The Metropolitan Cathedral, San Salvador

El Salvador · Country guide

Moving to El Salvador from the US

Visas, residency routes, citizenship and tax for Americans moving to El Salvador, with the law behind each rule.

Source-checked19 sources, 9 officialHow we check

Currency: the US dollar

CapitalSan Salvador

Visa-free (US)Up to 90 days, extendable by 90

Residency income fromAbout $1,226 a month of pension

CitizenshipAfter 5 years of residence

Tax on foreign incomeNo: foreign income untaxed since 2024

Dual citizenshipDepends on a treaty; none found with the US

El Salvador in brief

Visit visa-free: up to 90 days, extendable once by 90 days for $25.
Retirees: a foreign pension of about $1,226 a month qualifies, with permanent residence after 1 year.
No remote-work visa: the income route needs about $1,635 a month, and you swear not to work for pay here.
Spend 90 days a year: temporary residents must be in the country at least that long.
Foreign income isn't taxed: since 2024, so a retiree's US income owes nothing here.
Remote pay is likely taxed: if you do the work in El Salvador Needs review

About El Salvador

El Salvador is compact, with volcanoes, crater lakes, national parks and Pacific beaches in the west and quieter beaches in the east. It uses the US dollar, and the climate is tropical, with rains from May to October.

Lake Coatepeque, a deep blue crater lake ringed by green hills, seen from above in western El Salvador. — Lake Coatepeque crater lake

Two griddled pupusas on a plastic-lined basket at a pupusería in Olocuilta, with coffee behind. — Pupusas in Olocuilta

Excavated adobe remains of a Maya farming village buried by volcanic ash at Joya de Cerén. — Joya de Cerén village ruins

By the numbers

6.0 millionPeople, 2024 census

Just under New JerseyLand area, 8,100 sq mi

76%Live in cities

1World Heritage siteNeeds review

$5,700GDP per person

Needs reviewThe count is from news reports; confirming it on the official list.

Regions

Western El Salvador: Beaches, volcanoes, national parks, Maya sites and the capital, San Salvador.
Eastern El Salvador: Quieter beaches, and sites from the civil war years.

Culture and daily life

Language: Spanish is the official language; in a few western towns about 500 elders still speak Nawat.
Food: The pupusa is the traditional dish, and the big cities have a wide mix of international restaurants.
Religion and holidays: Largely Catholic: Holy Week brings carnival-like events, and San Salvador's festival runs August 1–7.

Economy and politics, briefly

Prices are flat: inflation was 0.3% in 2025, and prices are in US dollars.
Politics: a 2025 constitutional change allows re-election and six-year terms; the next general election is February 28, 2027.
Bitcoin: since 2025, accepting it is voluntary for businesses.

Sources (10)

Cities in El Salvador

Where our city guides are planned. Hover a city to find it on the map.

All El Salvador guides

Every rule with its legal source.

Entry and visasUp to 90 days visa-free, extendable once Residency3 routes: pension, income and company shareholder Citizenship5 years of residence, then apply with a permanent card TaxesWhat retirees and remote workers pay

Free tools

Count your days in El SalvadorTourist days used and left, the tax-residency test, and the US 330-day count.Social Security and Medicare in El SalvadorPayments, direct deposit, agreements and what Medicare covers.

Still being checked

Income amounts: they follow the minimum wage; confirming no 2026 wage change moved them.
Detailed rules: the regulation under the migration law, which may list translation exemptions and extra retiree requirements.
Forms and fees: the immigration office's forms date from 2020; confirming the $140 and $345 fees still apply.
Remote workers: whether US pay earned while living here fits the income route Needs review
Shareholder route: work rights, company tax and the family form.

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