El Salvador

Government advisories

• ☐ United States: level 1/4 — Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
• ☐ United Kingdom: level 1/4
• ☐ Canada: level 2/4 — Exercise a high degree of caution

Health notices

• ☐ Global Measles (level 1)
• ☐ Tap water: avoid — bottled/filtered only

Entry requirements

☐ Visitors to El Salvador must obtain a visa from one of the Salvadoran diplomatic missions, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.

☐ Passport valid 6+ months beyond your stay

Practical

• ☐ Plug type A/B, 115V — bring an adapter if yours differs
• ☐ Drives on the right
• ☐ Emergency (police): 911
• ☐ Emergency (ambulance): 132
• ☐ Emergency (fire): 913
• ☐ Money: El Salvador's official currencies are the U.S. dollar, denoted by the symbol "$" (ISO currency code: USD) and Bitcoin. Carry only $1, $5, $10 or $20 bills. Most stores, supermarkets and department stores won't accept $50 or $100 bills. If you need to exchange to lower denominations, you can go to any bank. ($1 coins issued in El Salvador cannot be used in the United States.)

Laws that could get a tourist arrested

• ☐ State of Exception — The government is operating under a State of Exception that allows for the suspension of constitutional rights for anyone suspected of gang activity.
• ☐ Illegal Abortion — Abortion is strictly prohibited in El Salvador under all circumstances with no exceptions provided.
• ☐ Passport Presentation — While police rarely request passports, some officers may insist on escorting you to your hotel to verify your original document if you only provide a copy.

Before you go

General trip-prep, not specific to El Salvador — the same short list applies anywhere.

• ☐ Register with your embassy's traveler program if one exists
• ☐ Check your passport's validity and blank-page requirements on your destination's official entry-rules page
• ☐ Photograph/screenshot your passport, visa, and travel insurance documents
• ☐ Download offline maps for your destination
• ☐ Confirm your bank/card issuer knows you're traveling
• ☐ Check whether your phone plan needs a travel add-on or a local SIM