Leads Prifinance and personally oversees complex multi-jurisdiction structures. Your Salvadoran setup gets partner-level review before anything is filed.
Register a company in El Salvador, the security dividend.
Set up a Salvadoran SA de CV - the hemisphere's loudest turnaround: from murder capital to one of the region's safest streets, fully dollarized since 2001, a 15-year tax exemption for tech companies, and the crypto industry's new favourite address since Tether moved in. Both halves of the story: the ordinary rate is 30%, the Bitcoin experiment was softened under the IMF deal, one man's popularity carries the whole project, and the market is six million people, not sixty.The hemisphere's loudest turnaround: safest streets in the region, USD since 2001, fifteen tax-free years for tech, and the crypto industry's new favourite address. The other half: 30% ordinary rate, a softened Bitcoin experiment, one man's project - and a six-million market, not sixty.
Updated

The security dividend, and its price.
For decades the only Salvadoran statistic anyone quoted was the homicide rate. The crackdown that began in 2022 collapsed it to among the lowest in the Americas, and everything downstream changed: streets, logistics, staff retention, insurance, the simple willingness of clients to visit. On that foundation sits an unusual offer - the economy has run on the US dollar since 2001, so there is no currency risk and no exchange control by definition; the 2023 technology law grants qualifying software, AI and hardware companies fifteen years free of income tax, capital gains and import duties; the digital-assets framework that made the country famous still licenses exchanges and issuers through CNAD, which is why Tether chose San Salvador as its headquarters; and the IMF agreement of 2025 restored the fiscal credibility the bond market had already begun pricing in.
The other half. Outside the special regimes this is an ordinary 30% jurisdiction with 13% VAT and a real payroll load. The famous Bitcoin experiment was softened as an IMF condition - acceptance is voluntary now, and the state's own crypto activity is fenced - so the accurate pitch is crypto-friendly regulation, not crypto-utopia. The turnaround is one man's project: the same concentration of power that delivered the security dividend has weakened checks, drawn due-process criticism, and means policy can turn as fast as it turned before. And the market is small - six million people - so most clients build here to serve elsewhere: nearshore services, regional trade, digital business on USD rails.
The security dividend changed everything downstream: staff, clients, insurance, the coast itself. On top: native USD with zero FX risk, the 2023 tech law at 0% for fifteen years, CNAD licensing that made Tether move in, and an IMF program that put numbers behind the story.
The terms: 30% and 13% VAT outside the regimes, payroll ≈16% employer-side, the Bitcoin law softened to voluntary, checks weakened by the same concentration of power that delivered safety, and a small home market. Build here to serve elsewhere - on dollar rails.
Two ways to start.
Company
Registration of a Salvadoran SA de CV - CNR incorporation, tax registrations and the first year of the registered address included.
Optional add-ons: tech-law qualification file - from $2,500 · DASP registration (CNAD) - scoped per case · free-zone application - from $2,500 · accounting - from $250/month · renewal - from $1,200/year.Add-ons: tech-law file from $2,500 · DASP scoped · free zone from $2,500 · accounting from $250/month · renewal from $1,200/year.
Start with a consultation →Company + Bank Account
Everything in the first package plus a corporate USD account with a Salvadoran bank - prepared, filed and defended by us.
Optional add-ons: tech-law file - from $2,500 · DASP registration - scoped · accounting - from $250/month · renewal - from $1,200/year.
Start with a consultation →What our clients open in El Salvador.
The tech law shelters builders, the dollar shelters everyone, and the new safety sells itself.The tech law shelters builders; the dollar shelters everyone.
The 2023 law: fifteen years free of income tax and duties for qualifying tech.
DASP licensing under CNAD. The framework Tether headquartered under.
US time zone, dollar payroll, improving talent pool.
Free-zone export processing with duty relief.
USD invoicing into a region that trusts the currency.
Surf City, digital nomads and a coast finally safe to build on.
0% for fifteen years.
Tether's new home.
Dollar payroll.
Duty-free export.
USD invoicing.
A coast worth building on.
Why El Salvador.
From murder capital to regional safest. The operating climate transformed.The climate transformed.
USD is the currency, not a peg. Zero FX risk, zero exchange controls.Zero FX, zero controls.
Fifteen years without income tax for qualifying technology companies.Fifteen years at 0%.
CNAD licenses digital-asset businesses instead of pretending they don't.CNAD licenses it.
CNR files in days through a genuine one-stop portal.Days, one-stop.
The 2025 program put fiscal numbers behind the story.Credibility restored.
El Salvador vs the neighbours.
Central America compared, as of 2026:Guatemala: scale, harder streets. Costa Rica: stability at a price. Panama: the banking platform. Nicaragua: cheap, and priced why. El Salvador: the dividend plus the dollar. As of 2026.
| Country | Corporate tax | Signature story | Signature edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Salvador | 30% · tech 0% | The security dividend | USD native, crypto rules |
| Guatemala | 25% | The biggest market next door | Scale, harder streets |
| Costa Rica | 30% | The talent premium | Stability at a price |
| Panama | 25% | The banking platform | Territorial system |
| Nicaragua | 30% | The sanctions overhang | Cheap, and priced why |
What a Salvadoran SA de CV requires.
How registration works.
Six steps, most of them ours. The registry is quick; the regime choice deserves the thought.Six steps, most of them ours. The registry is quick; the regime choice deserves the thought.
Tech law, DASP, free zone or standard - settled first.
Shareholding, capital, KYC. One clean pass.
Deed executed, registry filing through the one-stop.
NIT, IVA, municipal licence, legal rep in place.
Tech-law qualification, DASP or free zone where relevant.
USD file prepared and defended. Agrícola, Cuscatlán, BAC.
The tech-law exemption is the country's decisive gate: qualification is a real application about what you build and where, not a checkbox - and it converts a 30% jurisdiction into a fifteen-year zero for the right companies. We score it before you incorporate.
On the ground in El Salvador.

