Health and Medical Tourism in El Salvador
Medical visitors
The treatments most requested by visitors are orthodontics, cosmetic surgery, bariatric surgery, ophthalmology, stem cell therapies, oncology and cardiology, according to CORSATUR. Many patients are members of the diaspora who seek care for themselves or for relatives living in El Salvador.1
Hospitals and new investment
- Hospital Rosales: the new building of the national hospital opened in San Salvador on 2 June 2026, with 502 inpatient beds and 110 other beds, nine operating theatres and an official investment of USD 61 million. It offers bone marrow transplants and advanced cardiovascular surgery.
- 50 Doctors: the Mexican private hospital network presented a hospital investment to the President in August 2026, which it called its first expansion outside Mexico. The report gave no amount.
- Social security: employers pay 7.5% and employees 3% of salary up to $1,000 a month to the ISSS; the healthcare and insurance guide covers private insurance.
Source: Infobae: the new Hospital Rosales opens its doors, 2 June 2026; Infobae: the 50 Doctors network presents a hospital investment in El Salvador, 15 August 2026; PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: El Salvador, other taxes3,4,5
The government says the new Rosales is the first of a series of public hospitals on the same model. Check the licence of each private clinic and doctor, and your insurer’s terms for treatment abroad.3
Frequently Asked Questions
How many medical tourists visit El Salvador?
About 3% of the 4.1 million international visitors in 2025, more than 120,000 people, came mainly to receive medical treatment, according to the tourism corporation CORSATUR.
Where do medical visitors come from?
Most come from the United States and Canada, many of them Salvadorans living abroad.
How many hospitals and doctors are there?
INVEST counts more than 60 hospitals in the San Salvador area and more than 19,000 doctors in the country.
Sources
- Dinero: more than 120,000 tourists visited El Salvador in 2025 for medical reasons, CORSATUR
- INVEST: investor guide 2025 (PDF, in Spanish)
- Infobae: the new Hospital Rosales opens its doors, 2 June 2026 (in Spanish)
- Infobae: the 50 Doctors network presents a hospital investment in El Salvador, 15 August 2026 (in Spanish)
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: El Salvador, other taxes
Figures checked 9 November 2026. Prepared by InvestSalvador.com for general information. It is not investment, tax or legal advice; please confirm details with a qualified adviser before acting.
