Investor / Residence for Independent Means

For a U.S. citizen to enter El Salvador by air, land or sea, you must present a current U.S. passport and either a Salvadoran visa or a one-entry tourist card which can be valid for a maximum stay of 90 or 180 days. Description of responsibilities to assist the Embassy as part of our Citizen Liaison Volunteer program.

Residence by investment programs allow an applicant to obtain a permanent residency visa for a country by making an investment such as purchase of property or investment in a business. These programs are often known as "golden visas".

Foreign nationals can apply for permanent residency after living in El Salvador for three years. Once they've maintained legal residence for a total of five years, they become eligible to apply for citizenship through naturalization.

If you're thinking about living in Latin America, you can buy a house in El Salvador as a foreigner fairly easily. However, the tax and legal system has certain rules and requirements you should know before getting started.