Customs

Required to enter the country are a current U.S. passport and either a Salvadoran visa or a one-entry tourist card. The tourist card may be obtained from immigration officials for a ten-dollar fee upon arrival in country. Travelers who plan to remain in El Salvador for more than thirty days can apply in advance for a multiple-entry visa, issued free of charge, from the Embassy of El Salvador in Washington, D.C. or from a Salvadoran consulate in the United States. Travelers may be asked to present evidence of U.S. employment and adequate finances for their visit at the time of visa application or upon arrival in El Salvador. An exit tax of 27 dollars and 15 cents must be paid when departing El Salvador from the international airport.
Airlines operating out of El Salvador International Airport require U.S. citizen passengers boarding flights for the United States to have a current U.S. passport. U.S. citizens applying for passports at the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador are reminded that proof of citizenship and identity are required before a passport can be issued. Photographic proof of identity is specially important for young children because of the high incidence of fraud involving children. Since the National Passport Center is in New Hampshire issues passports and not the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador, citizens submitting applications in El Salvador should be prepared to wait approximately one week for receipt of their new passports.

The U.S. Embassy in El Salvador reminds U.S. citizen travelers that their activities in El Salvador are limited to those prescribed by Salvadoran law and the type of visa they are issued. Under Salvadoran law, all foreigners who participate directly or indirectly in the internal political affairs of the country, loose the right to remain in El Salvador, regardless of visa status or residency in El Salvador.
Visas: US and Canadian citizens do not require a visa but must buy a tourist card upon arrival. The card is valid for 90 days. Citizens of Australia and New Zealand need a visa; citizens of most Western European countries do not require a visa or tourist card.

Health risks: Cholera, Hepatitis, Malaria, Rabies, Typhoid

Time Zone: GMT/UTC -6

Dialing Code: 503

Electricity: 115V, 60Hz

Weights & measures: Metric.