El Salvador property terms, in English

The person elected by a condominium’s owners’ assembly to enforce the Reglamento de Administración, collect cuotas, order urgent repairs and keep the minutes book, under Article 33 of the condominium law.

The administrator is the person who can certify whether a unit is current on its cuotas. Article 31 requires the appointment to be published three times in the Diario Oficial and posted in the building directory. Until the assembly elects one, the building’s owner appoints or acts as administrator.

Ley de Propiedad Inmobiliaria por Pisos y Apartamientos (Decreto Ley 31, 1961)Buying a condo in El Salvador: the condominium law, the reglamento and the fees

A provisional entry in the Property Registry that warns third parties of a pending right or process affecting a property.

In a lotificación, Article 22 of the 2012 subdivision law has the approved project annotated on the mother property, which must be free of liens. The annotation stays in place if the developer sells the whole property, and the new owner takes on the obligations to lot buyers.

Ley Especial de Lotificaciones y Parcelaciones para Uso Habitacional (D.L. 993, 2012)Buying a lot in a lotificación in El Salvador: permits, matrícula and installment contracts

A certificate under the 1961 Hague Convention that authenticates the signature and seal on a public document so it can be used in another member country without consular legalization.

El Salvador and the United States are both parties. A power of attorney notarized in a US state is apostilled by that state’s designated authority, generally the Secretary of State, and then translated into Spanish for use in El Salvador.

HCCH: Apostille Convention status tableCan US citizens buy property in El Salvador? Article 109, the NIT, powers of attorney and wiring fundsBuying property in El Salvador from abroad: organize the people and paperwork

A sum given as a pledge that a sale will be concluded; under Article 1607 of the Civil Code, the giver may withdraw by losing it and the receiver by returning double.

The wording of the deposit clause decides the effect. If arras are expressly given as part of the price or as a sign that the deal is closed, Article 1609 treats the sale as agreed. If no deadline for withdrawal is set, Article 1608 ends the right to withdraw after two months.

Código Civil de El SalvadorHow to buy property in El Salvador: the purchase process step by step

The body of all unit owners in a condominium, which administers the common areas under the Reglamento de Administración (Article 25 of the condominium law).

Decisions generally need more than two thirds of the votes present representing at least three quarters of the building’s value (Article 32). Reading the last two years of assembly minutes shows special assessments, disputes and repairs before you buy.

Ley de Propiedad Inmobiliaria por Pisos y Apartamientos (Decreto Ley 31, 1961)Buying a condo in El Salvador: the condominium law, the reglamento and the fees

A free CNR service that emails a property owner when someone presents documents or starts a registry procedure affecting their property.

A May 2026 report describes enrolment with the matrícula, a DUI, an email address and an online CNR account. It is a useful step after closing; foreign owners should ask the CNR whether a passport can be used to enrol.

Diario El Mundo: CNR launches free registry alert service (May 2026)Property documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does not

The area of a property as stated in its title or contract; Article 1634 of the Civil Code distinguishes a sale by cabida from a sale as a cuerpo cierto (a specific whole).

In a sale by area, a difference worth more than one tenth of the price lets the buyer adjust the price or withdraw (Article 1635). In a sale as a whole there is no adjustment, but the seller must deliver everything within stated boundaries. These claims expire one year after delivery.

Código Civil de El SalvadorProperty documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does notBuying a lot in a lotificación in El Salvador: permits, matrícula and installment contracts

The Salvadoran public institution that runs the Property and Mortgages Registry and the national cadastre (Instituto Geográfico y del Catastro Nacional).

Every purchase ends at the CNR: the deed is presented there and recorded on the property’s matrícula. The CNR also issues the certifications a buyer orders before signing and offers an online lookup of a filing’s status by número de presentación.

CNR: Property and Mortgages Registry servicesHow to buy property in El Salvador: the purchase process step by stepHow to check property title in El Salvador

An official CNR cadastre record listing a parcel’s code, area, location, boundaries, registry history and owner or possessor.

It shows what the cadastre has on file, which may differ from the registry description or from the fences on the ground. Compare it with the deed and the certificación extractada before commissioning a survey.

