El Salvador · Business / Startup
El Salvador Business owner residence
Investment needed: $10k+
Temporary residence — business persons, commercial representatives, shareholders and individual traders (Forms F5, F6, F11, F12)
First checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
Business owner residence is a business / startup route for El Salvador. Applicants need an investment of $10k+. You can stay 2 yrs, renewable. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.
- Money needed
- $10k+
- Processing
- 45 working days
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: investment $10k+; decision: 45 working days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Shown, not spent$2,500+
- $2,500Individual-merchant basis: owner of a business with assets of at least USD 2,500, for applicants not of Central American origin (Law art. 109(14)).
Invested and held$10k+
- $10,000Shareholder basis: subscribed and paid-in capital of at least USD 10,000 in a Salvadoran company, for applicants not of Central American origin (Law art. 109(13)).
RenewalRenewable, 5 years max
Temporary residence can be extended, and the extension must be requested within 30 days before it expires. Total time on temporary residence cannot exceed 5 years except in specially approved cases.
Asamblea Legislativa de El SalvadorDirección General de Migración y Extranjería
Permanent residenceAfter 3 years of residence
Temporary residents can apply for permanent (definitive) residence after 3 years of temporary residence immediately before the application.
CitizenshipAfter 5 years of residence
Foreigners of any origin can apply for Salvadoran naturalisation after 5 years of residence in the country, counting both temporary and permanent residence.
Processing45 working days
The extension (form F-20, F-21, F-26 or F-27) has a maximum response time of 45 working days if the file is complete.
Where to applyWhere to apply
You can apply from abroad; if you do, you must register with the immigration authority within 5 working days of first entering El Salvador.
Presence rulesAbsence limits
Temporary residence is lost if you are away from El Salvador for more than six consecutive months, or six months in total in one year, unless the absence is justified.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Time on this route is capped at 5 years in total
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- Business persons are company presidents, board members, legal representatives, shareholders, owners or managers entering to promote investment.
- Commercial representatives are managers, special attorneys, travelling agents or supervisors tied to a company based in El Salvador.
What you must show2
- Shareholders not of Central American origin subscribe and pay in at least USD 10,000 in a Salvadoran company.
- Individual traders not of Central American origin own a business with assets of at least USD 2,500.
Documents3
- A criminal record certificate from the home country or where the applicant lived in the last two years is submitted.
- Shareholders submit the registered company deed or a share certificate showing the subscribed shares.
- Individual traders submit a notarised sworn statement, a balance sheet showing the assets and their business registration.
Steps1
- The fee for non-Central Americans is USD 140 for up to one year or USD 260 for up to two years, paid against a payment order.
After you arrive1
- Residence runs up to 2 years and is extended on forms F20, F21, F26 or F27 with proof that the activity continues.
When you become tax resident
How El Salvador decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 5 years in total
- Tax residence
- More than 200 days in a calendar yearNatural persons residing temporarily or permanently in the country for more than 200 consecutive days in a calendar year are domiciled for tax purposes.
- Foreign-source income
Foreign-source excluded
Since the 2024 reform of art. 3 of the Ley del Impuesto sobre la Renta, values received in any form that were obtained abroad, including capital movements, remuneration and returns, nominally obtained or received by individuals, companies or entities domiciled or not in El Salvador from any kind of foreign source do not constitute income.
- Special regime
Foreign-source income excluded from taxable income · Tax relief
Decree 969 (12 March 2024) excludes from "renta" all sums, capital movements, remuneration or emoluments obtained abroad from any foreign source, by domiciled or non-domiciled natural or legal persons.
All tax rules for El Salvador Tax records checked
Full official text
Temporary residence categories for business persons, commercial representatives, shareholders and individual traders, each with its own form and extension form (F20, F21, F26, F27). 1 2
What you must show
- An investment of at least $10,000 · Shareholder basis: subscribed and paid-in capital of at least USD 10,000 in a Salvadoran company, for applicants not of Central American origin (Law art. 109(13)). 2
- Assets of at least $2,500 · Individual-merchant basis: owner of a business with assets of at least USD 2,500, for applicants not of Central American origin (Law art. 109(14)). 2
Requirements
- Business persons are company presidents, board members, legal representatives, shareholders, owners or managers entering to promote investment. 3 2
- Commercial representatives are managers, special attorneys, travelling agents or supervisors tied to a company based in El Salvador. 4 2
- Shareholders not of Central American origin subscribe and pay in at least USD 10,000 in a Salvadoran company. 2 5
- Individual traders not of Central American origin own a business with assets of at least USD 2,500. 2 6
- A criminal record certificate from the home country or where the applicant lived in the last two years is submitted. 3 4 5 6
- Shareholders submit the registered company deed or a share certificate showing the subscribed shares. 5
- Individual traders submit a notarised sworn statement, a balance sheet showing the assets and their business registration. 6
- The fee for non-Central Americans is USD 140 for up to one year or USD 260 for up to two years, paid against a payment order. 3 4 5 6
- Residence runs up to 2 years and is extended on forms F20, F21, F26 or F27 with proof that the activity continues. 2 7 8 9 10
Stay
- Residence with multiple entries and exits for up to 2 years, extendable.
