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El Salvador's Freedom Visa grants naturalised Salvadoran citizenship for a single non-refundable US$1,000,000 contribution in Bitcoin or USDt, covering a spouse and children under 18. The official portal states approval in up to six weeks; dual nationality depends on treaties and reciprocity.
MCP
Answer and evidence
El Salvador’s Freedom Visa (Adopting El Salvador, launched December 2023) grants naturalised Salvadoran citizenship under Article 156(5) of the Special Migration and Foreigners Law (Decree 918 of 20 December 2023) in exchange for a single non-refundable US$1,000,000 contribution paid in Bitcoin or Tether, covering the main applicant, one spouse and children under 18, with a US$999 application fee credited towards the total. The official portal states that approval typically takes up to six weeks and that the passport follows within about three months, and caps the programme at 1,000 participants. As naturalised citizens, holders keep a prior nationality only where treaties and reciprocity allow (Constitution, Art. 93), and long absence abroad can affect the status (Art. 94).
Overview
El Salvador grants naturalised citizenship through the Freedom Visa (Adopting El Salvador) for a single non-refundable US$1,000,000 contribution in Bitcoin or USDt, under Article 156(5) of the migration law added by Decree 918 of December 2023. One contribution covers the applicant, a spouse and children under 18, and the migration authority runs the procedure.
El Salvador’s Freedom Visa (Adopting El Salvador, launched December 2023) grants naturalised Salvadoran citizenship under Article 156(5) of the Special Migration and Foreigners Law (Decree 918 of 20 December 2023) in exchange for a single non-refundable US$1,000,000 contribution paid in Bitcoin or Tether, covering the main applicant, one spouse and children under 18, with a US$999 application fee credited towards the total. The official portal states that approval typically takes up to six weeks and that the passport follows within about three months, and caps the programme at 1,000 participants. As naturalised citizens, holders keep a prior nationality only where treaties and reciprocity allow (Constitution, Art. 93), and long absence abroad can affect the status (Art. 94).
El Salvador citizenship by investment runs through the Freedom Visa, the government programme known as Adopting El Salvador. In exchange for a single non-refundable contribution of US$1,000,000, paid in Bitcoin or Tether (USDt), the main applicant, one spouse and all children under 18 can obtain Salvadoran nationality by naturalisation. The legal basis is Article 156(5) of the Special Migration and Foreigners Law, added by Legislative Decree 918 of 20 December 2023, and applications are taken through the official government portal. Mirabello Consultancy sets out the programme factually, including the points that a buyer of a US$1 million nationality needs to weigh.
The Salvadoran passport gives visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 131 destinations (Wikipedia, Visa requirements for Salvadoran citizens, checked October 2026), including the Schengen Area and the United Kingdom; it does not give visa-free access to the United States or Canada. Citizenship brings the right to live, work and invest in El Salvador without permits, a Central American base with the US dollar as everyday currency, and a passport for the family under one contribution. The official portal publishes no residence, visit or language requirement for the programme.
The application is made online through the portal. It starts with a non-refundable US$999 fee in Bitcoin or USDt for the eligibility review, credited towards the total if you are accepted. After review and approval the full contribution is paid, and the portal states that approvals typically take up to six weeks and that the passport follows within about three months. The Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería runs the expedited naturalisation procedure, and the stablecoin issuer Tether is the programme's technology partner. The portal caps the programme at 1,000 participants; it does not say whether the cap is annual.
The total published by the portal is US$1,000,000 for the applicant and the family together, including the US$999 fee. The contribution is a donation, not an investment you can recover, and the portal describes its use as economic development, cultural and social programmes. Payment is accepted in Bitcoin or USDt only; no US dollar option is published. Network and transfer costs on the crypto payment are borne by the applicant, and professional fees are additional. At this level the programme costs about five times the lowest Caribbean contribution (Dominica, from US$200,000), so compare it with Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis or Grenada before deciding.
