A clear, evidence-first look at El Salvador's "Freedom Passport" — the world's first crypto-denominated citizenship program. We tell you exactly what it is good for, and what it is not.
Last updated: June 2026 — reviewed against the Adopting El Salvador program and industry program guides.
Free El Salvador Citizenship Eligibility Assessment — the "Freedom Passport" crypto-contribution route, open in 2026 and capped at 1,000 citizenships a year [contribution confirmed after assessment].
Get Assessment| El Salvador Citizenship by Investment ("Freedom Passport" / Adopting El Salvador) | |
|---|---|
| Governing authority | Government of El Salvador, via the Adopting El Salvador portal (adoptingelsalvador.gob.sv) |
| Route | Single, non-refundable government contribution paid in Bitcoin (BTC) or Tether (USDT) [contribution confirmed after assessment] |
| Annual cap | Statutorily limited to 1,000 citizenships per year (intake has run below the cap to date) |
| Family | Spouse and dependent children under 18 includable for a per-member administrative fee [confirmed after assessment] |
| Processing | Roughly 6 weeks typical; no residency, no language test, no interview to obtain citizenship (guidance, not a promise) |
| As of | 12 June 2026 |
The contribution figure is set by the Government of El Salvador and is subject to change; it is confirmed for your situation after assessment. Cosmos professional fees are separate and are also confirmed after assessment.
We assist applicants based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, Kuwait City, Muscat, Manama, as well as across India and Sri Lanka. Our role is to convert a brand-new, crypto-denominated government program into a clear, executable plan — and to be honest about whether a Salvadoran second passport actually fits your goals.
The objective is not speed alone — it is correctness, the right structure for your profile, and a realistic picture of what the passport does and does not do.
El Salvador's "Freedom Passport" requires a single, non-refundable government contribution, paid in Bitcoin or USDT rather than traditional currency. Industry guides cite a high contribution level, but the figure is set by the government and confirmed for your situation after assessment, with a separate administrative fee reported per additional family member.
The headline number is the contribution itself; the structure is a donation, so the money is not returned. Because the program is crypto-denominated, the actual amount you transfer depends on exchange rates on the day you fund it, which is exactly why we verify the live figure before you commit. Find out the current contribution for your file — free assessment.
The Freedom Passport, or Adopting El Salvador, is a single-route citizenship program launched in late 2023 and administered through the government portal adoptingelsalvador.gob.sv. You make one non-refundable government contribution in Bitcoin or USDT, pass due-diligence screening, and receive citizenship — with no residency, language or interview requirement to obtain it.
In practice, the process is document-led rather than travel-led. You provide a valid passport, police clearance and proof of a legitimate source of funds, the contribution is made in crypto, and citizenship typically follows in around six weeks. It is a deliberately narrow, ultra-high-net-worth product capped at 1,000 citizenships a year. Message us on WhatsApp and we'll walk you through the steps for your profile.
No. El Salvador's Freedom Passport program has no residency requirement, no language test and no in-person interview to obtain the citizenship itself, as of June 2026. The route is designed to be completed remotely, with the government contribution paid in Bitcoin or USDT and citizenship typically granted in around six weeks.
That makes it one of the lower-friction programs to complete once you qualify. The work sits in the documentation and due-diligence screening, not in travel. A separate residency track does exist with its own physical-presence rules, but the citizenship contribution route stands apart from that. Check your eligibility — free assessment.
The El Salvador passport ranked around 39th globally in 2026, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 130 to 136 countries, including the full 29-state Schengen Area for short stays. Crucially, Schengen access is short-stay tourism only — 90 days in any 180-day period — and it is not a right to live, work or settle in the EU.
For most clients, that makes this a travel-and-diversification passport rather than a route into Europe. ETIAS pre-authorisation is expected to apply to Schengen entry from late 2026 onward, adding a pre-clearance step. We map exactly where the passport works for your travel pattern before you decide. Preparation is what separates a clean application — and preparation is assessable.
For El Salvador citizenship by investment, applications are prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners within our professional network. Cosmos Immigration coordinates eligibility assessment, documentation and case management — so you have one structured point of contact while the licensed specialists handle filing under Salvadoran law.
Yes. El Salvador's Freedom Passport program lets you include a spouse and dependent children under 18 alongside the main applicant, for a per-member administrative fee, as of June 2026. The exact family fee is set by the government and confirmed after assessment, and the same due-diligence screening applies to each adult included.
