El Salvador Citizenship by Investment in 2026: The Complete Guide

El Salvador is the only programme I work with where the state asks for the contribution in crypto. There is no property option and no investment fund: it is one donation of USD 1,000,000 in bitcoin (BTC) or USDt. Below is what I could confirm on 28 October 2026 on the official Adopting El Salvador portal, in Decree 918 of 2023, on the pages of the Legislative Assembly and on the BRIDGES programme page.

What the programme is

The official name is Adopting El Salvador. In English it is usually called the Freedom Visa. The portal describes it like this:

• a non-refundable fee of USD 999 in BTC or USDt starts the evaluation of your application;
• after approval you pay the remaining USD 999,001 in BTC or USDt, so the total is USD 1,000,000;
• the amount covers the applicant, the spouse and children under 18;
• the programme is limited to 1,000 participants a year;
• the passport can be collected in El Salvador or at the nearest consulate or embassy.

The legal basis

Decree 918 of 20 December 2023 was published in the Diario Oficial No. 5, volume 442, on 9 January 2024. It added point 5 to article 156 of the Special Law on Migration and Foreigners. Foreigners who meet the requirements of government programmes for investors or donors who support the economic, social and cultural development of the country can now apply for naturalisation. The decree tells the Directorate General of Migration and Foreigners (DGME) to run a secure and fast procedure for them.

Who is covered

One donation covers the main applicant, one spouse and children under 18. BRIDGES writes that children over 18 and parents are not included. In my practice this is the first thing I check with a family, because a child who turns 18 before filing changes the plan. More on this in the family guide.

The steps in short

1. A pre-check of the family, the passports and the origin of the crypto.
2. Registration on the portal and the USD 999 fee.
3. Documents: birth and marriage certificates, police certificates, all used passport pages.
4. Approval and the transfer of the remaining USD 999,001.
5. Permanent residence and naturalisation, with an oath.
6. The passport issued by DGME.

The full list is in the process and documents guide.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

On 30 April 2025 the Legislative Assembly changed article 152 of the migration law. Participants of government investor and donor programmes and their family group now receive permanent residence directly. The same reform removed the USD 12 tourist card (TMI). On 17 March 2026 another reform set the rules for losing naturalised citizenship after a long absence and for children born abroad. I explain both in the family guide.

What the passport gives

The BRIDGES Passport Index of 4 October 2026 places El Salvador 37th of 199 with 129 destinations without a prior visa, including the Schengen area. A visa is still needed for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China and Mexico. See the passport and travel guide.

How it compares

Programme	Minimum according to BRIDGES
El Salvador	USD 1,000,000 donation
St Kitts and Nevis	USD 250,000
Grenada	USD 235,000
Dominica	USD 200,000
Vanuatu	USD 130,000

El Salvador costs four to eight times more than the Caribbean options. People who choose it usually already hold crypto and want to use it directly, without selling it first. The cost guide breaks down every fee.

What I could not confirm

• whether the USD 999 fee is charged once or per family member (the portal says per family member, BRIDGES says there is no surcharge per person);
• the exact timelines, because the sources give 6 weeks or 3 months;
• whether the oath requires a trip to El Salvador.

The full list is on the sources and methodology page.