The escritura pública de compraventa is the notarial sale deed; the buyer receives a testimonio, the certified copy that is presented to the CNR. Registration in the CNR Property Registry, recorded on the property’s matrícula under the folio real system, is what makes the transfer effective against third parties. A certificación extractada summarizes the current owner, liens and pending filings for one matrícula, while a certificación literal reproduces a recorded document in full. None of these proves physical boundaries, which need the cadastral record and often a topographic survey.
What to keep in mind
- A testimonio proves a deed was signed; registration proves it was recorded.
- A certificación extractada is a snapshot dated the day it is issued.
- Boundaries come from cadastral records and surveys, not from the deed alone.
Escritura matriz, escritura pública and testimonio: what is the difference?
Article 2 of the Ley de Notariado defines three kinds of notarial instrument. The escritura matriz (original deed) is the one written in the notary’s protocolo, the bound register the notary keeps. The escritura pública or testimonio is the document that reproduces the escritura matriz. Actas notariales are notarial records not entered in the protocolo. Article 28 says the protocolo cannot be taken from the notary’s custody except where the law allows.
A testimonio proves that the parties signed the act before that notary on that date, with the content shown. It does not prove that the seller had good title, that the deed was registered, or that the property has no debts. Look for the registry’s recording note on the testimonio. Without it, you are holding a signed sale that has not yet reached the registry.
What are the matrícula and the folio real?
The Ley de Reestructuración del Registro de la Propiedad Raíz e Hipotecas (Legislative Decree 292 of 1986) adopted the folio real system. Article 5 says records are kept by property, not by owner, and every transaction affecting a given property is recorded in one place. Article 7 says each property has a single matrícula (registry number). The matrícula is the reference to ask for first.
Older records were kept by owner in the folio personal system, which Article 21 left in force for documents still recorded that way. That is why older deeds, and Hacienda’s transfer tax form, refer to an inscription number, book (libro) and folios. If the seller does not know the matrícula, the CNR says its offices have lookup terminals where staff help locate the registry history using references such as the deed’s folio number.
Ley de Reestructuración del Registro de la Propiedad Raíz e Hipotecas (D.L. 292, 1986)
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Certificación extractada or certificación literal?
The CNR describes the certificación extractada (extract certification) as a summary of the matrícula: the owner’s name, the percentage of the right held, the legal situation of the property and documents in process. It lists the fee at US$8.86 per matrícula as of October 2026, and it can be requested online. The certificación literal (literal certification) is a certified copy of a recorded document, such as the deed itself, and its fee depends on the number of pages.
Use the extract to see the current status, and the literal copy to read the exact wording of a deed, easement or mortgage. Both describe the registry only on the issue date. Neither shows unregistered agreements, possession by someone else, municipal debts, condo arrears or physical condition.
- Owner and share held
- Mortgages, attachments and annotations
- Documents presented and still in process
- Issue date (order a fresh one before signing)
What does a solvencia prove?
A solvencia municipal certifies that no municipal taxes are owed on the property as of its date. Article 89 of the Ley General Tributaria Municipal requires it for the registry to record a transfer or encumbrance. It says nothing about utility bills, condo cuotas, or private association fees.
A Hacienda solvency is about people, not the property. Invest in El Salvador says that when the price exceeds US$30,000, the registry filing needs a Hacienda tax clearance certificate for both buyer and seller, or a non-taxpayer certificate, as applicable. Article 39 of the Ley de Notariado requires the notary to warn the parties when such a solvency is needed.
Cadastral records: what does the CNR cadastre hold?
The cadastre is a separate branch of the CNR, the Instituto Geográfico y del Catastro Nacional. The CNR describes the certificación de denominación catastral (cadastral designation certificate) as an official record listing the parcel’s code, area, location, boundaries, registry history and the owner or possessor. Each house, lot or plot has a clave catastral (cadastral key), the map and parcel number assigned in the cadastre.
The cadastre also sells cadastral plans by sector and a digital perimeter file for a single parcel, and offers a plan review service. These records show what the cadastre has on file. They are not a fresh measurement, and their area may differ from the registry description or from what is fenced on the ground.
Plano and levantamiento topográfico: when do you need a survey?
A plano is a plan of the property; a levantamiento topográfico is a topographic survey that measures it. The Civil Code makes the difference between area and boundaries matter. Under Article 1634 a property can be sold by its area (cabida) or as a whole (cuerpo cierto). Under Article 1635, if sold by area and the real area differs from the stated area by more than one tenth of the price, the buyer may choose to adjust the price or withdraw.
