Visa policy of El Salvador

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.

Exit stamp
Entry and exit stamps.

Visa policy map edit

 
  El Salvador
  Visa-free access to El Salvador
  May not enter on Canada/Schengen/US visa

Visa exemption edit

Holders of passports of the following 88 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.

Canceled:


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.

Tourist card edit

Visitors entering the country by air and sea must obtain a tourist card upon arrival ($12).[8] Adult children of Salvadoran citizens are exempt.[9] Minors are exempt.[8] Exempt are the visitors holding a valid visa issued by El Salvador and the citizens of the European Union / EEA (except Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania), 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]

Central America-4 Border Control Agreement edit

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.[10]

Visitor statistics edit

Most visitors arriving to El Salvador for the purpose of tourism (excluding those on a one-day visit) were nationals of the following countries:[11]

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

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Visas para extranjeros
  2. ^ "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  3. ^ "一部旅券査証及び査証料の相互免除に関する日本国政府とエル・サルヴァドル共和国政府との間の取極(口上書)" (PDF). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. 28 February 1973. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements" (PDF). United Nations. September 1986.
  5. ^ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements" (PDF). United Nations. December 1988.
  6. ^ "Statement of Treaties and International Agreements" (PDF). United Nations. July 2000.
  7. ^ "El Salvador anuncia exoneración de visa para el ingreso de ciudadanos peruanos a su territorio (El Salvador announces visa exemption for the entry of Peruvian citizens to its territory)". Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  8. ^ a b Art. 328
  9. ^ "Portal de Transparencia - El Salvador". www.transparencia.gob.sv (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  10. ^ Shepard, Wade (2 September 2010). "CA-4 Visa for Central America Explained". Vagabond Journey. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  11. ^ Boletín estadístico 2015 p. 54