Temporary residency program
El Salvador Residency
El Salvador's catch-all residency for digital nomads, remote workers, entrepreneurs, and investors who don't fit the Retirement Visa or the Freedom Passport. It's fast and low lift: $10K in company shares of your own Salvadoran company, 90 days a year in the country, and a 5-year path to citizenship.
- Contribution from
- $10K
- Processing time
- 3-5 months
- Citizenship path
- 5 years
- Presence required
- 90 days
As featured in
Why El Salvador Residency?
El Salvador went from the murder capital of the world to one of the safest countries in the Americas in under a decade. I can't think of another country that's changed this fast.
This residency is a catch-all for El Salvador. It's for those who don't qualify for the Retirement Visa or, obviously, the fast track to citizenship, the Freedom Passport.
If you want in, and you're a digital nomad, a remote worker, an entrepreneur, or an investor, this is a decent way in, and very fast and easy. Low lift: $10K in shares of your own Salvadoran company and 90 days a year in the country.
James NuveenFounder of the Freedom Files
Benefits of El Salvador Residency
El Salvador's catch-all residency
Digital nomads, remote workers, entrepreneurs, and investors all qualify. If the Retirement Visa or the Freedom Passport doesn't fit you, this is your way in.
Fast and low lift
Residency in 3-5 months, company included, for $10K in company shares that remain yours. We form your company and file for you.
Only 90 days a year in El Salvador
It's one of the lightest presence rules in the hemisphere, consecutive or accumulated, so it suits people who travel often.
Your family moves with you
Your spouse or partner and your children under 18 can join you as accompanying residents.
Citizenship after 5 years
You can apply after 5 years of residence, and El Salvador allows dual citizenship.
Is El Salvador Residency Right for You?
Right for you if
- Digital nomads and remote workers who want a base in El Salvador
- Entrepreneurs who want a Salvadoran company and residency in one step
- Investors who want residency for $10K in company shares
- Anyone who doesn't fit the Retirement Visa or the Freedom Passport
- Couples and parents who want to move to El Salvador together
Look elsewhere if
- You want residency without a company of your own: This route goes through your own Salvadoran company, and your company needs some business activity to renew.
- You can't commit $10,000 in company shares: Your company needs at least that much, subscribed and paid in.
- You can't spend 90 days a year in El Salvador: Every temporary resident needs at least 90 days a year there, or the residency can be cancelled.
- You live on a pension or passive income: The Retirement Visa needs no company.
Who Your El Salvador Residency Application Covers
Anyone applying with you files as an accompanying resident and pays their own permit fee. You sign a sworn statement that you support them.
| Family member | Condition |
|---|---|
| Spouse or partner | Marriage or a common-law union |
| Children under 18 | Yours or your spouse's |
Are You Eligible for El Salvador Residency?
Answer 3 quick questions. In 2 minutes, you'll know whether you're likely to qualify, and what fits better if you don't.
El Salvador Residency Investment Options
You qualify through $10,000 in company shares of your own Salvadoran company, subscribed and paid in. Your company needs to show some business activity, and you prove that activity each time you renew.
- Popular
Company shares
$10K
How this route works
Known locally as the Residente Accionista. You form a Salvadoran company and put at least $10,000 into its shares, subscribed and paid in, and the shares remain yours. Your company needs some business activity. Residency comes 1 or 2 years at a time, and each renewal needs proof of that activity.
El Salvador Residency Cost
Estimated total for 4 people
$10,720
- Qualifying investmentCompany shares
- $10,000
- Temporary residence permit, 1 year, $140 per personPaid directly to the General Directorate of Migration
- $560
- Criminal record check, $20 per adultPaid directly to your country's police authority
- $40
- Apostilles, $40 per adult and $20 per childPaid directly to the issuing authority
- $120
Later
- Permit renewal, per person, per year$125
The $10,000 goes into company shares of your own Salvadoran company, paid in as share capital, not a fee. Your company needs some business activity, and you prove it at each renewal. Company formation costs, set by the notary and the Commerce Registry, come on top, and we quote them before you start. Freedom Files fees aren't included. All amounts are subject to change.
Get your numbers on the call. We price your route for everyone applying before you commit.
El Salvador Residency Costs at a Glance
| Company shares in your own company | $10K, paid in and yours |
|---|---|
| Company formation and registration | Set by the notary and the Commerce Registry, quoted before you start |
| Temporary residence permit | $140 per person for 1 year |
| Permit renewal | $125 per person for 1 year, or $240 per person for 2 years, with proof of your company's activity |
| Company bookkeeping and filings | Yearly, set by your accountant |
| Translations and apostilles | Depends on the number of documents |
| The Freedom Files | A fixed quote in writing before you commit |
El Salvador Residency and Taxes
The basics below are for planning only, and each one is pending licensed review. Your own position depends on your income, your assets, and where you spend your time. Our team provides US and El Salvador tax planning, so you can have your plan reviewed before you commit.