CNR: Instituto Geográfico y del Catastro Nacional servicesProperty documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does notLand for sale in El Salvador: a buyer’s boundary and access checklist

A CNR certification summarizing a property’s matrícula: owner, share held, legal situation and documents in process.

It is the standard pre-purchase title check recommended by Invest in El Salvador. The CNR listed the fee at US$8.86 per matrícula as of October 2026. It speaks only for its issue date, so order a fresh one close to signing.

CNR: Property and Mortgages Registry servicesHow to check property title in El SalvadorProperty documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does not

A CNR certified copy of a specific recorded document, such as a deed, mortgage or easement.

Order one when the extract mentions an easement, mortgage or restriction and you need its exact wording. The fee depends on the number of pages.

CNR: Property and Mortgages Registry servicesProperty documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does notBuying property near El Tunco, El Zonte or El Sunzal: due diligence on the La Libertad coast

The map and parcel number the CNR cadastre assigns to each house, lot or plot.

With the matrícula, it is the most reliable way to tie documents to one parcel. Place names change (as they did in the 2024 municipal restructuring); the cadastral key does not depend on them.

CNR: Instituto Geográfico y del Catastro Nacional servicesProperty documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does notBuying property near El Tunco, El Zonte or El Sunzal: due diligence on the La Libertad coast

A person or company that sells lots in a lotificación; under Article 11 of the 2012 subdivision law only those listed in the public Registro de Desarrolladores Parcelarios may sell lots.

The registry includes the developer’s details and the full text of final sanction decisions. An installment contract must state the developer’s registration number (Article 14), and the developer and landowner are jointly liable to the buyer (Article 20).

Ley Especial de Lotificaciones y Parcelaciones para Uso Habitacional (D.L. 993, 2012)Buying a lot in a lotificación in El Salvador: permits, matrícula and installment contracts

A deed by which an owner divides a property into separate parcels that are each recorded, still in the owner’s name, with their own matrícula.

Article 4 of the 2012 subdivision law requires this step, after verification by the CNR’s cadastral maintenance office, before lots can be sold on installment terms. If only the mother property has a matrícula, the lot has not been individualized.

Ley Especial de Lotificaciones y Parcelaciones para Uso Habitacional (D.L. 993, 2012)Buying a lot in a lotificación in El Salvador: permits, matrícula and installment contracts

The identity document Salvadorans use to identify themselves in a sale deed; Invest in El Salvador refers to it as the homologated DUI.

Foreign buyers do not have a DUI. They are identified by passport or Salvadoran resident card plus a NIT. Some online CNR services are described with a DUI as the login document, so foreign owners should ask about alternatives.

Invest in El Salvador: Steps for a Foreigner to Purchase PropertyProperty documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does notCan US citizens buy property in El Salvador? Article 109, the NIT, powers of attorney and wiring funds

A deed authorized by a notary and entered in the notary’s protocolo; Article 1605 of the Civil Code makes a sale of real estate complete only once it is put in an escritura pública.

The sale deed (escritura pública de compraventa) identifies the parties, describes the property’s location, area and boundaries, states the price and payment method, and declares its lien status. It must be in Spanish, with an interpreter for a party who does not speak it.

Código Civil de El SalvadorHow to buy property in El Salvador: the purchase process step by stepProperty documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does not

The costs of repairing and maintaining a condominium’s common parts, insurance premiums and building-wide taxes, shared by owners in proportion to the value of their units (Article 18 of the condominium law).

Buyers usually hear them called cuotas. No owner can avoid them by giving up use of the common areas (Article 22), and unpaid building insurance premiums pass to a new owner (Article 19).

Ley de Propiedad Inmobiliaria por Pisos y Apartamientos (Decreto Ley 31, 1961)Buying a condo in El Salvador: the condominium law, the reglamento and the feesIs there property tax in El Salvador? What owners pay each year

The registry system, adopted by the 1986 registry restructuring law, under which records are kept by property rather than by owner, with every transaction on a property recorded in one place.

