313: El Salvador: Is This Emerging Latin American Country Worth The Hype?

It seems like every day, a Private Client or subscriber to our newsletter asks me about El Salvador. I can’t say I necessarily blame them; with everything Bukele has done, from turning around the violent crime situation to legalizing Bitcoin, there are plenty of reasons for expats to take an interest in the direction of this emerging Latin American country.  But having not been to El Salvador myself for twenty-some-odd years, I decided to take a long weekend trip down there to meet up with a few business contacts and check out how things had progressed since I had last hitchhiked through it as a much younger man. This episode is my full report from the trip and my thoughts on El Salvador’s potential for expats.   

TODAY’S EL SALVADOR TRIP REPORT:

• Hear about the good (I’m still thinking about the pupusas!), the bat (that’s not a typo…), and the ugly of my hotel and Airbnb stays in El Salvador.
• Listen in for the inside scoop on some of the quite frankly terrible things I learned about El Salvador for expats, which mostly centers around the unfavourable tax situation.
• What about the visas? Tune in as I discuss all the available options for expats to live legally in El Salvador.
• Is Bukele really going to be giving out 5,000 “free passports,” as he proclaimed in a tweet? Hear what my El Salvadoran insiders had to say.
• How does the proposed $1 million “Freedom Visa” stack up to other regional citizenship-by-investment programs? Hear my thoughts on this pricey offer.
• What about company structures? I dissect whether El Salvador could be a viable option for forming offshore companies.
• How does El Salvador’s banking system stack up to its neighbours? Discover what I learned about finance in the nation.
• Lastly, hear my final analysis of whether El Salvador could serve as a potential Plan-B destination for expats. 

 

DON’T MISS THIS YEAR’S EXPAT MONEY SUMMIT!

Whether you’re brand new to the expat world or fully along the way to crafting your Plan-B, the Expat Money Summit is a can’t-miss event. This event is fully online from Oct. 7-11 and features experts on second passports and residencies, offshore wealth protection, international real estate, insights on geopolitics, and so much more. It features headline speakers like Doug Casey, Dr. Ron Paul, Marc Faber, Tom Woods, Scott Horton, Tom Luongo and more! Grab your complimentary ticket now at expatmoneysummit.com!  

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

You would have heard some tidbits about my trip already had you been subscribed to our newsletter. Not only will you receive the EMS Pulse newsletter and the weekly Expat Sunday Times, but sign up now, and you’ll also receive my FREE special report, “Plan B Residencies and Instant Citizenships.”  

RELATED EPISODES

306: Nayib Bukele's El Salvador: An Oasis of Decentralization - Dr. Jack Kruse 304: Expat News: Bukele's Bitcoin Bank, Portugal Shuns Expats, & Milei's Record Surplus 287: Expat News: Canadian Exodus, Panama's Visa Boom, & El Salvador's Pricey Citizenship   See you all next Wednesday!

Mentioned in this episode:

Gold in the Caribbean—No Bank Can Touch It

Fiat is failing. Banks are cracking. And smart investors are moving their gold offshore—outside the system. I’ve partnered with a fully insured private vault in the Caribbean where you can buy, store, and protect physical gold… legally and securely. The entire account opening is done online—fast, private, and no nonsense. If you’re serious about protecting your wealth, get the details now at ExpatMoney.com/gold

Offshore Gold & Silver

No Plan-B Without the Language

If you’re planning to move overseas—or even just set up your offshore Plan-B—learning the local language isn’t optional. It’s protection. It’s access. It’s power. StoryLearning makes it easy to start today, from home, by immersing you in real stories—not grammar drills. Spanish, Portuguese, French, and more—learn the language the smart way before you land. Go to StoryLearningCourses.com.

Story Learning Courses

Join Me In Panama For Our Next Tour

I have great news. After many meetings and explanations, the Panamanian government has agreed to keep the Investors Visa at a $300k Real Estate investment instead of nearly doubling the amount required, as they said they would. This is a massive win for our community who wants to move to or invest in Panama, but I am not sure how long this will last… If you have been thinking about Panama, then I want to make an invitation to you today. Come join me for a special four-day tour to see if the country I call home is right for you and your family. We have just released the next set of trip dates. You can find out more at ExpatMoney.com/fly. Come visit me and the Expat Money team, get a feel for the country and see if Panama makes sense for investment or as a new home.

Panama Fly'n Buy Real Estate Tour

No Plan-B Without the Language

If you’re planning to move overseas—or even just set up your offshore Plan-B—learning the local language isn’t optional. It’s protection. It’s access. It’s power. StoryLearning makes it easy to start today, from home, by immersing you in real stories—not grammar drills. Spanish, Portuguese, French, and more—learn the language the smart way before you land. Go to StoryLearningCourses.com.

Story Learning Courses

Gold in the Caribbean—No Bank Can Touch It

Fiat is failing. Banks are cracking. And smart investors are moving their gold offshore—outside the system. I’ve partnered with a fully insured private vault in the Caribbean where you can buy, store, and protect physical gold… legally and securely. The entire account opening is done online—fast, private, and no nonsense. If you’re serious about protecting your wealth, get the details now at ExpatMoney.com/gold

Offshore Gold & Silver