21 CBI. The Bitcoin Standard of Citizenship.
The only CBI program built around Bitcoin as a sovereign strategic asset. Pay in Bitcoin. Your passport in 6–8 weeks.
Updated:
Bitcoin Accepted. 5% Advisory Fee. 100% Remote Process.
Most CBI programs sell access.
El Salvador sells alignment. The Freedom Passport is the only citizenship by investment program on Earth where the sovereign government holds Bitcoin on its balance sheet, accepts BTC or USDT as the settlement asset, and runs the first national Bitcoin Office. The $1,000,000 contribution is the highest in the lineup, and the program is structurally for Bitcoiners whose conviction is a position, not a hobby.
See the Freedom PassportThe most Bitcoin-aligned sovereign on the planet and the world’s first Bitcoin-friendly citizenship. Non-CRS reporting posture. Zero Salvadoran capital gains tax on qualifying Bitcoin transactions for foreign investors; tax residence and investor status determine your specific obligations. El Salvador sits on the Pacific coast of Central America: the region’s smallest republic, a CA-4 free movement member, and home to the only government-operated Bitcoin office in the world. Dollarized since 2001. No local currency, no conversion risk for USD-denominated capital.
The legacy economy runs on textiles, agriculture, and coffee. The Bitcoin chapter is newer, and for Bitcoiners, more relevant. Since 2021, El Salvador has become the most visible sovereign Bitcoin jurisdiction in the world: the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender (2021 through early 2025; now a Bitcoin-aligned jurisdiction with voluntary acceptance under the 2025 amendments), the first to run state-backed Bitcoin mining, and the first to stand up a dedicated Bitcoin Office under the Presidency. For founders and entrepreneurs building in Bitcoin, El Salvador offers a licensing framework for digital-asset issuers (LEAD, 2023), a dollarized operating environment, sovereign Bitcoin reserves, and the only regulatory regime designed around Bitcoin as a national strategic asset.
There is one pathway to citizenship: the Freedom Passport, launched December 7, 2023 under the ‘Adopting El Salvador’ initiative. A $1,000,000 single-applicant contribution ($999,001 government donation plus a $999 application fee per applicant), paid in Bitcoin (BTC) or USDT. No fiat accepted. Processing: 6 to 8 weeks. The only El Salvador passport by investment pathway, handled through The Bitcoin Office in coordination with the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME). No residency requirement. No in-country visit. No language test. The program is capped at 1,000 participants per year. 21 CBI is a licensed agent of The Bitcoin Office, authorized to submit and process applications.
For Bitcoiners seeking a second passport with Bitcoin, the combination El Salvador offers does not exist anywhere else at any price: sovereign Bitcoin alignment, Non-CRS status, and visa-free Schengen access in a single passport. 21 CBI offers no other program under $400K that carries Schengen access and is Non-CRS. No other CBI program in the world is administered by a national Bitcoin Office. The Salvadoran passport ranks #33 globally, with 131 visa-free and visa-on-arrival destinations: the entire Schengen Area, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong among them. One Bitcoin-native passport, in a Non-CRS jurisdiction, with Schengen access. No other program combines those three.
Capital
San Salvador
Population
~6.3 million
Language
Spanish
Currency
US Dollar (USD); Bitcoin (BTC) widely accepted
Timezone
UTC-6 (CST)
Climate
Tropical / Volcanic Highland
Government
Presidential Republic
CA-4 Member
Yes
El Salvador dollarized on January 1, 2001 under President Francisco Flores, when the Monetary Integration Act retired the Salvadoran colón (at a fixed rate of 8.75 colones per US dollar) and made the US dollar the country’s official legal tender. That baseline has not moved in 25 years. The US dollar remains the primary currency of circulation, with Bitcoin being widely accepted. From 2021 through early 2025, Bitcoin ran as a parallel legal tender under the Bitcoin Law. Under the 2025 amendments, acceptance became voluntary while the government retained sovereign Bitcoin reserves and the 0% capital gains provision for foreign investors. The timeline below traces the Bitcoin chapter.
Bitcoin adopted as parallel legal tender under the Bitcoin Law
IMF Extended Fund Facility agreed at staff level ($1.4B, 40 months; Executive Board approval February 2025)
Bitcoin Law amended (Decree 53 package). Acceptance becomes voluntary. Legal-tender status removed. 0% capital gains for foreign investors retained.
