Cost of Opening a Company in El Salvador
Dollarized economy, growing market · 4–8 weeks · NIT · Local director required
Est. Formation Cost
$600–$1,500 (One-time formation costs only)
Cost of Opening a Company in El Salvador
El Salvador is a dollarized economy with a streamlined Crea Empresa platform that auto-issues the NIT, NRC, and ISSS employer number in one step. The SAS (Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada) has a $1 minimum capital and a legislated fee waiver, making it the lowest-cost option. All costs below are third-party fees, separate from NavviPal's service fees.
Estimated Cost Breakdown
| Component | Description | Estimated Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNR Registration Fee (Registro de Comercio) | The Centro Nacional de Registros (CNR) charges $0.57 per $100 of declared capital, capped at approximately $11,428.57, plus a company operating license (matrícula de empresa). | $0.57 per $100 of capital (max ~$11,429); SAS: $1 with legislated fee waiver | One-time. The SAS fee waiver is a CNR incentive — approximately 70% of new SAS registrations pay just $1. |
| Notary (Escritura de Constitución) | A Salvadoran notary executes the escritura de constitución. The initial balance sheet must be certified by an external auditor. | $300–$600 USD | One-time. Professional rate; varies by notary and document complexity. |
| NIT, NRC & ISSS via Crea Empresa | The Crea Empresa platform (creaempresa.gob.sv) auto-issues the NIT (tax ID), NRC (VAT registration), and ISSS employer number in a single integrated process. | $0 government fee | One-time. The Crea Empresa platform significantly reduces the time and complexity of tax ID registration. |
| Mandatory External Audit (Initial Balance Sheet) | Salvadoran law requires an externally audited initial balance sheet at incorporation. | $200–$500 USD | One-time. Market rate for an independent auditor. |
| Minimum Capital | SA / SRL: $2,000 minimum capital, of which 5% must be deposited at incorporation (Código de Comercio reform, eff. 7 July 2022). SAS: $1 minimum. | SA/SRL: $2,000 (5% deposited at incorporation); SAS: $1 | Not a fee — this is contributed capital retained by the company. |
| Apostille & Sworn Translation of Foreign Documents | Foreign shareholder and corporate documents must be apostilled and translated into Spanish. | Apostille costs vary by issuing jurisdiction and document origin. | One-time. Scales with number of foreign shareholders. |
| Registered Address (Annual) | A registered Salvadoran address is required for CNR registration and Hacienda correspondence. | $600–$1,800 USD per year (market rate) | Market rate — not NavviPal's fee. Annual, recurring. |
Est. Formation Cost
$600–$1,500 USD
$600–$1,500 USD in one-time formation costs (CNR fee, notary, external audit, apostille, and translation). Registered address and accounting are additional recurring costs.
El Salvador is fully dollarized — all fees are in USD. No FX risk.
What Affects the Cost
Several variables can push your total formation cost toward the lower or upper end of these ranges:
Entity type — The SAS has a $1 minimum capital and a CNR fee waiver; an SA/SRL requires $2,000 minimum capital and the standard CNR fee schedule.
Declared capital — For SA/SRL, the CNR fee is $0.57 per $100 of declared capital. Higher capital increases the registration fee.
Number of foreign shareholders — More shareholders increase apostille, translation, and notary costs.
These are estimated third-party costs and do not include NavviPal's service fees. Actual costs may vary by notary and provider. Figures are for reference only and subject to change.
Get an Exact Quote for Your El Salvador Entity
These are estimated third-party costs. NavviPal can give you a precise, itemized quote for your specific structure, shareholder composition, and timeline.