U.S. citizens must have a passport to enter El Salvador, along with a
Salvadoran visa or a single-entry tourist card. Tourists cards are
available from immigration officials at air or sea entry ports at the
cost of USD $12.
Multiple-entry visas are available free-of-charge from
the Embassy of El Salvador in Washington, DC or from a Salvadoran
consulate in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Long Island,
Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, or San Francisco. Travelers may
contact the Embassy of El Salvador at 1400 16th Street NW, Washington,
DC 20036.
You may need proof of employment in the
U.S. or evidence of financial capacity before receiving a Salvadoran
visa. A departure tax must be paid when departing by air or sea,
although airline fares regularly include the tax in the price of the
ticket.
Travelers should be aware that El Salvador's entry requirements
vary in accordance with agreements the country has with foreign
governments. Citizens of several countries in addition to the United
States may enter El Salvador with a current passport and either a visa
or tourist card.
Citizens of many other countries, including many Latin
American and western European nations, may enter with only a current
passport. However, citizens of most nations are required to present
both a current passport and a visa to enter El Salvador. Non-U.S.
citizen travelers are advised to contact a Salvadoran embassy or
consulate to determine the entry requirements applicable to them.
El Salvador is a part of the "Central America-4 (CA-4) Border
Control Agreement" along with Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. This
agreement allows both citizens of the countries and eligible foreign
visitors to travel across land without additional visas or tourist
entry permits, and without entry/exit formalities at immigration
checkpoints.
U.S. citizens are eligible for this agreement. A maximum
of 90 days will be awarded to visitors upon arrival, and foreign
visitors who wish to stay longer need to apply for a one-time extension
of stay or leave the area.
Local immigration authorities may grant stay
extensions, and visitors who leave the CA-4 countries can apply for
readmission to the region. If you are expelled from any country in the
agreement you will not be permitted to enter any of the other three
countries. Isolated incidents of confusion over the CA-4 details have
led to delays, fines, and detention for a few travelers.
U.S. citizens may not board flights to the U.S. out of El
Salvador international Airport unless they can present a valid U.S.
passport. The U.S. Embassy in El Salvador cannot issue U.S. passports
without photographic proof of identity and citizenship.
Non-emergency
passports are printed in the United States, so citizens applying for
passports in El Salvador may have to wait 10 business days for the
passport to arrive.
Foreign visitors to El Salvador are subject to El Salvadoran
law and their visa restrictions. They may not participate directly or
indirectly in El Salvadoran politics, and run the risk of deportation
if they do. Visit the Embassy of El Salvador web site for the most
current visa information.
