DUI, Passport & Voting From the USA: Salvadoran Documents Guide 2026

Why Your Salvadoran Documents Still Matter

Even if you’ve lived in the US for decades, a valid DUI is the key to almost everything Salvadoran: getting a passport, signing documents in El Salvador, verifying your identity in apps like Sivar, and voting. 2026 brought two big changes for the diaspora — online DUI renewal from the US and a remote voting system that only works if your DUI is up to date.

Fees at a Glance

Renewing Your DUI Online From the US

In July 2026, El Salvador’s national registry (RNPN) opened dui.sv/exterior so Salvadorans in the US can renew or replace their DUI without going to a consulate. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the total cost is $55: $35 for the DUI and $20 for shipping and delivery to your address. RNPN explained that the diaspora fee is $35, and the online version adds the express home-delivery service.

Step by step

1. Go to dui.sv on your phone or tablet and create an account (or log in). La Prensa Gráfica reported the process is designed for mobile devices with a camera.
2. Choose that you’re applying from the United States.
3. Pass the facial verification. Use good lighting, remove glasses and caps, and keep your face centered in the oval.
4. Review your data. You can update personal information such as your address, email and emergency contact.
5. Pay $55 by card. The platform runs 24/7.
6. Get notified by email when your DUI is ready and on its way to your home.

Who can use it: people renewing a DUI that has expired or is about to, or replacing one that was lost, stolen or damaged. Who can’t: anyone getting a DUI for the first time — for example a US-born young adult who was just registered as Salvadoran. First DUIs are issued in person at the 18 service centers at Salvadoran consulates in the US.

Only use the official site. Payments for DUI procedures abroad also go through the RNPN’s official payment portal; don’t pay “gestores” who promise faster appointments.

Getting or Renewing a Salvadoran Passport in the US

Passports are still issued in person at consulates and consular mobile events (jornadas). The fee schedule for Salvadorans abroad, published on the government’s simple.sv portal, splits the world in two:

• $60 outside Central America (including the US) — the same for a first passport or renewal, for adults or minors.
• $40 inside Central America.
• In El Salvador, DGME charges $25 for first issue, renewal or replacement, and offers online renewal at pasaporteenlinea.migracion.gob.sv. There’s no online passport option abroad yet; the Foreign Ministry has said it plans to develop one in 2026–2027.

Watch out for the DUI trap

To get a passport as an adult you need a valid DUI in good condition. If yours is expired, you’re really doing two procedures — which is why HOYSV calculates the real cost as $95 when your DUI is expired ($60 + $35). Renew the DUI online first, wait for it to arrive, then book the passport appointment.

Don’t lose it

Replacing a lost or stolen passport the first time costs $80 at a consulate ($60 plus a $20 sworn statement). A second consecutive loss costs $260, because a fine equal to three times the passport fee ($180) is added.

Voting From the US in the 2027 Elections

El Salvador’s Special Law for Voting Abroad lets Salvadorans outside the country vote remotely over the internet. In the 2024 general elections, 240,339 Salvadorans voted this way, according to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE). As of June 2026, 968,492 Salvadorans had a DUI with a foreign address — 925,734 of them in the United States — and are eligible to vote remotely.

The address change is the step people miss. The Electoral Code requires changes of residence to be reported to the RNPN through a sworn statement, which means a new DUI is issued; RNPN then notifies the TSE. The TSE has pointed people to RNPN service centers and mobile events for the change — and the online renewal flow lets you review your address. Providing false information to change where you vote can carry criminal penalties.

For context on what’s at stake, read our coverage of the 2027 election.

Other Documents Diaspora Families Ask About

US-born children

Children of a Salvadoran parent are Salvadoran by birth under the Constitution, but they need their birth registered at a consulate first ($15, or $10 under six months). Our dual citizenship guide lists every document.

Kids traveling to El Salvador without both parents

Salvadoran minors leaving El Salvador need a valid passport and must travel with both parents — or carry a notarized authorization from the absent parent, made before a Salvadoran lawyer or at a consulate. DGME publishes the authorization formats on its website. Sort this out before summer trips to the grandparents.

Birth, marriage and death certificates

Consulates handle civil registry procedures (registro del estado familiar), and the government’s simple.sv portal lists many procedures with costs and requirements. Search them on our trámites page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a mailed DUI take to arrive?

RNPN hasn’t published a fixed delivery time in the coverage we reviewed. You’ll receive an email when the document is ready to be delivered — plan ahead if you need it for a trip or a passport appointment.

Can I use my DUI to fly to El Salvador?

No. The DUI works as a travel document only within the CA-4 region (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua). For flights from the US you need a passport; if you’re a US citizen, you must use your US passport to leave and re-enter the United States.

¿Cuánto cuesta renovar el DUI desde Estados Unidos?

$55 en total ($35 del DUI y $20 de envío a tu casa) en dui.sv/exterior. Si es tu primer DUI, debes ir en persona a uno de los 18 centros de servicio en los consulados. El pasaporte cuesta $60 en el consulado. Para votar por internet del 30 de enero al 28 de febrero de 2027, tu DUI debe tener dirección en el extranjero: actualízala antes del 29 de noviembre de 2026. ¿Dudas? Escríbele al asistente de ia.sv.

Bottom Line

Do it in this order: renew your DUI online (and confirm your US address is on it), then book your passport, and get both done before November 29 if you want a say in 2027. One afternoon of paperwork now saves an expensive scramble before your next trip home. More resources live in our hub for Salvadorans in the USA.