8 years
Max age, light vehicles
7 for hybrids and EVs (customs FAQ)
13%
IVA
On customs value plus duty
2 cars
Diaspora exemption
Per family, until Aug 21, 2030
Can Your Car Come In? The Age Limit
Article 34 of the Ley de Transporte Terrestre, Tránsito y Seguridad Vial bans imports of light passenger and cargo vehicles more than 8 years from manufacture, heavy passenger vehicles over 10 years and heavy cargo vehicles over 15 years. The year comes from the model year on the title or registration; without them, from the 10th character of the VIN. Customs (DGA) adds in its FAQ that hybrid and electric vehicles may be up to 7 years old. Check this before you buy or ship anything.
What You Pay
Taxes on an imported car
- • Import duty (DAI): set by the vehicle’s tariff code. Customs’ reference: 25% for most new or used cars, 30% for some vehicles with engines over 2,000 cc, 5% for pickups, 1% for trucks and buses.
- • IVA 13%: on the customs value (normally the purchase price plus freight and insurance) plus the duty.
- • First-registration tax (Impuesto Especial a la Primera Matrícula), paid to Hacienda before registration: 4% for passenger cars (4x2), 6% for 4x4s, 1% for pickups, panels and trucks, 8% for motorcycles over 250 cc. It is calculated on the customs value plus duties, without IVA.
Customs decides the value and the tariff code, so nobody can give you an exact total in advance. Budget for shipping, the duty, IVA, the registration tax, the emissions test, the police inspection and the plates.
Clearing Customs: With or Without a Broker
DGA lets you import a used vehicle in person: customs prepares the declaration of goods (the póliza) for you, for a maximum of 2 vehicles per importer. For more, you need a licensed customs broker (agente aduanero). Bring your DUI, passport or NIT (for used vehicles you need an importer NIT), the ownership documents (title, registration) and the transport document (bill of lading, air waybill or carta de porte).
Registering the Car (Plates)
First registration at SERTRACEN
- • The original customs declaration (or a certified copy).
- • A valid emissions test from a VMT-authorized center.
- • A vehicle inspection (experticia) by the PNC’s DEVA, valid 150 days.
- • Proof that the first-registration tax was paid to Hacienda.
- • ID: DUI for Salvadorans; foreigners show a passport or valid residence card plus their NIT.
- • You then have up to 20 calendar days to collect the plates.
SERTRACEN’s registration fee table did not load when we checked, so we do not quote a registration fee here: confirm it on sertracen.com.sv. Need a NIT first? See our NIT guide.
Returning Salvadorans: Two Cars Tax-Free
The Ley Especial de Beneficios y Protección para la Diáspora y Personas en Movilidad Humana (Legislative Decree 375, August 2025) replaced the 2023 repatriation law. Salvadorans living abroad who intend to return or set up a temporary home here can import, once, up to 2 light vehicles per family for private use without import duties, IVA or the first-registration tax. Customs says the benefit runs from August 21, 2025 to August 21, 2030, in one go or in stages.
Diaspora exemption conditions
- • Sign a sworn declaration with Migración (at any office, border post, airport or port) and update the address on your DUI.
- • The vehicle must be in working order (no salvage or total-loss titles) and already yours before import.
- • Keep it at least 2 years; selling earlier means paying the taxes plus interest.
- • The age limits still apply: 8 years for regular cars, 7 for hybrids and EVs.
- • Household goods up to $100,000 per family are also exempt.
Moving back? Our moving guide and DUI and passport guide cover the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old can an imported car be in El Salvador?
Light passenger and cargo vehicles can be at most 8 years from manufacture (transit law art. 34); heavy passenger vehicles 10 and heavy cargo 15. Customs says hybrids and electric cars up to 7 years.
What taxes do I pay to import a car to El Salvador?
Import duty by tariff code (customs' reference is 25% for most cars, 5% for pickups), 13% IVA on the customs value plus duty, and a first-registration tax of 4% for regular cars, 6% for 4x4s and 1% for pickups, paid to Hacienda before registration.
Can returning Salvadorans import a car tax-free?
Yes. Under the August 2025 diaspora law, Salvadorans returning from abroad can import up to 2 light vehicles per family once, free of import duties, IVA and the first-registration tax, until August 21, 2030. They must keep the car 2 years and the age limits still apply.
Do I need a customs broker?
Not for up to 2 used vehicles: customs prepares the declaration for you. Importing more than 2 requires a licensed customs broker.
Resumen en español
Los vehículos livianos pueden tener como máximo 8 años de fabricación (7 para híbridos y eléctricos, según Aduanas). Se paga DAI según la partida arancelaria (referencia de Aduanas: 25% para la mayoría de carros, 5% para pick ups), IVA del 13% sobre el valor en aduana más el DAI, y el impuesto a la primera matrícula (4% carros, 6% 4x4, 1% pick ups) antes de matricular en SERTRACEN. Hasta 2 vehículos usados se pueden importar sin agente aduanal. La ley de la diáspora de 2025 permite a salvadoreños que regresan importar 2 vehículos livianos por grupo familiar sin impuestos hasta el 21 de agosto de 2030.
Questions about your case? Ask ia.sv
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Ask the ia.sv AI assistantSources (checked November 10, 2026): Ley de Transporte Terrestre, Tránsito y Seguridad Vial (art. 34, updated Dec 2024); DGA FAQ: vehicle age (7 years for hybrids and EVs); DGA: Taxes to pay; Ley del Impuesto Especial a la Primera Matrícula; Hacienda: first-registration tax categories; DGA: customs process (used vehicles in person); SERTRACEN: first registration of an imported vehicle; Diaspora law, Legislative Decree 375 (Aug 2025); DGA FAQ: diaspora benefits
Published: November 10, 2026
Author: ia.sv Team