Government holds approximately 7,641 BTC in sovereign reserves (as of May 2026). USD remains sole legal tender.
Sovereign Bitcoin alignment, Schengen access, and Non-CRS privacy. The numbers speak for themselves.
The only CBI passport issued by a nation-state with Bitcoin on its balance sheet, operated by a national Bitcoin Office, and funded exclusively in Bitcoin (BTC) or USDT. No fiat accepted. 21 CBI is a Licensed Agent of The Bitcoin Office of El Salvador under official government certification. No other program in the world is built this way.
Zero capital gains tax on Bitcoin for foreign investors. Zero income tax on BTC holdings. Zero inheritance tax. Zero wealth tax. For non-resident citizens, foreign-sourced income is untaxed. At the $1,000,000 tier, the tax savings on a single large Bitcoin sale can exceed the full cost of the program. Consult a qualified tax advisor regarding your specific situation.
El Salvador does not participate in the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), the OECD’s framework for automatic exchange of financial account information. Your financial account information is not automatically shared with foreign tax authorities through CRS channels. Among CBI programs with Schengen access, El Salvador is the only Non-CRS option; Vanuatu, Türkiye, and Malta are all CRS participants. Non-CRS status does not eliminate reporting obligations in your country of tax residence; we walk you through the implications during your strategy call.
Visa-free and visa-on-arrival access to all 29 Schengen Area countries, plus Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong. 131 total destinations. Ranked #33 on the Henley Passport Index. The only CBI passport that combines Schengen access, Non-CRS status, and sovereign Bitcoin alignment in one passport. No Caribbean program carries this combination. No European program carries it either.
.svg){kind=icon}
Government processing takes 6 to 8 weeks from complete application submission to passport in hand. At the $1,000,000 tier, no other program processes faster. Türkiye takes 4 to 6 months. Malta takes 12 to 24 months. Biometric enrollment is handled at Salvadoran consulates in El Salvador, Los Angeles, or Seville; additional consular locations for the Gulf region have been announced. Speed at this price point is the exception, not the rule.
The $999,001 government donation is flat across family size; only the $999 application fee scales per applicant. A single applicant pays the headline $1,000,000; a family of four pays $1,002,997. Children born after citizenship is granted automatically receive Salvadoran citizenship by descent. One donation, multiple passports, generational reach.
The Adopting El Salvador framework limits Freedom Passport approvals to 1,000 per year. The cap is a feature, not a bug; it lets the Bitcoin Office run real due diligence on every file. It also means approvals are not first-come-first-served on application; they are first-cleared-first-issued. We track the running count and tell you on the strategy call where the current cohort stands.
| Feature | El Salvador | Vanuatu | São Tomé & Príncipe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin on sovereign balance sheet | Yes | No | No |
| BTC/USDT-only government payment | Yes | No (fiat accepted) | No (fiat accepted) |
| Government Bitcoin mining | Yes (geothermal) | No | No |
| Licensed Bitcoin Office agent (21 CBI) | Yes | N/A | N/A |
| Non-CRS jurisdiction | Yes | No (CRS participant) | Yes |
| Capital gains on Bitcoin | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Digital asset regulatory framework | CNAD | No dedicated framework | No dedicated framework |
At the $1M tier, you are not just buying a passport. You are aligning with the only sovereign that has put Bitcoin on its balance sheet, mines it with volcanoes, and built a government office to run it.
Tell us about your situation. We’ll assess your eligibility and map your optimal pathway. No commitment.
Begin Your SovereigntyGovernment Contribution
$1,000,000
$999,001 one-time donation plus $999 per applicant. Non-refundable contribution to El Salvador’s Government Development Fund, settled in Bitcoin (BTC) or USDT. Family-of-four math and live BTC equivalents in the calculator and breakdown below.
Processing Time
6–8 weeks
From complete application submission to passport in hand: 6 to 8 weeks. Includes document preparation, due diligence, approval, and passport delivery.
21 CBI Advisory Fee
$49,950
5% of the $999,001 government contribution. No hidden costs; advisory fee payable in BTC, Lightning, USDT, or fiat.
Visa-Free Destinations
131
Including the entire Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong. United States access requires the standard B-1/B-2 visa. Verified against the Henley Passport Index, April 13, 2026.
