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Citizenship by investment
El Salvador: a passport from the land of bitcoin, one million for the whole family
Since January 2024, El Salvador's migration law has allowed investors and donors to state programmes to be naturalised. The Adopting El Salvador Freedom Visa programme accepts 1 million USD in bitcoin or USDt for this, covering you, your spouse and your children under 18 together.
Application portal is live
- Contribution
- 1 million USD in bitcoin or USDt
- Application fee
- 999 USD, credited toward the contribution
- Family
- spouse and children under 18
- Passport, per the programme
- within three months
How El Salvador naturalises investors
El Salvador has written a route to citizenship for investors into its law. Decreto Legislativo No. 918 of 20 December 2023 added a dedicated point to the migration law: anyone who meets the requirements of a state programme designed to attract investors or donors can apply for naturalisation. The migration authority, DGME, runs a secure, fast-track procedure for them. The rule has been in force since January 2024.
The programme behind it is called Adopting El Salvador Freedom Visa and runs through a government portal on the gob.sv domain. It is aimed at high-net-worth individuals and investors who want to help build the country. According to the programme, the contribution benefits El Salvador's economy, its culture and its people.
The facts from the official source
Legal basis: Ley Especial de Migración y de Extranjería, Art. 156(5), inserted by Decreto Legislativo No. 918 of 20 December 2023 (Diario Oficial No. 5, Tomo 442, 9 January 2024)
Competent authority: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Adopting El Salvador programme portal
| Legal basis | Art. 156(5) of the Ley Especial de Migración y de Extranjería: foreign nationals who meet the requirements of state programmes designed to attract investors or donors may apply for naturalisation; inserted by Decreto Legislativo No. 918, in force eight days after its publication on 9 January 2024 Source |
|---|---|
| Procedure under the law | the migration authority, DGME, sets up a secure, fast-track procedure for these applicants; the law sets no amount, the programme does Source |
| Contribution | 1 million USD in bitcoin or USDt, for the main applicant and family together Source |
| Application fee | 999 USD in bitcoin or USDt, non-refundable; if you are accepted, it is credited toward the 1 million USD Source |
| Family | the main applicant, one spouse and all children under 18 apply together Source |
| Who it is for | high-net-worth individuals and investors who want to contribute to El Salvador's development Source |
| Timeline, per the programme | approval usually within six weeks, with the passport following within three months Source |
| Participants | the programme is designed for 1,000 participants Source |
| Vetting | every application is checked and verified before approval Source |
| Residence before naturalisation | Art. 156(5) sets no minimum period of residence; the naturalisation routes in points 1 to 3 of the same article require one, five or two years Source |
| After naturalisation | naturalised citizens lose their nationality after more than two years of continuous residence in their country of origin or more than five years of continuous absence, unless legally authorised (Art. 94 of the Constitution) Source |
| Dual nationality | the Constitution requires no renunciation; under Art. 93, whether naturalised citizens from outside Central America keep their previous nationality is governed by international treaties based on reciprocity; in the standard procedure, the DGME asks for a certificate showing that the country of origin permits dual nationality Source |
One contribution for the whole family
The entry ticket is clearly priced: 1 million USD, paid in bitcoin or USDt. That is not per person. It covers you, one spouse and all your children under 18 together, so the larger your family, the better the numbers look.
If your wealth sits in crypto, you pay in the currency you already think in. No conversion into euros, no property you have to hold and manage for years. The programme is designed for 1,000 participants.
How the application works
You start online on the programme portal and pay 999 USD in bitcoin or USDt. The fee is non-refundable, but if you are accepted it is credited in full toward the million. The programme then checks and verifies every application before giving its approval.
According to the portal, the review usually takes up to six weeks, and the passport follows within three months.
What applies once you hold the passport
For this route the law sets no minimum period of residence, unlike naturalisation based on years lived in the country. After naturalisation, Article 94 of the Constitution applies: if you stay away for more than five years in a row, or live in your country of origin for more than two years in a row, you lose Salvadoran nationality unless you hold legal authorisation.
The Constitution does not ask you to give up the passport you hold today. For nationals of countries outside Central America, it refers to treaties and reciprocity, and whether your home country allows you a second citizenship depends on its own law.
More on El Salvador from us
- All programmes compared
Minimum amounts, fees and timelines of the open programmes, side by side.
- Donation or real estate
What a one-off contribution means for your numbers compared with capital tied up for years.
- Due diligence in your application
How states check where an applicant's wealth comes from and who they are.
- Dual citizenship for Germans
What German law says when you take on another citizenship.
More on El Salvador across the network
Steueratlas · in German
Taxes in El Salvador
Citizenship does not decide where you pay tax; residence does. Steueratlas lists what El Salvador levies on income, companies and sales (in German).
Visit SteueratlasKryptoSteuern · in German
Crypto tax in El Salvador
If you pay the contribution in bitcoin, you probably hold other crypto too. KryptoSteuern explains how El Salvador taxes bitcoin and other coins (in German).
Visit KryptoSteuernFreedomBanking Plus
Banking in El Salvador
A bank account is not part of the programme. FreedomBanking Plus sets out which documents Salvadoran banks ask for and what deposit insurance pays.
Visit FreedomBanking PlusVideos on El Salvador
The videos are in German.
Questions about El Salvador
Can I apply for Salvadoran citizenship today?
Yes. The programme has been running since December 2023, and the government's application portal, adoptingelsalvador.gob.sv, is live. Your application starts with a fee of 999 USD in bitcoin or USDt.
Does the million cover the whole family?
Yes. According to the programme portal, the 1 million USD contribution covers the main applicant and their family together: one spouse and all children under 18.
How do I pay the contribution?
In bitcoin or USDt, and the same goes for the 999 USD application fee. The fee is non-refundable, but if you are accepted it is credited toward the 1 million USD.
How quickly will I get the passport?
According to the programme portal, approval usually comes within six weeks and the passport within three months.
Do I have to live in El Salvador?
Art. 156(5) sets no minimum period of residence for this route, unlike the other naturalisation routes in the same article. Once you are naturalised, Article 94 of the Constitution applies: if you stay away for more than five years in a row, or live in your country of origin for more than two years in a row, you lose Salvadoran nationality unless you hold legal authorisation.
Can I keep my current citizenship?
El Salvador's Constitution does not require you to give it up. For naturalised citizens from countries outside Central America, Article 93 refers to international treaties and reciprocity. Whether your home country lets you hold a second citizenship depends on its own law.
Official sources
- Asamblea Legislativa: Decreto Legislativo No. 918, amending the Ley Especial de Migración y de Extranjería (Diario Oficial No. 5, Tomo 442, 9 January 2024)
- Adopting El Salvador Freedom Visa: official programme portal with questions and answers
- Asamblea Legislativa: Constitución de la República, Art. 91 to 94 (2026 version)
Your second passport begins with a decision.
You have worked hard to build a life full of possibilities. Now it is about expanding them, for you and for your family. Talk to Daniel Taborek about your budget, your family and the route to your second citizenship. Find out which passport should enrich your future.