El Salvador country guide
Entrepreneur · Last checked 2026-08-08
Residencia Temporal Comerciante Individual (F12)
Non-Central-American individual merchant owning a business with at least USD 2,500 in assets
El Salvador’s F12 route is temporary residence for a non-Central-American individual merchant who owns a commercial enterprise with assets of at least USD 2,500.
- Country
- El Salvador
- Applicant basis
- Non-Central-American individual merchant owning a business with at least USD 2,500 in assets
- Responsible authority
- Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería
- Official route status
- Current official route
- Information available
- Detailed guide
- Last checked
- 2026-08-08
Supported requirements
What the current source supports
- Be non-Central-American by origin and own a commercial enterprise with at least USD 2,500 in assets.
- Provide the signed application, current passport and used pages, foreign prior-two-year record, and Salvadoran PNC clearance when triggered.
- Provide a notarized declaration describing the activity, domicile, business location, start date, and supporting documents.
- Provide a certified balance sheet establishing qualifying assets and current certified business and establishment registrations.
- For renewal, provide the continuing activity declaration and current business registration.
Applicant scope
Who this route generally serves
- Generally designed for
- Non-Central-American sole merchants with a registered Salvadoran business and documented qualifying assets.
- Legal basis named by the authority
- Special Migration and Foreigners Law Article 109(14), Decree 531 of 2026, and DGME F12/F27.
Route lifecycle
What to confirm from application onward
- Financial basis
- At least USD 2,500 in assets of the applicant-owned commercial enterprise.
- Government service fees
- F12 lists USD 140/260 for non-Central Americans for up to one/two years; F27 renewal lists USD 125/240.
- Administrative service targets
- The forms state up to 45 working days for a complete filing, not a guarantee.
- Initial status
- Temporary residence with authorization for the documented individual-merchant activity.
- Renewal
- F27 requires a separate filing with continuing activity and current business-registration evidence.
- Dependents
- No automatic dependent status is established.
- Work rights
- The permit covers the individual merchant’s documented business; it is not a general employment permit.
- Presence considerations
- The 2026 reform requires at least 90 calendar days in El Salvador per year for temporary residents.
- Permanent residence
- No automatic permanent-residence result is stated.
- Citizenship relationship
- Naturalization is separate.
Official evidence
Sources for this route
Instructivo F-12 — residencia temporal para comerciantes individualesDirección General de Migración y Extranjería · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08Instructivo F-27 — prórroga para comerciante individualDirección General de Migración y Extranjería · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08Residencias temporalesDirección General de Migración y Extranjería · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08Ley Especial de Migración y de Extranjería — Decreto 286Asamblea Legislativa · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08Reformas a la Ley Especial de Migración y de Extranjería — Decreto 531Asamblea Legislativa · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08
General planning information only—not legal, tax, or investment advice. A listed route does not determine eligibility. Verify current rules with the responsible authority before acting.