It is why a single matrícula can show a property’s full current status. Older records kept under the folio personal system are cited by inscription number, book and folios, which still appear in older deeds.

Ley de Reestructuración del Registro de la Propiedad Raíz e Hipotecas (D.L. 292, 1986)Property documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does not

A tax of 3% on the value of transferred real estate above US$28,571.43, paid by the buyer (as of October 2026).

The buyer files Hacienda form F09 and pays within 60 days of the deed. The registrar will not record the deed without the payment receipt or if the tax paid does not match the value stated in the deed.

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Real estate legally classified as rural rather than urban (urbano); the notary states the classification in the transfer documents.

The classification matters to foreign buyers: Article 109 of the Constitution bars foreigners from acquiring rural land if their country does not give Salvadorans equal rights, except land for industrial establishments. Ask your attorney how the parcel is classified.

Asamblea Legislativa: Constitution of El Salvador, Article 109Can US citizens buy property in El Salvador? Article 109, the NIT, powers of attorney and wiring fundsLand for sale in El Salvador: a buyer’s boundary and access checklist

A measured survey of a property’s boundaries, area and terrain prepared by a qualified professional, usually delivered as a plano (plan).

Registry and cadastral records describe a property; a survey measures it. Because area claims under the Civil Code expire one year after delivery, the time to commission a survey is before signing.

Ley Especial de Lotificaciones y Parcelaciones para Uso Habitacional (D.L. 993, 2012)Property documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does notLand for sale in El Salvador: a buyer’s boundary and access checklist

Under the 2012 subdivision law, a person who holds a lot in a lotificación under a paid contract.

The law gives lote-habientes rights that cannot be waived (Article 66), including assigning the contract, naming beneficiaries and receiving title within 30 days of full payment. The Defensoría del Consumidor can sanction developers who breach these rules.

Ley Especial de Lotificaciones y Parcelaciones para Uso Habitacional (D.L. 993, 2012)Buying a lot in a lotificación in El Salvador: permits, matrícula and installment contracts

The simultaneous or successive division of a property for commercial purposes when it can give rise to a population center (Article 3 of the 2012 subdivision law).

Lotificaciones for housing are governed by Legislative Decree 993 of 2012. Those developed and sold before 7 September 2012 without valid permits are regularized under Legislative Decree 805 of 2023.

Ley Especial de Lotificaciones y Parcelaciones para Uso Habitacional (D.L. 993, 2012)Buying a lot in a lotificación in El Salvador: permits, matrícula and installment contractsBuying property near El Tunco, El Zonte or El Sunzal: due diligence on the La Libertad coast

The single number under which a property is recorded in the CNR Property Registry; Article 7 of the 1986 registry restructuring law gives each property one matrícula.

Ask for the matrícula before anything else. It is needed to order a certificación extractada, to enrol in registry alerts, and, for a subdivision lot sold on installments, it must exist before the sale.

Ley de Reestructuración del Registro de la Propiedad Raíz e Hipotecas (D.L. 292, 1986)Property documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does notHow to check property title in El Salvador

The Salvadoran tax number issued by the Ministerio de Hacienda; foreign buyers need one to be identified in the sale deed.

Invest in El Salvador says a first NIT for a foreigner costs US$2.00 and is issued the same day, about 30 minutes after the passport and forms are accepted. An agent can apply with a translated and apostilled power of attorney.

Invest in El Salvador: Steps for a Foreigner to Purchase PropertyCan US citizens buy property in El Salvador? Article 109, the NIT, powers of attorney and wiring fundsBuying property in El Salvador from abroad: organize the people and paperwork

A public official delegated by the State to attest acts and contracts; only people authorized by the Corte Suprema de Justicia may act as notaries (Article 4 of the Ley de Notariado).

A Salvadoran notary does far more than a US notary public: the notary drafts and authorizes the sale deed, verifies the parties’ identities and the legality of the sale, and issues the testimonio. Salvadoran consuls can also act as notaries abroad (Article 5).

