El Salvador
Adopting El Salvador — Freedom Passport Program
Established 2023. Regulated by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, in coordination with immigration authorities. Technology infrastructure supported by Tether..
- Min investment
- $1M
- Processing time
- 1.5-3 months
- Physical presence
- No
- Interview
- No
- Language test
- No
- Dual citizenship
- Yes
- Visa-free destinations
- ~131
- Henley rank (2025)
- #33
Investment options
Donation
$1MUSD 1,000,000 non-refundable contribution payable exclusively in Bitcoin (BTC) or Tether (USDT) to state-controlled wallets. Funds a government development fund supporting national modernization. Spouse and minor children are included at a flat USD 999/dependent administrative fee — no additional USD 1M per dependent. Annual cap: 1,000 applicants per year.
Additional fees
- Application fee: $999
- Government fee: $999
- Agent/legal (est.): $21K
Government application fee USD 999 per applicant (including dependents). Due diligence is bundled into the USD 1M contribution. Third-party concessionaire/agent fees are separate — CitizenX cites ~USD 21,000 service fee. Document preparation varies by country of origin. Total all-in commonly cited at USD 1,021,000.
Family inclusion
- Spouse: Yes
- Children under 18: Yes
- Adult children up to age: 25
- Siblings: No
Spouse and children under 18 included; children 18–25 included if enrolled full-time in education. Base USD 1M contribution covers all family members; only the USD 999 per-applicant fee scales with dependents.
Tax implications
- Worldwide income taxed: No
- Tax residency required: No
El Salvador operates a territorial tax system — only Salvadoran-source income is taxed. Zero capital-gains tax on Bitcoin transactions. CBI-only applicants who do not become tax-resident have no Salvadoran tax exposure on foreign-source income. Citizenship alone does not displace home-country tax obligations (notably US citizenship-based taxation continues unless renounced).
Eligibility requirements
- Minimum age 18
- Clean criminal record / no serious convictions
- Police clearance certificate
- Valid passport with 6+ months validity
- Documented legal source of funds for the USD 1M contribution
- Contribution must be made in Bitcoin (BTC) or Tether (USDT)
Disqualifiers
- Nationals of Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Syria
- Residents of Crimea or the four Russian-occupied Ukrainian oblasts (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson)
- Criminal record / pending criminal proceedings
- Misrepresentation on application
- Inability to demonstrate legal source of crypto contribution
Recent changes
- 2023-12-07
El Salvador and Tether jointly announced the 'Adopting El Salvador' Freedom Passport program — first CBI worldwide payable exclusively in cryptocurrency.
- 2023
Legislative Decrees No. 286 (reforming Article 152) and No. 918 (reforming Article 156, paragraph 5) of the Salvadoran constitutional/citizenship framework adopted to enable fast-track naturalization for qualifying contributors.
- 2024-12
Program entered full operational status with passports being issued under the 1,000-applicant annual cap.
- 2026-03-31
Decreto 531 reduced the temporary-residency physical presence requirement from ~9 months/year to 90 days/year for permit-based residents (does not change Freedom Passport, which has no annual presence floor).
Notes
Not a traditional CBI — operates as a fast-track naturalization under reformed constitutional articles rather than under a dedicated CBI statute. Marketed as 'Freedom Passport' / 'Adopting El Salvador'. Distinctive features: (1) world's only crypto-denominated citizenship contribution (BTC/USDT only); (2) 1,000-applicant annual cap; (3) Tether is a named technology partner. The USD 1,000,000 floor makes it one of the most expensive direct-citizenship offers globally — significantly above Caribbean programs but well below Cambodia (USD 3M). Article 279 denaturalization triggers exist: a Freedom Passport citizen who spends two consecutive years in their country of origin, or is absent from El Salvador for five consecutive years without an Article 280 permit, can have citizenship revoked — this is a meaningful long-term constraint. Despite popular misconception, the program does NOT require renouncing US citizenship or US tax residency; US persons retain FATCA/FBAR/worldwide-income reporting obligations. Strong passport (≈131 visa-free, Schengen + UK) is the main value proposition vs. price.
Compare elsewhere
EasyPassport is a document-organization tool focused on citizenship by descent. This page is reference research, not legal or financial advice. Always verify with the official program authority.