How to buy property in El Salvador

Buying land or a home here works differently from the US. There's no multiple listing service, no title insurance, and often no agent. Checking the property is up to you and your lawyer. Here's how to do it right, step by step.

Fees and rules as of October 2026. Reviewed by Alex Valladares, notario at J & Alas Abogados y Notarios.

1. 1.Make sure you can buy

   Salvadorans can buy any property. Foreigners can too, with one limit:

   • Rural land can't go to foreigners from countries where Salvadorans don't have the same right, unless it's for industry. City lots and homes don't have this limit. Ask your lawyer to confirm for your citizenship.
   • One person can own up to 245 hectares (about 605 acres) of rural land. Planning to buy more? Ask a notario how the limit applies to you.
   • Buying a home doesn't give you residency.
   • You'll need a tax number (NIT) for the deed.

2. 2.Learn the measurements

   Land is sold in square varas (v²) and manzanas, not square meters or acres. One square vara is about 0.7 m² (7.5 ft²). One manzana is 10,000 square varas: about 6,989 m², or 1.7 acres. Convert every listing before you compare prices.

   Open the land calculator

3. 3.Hire your own lawyer

   Hire a lawyer who works for you, not for the seller, before you pay anything. In El Salvador, a notario is a lawyer authorized to draft and certify deeds, not just a notary who stamps signatures.

4. 4.Check the property before you pay

   The seller is responsible for providing the property's papers: the deed, the registry record, proof of who owns it, and the subdivision's permits. Before you sign or pay anything, your lawyer reviews them:

   • The registry record. The national land registry (Centro Nacional de Registros, CNR) issues a summary certificate (certificación extractada) for $8.86. It shows the owner, their share, and any mortgage, court order or paperwork in process. You can also order one yourself online to confirm what the seller gave you.
   • Who else owns it. Some land is owned in shares by several people (proindiviso), and every owner has to agree to the sale.
   • Water and power. In town, the lines are usually close. Rural land may be far from them or have no service at all, so owners turn to solar panels or drill their own well. Ask whether the companies can connect the lot, how far the lines are, and budget for the alternative if they can't.
   • The subdivision. In a lotificación, ask whether it has its permits and whether its roads and utilities are finished.

   Never pay a deposit before your lawyer has checked the registry. If a seller pushes you to pay to "hold" a lot, or can't show you the deed, walk away.

5. 5.Survey when you're serious

   A topographer measures the lot and checks the boundaries against the deed (escritura). A survey costs hundreds of dollars, so don't pay for one on every lot you're negotiating. Order it once you're serious about one property, or after you buy, when you start designing with an architect or builder. If the boundaries look unclear, get it before you sign.

6. 6.Watch for scams

   Land and homes are a favorite target for fraud. In 2025, the Attorney General's office broke up a ring that forged deeds and sold the same properties to several buyers, using real notarios who didn't know the papers were fake. To protect yourself:

   • Never skip the registry check, even when a notario is involved.
   • Meet the owner in person, and make sure the name on their DUI matches the registry record.
   • Pay only through a bank, never in cash, and never before the check.
   • Slow down when the story is urgent or the price is far below the area's going rate.
   • Start from listings that verify who's selling. On Caszul, agents whose identity we've checked carry an Identity verified badge. No listing replaces the registry check.
   How Caszul verifies agents

7. 7.Buying from abroad

   If the deal could close before you arrive, give a power of attorney (poder) to someone you fully trust, so they can sign for you. From the US, sign it in one of two places:

   • At a Salvadoran consulate. The consul has the same authority as a notario and drafts it in Spanish.
   • Before a Salvadoran notario working in the US. Salvadoran notarios can sign documents abroad for use in El Salvador.

   Skip the US notary. On paper, a poder signed before a US notary, with an apostille and a translation, can be used in El Salvador. In practice, Salvadoran notarios won't close a sale with one.

8. 8.Close the sale

   The sale is signed as a public deed (escritura pública) before a notario, then registered at the CNR in your name.

   • Give the notario each buyer's ID, the exact price, and the name of the bank issuing your check, so the deed is drafted right the first time.
   • Pay with a check issued by a bank, not a personal check or cash. If your money is in the US, wire it to a Salvadoran bank account first.
   • The seller brings the municipal solvency (proof the property's city fees are paid).
   • The buyer pays a transfer tax of 3% on the price above $28,571.43. A $50,000 lot pays about $643. The law allows 60 days, but in practice you pay it at the signing or within about five days, because the notario has to present the receipt to the Supreme Court with the deed.
   • The buyer also pays the CNR's registration fees (aranceles de inscripción), which depend on the price.

9. 9.Once you own it

   There's no yearly property tax in El Salvador. Cities do charge for services such as street lighting and trash pickup.

   Sign up for the CNR's free Aviso Registral service. It emails you whenever anyone files anything on your property, so you can act before a fraud goes through. It's open to Salvadoran and foreign owners alike.

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Need a notario?J & Alas Abogados y Notarios

The notario who reviewed this guide. He works with Salvadorans abroad, including in Canada, and with clients anywhere in El Salvador. Purchase deeds, powers of attorney, contracts, wills, inheritances, translations and more. Office in Ciudad Merliot.

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This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws and fees change; confirm the details with your own lawyer.