El Salvador Residency: How It Works, What It Takes, What It Costs

Almost every inquiry we receive about El Salvador starts the same way: a person or a family has already decided to come and wants to know which residency applies, which documents to gather and how long it takes. This guide lays out what the law says and what El Salvador's immigration office, the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), publishes, so you reach your conversation with a lawyer knowing what to ask.

The governing law is the Special Law on Migration and Foreigners (known by its Spanish initials, LEME; Legislative Decree 286 of 2019), with its Regulations and three amendments: 2023, 2025 and the most recent, from March 2026. Every fact here carries its article so you can check it yourself.

Three ways to be in the country: visitor, temporary resident, permanent resident

The law divides foreigners into non-residents and residents (art. 77). A tourist is a non-resident: up to 90 days, with no work or study (art. 84). Residents are transitory, temporary or permanent (art. 81).

• Temporary residency. Where almost everyone starts. It is granted for up to two years and extended for equal periods (art. 108), with a general cap of five years as a temporary resident (art. 113). Rentistas (people living on income from abroad) and pensioners receive it for one year at a time (art. 109, items 5 and 6).
• Permanent residency. Comes after time as a temporary resident, which depends on your origin and category: one year in some cases, three years as the general rule (art. 152). With it you can work in any lawful activity.
• Provisional residency. While your application is decided, the DGME may grant a 90-day provisional residency, renewable, that lets you "remain, work, study, leave and re-enter" (art. 81).

The most requested temporary residency categories

Article 109 lists 23 temporary residency subcategories. These are the ones that show up in almost every inquiry we receive:

The law sets the rentista and pensioner minimums in minimum wages, not dollars. We convert them in the guide on rentista or self-employed.

What every residency asks for

Each form has its own requirements, but there is a base that repeats across every DGME form and the Regulations (art. 161):

1. Valid passport: a copy of every used page, plus the original to compare.
2. Criminal record certificate from your country of origin or the country where you lived the last two years.
3. Clearance from the National Civil Police (PNC), if you have been in El Salvador more than three months or entered more than twice in the last year.
4. A sworn statement before a Salvadoran notary, whose content depends on the category: your activities and income if self-employed, the source and amount of income if rentista, or who supports you if you are accompanying a resident.

Documents issued abroad must be apostilled (or legalized through the consular chain) and, if not in Spanish, translated through a procedure before a Salvadoran notary (Regulations, arts. 149 and 150). They also expire: they cannot be more than one year old (Regulations, art. 151). We walk through it in the guide on documents and apostille.

Official fees

Fees are set in article 325 of the law and match the payment orders in the DGME forms. They are separate from the lawyer's fees and are not refundable.

On top of that come the costs immigration does not charge: apostilles in your country, translations, the notarial sworn statements and the lawyer's fees. Always ask for a quote that separates them.

How long it takes and where to file

DGME forms state a timeline of 45 business days for temporary and permanent residency, "as long as all requirements are met". It is the official timeline, not a promise: a missing or expired document resets the clock in practice.

• Where: the Foreigners Office (Gerencia de Extranjería), at the end of Paseo General Escalón and Avenida Masferrer #5019, San Salvador, Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Since November 2025 the DGME has also announced a foreigners' window in Punta Roca, La Libertad, for residency, extensions and certifications.
• Tracking: the status of your file can be checked online on the DGME foreigners services portal.
• Once approved: you receive a residence card. If you applied from abroad, you must register within five business days of your first entry (art. 115).
• To extend: apply within the 30 days before it expires (art. 113).

What changed in 2025 and 2026

If you read about El Salvador residency before 2026, three things are no longer the way you were told:

• There is now a minimum stay. Since the March 2026 amendment, temporary residents must spend at least 90 calendar days a year in El Salvador, consecutive or added up; otherwise it is grounds for cancellation (arts. 49 and 119). The DGME FAQ page still shows the old rule.
• The US$12 tourist card no longer exists. Decree 286 of 2025 repealed it.
• There is a direct permanent residency for those who join programs promoted by the central government, without going through temporary residency, with a US$690 fee (art. 152, item 13).

The detail, with the text of each article, is in the guide on immigration changes 2025-2026.

What you can check yourself, and what needs a lawyer

You can check the fees, the forms, the status of your file and the text of the law on your own: it is all published, and we link it below. What a form does not tell you is which category fits you when your case is not textbook, and almost none are:

• The forms the DGME publishes date from 2020 and do not reflect the 2025 and 2026 amendments.
• The law does not settle by itself what happens to someone who lives on investments and keeps working for clients abroad.
• The DGME "reserves the right to grant the requested immigration status". A file built right from the start is the difference between 45 business days and starting over.

That is where our work comes in: understanding your case and taking you to the immigration lawyer in our network best placed to resolve it, such as Jimmy Montano, whose firm focuses on residency, work permits and citizenship.

Frequently asked questions

How long does temporary residency take in El Salvador?

The DGME publishes a timeline of 45 business days from the moment the file is complete. While it is decided, it may grant a 90-day provisional residency that lets you stay, work and study (art. 81 of the immigration law).

Can I apply for residency while in El Salvador as a tourist?

Yes. The law lets anyone who entered as a non-resident change category if they meet the requirements (art. 79), and the DGME's own application templates begin with "I entered the country as a tourist". See the guide from tourist to resident.

How much does temporary residency cost?

The official fee for non-Central Americans is US$140 for one year or US$260 for two (art. 325). Apostilles, translations, notarial statements and the lawyer's fees are separate.

When can I apply for permanent residency?

It depends on your origin and category: one year as a temporary resident if you are of Spanish or Hispanic-American origin, a rentista, a pensioner or the spouse of a Salvadoran; three years as the general rule; and directly if you are Central American by birth (art. 152).

How many days a year must I spend in El Salvador with temporary residency?

At least 90 calendar days per year, consecutive or added up, since Legislative Decree 531 of 2026 (art. 119). The exception is an act of God or force majeure justified before the DGME.