Power of attorney · San Salvador
Power of attorney for El Salvador from abroad: consulate or U.S. notary + apostille
You do not have to fly to El Salvador to sell, buy or manage property there. Sign a power of attorney abroad. There are three routes. The Salvadoran consulate gives a Salvadoran deed from the start. A U.S. notary is closer to home, but the document then needs an apostille and, if it is in English, a translation in El Salvador.
The three routes, side by side
1. A Salvadoran consulate
Consuls act as notaries in the country where they serve (Notary Act, Art. 5). A deed they authorize for use in El Salvador has the same effect as one signed before a notario in San Salvador (Art. 69), and they follow the same rules as notarios (Art. 70). You need an appointment and you sign in person. The consulate charges its own fee, set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2. A Salvadoran notario abroad
A Salvadoran notario can act in a foreign country, on any day and at any hour, for acts that take effect only in El Salvador (Art. 3). Only lawyers authorized by the Supreme Court can be notarios (Art. 4) — how to check one. This route is useful when a notario travels to you, or you meet one abroad.
3. A U.S. notary public + apostille
The U.S. notary public certifies your signature only. He or she does not draft the act and does not answer for its content. El Salvador and the United States are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention (El Salvador since 31 May 1996), so the document needs an apostille from the state where you signed. If it is in English, a Salvadoran notario has it translated by a sworn interpreter (Voluntary Jurisdiction Notary Act, Art. 24) before it is used.
Before you sign: 4 checks
- Decide the act first. A general power does not cover acts that need an express faculty. Name the act: sell, buy, sign the deed, receive or pay the price, accept an inheritance.
- Name the property. For real estate, give the registry number (matrícula) and the location.
- Choose the attorney-in-fact with care. The person you name signs for you. Name a person you trust, with full name and ID number.
- Check who signs it. If the document comes back from a route that the act does not accept, the registry rejects it at the end, after the shipping and the fees.
More on powers and on who can represent you: legal representation in El Salvador, explained. If the power is for a sale, read selling property in El Salvador; if it is for a purchase, read buying property in El Salvador as a foreigner.
What it costs: our fee and the State
Our fee — fixed in writing
- Power of attorney — $249. We draft it for your concrete act, tell you where and how to sign and apostille it, and review it before it is used.
- Turn-key closing — $1,500 for prices up to $500,000. Above $500,000: 0.3% of the full price.
The State and third parties
- Consular fee, or the U.S. notary's fee.
- Apostille fee of the U.S. state, if you use route 3.
- Shipping and registry fees. We pass them through with a receipt, no mark-up.
Honest answers first
Can I sign a power of attorney for El Salvador without traveling?
Yes. The Salvadoran Notary Act lets heads of diplomatic missions, consuls general, consuls and vice consuls act as notaries in the country where they serve (Art. 5). A deed they authorize for use in El Salvador has the same effect as one signed before a notario inside the country (Art. 69).
Is a power of attorney signed before a U.S. notary public valid in El Salvador?
It can be used, but it needs more steps. The U.S. notary public only certifies your signature; he or she does not draft the act or answer for its content. El Salvador and the United States are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so the document needs an apostille from the U.S. state where it was signed. If it is in English, a Salvadoran notario must have it translated under Article 24 of the Voluntary Jurisdiction Notary Act before it is used.
Which route is best for selling or buying property?
For a property act, the consular deed is usually the safest route, because it is a Salvadoran public instrument from the start. Whatever the route, the power must name the property and give the express faculties for the act, for example to sell, to buy, to sign the deed and to receive or pay the price.
How much does LegalSV charge for a power of attorney?
$249 for drafting a special power of attorney for one concrete act, with instructions on where and how to sign it and a review before it is used. Government costs (consular fee, apostille, shipping, registry fees) are separate and passed through with a receipt.
We are licensed in El Salvador only. We are not U.S. attorneys and we do not advise on U.S. law.
Tell us what the power is for
Send the act (sale, purchase, inheritance), the country where you live and, for property, the registry number. You get an answer from a licensed Salvadoran attorney, in English or Spanish.