Visitors to El Salvador must obtain a Special Entry Permit unless they are citizens from one of the visa-exempt countries.
All visitors must hold a passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival.
Visa policy map
Visa exemption Ordinary passports Citizens of the following countries and territories may enter El Salvador without a visa for stays up to the duration listed below. All visitors (except for citizens of Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) must hold proof of sufficient funds to cover their stay and documents required for next destination.Visas para extranjeros 180 days All European Union member states ID IDID
90 days
ID - May enter with an ID card if come from a country that is part of the CA-4 Agreement.
Date of visa changes25 February 1973: Japan 1 April 1985: France 23 March 1988: Argentina 14 February 1997: South Korea 13 December 2023: Peru 21 June 2024: Bolivia
Cancelled: 2 May 2008: Venezuela 12 December 2018: Taiwan
Substitute visa Citizens of other countries who would normally require visas may enter El Salvador without a visa for up to 180 days if holding a valid visa issued by any Schengen Area member state, Canada or the United States.
However, this policy does not apply to citizens of the following countries and territories:
Non-ordinary passports In addition to countries whose citizens are visa-exempt, holders of diplomatic or official / service passports of Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Montenegro, Morocco, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Serbia, Suriname, Thailand, Venezuela and Vietnam may enter El Salvador without a visa.
Future changes El Salvador has signed visa exemption agreements with the following countries, but they have not yet been ratified:
Country Passports Agreement signed on Diplomatic, official, special 26 September 2026
Special Entry Permit (PEI) Citizens of other countries may obtain a Special Entry Permit without having to apply to a consulate for a visa.
Airport Improvement Tariff Citizens of Angola, Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia and Zimbabwe are required to pay an airport improvement tax of USD1,130.00 (USD1,000.00 + 13% VAT) for transit through San Oscar Arnulfo Romero and Galdámez Airport.
Central America-4 Border Control Agreement The Central America-4 Border Control Agreement is a treaty between Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. A visa issued by one of the four countries is honored by all four of the countries. The time period for the visa, however, applies to the total time spent in any of the four countries without leaving the CA-4 area.
Transit Transit without a visa is allowed for travelers who normally require a visa but are transiting within 96 hours and hold onward tickets.
Visitor statistics Most visitors arriving in El Salvador for the purpose of tourism (excluding those on a one-day visit) were from the following countries of nationality:
Country 2015 2014 2013 530,531 511,829 465,055 447,628 431,792 422,811 202,339 177,777 171,763 32,654 27,567 27,489 28,737 27,981 25,150 28,262 33,931 32,937 24,796 29,188 31,911 8,565 7,850 7,788 3,532 4,123 5,440 Total 1,401,598 1,345,165 1,282,792
See also
Central America-4 Border Control Agreement Visa requirements for El Salvador citizens
References