- First stay: up to 24 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Family
A family member can apply for temporary residence to accompany the holder (form F9; extension F24).
Official sources
- Residencias temporales (forms F3 to F31) · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, El Salvador · checked 2026-10-10
- Ley Especial de Migración y de Extranjería (Decreto Legislativo 286/2019, D.O. 75, tomo 423, 25 April 2019), arts. 108-109, 120, 125, 144-145 · Asamblea Legislativa de El Salvador (copy published by the Dirección General de Aduanas) · checked 2026-10-12
- Instructivo F-05: residencia temporal para personas de negocios · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-06: residencia temporal para representantes comerciales · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-11: residencia temporal para personas accionistas · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-12: residencia temporal para comerciantes individuales · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-20: prórroga de residencia temporal para personas de negocios · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-21: prórroga de residencia temporal para representantes comerciales · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-26: prórroga de residencia temporal para accionistas · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-27: prórroga de residencia temporal para comerciantes individuales · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
Business owner residence and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business owner residence | Needs an investment of $10k+ | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Freelance professional M Colombia | Needs income of COP 8.8M+ a month ≈ $2,740 | 3 yr | Limited |
| BC Entrepreneur · Base Canada | Needs an investment of CAD 200k+ ≈ $140k | – | – |
| E-1 Treaty Trader United States | – | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Self-employed residence Uruguay | – | – | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Business owner residence?
An investment of at least $10,000. Shareholder basis: subscribed and paid-in capital of at least USD 10,000 in a Salvadoran company, for applicants not of Central American origin (Law art. Assets of at least $2,500. Individual-merchant basis: owner of a business with assets of at least USD 2,500, for applicants not of Central American origin (Law art.
How long can I stay on the Business owner residence?
Residence with multiple entries and exits for up to 2 years, extendable.
How long does the Business owner residence take to process?
The extension (form F-20, F-21, F-26 or F-27) has a maximum response time of 45 working days if the file is complete.
Can I bring my family on the Business owner residence?
A family member can apply for temporary residence to accompany the holder (form F9; extension F24).
Does the Business owner residence lead to permanent residence in El Salvador?
Time on the Business owner residence counts toward permanent residence in El Salvador, which the rules allow after 3 years of residence. Time on the Business owner residence counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence.
Is there a tax break for Business owner residence holders in El Salvador?
Foreign-source income excluded from taxable income (Decree 969): Decree 969 (12 March 2024) excludes from "renta" all sums, capital movements, remuneration or emoluments obtained abroad from any foreign source, by domiciled or non-domiciled natural or legal persons. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Foreign-source income excluded from taxable income (Decree 969)
Tax relief
Details
- On: Foreign-source income and capital movements
Decree 969 (12 March 2024) excludes from "renta" all sums, capital movements, remuneration or emoluments obtained abroad from any foreign source, by domiciled or non-domiciled natural or legal persons.
Taxed on
Foreign-source income and capital movements
Who it applies to
- Natural persons, legal entities and entities without legal personality, domiciled or not in El Salvador.
Exclusions
- Salvadoran-source income remains taxable under the standard scale.
Tax residence
Applies whether or not the recipient is domiciled in El Salvador.
Visas
Applies to any resident status, including temporary rentistas and pensioners.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in El Salvador
Business / startup visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-10 against 10 official sources. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Residencias temporales (forms F3 to F31) · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, El Salvador · checked 2026-10-10
- Ley Especial de Migración y de Extranjería (Decreto Legislativo 286/2019, D.O. 75, tomo 423, 25 April 2019), arts. 108-109, 120, 125, 144-145 · Asamblea Legislativa de El Salvador (copy published by the Dirección General de Aduanas) · checked 2026-10-12
- Instructivo F-05: residencia temporal para personas de negocios · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-06: residencia temporal para representantes comerciales · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-11: residencia temporal para personas accionistas · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-12: residencia temporal para comerciantes individuales · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-20: prórroga de residencia temporal para personas de negocios · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-21: prórroga de residencia temporal para representantes comerciales · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-26: prórroga de residencia temporal para accionistas · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-27: prórroga de residencia temporal para comerciantes individuales · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · checked 2026-10-10
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.