Ley de Notariado (D.L. 218, 1962)How to buy property in El Salvador: the purchase process step by stepCan US citizens buy property in El Salvador? Article 109, the NIT, powers of attorney and wiring funds

The number the CNR assigns to a document when it is presented for registration, used to look up the filing’s status online.

Ask the notary for it on the day of filing. The date of presentation is the date from which registration takes effect against third parties under Article 680 of the Civil Code.

CNR: registry filing status lookup (SIRYC)How to buy property in El Salvador: the purchase process step by step

A power of attorney granted for a specific act, such as signing the purchase of a named property.

A US buyer can grant one before a Salvadoran consul or a US notary; a US-notarized power needs an apostille and a Spanish translation. Ask the Salvadoran notary to draft the Spanish text so it covers the deed, taxes and registry filings.

Ley de Notariado (D.L. 218, 1962)Can US citizens buy property in El Salvador? Article 109, the NIT, powers of attorney and wiring fundsBuying property in El Salvador from abroad: organize the people and paperwork

A written promise to sign a sale deed later; under Article 1425 of the Civil Code it binds only if written, time-limited, and specific enough that only the formalities remain.

It is where the deposit, deadlines, conditions and cost split belong. A vague promise may not be enforceable, and the deposit clause decides whether the money is arras, part of the price or refundable.

Código Civil de El SalvadorHow to buy property in El Salvador: the purchase process step by step

The numbered books in which a notary writes the original deeds (escrituras matrices) of the acts authorized.

The original deed never leaves the protocolo except where the law allows (Article 28 of the Ley de Notariado). What you receive and present to the registry is a testimonio reproducing it.

Ley de Notariado (D.L. 218, 1962)Property documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does not

The bylaws of a condominium, executed by public deed and filed with the Property Registry, that bind all owners and their successors (Article 3 of the condominium law).

Article 26 requires it to cover use of common areas, how expenses are shared, the administrator’s powers and pay, and assembly rules. Amending it takes three quarters of owners representing three quarters of the value. Read it before planning a rental.

Ley de Propiedad Inmobiliaria por Pisos y Apartamientos (Decreto Ley 31, 1961)Buying a condo in El Salvador: the condominium law, the reglamento and the fees

A Ministerio de Hacienda certificate that a person has no outstanding tax obligations, or a non-taxpayer certificate where applicable.

Invest in El Salvador says the registry filing needs one for both buyer and seller when the price exceeds US$30,000. Article 39 of the Ley de Notariado requires the notary to warn the parties when a solvency is needed for registration.

Invest in El Salvador: Steps for a Foreigner to Purchase PropertyHow to buy property in El Salvador: the purchase process step by stepProperty documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does not

A municipality’s certificate that no municipal taxes are owed on a property; Article 89 of the Ley General Tributaria Municipal bars the registry from recording a transfer without it.

Since the 2024 restructuring it is issued by one of 44 municipalities, with the former municipality named as a district. It does not cover utility bills or condo cuotas, which need their own statements.

Ley General Tributaria Municipal (D.L. 86, 1991)Is there property tax in El Salvador? What owners pay each yearBuying property near El Tunco, El Zonte or El Sunzal: due diligence on the La Libertad coast

Charges a municipality sets by ordinance for services such as public lighting, garbage collection and paving (Articles 5 and 129 to 130 of the Ley General Tributaria Municipal).

El Salvador has no national annual property tax, so these fees are the main recurring public charge on a home. Amounts vary by municipality; ask for the property’s account statement and the ordinance that sets them.

Ley General Tributaria Municipal (D.L. 86, 1991)Is there property tax in El Salvador? What owners pay each year

The notary’s certified reproduction of an original deed kept in the protocolo (Article 2 of the Ley de Notariado), signed and sealed by the notary.

It is the document the buyer receives after signing and presents to the CNR. Unless agreed otherwise, the buyer pays for it (Article 1610 of the Civil Code). After registration it carries the registry’s recording note.

Ley de Notariado (D.L. 218, 1962)How to buy property in El Salvador: the purchase process step by stepProperty documents in El Salvador: what each one proves and what it does not