This is naturalised citizenship, not citizenship by birth, and the Constitution treats the two differently. Under Article 93 of the Constitution, a naturalised citizen from outside Central America keeps the original nationality where treaties and reciprocity allow it, and your own country may require renunciation. Article 94 provides that naturalised status can be lost after more than two consecutive years in the country of origin or more than five consecutive years outside El Salvador, unless the law permits otherwise. We review both points against your nationality before any payment.
Three points deserve a clear head. First, Article 92 of the Constitution lists naturalisation grounds based on residence, and the investor ground exists in statute rather than in that article; the reform was publicly criticised as unconstitutional, and we have found no court ruling either way. Second, Decree 918 refers to capital in legal tender, while the programme takes Bitcoin and USDt, and the January 2025 amendment to the Bitcoin Law narrowed Bitcoin's legal status; the portal continues to accept both assets. Third, a crypto-only payment brings source-of-funds and volatility questions, so the origin of the assets must be documented to a banking standard. None of this stops the programme operating, but it belongs in your decision.
The single contribution covers the main applicant, one spouse and all children under 18, according to the official portal. Parents and older children are not listed. The portal describes the target group as high-net-worth individuals and investors and states that every application is reviewed and verified.
El Salvador taxes on a territorial basis, and since a March 2024 reform foreign-source dividends, capital gains and investment income are excluded from taxable income. Citizenship alone does not create tax residence; that follows your presence and the domestic rules, so take independent tax advice in your home country.
It suits investors who already hold well-documented Bitcoin or USDt, want a passport with Schengen and UK access for the family under one contribution and are comfortable with a young, statute-based route. It is a poor fit if you need a fiat payment, certainty on dual nationality from your own country, or the long track record of the Caribbean programmes. Read our El Salvador Freedom Visa guide, compare all citizenship-by-investment programmes, ask Mira, by Mirabello a first question, or book a confidential consultation with a Mirabello specialist.
Investment routes
The El Salvador (Freedom Visa) programme offers 1 approved investment route, each independently verified by the Mirabello data team against official government sources. Minimum required investment starts from $1,000,000. A Mirabello specialist will confirm which route best matches your nationality, family composition, budget and preferred timeline.
| Route | From | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom Visa: Non-Refundable Crypto Contribution | $1,000,000 | crypto contribution |
MCPEl Salvador (Freedom Visa) is scored by the Mirabello Investment Migration Index across seven dimensions: investment cost, visa-free mobility, processing speed, path to citizenship, regulatory stability, family inclusion and tax treatment. A higher composite score signals a more competitive, accessible and well-regulated programme.
Scored on cost, mobility, speed, path, stability, family and tax.
Our read: El Salvador’s Freedom Visa (Adopting El Salvador, launched December 2023) grants naturalised Salvadoran citizenship under Article 156(5) of the Special Migration and Foreigners Law (Decree 918 of 20 December 2023) in exchange for a single non-refundable US$1,000,000 contribution paid in Bitcoin or Tether, covering the main applicant, one spouse and children under 18, with a US$999 application fee credited towards the total. The official portal states that approval typically takes up to six weeks and that the passport follows within about three months, and caps the programme at 1,000 participants. As naturalised citizens, holders keep a prior nationality only where treaties and reciprocity allow (Constitution, Art. 93), and long absence abroad can affect the status (Art. 94). Regulatory status: not listed on FATF, EU tax, US OFAC, or OECD CRS-risk lists. Strategic perspective, advisory only; figures provenance-tracked, unconfirmed items flagged for verification.
A four-question indicative check to see whether this programme fits your profile. A Mirabello specialist then reviews your nationality, family structure, budget and timeline in full confidence, confirming your detailed eligibility and which investment route best suits you, at no cost and with no obligation.
Based on your answers, El Salvador (Freedom Visa) looks worth a closer look. A Mirabello specialist will map the precise route to your nationality, family and tax position.
