El Salvador Country Profile

Passport
For more details visit El Salvador Passport Ranking
  • Passport Grade
    B
  • Passport Ranking
    78/198
  • Passport Score
    123.7/198
  • Visa-free Countries
    114
  • Visa-required Countries
    84
  • Access to the World's GDP
    37%
  • Access to the World's Surface Area
    37%
  • Access to the World's Population
    29%
  • Access to the Unesco Sites
    62%
Citizenship and Naturalization
Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
  • Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
    Yes
    Unrestricted: Any child born in the country automatically becomes a citizen.
Naturalization - Standard Conditions
  • Minimum residency period
    5 years
  • Physical presence requirement
  • Language test
    No
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    No
  • Can minor children naturalize?
    Yes
  • Can naturalized parents pass citizenship to a child born abroad?
    Yes
  • Can you lose naturalization due to prolonged absence/ naturalization elsewhere?
    Yes / No
Naturalization - Your Spouse is a Citizen
  • Living IN the country: Residency/marriage requirement
    2 years / 0 years
    May apply immediately after marriage, assuming you have resided there for 2 years.
  • Living ABROAD: Marriage requirement
    Not allowed
  • Language test
    No
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    No
Naturalization - Other Beneficial Provisions
  • Your child is a citizen
    No provisions
  • Citizens of specific countries
    Immediately / 1 year
    Immediately for citizens by birth of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. 1 year for citizens by birth of Spain or any other Spanish-speaking country of the Americas.
"–": The provision has not been analysed.
Taxation
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Taxation Type
    Territorial
A tax resident of a country with a TERRITORIAL tax system pays taxes on the income generated within the country only. Income generated outside of the country remains tax-free.
Schiff Sovereign's Take on El Salvador
In 2021, El Salvador made history by becoming the first country to officially adopt Bitcoin as legal tender (alongside the US dollar). 

Due to its official status, any transactions in and appreciation of BTC will not be taxed by El Salvador.

Nayib Bukele, the country’s energetic millennial president, announced a whole array of new laws and initiatives, including a “Bitcoin City”, which will be built on the base of the Conchagua volcano. (The city will benefit from the cheap renewable energy that it produces.

Literally overnight, one of the poorest and most crime-ridden countries in the Americas appeared on the radar of thousands of crypto enthusiasts willing to invest in the country. 

(For decades, El Salvador’s largest source of income has been remittances from its large diaspora, and local gangs have been the country’s largest “employers”.)

We admire the radical steps El Salvador is implementing to attract significant investment and improve the quality of life for locals. We expressed our thoughts about El Salvador in this report.

Still, we remain skeptical about the country’s current suitability for our subscribers, as there are presently many unanswered questions.

Will the announced Bitcoin City be successfully constructed, for example?

And what happens to all these initiatives if Bukele won't get re-elected?

We hope that El Salvador will execute its ambitious plans, and we will continue monitoring its progress with great interest.

And perhaps in a few decades, El Salvador can indeed become a prosperous and livable place. After all, Singapore was able to pull off a similar feat by making a giant leap in development within a single generation, and becoming one of the most advanced nations on the planet.

But in the meanwhile, a LOT of hurdles will need to be cleared before El Salvador can become nearly as successful.
Schiff Sovereign's Rolodex
Service Providers available in El Salvador
  • Immigration (residency, citizenship)
  • Tax advice (attorneys and/or accountants)
  • Corporate services (company formation, etc.)
  • Banking contact
Obtain access to our Rolodex by signing up for Sovereign Confidential Join Sovereign Confidential Today

Sovereign Global Explorer

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El Salvador Overview
  • Region
    North and South America
  • Capital City
    San Salvador
  • Largest City
    San Salvador
  • Currency
    United States dollar, Bitcoin
  • Languages
    Spanish
  • Population
    6.8 million (107th)
  • Life Expectancy
    75.4 years (121st)
  • GDP (Nominal)
    $32 billion (104th)
  • GDP/Capita
    $4,686 (125th)
Useful Data
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Cost of Living
    Inexpensive (3/7)
  • Climate
    Comfortable (2/5)
  • Safety
    Average (4/7)
  • Pollution
    Polluted (4/5)
  • English Proficiency
    Low (4/5)

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