Your setup runs with San Salvador counsel who file CNR and tax work weekly.
Qualification files and CNAD registrations built with the incorporation.
Books without conversion noise. And crypto-aware where the model needs it.
A network of offices supporting cross-border structures.
















Salvadoran taxes, both regimes.
An ordinary 30% country with two genuine exits: the fifteen-year tech exemption and the free-zone regime. The dollar removes the FX line entirely - a quiet advantage most jurisdictions cannot copy.An ordinary 30% with two real exits - the fifteen-year tech zero and the free zones - and no currency line at all.
25% below $150k income; the ordinary regime is not the pitch.Small companies 25%.
Fifteen years without income tax, gains or import duties for qualifiers.By qualification.
Standard rate, electronically administered.Standard.
A genuinely low withholding on distributions.Genuinely low.
Owners remain responsible for tax where they live. There is no currency line to manage - the dollar is the currency, which is the whole point.
The specialists who'll handle your case.
Walks you from first call to working company - structure, documents, timelines - in plain language, in five languages.
Handles CNR filings, tax registrations and the bank file day to day, so your Salvadoran company launches without delays.
Active across our channels.
The security dividend, claimed with the right regime - company, tech-law file, DASP registration and USD bank in one prepared project. Full support, start to finish.
Talk to a specialist →El Salvador, after the headlines.
Can I open a Salvadoran company without visiting?+
Yes - the SA de CV incorporates by power of attorney, and the one-stop portal keeps filings remote. Banks prefer to meet a signatory once, so most clients pair a short visit with the account opening. We sequence everything so the trip is short.
Is Bitcoin still legal tender?+
Formally the law survives; practically the IMF agreement softened it - private acceptance is voluntary and the state's own crypto operations are fenced. The accurate description today: the hemisphere's most crypto-friendly regulator, not a Bitcoin utopia. For businesses that is arguably better - rules you can license under, banks you can talk to.
Who qualifies for the 15-year tech exemption?+
Companies genuinely building technology - software and app development, AI, cloud services, hardware and semiconductor work - under the 2023 innovation law. It is an application with substance behind it, not a tick-box. Approved, it removes income tax, capital gains and import duties for fifteen years. We score eligibility before you incorporate.
Has security really improved that much?+
The numbers are real: homicides collapsed to among the lowest in the Americas, extortion largely vanished, and daily business life normalised. It is also necessary to say how: a state of exception with mass detentions that human-rights bodies criticise, and power concentrated in one office. The dividend is real; so is its dependence on one man's project.
What does dollarization actually give me?+
No devaluation risk, no conversion costs, no exchange controls - because there is nothing to control. You invoice, bank, pay salaries and repatriate in the same US dollars. For treasury purposes El Salvador is the simplest country in Latin America.
Can crypto businesses get bank accounts?+
More easily than almost anywhere in the region, and less easily than you would hope. A CNAD DASP registration plus a clean compliance file opens doors - Tether's arrival pulled the ecosystem forward - but local banks remain conservative. We build the banking strategy alongside the licence, not after it.
What about free zones and maquila?+
The export-processing regime still works: income-tax and duty exemptions for manufacturers and service exporters operating from zones. For textiles, assembly and BPO it remains the cleaner route than the ordinary 30%.
What are the payroll costs?+
Employer contributions to ISSS and the AFP pension system stack to roughly sixteen percent above gross, with employee-side withholding besides. Ordinary for the region, but it belongs in the model from day one - we calculate the loaded cost per hire before you commit.
Do I need a local partner or representative?+
No partner - 100% foreign ownership is standard. You do need a legal representative in-country for filings and notices; we provide that as part of the package, with clearly limited powers.
What does it cost and how long does it take?+
From $2,900 for the company, from $4,900 with a bank account. The registry files within a week; tax numbers and the bank stretch the realistic timeline to two to four weeks. Tech-law or DASP applications add two to eight weeks and their own fees. Renewal from $1,200/year.
Founders who wanted it done right.
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”

“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”

“We found PRIFINANCE COMPANYvia the Internet and asked for help in organizing the opening of their company in Estonia. PRIFINANCE COMPANY specialists helped us a lot with this. Their professional, competent approach and knowledge of their business left us with only the best impressions.”

“I'm thrilled with my experience with PriFinance! They helped me obtain a crypto license in Estonia without any hassle. The team was super understanding and always available to answer my questions and assist. It was great to see how they put effort into preparing the documents to ensure everything went smoothly. I'm delighted with the outcome and highly recommend PriFinance to anyone looking to get a license…”

“Opening an account with Prifinance in a Swiss bank was such an easy and quick process that I was shocked. It all started with the first call, where I received detailed guidance on the required documents and the entire procedure.One of the key highlights was their attention to detail. As someone who usually gets tangled up in paperwork, I was pleasantly surprised when they sent me all the documents and…”

“I recently had the pleasure of working with Boris.. and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. Boris went above and beyond to assist me with my residency needs. His professionalism, knowledge, and dedication truly stood out. I highly recommend working with Boris and the team!”

Other jurisdictions & licenses.
Start your Salvadoran company today.
Tell us about the business, and a specialist replies within one business day: SA de CV, tech law, DASP or a different flag, with a timeline and a fixed quote.An El Salvador specialist will reply within one business day with a recommendation, a timeline and a fixed quote.