Book a free consultationHow it compares
The table below compares El Salvador (Freedom Visa) against its closest alternatives, scored on the Mirabello Investment Migration Index across cost, visa-free mobility, processing speed, regulatory stability and path to citizenship. All investment figures and processing times are sourced from official government data and independently verified by the Mirabello data team.
Sourced live from the MirabelloMCP · | Programme | From | Timeline | Min. stay | Mobility | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇸🇻 El Salvador (Freedom Visa) | $1,000,000 | About 6 weeks | None published | 131 visa-free | Passport |
| 🇰🇳 St. Kitts and Nevis | $250,000 | 3-6 months | None | 157 visa-free | Passport |
| 🇬🇩 Grenada | $235,000 | 60 business days | None | 147 visa-free | Passport |
| 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | $230,000 | 4-7 months | 5 days in 5 years | 154 visa-free | Passport |
Questions
The questions below cover El Salvador (Freedom Visa) investment costs, processing timelines, eligibility and family inclusion, minimum-stay requirements, the path to citizenship and tax obligations. All figures are provenance-tracked against official sources; where a threshold is time-sensitive, the verified date is shown alongside the answer.
Figures verified against official sources, provenance-tracked, information, not advice · Last updated 2026-10-28
The Freedom Visa requires a single non-refundable contribution of US$1,000,000 in Bitcoin or USDt, covering the main applicant, one spouse and children under 18. It starts with a non-refundable US$999 fee, credited towards the total if you are accepted. Professional fees are additional.
The official portal publishes no US dollar option: the contribution and the US$999 fee are paid in Bitcoin or USDt, and network costs are borne by the applicant.
It is citizenship. Article 156(5) of the migration law, added by Decree 918 in December 2023, lets approved programme participants apply for nationality by naturalisation through an expedited procedure, without the residence periods required on other grounds.
The official portal states that approvals typically take up to six weeks and that the passport follows within about three months.
It depends on your nationality. Under Article 93 of the Constitution, naturalised citizens from outside Central America keep their original nationality where treaties and reciprocity allow, and your own country may require renunciation. We check this for your passport before you apply.
The programme publishes no residence or visit requirement. Article 94 of the Constitution, however, provides that naturalised status can be lost after more than five consecutive years outside El Salvador or two consecutive years in the country of origin, unless the law permits otherwise.
131 destinations visa-free or with a visa on arrival (Wikipedia, checked October 2026), including the Schengen Area and the United Kingdom. The United States and Canada require a visa.
The main applicant, one spouse and all children under 18, under one US$1,000,000 contribution. Parents and older children are not listed by the official portal.
It rests on a statute, Decree 918, and is administered by the migration authority through an official portal. The investor ground does not appear in Article 92 of the Constitution and was publicly criticised as unconstitutional; we have found no court ruling. We set this out before any payment.
The official portal caps the programme at 1,000 participants. It does not state whether the cap applies per year.
El Salvador taxes on a territorial basis, and since March 2024 foreign-source dividends, capital gains and investment income are excluded. Citizenship does not create tax residence by itself, so take independent advice in your home country.
We review your nationality for dual-citizenship and loss rules, document the source of your digital assets to a banking standard, compare the Freedom Visa with the Caribbean programmes and guide the application. Book a confidential consultation in your own language.
Ask Mira, our AI guide for immigration and relocation. Mira answers from the same verified data as this page, in your language, and a Mirabello specialist confirms any specific case.
AI-generated general information, not legal or tax advice.
Estate planning
If you acquire the nationality of El Salvador, you can, in defined circumstances, elect the law of that nationality to govern your estate under EU Regulation 650/2012, Article 22, in place of the law of the country where you habitually live. The choice is not automatic, it must be made expressly, and it changes no tax position.
Read which law governs your estate for how the law of your nationality and the law of where you live interact. General information, not legal advice.
Book a confidential, no-obligation consultation with a Mirabello investment migration specialist, in your own language. We will confirm which programme fits your profile, your budget and your timeline, and outline the precise path to your second citizenship or residence permit, at no cost and with no commitment.
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