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 El Salvadorportal |
Visitors to El Salvador must obtain a visa from one of the Salvadoran diplomatic missions, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.
Holders of passports of the following 89 jurisdictions can visit El Salvador without a visa for up to 180 days (all visitors except the nationals 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): [1] [2]
ID - May also enter with an ID card if come from a country that is part of the CA-4 Agreement.
| Date of visa changes | ||
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Canceled:
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Visa exemption also applies to residents of countries that are visa exempt as well as holders of a valid visa issued by Canada, the United States or a Schengen member state. This does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Cameroon, China, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and Yemen who also can't obtain a visa on a simplified procedure but their application needs to be approved in El Salvador.
Holders of diplomatic, official or 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 do not require a visa.
Transit without a visa is allowed for travellers who normally require a visa but are transiting within 48 hours and hold onward tickets.
Visitors entering the country by air and sea must obtain a tourist card upon arrival ($12). [9] Adult children of Salvadoran citizens are exempt. [10] Minors are exempt. [9] Exempt are the visitors holding a valid visa issued by El Salvador and the citizens of the European Union / EEA (except Bulgaria and Croatia), Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uruguay and Vatican City.[ citation needed ]
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. [11]
Most visitors arriving to El Salvador for the purpose of tourism (excluding those on a one-day visit) were nationals of the following countries: [12]
| Country | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|
 Guatemala | 530,531 | 511,829 | 465,055 |
 United States | 447,628 | 431,792 | 422,811 |
 Honduras | 202,339 | 177,777 | 171,763 |
 Mexico | 32,654 | 27,567 | 27,489 |
 Costa Rica | 28,737 | 27,981 | 25,150 |
 Nicaragua | 28,262 | 33,931 | 32,937 |
 Canada | 24,796 | 29,188 | 31,911 |
 Spain | 8,565 | 7,850 | 7,788 |
 Germany | 3,532 | 4,123 | 5,440 |
| Total | 1,401,598 | 1,345,165 | 1,282,792 |
Salvadoran passports are issued to citizens of El Salvador to travel outside the country.
The visa policy of Canada requires that any foreign citizen wishing to enter Canada must obtain a temporary resident visa from one of the Canadian diplomatic missions unless they hold a passport issued by one of the 53 eligible visa-exempt countries and territories or proof of permanent residence in Canada or the United States.
Visitors to Japan must obtain a visa from one of the Japanese diplomatic missions, unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries.
A Mexican visa is a document issued by the National Institute of Migration, dependent on the Secretariat of the Interior, with the stated goal of regulating and facilitating migratory flows into the country.
The visa policy of Albania allows citizens of certain countries to enter Albania without a visa. Citizens of certain other countries must obtain a visa from one of the Albanian diplomatic missions. Alternatively, they may obtain an electronic visa.
Visitors to Venezuela must obtain a visa from one of the Venezuelan diplomatic missions, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries.
Visitors are required to hold proof of sufficient funds to cover their stay and documents required for their next destination.
Visitors not holding return / onward tickets could be refused entry. Naturalized Venezuelan citizens, must hold in addition to their passport and National Identity Card, the original of the official decree of their naturalization issued by the Venezuelan government.
All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.
Visitors to Israel must obtain a visa from one of the Israeli diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries. From January 2025, all visitors from visa-exempt countries must obtain an electronic travel authorization (ETA-IL) before traveling to Israel.
The visa policy of South Africa is how the South African government determines who may and may not enter South Africa. Visitors to South Africa must obtain a visa from one of the South African diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries, in which case they get a "Port of Entry Visa". Visitors who require a visa must apply in person and provide biometric data.
The visa policy of the United Kingdom is the policy by which His Majesty's Government determines visa requirements for visitors to the United Kingdom and those seeking to work, study or reside there. The visa policy of the UK also applies to the Crown dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man, which each operate their own immigration enforcement and have separate work permit systems. The visa policy does not apply to any of the British Overseas Territories, who generally apply their own visa policies.
The visa policy of Costa Rica requires that any foreign national wishing to enter Costa Rica must obtain a visa from one of the Costa Rican diplomatic missions, unless they hold a passport issued by one of the 95 eligible visa exempt countries or if the fulfill the requirements for a substitute visa. Costa Rican visas are documents issued by the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, which is part of the Ministry of Interior and Police, with the stated goal of regulating and facilitating migratory flows.
Visitors to Peru must obtain a visa from one of the Peruvian diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.
Visitors to Colombia must obtain a visa from one of the Colombian diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries.
Visitors to the Dominican Republic must obtain a visa from one of the Dominican Republic diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.
Visitors to Chile must obtain a visa from one of the Chilean diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries.
Visitors to Uruguay must obtain a visa from one of the Uruguayan diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries.
A foreign national wishing to enter Lesotho must obtain a visa unless they are a citizen of one of the eligible visa exempt countries.
Visitors to Guatemala must obtain a visa from one of the Guatemalan diplomatic missions, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries.
Visitors to Honduras must obtain a visa from one of the Honduran diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 3 months.
Visitors to Nicaragua must obtain a visa from one of the Nicaraguan diplomatic missions, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries or countries that can obtain a visa on arrival. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.
The British Overseas Territories maintain their own entry requirements different from the visa policy of the United Kingdom. As a general rule, British citizens do not have automatic right of abode in these territories.
