EI Salvador Freedom Visa | A Complete Guide

What is EI Salvador’s Freedom Visa Program:

Since December 2023, El Salvador has offered a donation-based immigration program called the Freedom Visa Program. Under this program, applicants can acquire citizenship in El Salvador by donating $1 million USD worth of Bitcoin or USDT to the country.

This program has an official cap of 1,000 applicants per year. El Salvador has also pledged to offer Freedom Visa holders a fast-track to naturalized citizenship, though the overall maturity of the program still needs to be fully assessed.

For context, foreigners from non-Latin American or Spanish regions typically need to reside legally in El Salvador for five years before they can apply for naturalized citizenship through the standard process.

Beyond the financial requirement, Freedom Visa applicants must also meet basic criteria, including being at least 18 years old, having no criminal record, and being able to prove the legality of their funds.

It’s important to note that many of the specific details regarding El Salvador’s Freedom Visa Program remain undisclosed at this time.

Application Process:

El Salvador’s Freedom Visa can be applied for entirely online through their official website: https://adoptingelsalvador.gob.sv/Landing.

The official application process currently consists of three main steps:

1. Submit Your Application

In this initial step, you’ll need to register for an online account, pay a $999 application fee, upload all required documents, and then submit your application.

2. Application Review

The official processing time for the entire visa is a maximum of six weeks. Once your application is approved, you’ll receive an official confirmation email. At this point, you’ll need to transfer the remaining $999,001 to El Salvador and pay an administration fee for any accompanying dependents.

3. Passport Issuance

After all funds are confirmed as transferred, the Salvadoran government will initiate an expedited naturalization process. You’ll then have the option to pick up your passport either in El Salvador or at your nearest Salvadoran consulate.

Theoretically, applicants are not required to enter El Salvador at any point during this entire process.

Dependents:

For El Salvador’s Freedom Visa program, the primary applicant’s spouse and financially dependent children can also obtain visas as dependents.