El Salvador Freedom Passport (Bitcoin citizenship)
- Processing time
- 2–4 months
- Physical presence
- None. There is no residency requirement, no language test and no interview; the process is fully remote.
- Family
- A single application can extend to a spouse and children under 18.
Investment routes
Contribution
From $1 000 000
- Capital
- Non-refundable
A non-refundable contribution of 1,000,000 USD paid in Bitcoin (BTC) or Tether (USDT) to a state fund, plus about 999 USD in BTC or USDT per applicant in government fees. Applications are capped at 1,000 per year. Paying in BTC adds price-volatility and a possible taxable disposal in your home country.
Limits and drawbacks
- The price is the point: at 1,000,000 USD this is by far the most expensive citizenship-by-investment programme for a passport of roughly 130 destinations. Caribbean options reach a similar or wider list for a fraction of the cost — judge it on economics, not on the marketing.
- Its real appeal is ideological — a Bitcoin-forward state and a “freedom” brand — more than mobility value per dollar. If you would not otherwise pay a seven-figure premium for those, this is not for you.
- If you contribute in BTC, you carry crypto price-volatility until settlement, and the disposal may be a taxable event in your home country.
- The programme is new (launched late 2023) with limited track record, and El Salvador’s institutional and security record is a factor to weigh.