Company Registration in El Salvador, Step by Step

Before you file

• Salvadoran shareholders need a DUI linked with the Ministry of Finance; foreign individuals and foreign companies need a Salvadoran NIT.
• Foreign shareholders who cannot sign in El Salvador can act through a special power of attorney, apostilled in their own country.
• Choose the company form. A S.A. de C.V. needs at least USD 2,000 of capital, with 5% paid at incorporation; a S.A.S. can start from $1.
• Decide who runs the company: a board of directors or a sole administrator, each with alternates, for terms of one to seven years.

Source: PwC: Doing Business in El Salvador 2026; National Registry Centre (CNR): Registry of Commerce services and fees; National Registry Centre (CNR): simplified joint-stock companies^1,2,3

Steps for a S.A. de C.V.

• Deed of incorporation: signed before a Salvadoran notary, with the articles, capital, shareholders and management.
• Filing: the deed is filed at the Registry of Commerce through CreaEmpresa, together with the application for the business licence (matrícula de empresa) and proof of the fees.
• Registration: once the deed is entered, the company has legal personality.
• Initial balance: the opening balance sheet is deposited at the Registry of Commerce.
• Corporate books: the company’s books are authorised by the Registry, at $0.10 per page.

Source: PwC: Doing Business in El Salvador 2026; National Registry Centre (CNR): Registry of Commerce services and fees^1,2

Steps for a S.A.S.

• Create an account on CreaEmpresa and complete the incorporation form.
• Sign it by hand or with a certified electronic signature. Handwritten signatures must be legalised by a notary unless the signatories attend in person.
• Send the form and wait for the CNR notification.
• Deposit the initial balance if needed; the CNR fee for this is $17.14.

Source: National Registry Centre (CNR): simplified joint-stock companies³

The Legislative Assembly extended free S.A.S. registration and the first business licence until 31 December 2026. By 18 November 2025, 32.3% of S.A.S. had been formed online and 67.7% in person, and 63.3% had a single shareholder. In November 2026 the Ministry of Economy proposed extending the free registration to 31 December 2027; the proposal had not been approved when this page was checked.^5,7

CNR fees

Source: National Registry Centre (CNR): Registry of Commerce services and fees; Legislative Assembly: free S.A.S. registration extended to 2026, November 2025^2,5

The business licence is renewed every year in the month the deed was registered, with surcharges for late renewal. The annual fee depends on the company’s assets; the table is on the municipal taxes page.^1,6

After registration

• Tax registration with the Ministry of Finance: see NIT and NRC.
• Registration with the municipality where the business operates: see municipal registration.
• Employer registration with the ISSS, the pension funds (AFP) and the Ministry of Labour: see social security.
• Registration of foreign capital with the ONI: see foreign investment registration.

Source: PwC: Doing Business in El Salvador 2026; National Registry Centre (CNR): CreaEmpresa launch, July 2024^1,4

For companies formed on CreaEmpresa, the CNR says the platform handles the NIT and NRC, the ISSS employer number, the single payroll return (Planilla Única) and the Ministry of Labour registration, and registers the business with the municipalities of San Salvador Centro and Santa Ana Centro.⁴