Sources and methodology
Where the facts come from
I use primary sources first. The main ones:
- The official Adopting El Salvador portal and the government Bitcoin Country site.
- Decree 918 of 20 December 2023, in the copy published on Refworld.
- The Legislative Assembly reports on the reform of 30 April 2025 and the reform of 17 March 2026, and the Constitution of the Republic.
- EU Regulation 2018/1806, the official ETIAS page and the US treaty countries list.
- Practice notes and data published by BRIDGES: the El Salvador programme page, the country page, the El Salvador guide and the Passport Index.
How I check and date information
- Each article shows an "Updated" date. It changes only when the facts are reviewed.
- I give amounts in US dollars, as the portal does.
- Where sources differ, I show both, for example on the USD 999 fee per family member, on the timelines and on children born abroad.
Facts I could not confirm in official sources
- whether the USD 999 fee is charged per family member (the portal says yes, BRIDGES says there is no surcharge);
- the residence fee of USD 690 a year;
- the passport validity of 6 years and the USD 25 fee;
- the timelines: 6 weeks for approval and 3 months for the passport (BRIDGES) against no more than six weeks (Bitcoin Country);
- whether the oath requires a trip to El Salvador;
- whether the limit of 1,000 participants applies per year (portal) or in total;
- the details of Decree 199 of 2025 on the Bitcoin Law;
- the tax figures from the BRIDGES index;
- how the rule on children applies (the 2026 reform speaks of children born before naturalisation, BRIDGES of children born after);
- the count of 129 destinations, which comes from the BRIDGES index.
How often the guides are updated
All articles are reviewed at least once a quarter, and immediately after a change in the migration law or on the official portal.
Corrections
If you find an error, please tell us through the contact page. Corrections are made and the update date is changed.