Under Article 1636, a property sold as a whole carries no price adjustment for area, but if it is sold with stated boundaries the seller must deliver everything within them. Article 1637 gives only one year from delivery to bring these claims. If area or boundaries matter to your plans, commission a survey before signing, not after.
Identity numbers: DUI, NIT and passport
Invest in El Salvador lists how parties are identified in a sale deed. Salvadorans use the homologated DUI (Documento Único de Identidad). Foreigners use a passport or Salvadoran resident card plus a NIT (Número de Identificación Tributaria) issued by the Ministerio de Hacienda. Anyone acting through an agent adds a certified copy of the power of attorney.
Invest in El Salvador says a first NIT costs US$2.00 and is issued the same day, about 30 minutes after the documents are accepted. Names must match exactly across passport, NIT, promesa and deed. A missing middle name or a reversed surname is the kind of detail that sends a deed back from the registry.
- Salvadoran: DUI
- Foreigner: passport or resident card, plus NIT
- Representative: certified copy of the power of attorney
Invest in El Salvador: Steps for a Foreigner to Purchase Property
Which documents to ask for, and in what order?
Start with identification of the property, then its registry status, then its physical description, then the clearances. That order avoids paying for a survey of the wrong parcel. After closing, the CNR offers a free Aviso Registral service that emails the owner when someone presents documents affecting the property. A May 2026 report describes enrolment with the matrícula, a DUI, an email address and an online CNR account; foreign owners should ask the CNR whether a passport works.
Have a Salvadoran attorney or notary read the documents together. Each one is narrow. The value is in checking that they describe the same property, the same owner and the same area.
- Matrícula number and seller’s testimonio
- Fresh certificación extractada
- Certificación literal of easements or mortgages shown
- Certificación de denominación catastral
- Survey plan, if area or boundaries matter
- Solvencia municipal and, above US$30,000, Hacienda solvencies
Diario El Mundo: CNR launches free registry alert service (May 2026)
Common buyer questions
What is a testimonio in El Salvador?
A testimonio is the notary’s certified reproduction of the original deed kept in the notary’s protocolo, defined in Article 2 of the Ley de Notariado. It is the document presented to the CNR for registration.
What is the difference between a certificación extractada and a certificación literal?
The CNR’s certificación extractada summarizes a property’s current registry status: owner, share, liens and documents in process. A certificación literal is a certified copy of a specific recorded document.
What is a matrícula in the CNR?
It is the single registry number assigned to each property under the folio real system adopted by the 1986 registry restructuring law. All transactions on that property are recorded under it.
Does the deed prove the property boundaries?
No. The deed describes location, area and boundaries as the parties stated them. Cadastral records and a topographic survey show how that description fits the ground.
Sources and editorial notes
- Ley de Notariado (D.L. 218, 1962)
Defines escritura matriz, testimonio and protocolo (Art. 2), lets Salvadoran consuls act as notaries abroad (Art. 5) and governs testimonios (Arts. 43 and 44).
- Ley de Reestructuración del Registro de la Propiedad Raíz e Hipotecas (D.L. 292, 1986)
Adopts the folio real system (Art. 5) and one matrícula per property (Art. 7).
- CNR: Property and Mortgages Registry services
Official descriptions of registry records, including literal and extract certifications.
- Ley General Tributaria Municipal (D.L. 86, 1991)
Framework law for municipal taxes and fees. Art. 5 defines tasas, Arts. 129 to 131 list taxable services, Art. 89 No. 4 bars registration without municipal tax solvency.
- CNR: Instituto Geográfico y del Catastro Nacional services
Official description of cadastral products such as the certificación de denominación catastral and plan review. URL confirmed through search results.
- Código Civil de El Salvador
Arts. 667, 680 and 683 (registration and third parties), 1425 (promise to contract), 1605 to 1610 (sale formalities, arras, costs) and 1634 to 1637 (sale by area or as a whole).
- Invest in El Salvador: Steps for a Foreigner to Purchase Property
Official overview of the foreign-buyer process. Confirm the current requirements with your Salvadoran professional.
- Diario El Mundo: CNR launches free registry alert service (May 2026)
News report on the Aviso Registral email alert service and how owners enrol.
Official references consulted October 12, 2026. Check current requirements with the responsible professional.
Prepared by PropertyProof editorial as a buyer checklist. No property has been reviewed for this article. Property-specific legal or technical conclusions require qualified professionals; professional legal review of this content is pending.
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