Visas
A visa is not required for ordinary U.S. passport holders. A tourist card, available for $10.00, is issued at the airport. This does not apply to official or diplomatic passport. Six months valid passport is required. For non-U.S. passport holders: Please consult the following web pages: http://www.rree.gob.sv/sitio/sitiowebrree.nsf/pages/svisas_requisitospaisorigen http://www.proesa.com.sv/visa_req.html
The departure fee is $32.00, and is included in the airline ticket price. Travelers leaving by land do not pay exit taxes. Consular visas can be requested at any of El Salvador’s Consular offices in the U.S. http://www.elsalvador.org/embajadas/eeuu/home.nsf/infoconsular
U.S. companies that require travel of foreign businesspersons to the United States should allow sufficient time for visa issuance if required. Visa applicants should go to the following links. State Department Visa Website: http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/index.html
United States Visa Website: http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/
El Salvador Consular Section Website: http://elsalvador.usembassy.gov/consular/index.html
IMPORTANT!!! New Yellow Fever Immigration Requirement for El Salvador Entry/Exit
On March 12, 2008, the Government of El Salvador announced that all Salvadorans or foreigners traveling to, or from, the African continent, or certain countries in South America must have proof of vaccination against Yellow Fever. The vaccination must have occurred 10 days prior to the exit from, or entry to, El Salvador. The new requirement will go into effect on Monday, April 7, 2008.
Travelers going to, or coming from, the following countries/regions will be affected: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and the continent of Africa.
TRAVEL ADVISORY
The Department of State warns United States citizens to exercise caution when traveling to El Salvador because of the high rate of crime. For additional general or specific travel information please contact: Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Overseas Citizen Services (CA/OCS) at 1-888-407-4747, from overseas: 317-472-2328, or the El Salvador Desk, U.S. Department of State, Phone: (202) 647-3505.
The Department of State website http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/elsalvador.html, offers e-mail safety information updates. Also, the Travel Advisory Service of the Department of State can provide information in recorded and fax form for any travel warnings on traveling to foreign countries. For recorded information contact Tel: (202) 647-5225. To receive a facsimile, call (202) 647-3732.
BUSINESS CUSTOMS
Salvadoran business relationships and meetings are, at first, formal. A suit and tie are appropriate for most business meetings. Expect to shake hands before and after your meeting, and do not use a person's first name until a relationship has been solidified. Salvadorans commonly use titles such as Licenciado (meaning a college graduate), Ingeniero (engineering graduate), or Doctor (used both for physicians and lawyers). These are followed by the person's last name.
El Salvador tends to be very much a business card society and it is important upon first meeting someone to exchange business cards with him or her. It would be a good idea to have a supply of business cards printed in Spanish.
Breakfast meetings are common and begin about 7:30 a.m. Lunches and dinners can become lengthy affairs (2-3 hours); so do not plan too tight a schedule around them. Dinners start late by U.S. standards, frequently at 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. Lunch is usually at 12:30 p.m.
Working hours in the private sector usually are from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm and in the government sector from 7:30 am to 3:30pm.