For most families, this means the main applicant and qualifying dependants can be structured into a single coordinated file. If your goal is to secure a second citizenship for your immediate family together, the structure works in your favour. We map exactly who can be included before you commit. Message us on WhatsApp to plan your family application.
All criteria and figures are set by the Government of El Salvador and are subject to change.
1. Schengen is short-stay travel only. The Salvadoran passport's Schengen benefit is visa-free short-stay travel — 90 days in any 180-day period — with ETIAS pre-authorisation expected from Q4 2026. It confers no right to live, work, study or settle in the EU or Schengen Area. Treat this as a second-citizenship and travel-diversification play, a genuine Plan B — not a route into Europe.
2. The contribution is non-refundable, and citizenship can be lost. The government contribution is structured as a donation and is not returned. The annual cap is 1,000 citizenships, and a five-year continuous-absence clause can trigger denaturalization. All figures are indicative and confirmed only after individual assessment. If you need a high-mobility European residence right rather than a travel passport, the honest conversation is whether El Salvador is the right fit at all — and we'll have it with you upfront.
El Salvador allows dual citizenship — but India does not. Under the Citizenship Act 1955 (section 9), an Indian citizen who voluntarily acquires Salvadoran citizenship automatically ceases to be an Indian citizen and must surrender their Indian passport, then obtain a Renunciation Certificate, typically within about three years. This is India's rule, not El Salvador's.
After renunciation, a former Indian national may apply for OCI status. Note that OCI is not citizenship; it is a long-term visa/status, per Ministry of Home Affairs rules. Funding the contribution from India is governed by the RBI Liberalised Remittance Scheme, currently USD 250,000 per person per financial year — a material constraint for a contribution of this size, which is the main practical obstacle for Indian applicants and needs professional structuring with your bank.
This is general information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Remittances are governed by RBI regulations under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme and your bank's compliance requirements — consult a qualified chartered accountant or your authorised dealer bank before moving funds.
← View all citizenship-by-investment programs on the CBI hub page.
Yes. El Salvador's citizenship-by-investment program — the "Freedom Passport," run through adoptingelsalvador.gob.sv — is open and accepting applications as of June 2026. It is capped at 1,000 citizenships a year, and reporting indicates intake has run below that ceiling, so the cap has not been a binding constraint to date.
El Salvador launched the Freedom Passport in late 2023 as the world's first crypto-denominated citizenship program. The single, non-refundable government contribution is paid in Bitcoin (BTC) or Tether (USDT) rather than traditional currency. Because it is crypto-denominated, the exact amount transferred depends on exchange rates on the funding day, which is why we verify the live figure before you commit.
For short stays, yes — the Salvadoran passport offers visa-free short-stay access to the Schengen Area, 90 days in any 180-day period, with ETIAS pre-authorisation expected from late 2026. But this is tourism travel only; it is not a right to live, work or settle in the EU. The passport reaches roughly 130 to 136 destinations overall and ranked around 39th globally in 2026.
El Salvador permits dual citizenship, so on its side you are not required to renounce your first nationality. However, your home country's rules may differ. Indian nationals, in particular, must surrender Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Act 1955 and obtain a Renunciation Certificate — see the India note above before proceeding.
Yes, you can apply, but with important consequences. Acquiring Salvadoran citizenship means automatically losing Indian citizenship and surrendering your Indian passport under the Citizenship Act 1955; OCI is available afterwards but is a long-term status, not citizenship. Funding from India follows the RBI Liberalised Remittance Scheme limit of USD 250,000 per person per year — a real constraint at this contribution level, so speak to a chartered accountant first.
Cosmos Immigration is a regulated immigration consultancy founded in Dubai in 2014, working through CICC-, MARA- and IAA-registered professionals, with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hyderabad and Oakville. For El Salvador citizenship by investment specifically — a program outside our directly licensed jurisdictions — applications are prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners within our professional network, while Cosmos coordinates your eligibility assessment, documentation and case management. You can check our registered credentials yourself, free, on the public registers. Verify Our Credentials
Cosmos Immigration is a private consultancy, not a government body. Program criteria and figures are set by the relevant governments and are subject to change; verified against official and industry sources as of the date shown.
Start with a free assessment, not a sales pitch — or message us on WhatsApp. We'll tell you honestly whether a Salvadoran second passport fits your goals — even if the answer is no.
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