Passport Validity
6 years
Renewable every 6 years at any Salvadoran embassy or consulate worldwide, in person or through a consular appointment. Citizenship itself is permanent and passes to your children by descent. One in-country visit every 5 years is required to maintain the genuine link with El Salvador that underpins passport renewal.
| Fee Component | Individual | Couple | Family of 3 | Family of 4 | Each Add’l |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Government Donation (BTC/USDT) | $999,001 | $999,001 | $999,001 | $999,001 | $0 (flat) |
Government Processing Fee ($999/person) | $999 | $1,998 | $2,997 | $3,996 | $999 |
21 CBI Advisory Fee (5%) | $49,950 | $49,950 | $49,950 | $49,950 | $0 (flat) |
| Total Estimated Cost | $1,049,950 | $1,050,949 | $1,051,948 | $1,052,947 | $999 |
● 21 CBI charges a flat 5% advisory fee on the government contribution only, compared to the 15 to 25% typically charged by traditional CBI firms.
The $999 government processing fee is charged per person, including the main applicant, and covers all third-party costs: legal, due diligence, certification, courier, passport issuance, and national ID. The 5% advisory fee is calculated on the $999,001 government contribution. All government contributions must be paid in Bitcoin (BTC) or USDT; no fiat accepted. All figures in USD. For live BTC/sats equivalents, use the calculator above. BTC rates shift; static sats figures go stale quickly.
Unlike programs with multiple investment routes, tiered pricing, and real estate lock-ups, the Freedom Passport is deliberately simple. One contribution. One pathway. One price.
There is no real estate to manage from 6,000 miles away. No bond maturity to track. No refund application after five years. You contribute $1,000,000 in BTC or USDT, and you receive permanent, hereditary citizenship for your entire family. The simplicity is the feature.
Get a personalized quote and pathway recommendation. No commitment.
Schedule a Strategy CallWe assess your profile, run a preliminary compliance review, and prepare your full Freedom Passport application. Any flags surface here, not at The Bitcoin Office’s desk. Family composition review, cost estimate with live Bitcoin rate quote, and complete documents checklist provided up front. Engagement begins with the $49,950 advisory fee (5% of the $999,001 government contribution) and the $999 per-person processing fee.
1 weekYour application enters screening through The Bitcoin Office and DGME. International criminal database checks, sanctions screening, source of funds verification, and AML/CTF compliance review. No in-country visit required during this phase. We monitor progress and keep you informed throughout the entire process.
2 to 3 weeksThe Bitcoin Office issues approval notification. Transfer the remaining balance of $999,001 as the government contribution in Bitcoin (BTC) or USDT to the designated government wallet. No fiat accepted. On-chain settlement confirms in minutes; the bottleneck at this stage is government acknowledgment, not banking rails. Payment processed through our authorized legal channel. Oath of Allegiance documentation prepared.
1 to 2 weeksSalvadoran citizenship certificate, 6-year biometric passport, and national ID issued. Citizenship is permanent and hereditary. Biometrics are collected post-issuance at a Salvadoran consulate (El Salvador, Los Angeles, or Seville; additional Gulf-region locations announced). One in-country visit every 5 years is then required to maintain the passport: a genuine-link requirement that anchors your citizenship to the country, not just to paperwork. Post-approval onboarding: passport renewal guidance, dual citizenship notes, and consular services access.
1 to 2 weeksTotal Duration: approximately 6 to 8 weeks from initial engagement to passport in hand.
We do not pre-approve Bitcoin Office due diligence. We are a licensed agent under Director Stacy Herbert’s authorization, not the screening authority. Files survive or fail on their own merit; we file the strongest possible package and the Bitcoin Office decides.
We do not propose ways around the BTC/USDT-only requirement. The settlement asset is the program. If you want to convert from fiat first, that conversion happens before we engage; we do not coordinate it for you.
We do not rush the on-chain provenance package. The $999,001 contribution requires a complete UTXO-level history of the source funds; we will not file a thin source-of-wealth narrative because the timeline pressure is yours, not ours.
We do not pretend governance risk is zero. El Salvador’s Bitcoin policy has shifted under IMF negotiations and could shift again. The $1,000,000 contribution is irreversible; we walk you through the policy timeline before you commit.
Lawful financial privacy, by sovereign design.
Privacy is not a privilege granted by institutions. It is a right defended through mathematics and jurisdiction.
