El Salvador retirement visa: pensionado and rentista

Pensioners (sheet F-07, article 144 of the law) must receive a monthly, permanent and stable pension from abroad of no less than three monthly minimum wages in force for the commerce and services sector, intended for their living costs in El Salvador. Rentistas (sheet F-08, article 145) need monthly, permanent and stable income from abroad of no less than four such minimum wages.

The DGME sheets express these thresholds in minimum wages, not in dollars, so check the current Salvadoran minimum wage for commerce and services when preparing the file. Both groups may not do paid work, except specialised work or teaching for the State, municipalities or official autonomous institutions.

Every file starts with an application signed by the foreigner, a legal representative or an attorney (with a signature legalised by a Salvadoran notary if not filed in person); a photocopy of all used pages of the valid passport with the original for comparison; an original certificate of no police or criminal record from the country of origin or where you lived in the two years before entering El Salvador; and a valid clearance from the National Civil Police if you have been in the country more than three months or entered more than twice in the last year.

Documents issued abroad must be authenticated or apostilled and translated into Spanish under article 162 of the Special Migration and Foreigners Law, and every document must show your names exactly as in your passport. The DGME may ask for additional information.

Add an original certificate from the institution paying the pension or income, showing amounts in line with articles 144 or 145, and a sworn declaration before a Salvadoran notary stating the origin and amount of your income and that you will not do any paid activity in the country. If your family comes, the same declaration can cover their support.

The Foreigners' Office issues a payment order, which is not refundable. Non-Central American temporary residents pay USD 140 for up to one year and USD 260 for up to two years (Central Americans USD 70 and USD 130). The DGME answers within a maximum of 45 working days once all requirements are met.

Request the extension of temporary residence within 30 calendar days before it expires, and avoid absences of more than three consecutive months or four months in a year. Rentistas and pensioners can later apply for definitive residence with sheet F-33 by proving income in line with articles 144 and 145; non-Central Americans pay USD 345 for definitive residence for up to one year.

Accompanying family members sign their own application (a legal representative signs for children under 18) and add the original marriage certificate where relevant, the birth certificate of each minor, photocopies of their passports, and, for an unmarried partner, a sworn declaration of free union before a Salvadoran notary stating how long the relationship has existed. The spouse or partner also provides a criminal record certificate and, where applicable, the National Civil Police clearance; if a parent has died, add the death certificate.