Tax residency in El Salvador
You're a Salvadoran tax resident after more than 200 consecutive days in El Salvador in a calendar year, or if your main source of income is there.
US income tax treaty
The US and El Salvador have no income tax treaty. If you're a US citizen, you file US taxes too, and foreign tax credits help prevent double tax.
Residency presence vs tax residency
Spend at least 90 days a year in El Salvador to maintain your residency. Tax residency starts after 200 days in a row, and only Salvadoran income is taxed.
Special tax regimes
El Salvador taxes income from Salvadoran sources. Retirement residents can have their foreign income certified as untaxed, and move home goods in duty free.
El Salvador Residency Document Checklist
Here's the typical file for El Salvador Residency. Your country and your case can change the list, and we confirm yours on the call.
Main applicant
- Valid passport, with copies of every used page
- Criminal record check from your country of origin or where you've lived for the last 2 years
Investment proof
- Deed of incorporation of your Salvadoran company, registered with the Commerce Registry
- Share certificate showing at least $10,000 subscribed and paid in
- Bank records showing where the capital came from
Spouse and children
- Marriage certificate, or a sworn statement of your common-law union
- Birth certificate for each child
Prepared in El Salvador
- Sworn statement of how you'll support yourself and anyone applying with you
El Salvador Residency Process and Timeline
Total: 3-5 months, including your company. We file for you in El Salvador once your company is registered.
- 1
Freedom Consult
A call with our founder. We confirm this route fits your work, your plans, and anyone applying with you, or we point you to a better route. You leave with a clear plan and a quote in writing.
- 2
Engagement and document file
You sign the engagement and we send your checklist. You gather your records, and we arrange the apostilles and Spanish translations.
- 3
Your Salvadoran company
We form your company before a Salvadoran notary and register it with the Commerce Registry, and you pay in at least $10,000 for your company shares.
- 4
Filing and decision
We file your residence application with the General Directorate of Migration and answer any requests for more documents. The law gives it 45 business days to decide a complete file.
- 5
Life in El Salvador
Once approved, you receive your residency card. You spend at least 90 days a year in El Salvador, and our team handles your company's filings so the records are ready for renewal.
- 6
Renewals and citizenship
We renew your permit for 1 or 2 years at a time, with proof of your company's activity, and after 5 years of residence we prepare your naturalization application. Contact us to renew.
Milestones to residency and citizenship
Company registered
1-2 months
Temporary residency
2-3 months after filing
Citizenship application
After 5 years of residence
“I love the way the Freedom Files team present themselves and show up for our family. I much prefer their honest, on-the-ground-experience approach than the suited-up lawyers with bookshelves of textbooks behind them.”
El Salvador Residency vs Alternatives
| El Salvador Residency | Panama Friendly Nations Visa | Paraguay Temporary Residency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum financial requirement | $10K | $0 | No fixed minimum |
| Processing time | 3-5 months | 4-6 months | 3-6 months |
| Presence required | 90 days | 1 visit every 2 years | 1 trip every 2 years |
| Time to citizenship | 5 years | 7 years | 5 years |
| Language test for citizenship | Not published | Spanish + civics | Spanish + civics |
| Family included | Spouse or partner, children under 18 | Spouse, children to 25, dependent parents | Spouse, children, parents you support |
| Capital returned | Yes, it's your company's capital | Yes, when you sell or at maturity | No investment |
Undecided between these programs? We compare them for you on the call.
Other Routes into El Salvador
El Salvador Retirement Visa
Live in El Salvador on a pension from $1,226/mo or passive income from $1,635/mo, with no company to set up.
Explore this route →
El Salvador Freedom Passport
Direct Salvadoran citizenship for a $1M total contribution in Bitcoin or USDT, with no need to move.
Explore this route →
How the Freedom Files Helps You with El Salvador Residency
You get one team from your first call to your arrival in El Salvador. We prepare, check, and file your application, and we're your single point of contact from start to finish.
- Clients served
- 200+
- years in investment migration
- 10+
- Americans educated
- 2M+
| This program only | Private Client Engagement | |
|---|---|---|
| An eligibility review before you pay a government fee | ||
| Your document file, assembled and optimized | ||
| We prepare and submit your application | ||
| Consular coordination and liaising | ||
| Qualifying investment vetting and due diligence | ||
| Your case manager | Through arrival | Long term |
| A global Plan B strategy across residency, citizenship, tax, asset protection, and more | ||
| Residency and/or citizenship in more than one country | ||
| US and foreign tax strategy, with introductions | ||
| Banking and asset protection strategy, with introductions | ||
| Healthcare, schools, and relocation, with introductions | ||
| Book a consult | Learn more |
Other Freedom Files Services in El Salvador
We can take on each of these for you, alongside your application or on its own. Our El Salvador team provides legal, tax, financial, immigration, and investment advice and services.
Tax strategy and filing
Bank account opening
Investment vetting
Real estate and accommodations
Healthcare enrollment
Residency renewals
“We came in with a complicated global setup and needed special attention. What we got from the Freedom Files team was direct, honest, and personal responsiveness at every turn. Exactly what we needed! Very impressed.”