El Salvador is one of a small number of countries that has not adopted the OECD Common Reporting Standard. For Bitcoiners, this is a structural feature, not a loophole. Your financial life under a Freedom Passport is governed by El Salvador’s sovereign framework, not by a multilateral reporting regime built for a pre-Bitcoin world.
The Common Reporting Standard is an OECD framework under which participating jurisdictions automatically exchange account-holder data; balances, interest, dividends, and sale proceeds, with each other’s tax authorities. Over 120 jurisdictions participate: most of the EU, the UK, Canada, Australia, and every major offshore center that once traded on privacy.
El Salvador does not.
Your home-country reporting still applies. Non-CRS status in El Salvador does not eliminate obligations in your country of tax residence. US citizens remain subject to FATCA and worldwide income reporting regardless of additional citizenship. Work with a qualified cross-border tax advisor on your specific situation.
Sovereign policy can change. El Salvador’s current Non-CRS posture is policy, not a treaty guarantee. 21 CBI updates this page when material changes occur.
Tell us about your situation. We’ll assess your eligibility and map your optimal pathway. No commitment.
Begin Your SovereigntyTwo agreements. One passport. CA-4 moves people across four Central American countries without immigration formalities. CAFTA-DR moves goods, services, and capital between El Salvador, the United States, and four other partners under preferential terms.
CAFTA-DR is a US free trade agreement binding the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. In force for El Salvador since 2006. The agreement eliminates or reduces tariffs on most goods, opens services markets, and provides investment protections, including investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS).
For Freedom Passport holders, CAFTA-DR is the commercial layer under the citizenship. A Salvadoran entity exporting goods or services to the US trades under preferential tariffs and codified investor protections, not default WTO terms. Combined with El Salvador’s 0% capital gains on Bitcoin transactions and Non-CRS status, the citizenship carries treaty-backed access to the US market.
For a Freedom Passport holder incorporating in El Salvador, CAFTA-DR provides treaty-backed investment protections across six markets: the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. That means investor-state dispute resolution, national treatment provisions (your Salvadoran entity receives the same legal treatment as a domestic company in each member state), and most-favored-nation protections.
In practice: a Bitcoiner who forms a Salvadoran entity can operate across the CAFTA-DR zone with treaty-level protection against expropriation, discriminatory taxation, and arbitrary regulatory action. This is jurisdictional architecture at the trade-agreement level.
For entity formation in El Salvador or Wyoming, BitWY handles the incorporation side of the stack.
Six to eight weeks of processing. Headline $1,000,000 single-applicant tier ($999,001 government donation plus $999 application fee). Settled in Bitcoin or USDT. Filed by the only firm built around Bitcoin from the founding. The Adopting El Salvador framework caps approvals at 1,000 per year; we tell you on the strategy call where the current cohort stands.
Low time preference does not mean no action. It means making the right move at the right time.
Encrypted. No obligation. No payment required to start the conversation.
Adam Juchniewicz, CEO, 21 CBI. Licensed agent of The Bitcoin Office of El Salvador. Authorization by Director Stacy Herbert, valid February 27, 2026 through February 26, 2027.
We are a licensed agent of The Bitcoin Office of El Salvador, authorized to process Freedom Passport applications end-to-end. Our government certification covers agency services, application submission, and direct coordination with the program administrators.
Signed by Stacy Herbert, Director of The Bitcoin Office. Sealed by the Oficina Nacional del Bitcoin del Gobierno de El Salvador. This is not a partnership claim or a marketing badge. It is a government-issued license with annual compliance renewal. Your application goes through an authorized channel.
License validity: February 27, 2026 through February 26, 2027. Renewed annually under Bitcoin Office compliance review.
Legal Basis: Legislative Decree No. 918 and No. 286, administered by the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería in coordination with The Bitcoin Office of El Salvador. Freedom Passport launched December 7, 2023; capped at 1,000 participants per year.
On September 7, 2021, El Salvador became the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender alongside the US Dollar. The Ley Bitcoin (Bitcoin Law) set the legal framework for Bitcoin integration into the national economy, and the Oficina Nacional del Bitcoin (National Bitcoin Office) followed under President Nayib Bukele to coordinate national Bitcoin policy. Geothermal-powered mining operations launched from the country’s volcanoes. The state began accumulating a strategic Bitcoin reserve. Within two years, El Salvador became the most visible sovereign Bitcoin jurisdiction in the world.
