El Salvador · Retire or live on savings
El Salvador Rentista residence
Income needed: from $1,635 a month
Temporary residence — rentista (Form F8)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Rentista residence is a retire or live on savings route for El Salvador. Applicants need income from $1,635 a month. You can stay 1 yr, renewable. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Money needed
- from $1,635 a month
- Government fees
- $125
- Processing
- 45 working days
- First stay
- 1 yr
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee $125; income to show from $1,635/mo; decision: 45 working days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees$125
- $125Extension fee for a non-Central American temporary resident, up to one year (US$240 for up to two years; Central Americans US$55 or US$100).
Shown, not spent$1,635+/mo · $2,453+/mo
- $1,635.2 a monthStable monthly income from abroad of at least 4 monthly minimum wages of the commerce and services sector (4 x USD 408.80, in force from 1 June 2025).
- $2,452.8 a monthAlternative when two or more people accompany the rentista: at least 6 monthly minimum wages (6 x USD 408.80).
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, El Salvador
Permanent residenceAfter 1 year of residence
Pensioners and rentistas can apply for permanent (definitive) residence after 1 year in that status.
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-23) 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 rulesStay rule
Pensioners and rentistas lose their status if they are away from El Salvador for more than six consecutive months, or six months in total in one calendar year, without a justified reason.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Time on this route is capped at 5 years in total
- Work rights are limited
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- The applicant is a foreigner who receives stable monthly income from abroad to live on in El Salvador.
- The rentista may not take paid work, except specialised work or teaching for the State, municipalities or autonomous institutions.
What you must show2
- Monthly income from abroad of at least four monthly minimum wages for commerce and services (4 x USD 408.80 = USD 1,635.20).
- If two or more people accompany the rentista, the income must be at least six minimum wages (6 x USD 408.80 = USD 2,452.80).
After you arrive3
- Extension needs a notarised sworn declaration stating the source and amount of income.
- The declaration states that no paid activity will be done in the country.
- The response comes within 45 working days.
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 for foreigners living on income from abroad; no remunerated work except specialised work or teaching for the State, municipalities or autonomous official institutions. 1 2 3 4
What you must show and pay
- Income of at least $1,635.2 a month · Stable monthly income from abroad of at least 4 monthly minimum wages of the commerce and services sector (4 x USD 408.80, in force from 1 June 2025). 3 4
- Income of at least $2,452.8 a month · Alternative when two or more people accompany the rentista: at least 6 monthly minimum wages (6 x USD 408.80). 3 4
- A fee of $125 · Extension fee for a non-Central American temporary resident, up to one year (US$240 for up to two years; Central Americans US$55 or US$100). 2
Requirements
- The applicant is a foreigner who receives stable monthly income from abroad to live on in El Salvador. 3
- The rentista may not take paid work, except specialised work or teaching for the State, municipalities or autonomous institutions. 3
- Monthly income from abroad of at least four monthly minimum wages for commerce and services (4 x USD 408.80 = USD 1,635.20). 3 4
- If two or more people accompany the rentista, the income must be at least six minimum wages (6 x USD 408.80 = USD 2,452.80). 3 4
- Extension needs a notarised sworn declaration stating the source and amount of income. 2
- The declaration states that no paid activity will be done in the country. 2
- The response comes within 45 working days. 2
Stay
- Residence for one year with multiple entries and exits; extensions of one or two years.
- Initial permitted stay: 12 months.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
No remunerated work except specialised work or teaching for the State, municipalities or autonomous institutions.
Family
Family group maintenance can be declared in the same sworn declaration.
Official sources
- Residencias temporales (forms F3 to F31) · Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, El Salvador · checked 2026-10-10
- Instructivo F-23: prórroga de residencia temporal para rentista · 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
- Decreto Ejecutivo No. 11 (2025): tarifas de salarios mínimos, in force from 1 June 2025 · Ministerio de Trabajo y Previsión Social · checked 2026-10-11
Rentista residence and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rentista residence | Needs income from $1,635 a month | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Pensioner residence | Needs income of $1,226+ a month | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Retiree permanent residence Mexico | Needs income of MXN 134k+ a month ≈ $7,310 | – | Yes |
| Pensioner visa M Colombia | Needs income of COP 5.3M+ a month ≈ $1,640 | 3 yr | Yes |
| Pensionado residence Costa Rica | Needs income of $1,000+ a month | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Rentista residence?
Income of at least $1,635.2 a month. Stable monthly income from abroad of at least 4 monthly minimum wages of the commerce and services sector (4 x USD 408.80, in force from 1 June 2025). Income of at least $2,452.8 a month. Alternative when two or more people accompany the rentista: at least 6 monthly minimum wages (6 x USD 408.80). A fee of $125. Extension fee for a non-Central American temporary resident, up to one year (US$240 for up to two years; Central Americans US$55 or US$100).
How long can I stay on the Rentista residence?
Residence for one year with multiple entries and exits; extensions of one or two years.
How long does the Rentista residence take to process?
The extension (form F-23) has a maximum response time of 45 working days if the file is complete.
Can I work on the Rentista residence?
Limited. No remunerated work except specialised work or teaching for the State, municipalities or autonomous institutions.
Can I bring my family on the Rentista residence?
Family group maintenance can be declared in the same sworn declaration.
Does the Rentista residence lead to permanent residence in El Salvador?
Time on the Rentista residence counts toward permanent residence in El Salvador, which the rules allow after 1 year of residence. Time on the Rentista residence counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence.
Is there a tax break for Rentista 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
Retirement and live-on-savings visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 4 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
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
- Instructivo F-23: prórroga de residencia temporal para rentista · 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
- Decreto Ejecutivo No. 11 (2025): tarifas de salarios mínimos, in force from 1 June 2025 · Ministerio de Trabajo y Previsión Social · checked 2026-10-11
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.