Mike · New York“The Private Client Engagement has been perfect for our unique situation. James is the total quarterback of our whole Plan B strategy.”
Kenneth · Illinois
Why El Salvador?
Pacific surf all year
El Salvador's Pacific coast has some of Central America's best surf breaks, with warm water all year and sunsets over dark volcanic sand.
Lakes in volcanic craters
Lake Coatepeque fills an ancient caldera, and the volcanoes of the west, from Santa Ana to Izalco, are a short drive from the capital.
Among the safest countries in the Americas
El Salvador closed 2025 with a homicide rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people, lower than that of the United States.
Colonial towns and coffee country
Cobbled towns like Suchitoto and the coffee farms of the Ruta de las Flores give daily life a slower, highland pace.
El Salvador Residency FAQs
Cost and qualifying routes
How much do you need to invest for El Salvador Residency?
$10,000 in company shares of your own Salvadoran company, subscribed and paid in. The shares remain yours.
Does your company need to trade?
Yes. Your company needs some business activity, and you prove that activity each time you renew your residency. We set up the records with you from the start.
How much does El Salvador Residency cost?
$140 per person for a 1-year permit, plus company formation, apostilles, and translations. The fee calculator adds up the government fees for anyone applying with you.
Timeline and presence
How long does El Salvador Residency take?
3-5 months in all: 1-2 months to form and register your company, then 2-3 months from filing to residency. We handle both, so it's a low lift for you.
How much time do you need to spend in El Salvador?
At least 90 days a year, consecutive or accumulated. Every temporary resident must meet it, or the residency can be cancelled. It's one of the lightest presence rules in the hemisphere, so it suits people who travel often. 90 days doesn't make you a tax resident; that takes more than 200 consecutive days in a calendar year.
Is it right for you?
Can digital nomads and remote workers get residency in El Salvador?
Yes. This route is open to digital nomads, remote workers, entrepreneurs, and investors. You qualify through $10K in shares of your own Salvadoran company, and we review how you earn and how it's taxed before you file.
El Salvador vs Panama residency: Which is better?
El Salvador opens a 5-year path to citizenship, all in dollars. The Panama Friendly Nations Visa needs no capital through your own company, with citizenship after 7 years. We compare both on a Freedom Consult.
El Salvador Residency, the Retirement Visa, or the Freedom Passport?
If you live on a pension or passive income, the Retirement Visa needs no company. If you want citizenship now, the Freedom Passport grants it for a $1M total contribution. If neither fits, this residency is your way in.
Citizenship
Does this route lead to Salvadoran citizenship?
Yes. You can apply after 5 years of residence, and El Salvador allows dual citizenship. If you're a US citizen, the US allows it too.
Family, tax and living
Can your family join you?
Yes. Your spouse or common-law partner and your children under 18 can join as accompanying residents, each with their own permit fee.
How are you taxed on El Salvador Residency?
Residency and tax residency are separate. You become a tax resident after more than 200 consecutive days in a calendar year, or if your main source of income is there. El Salvador taxes Salvadoran-source income, and your company files its own returns, so we review your position before you move. If you're a US citizen, you file US taxes too.
Documents and approval
What documents does El Salvador Residency require?
Your passport, an apostilled criminal record check, your company's registered deed, and a share certificate for at least $10,000, plus civil records for anyone applying with you. The document checklist on this page lists each one.
Can you start from outside El Salvador?
We prepare your file and form your company with you remotely, then file in El Salvador. Plan on at least 1 trip.
Working with the Freedom Files
What does the Freedom Files do on your application?
We review your eligibility, assemble and check your documents, and optimize your application for approval. We have a 100% approval rate so far. We prepare and file your application, liaise with the government, coordinate your consular appointments and communication, and support you through your arrival in El Salvador, when your residency or citizenship is formalized. We're your single point of contact from start to finish.
Who does the legal work?
Our El Salvador team can provide any legal, tax, financial, immigration, or investment advice and services you need. You work with one team from your first call to your arrival.
What does the Freedom Files charge?
Prices differ by program, because each program has its own costs and its own currency. You get a fixed quote in writing before any work begins. Government fees and third-party costs are listed separately, and you pay them directly.
How does the Freedom Files get paid?
We accept card, wire or ACH transfer, Bitcoin, USDC, and most other payment methods. You choose whether to pay for our services up front or monthly through the end of your engagement.
What if you need more than one country, or help with tax and banking?
That's what the Private Client Engagement is for. A long-term case manager with global expertise, always reachable on WhatsApp, manages your whole Plan B: Residency and citizenship in more than one country, tax strategy, banking and asset protection, and introductions for your move.
What if this program is the wrong fit?
Compare it with the alternatives on this page. Then book a Freedom Consult: If you're ready to move forward, we tell you which programs are best for you.
How do I start?
Book a Freedom Consult. There's no charge.
Start Your El Salvador Residency
If El Salvador is the wrong fit, we tell you on the first call.