For Bitcoiners, this mattered because it stopped being theoretical. A sovereign was running Bitcoin infrastructure at the state level: mining, reserves, legal tender status, a dedicated policy office. No other country had committed at this depth. The regulatory environment that would produce the Freedom Passport was being built in real time.
The Freedom Passport launched on December 7, 2023, under the ‘Adopting El Salvador’ initiative. Operated by The Bitcoin Office in coordination with DGME, the program requires a $1,000,000 single-applicant contribution ($999,001 government donation plus a $999 application fee per applicant), paid in Bitcoin (BTC) or USDT. No fiat accepted. Processing: 6 to 8 weeks. Capped at 1,000 participants per year. The first CBI program in the world funded exclusively in Bitcoin.
The $1,000,000 entry point positions El Salvador at the premium tier of CBI programs globally. At this threshold, the program is not competing with Vanuatu ($130K) or São Tomé ($90K) on cost. It is competing on signal: the only CBI passport backed by a sovereign Bitcoin reserve, operated by a national Bitcoin Office, funded exclusively in Bitcoin (BTC) or USDT. The annual cap creates a structural constraint that donation-based programs do not have. Programs get more expensive, not cheaper. Every CBI threshold increase in history has been upward.
In early 2025, Bitcoin’s legal tender status was adjusted: business acceptance of BTC became voluntary rather than mandatory. Bitcoin retains full legal backing and zero capital gains treatment. The shift is a pragmatic refinement of policy, not a retreat. El Salvador’s commitment to Bitcoin as a strategic national asset is unchanged: the Bitcoin reserve continues to grow, The Bitcoin Office remains operational, and the Freedom Passport continues to process applications exclusively in Bitcoin (BTC) or USDT.
Currently, the Freedom Passport is open and accepting applications under the 2025 amended framework. 21 CBI (Bitcitizen LLC) is a Licensed Agent of The Bitcoin Office, authorized by Director Stacy Herbert to provide agency services and process Freedom Passport applications. Certification is valid February 27, 2026 through February 26, 2027. The fundamentals are intact: the only Bitcoin-native CBI in the world, Non-CRS, zero capital gains on Bitcoin, 131 visa-free destinations including the entire Schengen Area, 100% remote process. For Bitcoiners who want a passport that represents sovereign Bitcoin alignment at the highest level, no other program sits in this category.
El Salvador is the only sovereign that has put Bitcoin on its balance sheet, regulated digital assets through a published licensing regime, and built government infrastructure designed to outlast any single administration.
Bitcoin held legal tender status in El Salvador from September 7, 2021 until early 2025, when business acceptance became voluntary rather than mandatory. BTC retains full legal backing, zero capital gains treatment for foreign investors, and remains widely used alongside the US Dollar. The shift is a pragmatic refinement of policy, not a retreat from Bitcoin as a national strategic asset.
A government institution established under President Nayib Bukele to coordinate national Bitcoin policy and Licensed Agent oversight for the Freedom Passport. Director Stacy Herbert heads the office and signs all agent authorizations. 21 CBI (Bitcitizen LLC) is a Licensed Agent of The Bitcoin Office, authorized February 27, 2026 through February 26, 2027. No other citizenship program in the world is administered by a national Bitcoin Office.
El Salvador holds Bitcoin as a national strategic asset, accumulated through direct treasury purchases and state-backed mining. As of May 2026, the reserve stands at approximately 7,641 BTC and is publicly tracked on-chain at a government-disclosed address (https://bitcoin.gob.sv): a sovereign balance sheet you can verify yourself, block by block. No other nation has committed to Bitcoin at the treasury level with this degree of openness.
El Salvador operates state-backed Bitcoin mining powered by geothermal energy from its volcanoes: a rare combination of sovereign-scale infrastructure and clean, dispatchable power. The operation contributes directly to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and signals a long-horizon commitment to Bitcoin infrastructure. For founders building on Bitcoin, the regulatory and energy stack is built to outlast any single administration.
El Salvador’s Comisión Nacional de Activos Digitales (CNAD), the national regulator for digital assets, licenses and supervises Digital Asset Service Providers under the Ley de Emisión de Activos Digitales (LEAD), enacted in January 2023. Licensed entities can legally issue, custody, and trade digital assets under CNAD supervision, with published rules and a known legal perimeter. For Bitcoin-native founders, this is the only sovereign jurisdiction that pairs CBI access with a functioning digital asset licensing regime.
