El Salvador Freedom Visa (Citizenship by Donation)

Status: active. El Salvador has no golden visa. The program behind this page is the Adopting El Salvador Freedom Visa, which the official portal describes as a citizenship by donation initiative (Adopting El Salvador portal).

Applicants contribute $1,000,000 in Bitcoin or USDt. Successful applicants are fast tracked to a Salvadoran passport, and the contribution covers a spouse and children under 18.

It is a route to nationality, not a residence visa. Since 2025 participants can also take permanent residence directly under the migration law.

The official portal aims the program at high-net-worth individuals and investors who want to contribute to El Salvador's economy. The only published financial condition is the contribution of $1,000,000 in Bitcoin or USDt.

• Family: the main applicant can include one spouse and all children under 18, within the same total.
• Checks: the portal says applications are reviewed and verified for compliance with the program's requirements before approval.

The legal basis is Art. 156 of the migration law, which allows naturalization of foreigners who join government programs for investors or donors (Special Law on Migration and Foreigners).

The Adopting El Salvador portal does not publish a document checklist. It describes an initial online form followed by a review of the information provided.

What the portal does state:

• A non-refundable deposit of $999 in Bitcoin or USDt to start the eligibility check.
• The contribution of $1,000,000 in Bitcoin or USDt on acceptance.
• Details of a spouse and children under 18 if the family applies together.

Further documents are requested during the review, so applicants should expect identity and source of funds checks.

• Deposit: $999, non-refundable, in Bitcoin or USDt.
• Contribution: $1,000,000 in Bitcoin or USDt, with the deposit credited toward it. The total covers the main applicant, one spouse and children under 18.
• Optional permanent residence: the migration law sets a separate fee for the residence card for program participants (Art. 325).

Bank, exchange and adviser costs are not set by the program and vary.

Online through the Adopting El Salvador portal (adoptingelsalvador.gob.sv).

1. Complete the initial form on the portal.
2. Pay the deposit of $999 in Bitcoin or USDt to start the eligibility check.
3. Wait for review. The portal says approvals typically take up to 6 weeks.
4. Pay the contribution. On acceptance the deposit is credited toward the $1,000,000 total.
5. Receive the passport. The portal says eligible candidates receive a passport within three months.

The Freedom Visa leads to nationality, so it has no visa term to renew. The portal says eligible candidates receive a passport within three months.

Under Art. 152 and 325 of the migration law: Leads to Salvadoran nationality by naturalization; since 2025 program participants can also get permanent residence directly, without prior temporary residence and without the absence limits (fee USD 690 for up to one year).

That residence card is issued for up to 1 year at a time.

The portal says nothing about tax treatment for participants.

Under the Tax Code, a person becomes resident after more than 200 days in a row in a calendar year, or with the main seat of their business in El Salvador (Tax Code, Art. 53). Participants who plan to live in El Salvador should take advice on how El Salvador and their home country tax their income.