as pensioner or rentista (Residencia temporal pensionados / rentista, F-07 / F-08)
El Salvador grants temporary residence to pensioners who receive a permanent, stable monthly pension from abroad of at least three monthly minimum wages for the commerce and services sector, and to rentistas with stable income from abroad of at least four such minimum wages.
Validity: Up to one or two years, renewable - Permanent residence Definitive residence (Residencia definitiva, F-32)
El Salvador's permanent status is called definitive residence.
Validity: Renewed (refrenda) for one to four years at a time
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa for El Salvador?
It depends on your nationality. The CA-4 classification published by the DGME places each country in Category A (exempt from visa), Category B (consular visa without consultation) or Category C (consulted visa), with separate columns for ordinary and official passports.
Can I extend my stay?
Once, by emailing form F-44 to the DGME at least five working days before your time expires and paying USD 25.
How much does residence cost?
For non-Central Americans, USD 140 for up to one year or USD 260 for up to two years of temporary residence, and USD 345 for definitive residence.
How long does the DGME take?
Its instruction sheets give a maximum of 45 working days once all requirements are met.
Can temporary residents travel abroad?
Yes, but they lose the status if absent more than three consecutive months or four months in total in a year; definitive residents can be away up to two years.
Embassies and consulates
Last checked 24 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.