Citizenship enables direct business formation in El Salvador and opens the CA-4 free movement zone with Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua: four countries, one passport, zero immigration friction for regional operations. El Salvador also maintains bilateral investment treaties with the UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Panama, and Uruguay, plus a full Double Taxation Agreement with Spain. For founders serving Latin American markets from a Bitcoin-aligned base, no other jurisdiction stacks this way.
Bitcoin-Native Pricing
See exactly what your El Salvador citizenship costs in Bitcoin. Live pricing. No hidden fees; just our transparent 5% advisory fee.
Our advisory fee is payable in Bitcoin (on-chain, Lightning, or USDT). The $999,001 government contribution must be paid in BTC or USDT; no fiat accepted for the government contribution. Fiat bank transfer and credit cards accepted for the advisory fee only. We coordinate the full payment logistics on your behalf.
Main Applicant
Always included
Spouse
$999 application fee; no additional government contribution
Minor Children
$999 application fee per child; no additional government contribution
Adult Dependents
Parents and grandparents; $999 application fee each
Receive a detailed breakdown for your records.
We’ll send your quote and add you to our mailing list. Unsubscribe anytime.
The $999 per-person application fee covers due diligence, passport issuance, and national ID. Unlike Vanuatu and São Tomé, El Salvador bundles these items into a single administrative fee. The government contribution is flat across family size; only the per-person application fee scales.
Nationals of the following countries are not eligible for the El Salvador Freedom Passport. This list reflects the official program framework; OFAC-sanctioned individuals are also ineligible regardless of nationality.
We list restrictions upfront. The same principle Satoshi applied to money, we apply to advisory: verifiable, not trust-based. If your situation is ambiguous, send an inquiry for an honest assessment.
Document requirements may vary by applicant circumstances. 21 CBI coordinates all document preparation, translation, and apostille requirements as part of our advisory service.
Legally married spouse files on the same Freedom Passport application with proof of shared address and apostilled marriage certificate. Included in the $999,001 government contribution; the $999 processing fee is the only marginal cost. Same passport, same Schengen access, same hereditary citizenship.
Can be added to application
Children under 18 are automatically included on the Freedom Passport application; each adds $999 to the processing fee. Adult children 18 to 25 who remain financially dependent and enrolled full-time in accredited education file as dependents under the same structure.
Can be added to application
Your parents and grandparents who are financially dependent on you can be added to the application; each adds $999 to the processing fee. Once approved, they receive Salvadoran citizenship and the same #33 passport with Schengen Area access.
$999/add’l dependent
New spouse must be added at initial application; the program does not allow post-approval spouse additions. Other dependents: $999 each, no headcount cap. Newborns to a Salvadoran citizen receive automatic citizenship by descent, anywhere in the world. Hereditary, generational, untethered to residence.
Flexible additionsAnswer 3 quick questions. We will tell you if you qualify and show you the numbers for your situation.
0%
Zero capital gains tax on Bitcoin for non-resident citizens and foreign investors. Sell, trade, or convert your stack without triggering a tax liability to El Salvador. Other digital assets fall under CNAD’s LEAD framework and may be taxed differently.
0%
Foreign investors and non-resident citizens pay zero income tax on Bitcoin-sourced income. El Salvador does not tax foreign-sourced income for non-residents.
0%
Pass your Bitcoin and wealth to future generations with zero inheritance or estate taxes. No wealth transfer levies.
0%
No value-added tax on Bitcoin transactions. Buy, sell, and transfer BTC without triggering the 13% VAT that applies to other goods and services in El Salvador.
USD
El Salvador has been fully dollarized since 2001. No local currency, no conversion risk, no FX fees. Your gains are denominated in the dominant global reserve currency.
Non-CRS
El Salvador does not participate in the Common Reporting Standard (CRS). Financial account information is not automatically shared with foreign tax authorities through CRS channels. The implications depend on your specific situation; we walk you through them during your strategy call.
A US-based Bitcoiner selling 10 BTC at $75K each with a $23K cost basis realizes $520K in taxable gains. At the top federal rate (23.8% including NIIT), that’s $124K+ in federal taxes alone, before state taxes. With a second citizenship, proper structuring, and a long-term relocation strategy, that tax burden can be reduced dramatically or even eliminated entirely.
With El Salvador’s zero capital gains tax on Bitcoin, that $124K stays in your stack. For a holder with 100 BTC and a $23K average cost basis, a full exit at $75K produces approximately $5.2M in taxable gains and roughly $1.2M in federal tax liability at the top US rate. At that scale, El Salvador’s zero capital gains structure is the core reason the Freedom Passport exists. Projected tax outcomes are estimates and are not guaranteed. Outcomes depend on individual circumstances, residency status, and source-country obligations (including US worldwide taxation for citizens). Consult a qualified cross-border tax advisor regarding your specific situation.
One Full Double Tax Agreement (DTA). Six Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs).
A Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) is a state-to-state agreement that protects investors of one country against nationalization, expropriation, and discriminatory tax treatment in the other signatory country. A Double Tax Agreement (DTA) is the tax-specific instrument; it prevents the same income being taxed twice across jurisdictions.
El Salvador’s DTA with Spain blocks double taxation on investment income flowing between the two jurisdictions. The six BITs extend investor protection into the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Panama, and Uruguay. Layer in the CA-4 Central American tax cooperation framework, and your treaty footprint spans three continents.
Treaty-level protection, not goodwill. That is jurisdictional architecture.
Blocks double taxation on investment income flowing between El Salvador and Spain.
Investor protection against nationalization, expropriation, and discriminatory tax treatment.
Investment protection with international arbitration rights.
Investment protection treaty; common counterpart for Dutch holding structures.
Investment protection treaty; relevant for Luxembourg SPV and fund vehicles.
Regional investment protection across Central America.
Investment protection into the Mercosur economic zone.
The Salvadoran passport reaches 131 destinations without a visa or with visa-on-arrival, including the entire Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong. United States access is visa-required (B-1/B-2 standard process). Verified against the Henley Passport Index, April 13, 2026.
Source: Henley Passport Index, verified April 13, 2026 (opens in new window)
The El Salvador passport is the only CBI passport backed by a nation-state with Bitcoin on its balance sheet. With visa-free access to the entire Schengen Area, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and 131 total destinations, it offers global mobility combined with sovereign Bitcoin alignment that no other program can match.
Showing 50 of 131 destinations
The CA-4 Border Control Agreement (2006) binds El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua into a single free-movement zone. Member-state citizens cross the shared borders with an ID or passport; no visa applications, entry stamps, or residence permits. As a El Salvador citizen, you can enter, reside, and work across all four countries under one citizenship.
Roughly 37 million people. The economic profile is dollarized trade corridors, agriculture, textiles, tourism, and a growing services sector. These are developing economies, not an EU-scale single market. The value is operating access: for founders, remote operators, and investors working across Central America, one passport covers the footprint.
Legal basis: CA-4 Border Control Agreement, signed 2006. Scope:
free movement of member-state nationals across El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
If full EU citizenship is the goal, Malta delivers a Schengen passport with 184 visa-free destinations via a discretionary, merit-based naturalisation framework. MPRP residency from €169,000; Citizenship by Merit is case-by-case and never guaranteed.
Processing
12–24 months
Destinations
184 countries
Capital gains
Varies
If US market access is a priority, Türkiye’s $400,000 real estate investment grants access to the E‑2 investor visa; a direct pathway to live and work in the United States. ~113 visa-free destinations including Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.
Processing
4–6 months
Destinations
113 countries
Capital gains
0% (5yr)
You’re currently viewing: El Salvador, from $1,000,000 · 131 Destinations · 6–8 weeks
Bitcoin-aligned sovereignty is the differentiator. If you want a faster file at lower cost, Vanuatu and São Tomé deliver passports in 30 to 60 days and ~6 to 8 weeks respectively. If you want EU citizenship, Malta is the only framework that delivers it.
Choose El Salvador if you hold significant Bitcoin wealth, you want a Non-CRS jurisdiction that treats BTC as the settlement asset rather than a compliance problem, and the $1,000,000 tier is within the range of what your stack can deploy without compromising your structure. If you need a faster file at lower cost, Vanuatu and São Tomé deliver passports in 30 to 60 days and roughly 6 to 8 weeks respectively. If you need US market access, Türkiye’s E‑2 treaty is the framework. If you want full EU citizenship, Malta is the only framework that delivers it. El Salvador is for the Bitcoiner who will not pay $1,000,000 for any other program because no other program is built around Bitcoin at the sovereign level.
