This advice has been reviewed and reissued with amendments to the General and Contact Details sections. The overall level of the advice has not changed.

(see travel advice legal disclaimer)                    

Travel advice for this country

Travel Summary

• There is no British Embassy in El Salvador. The British Embassy in Guatemala City has overall responsibility for El Salvador.  In the event of an emergency you can contact the British Honorary Consul in San Salvador for assistance.  See the General (Consular assistance) section of this advice for more details.
  
  
• The rainy season in El Salvador normally runs from June to November, coinciding with the hurricane season in the Caribbean.  See the Natural Disasters (Rainy Season) section of this advice.
  
  
• The main types of incident for which British nationals required consular assistance in El Salvador in 2007 was for replacing lost and stolen passports as a result of pickpocketing.
  
  
• There are very high crime rates in El Salvador.  You should take care if you need to travel in downtown San Salvador and on roads outside major towns and cities at night. See the Crime section of this advice for more details.
  
  
• There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake.  See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel Insurance for more details.

Safety and security

• You should take great care travelling anywhere in El Salvador at night. You should take particular care if you need to go to downtown San Salvador, other towns or cities, or and travel on roads outside of major towns and cities after dark. Within San Salvador, areas such as Escalón, San Benito, Zona Rosa, Maquilishuat, La Grand Via and Multiplaza are safer at night, although you should still exercise caution.
• You should take care travelling alone in El Salvador. When travelling to remote areas it may be safer to travel with others or take part in a tour with a reputable company. The same applies to walking on remote trails, as there have been reports of attacks on tourists walking alone.
• You should avoid displaying items of value such as laptops, MP3 players, cameras and mobile phones. This is particularly important when arriving at the airport. There have been several instances of foreigners being targeted when leaving the vicinity of the airport. You are advised not to wear expensive jewellery and only carry minimal amounts of cash when travelling in El Salvador.
• It is safer to withdraw money from ATMs in shopping centres or change money in hotels or banks. It is wise not to withdraw too much money at one time. There have been attacks on foreigners after they have withdrawn money from ATMs. You should avoid withdrawing money at night.
• You should not resist when being robbed. Victims have been killed and injured resisting attack.
• There have been instances of armed attacks on vehicles travelling in El Salvador. Avoid travelling on unpaved roads as you are at greater risk of attack in remote areas with fewer police patrols. The road between El Salvador and Guatemala has seen attacks and you should exercise caution. Please see the Local Travel Section for more information.
• For shorter trips within towns and cities it is safer to take radio or hotel taxis rather than public buses or unofficial taxis.
• You should be aware that the risk of kidnapping in El Salvador still exists, despite success by the National Police in tackling the problem in recent years. Kidnap gangs generally target rich Salvadorians rather than visitors.

For more general information see Victims of Crime Abroad.

Political Situation

El Salvador Country Profile.

Demonstrations occur in El Salvador from time to time and can do so with little warning.  They can become violent and disrupt movement.  You are advised to avoid large gatherings or demonstrations.

The El Salvador Constitution prohibits political activities by foreigners, and participation in activities such as demonstrations may result in detention and/or deportation.

Local Travel

Public buses are poorly maintained and often overcrowded. Robberies often occur and foreigners are sometimes targeted. Using a reputable tour company for longer journeys may reduce the risks associated with travel on these buses. It is safer to travel short distances in radio or hotel taxis.

When travelling by car, it is safer to travel on main roads between major cities and destinations.You are at greater risk of attack in remote areas with fewer Police patrols.  Take simple precautions such as locking doors and keeping windows closed whilst travelling.

You should exercise particular caution when travelling to/from the border with Guatemala and when travelling this road by car, especially in vehicles with El Salvador number plates. You should use only reputable coach companies when travelling to/from Guatemala. There have been reports of violent attacks on vehicles, particularly on the Guatemalan side of the border. Vehicles with El Salvador number plates are often targeted.

You should pay attention to your security at the border areas with Guatemala and Honduras. You should avoid openly changing large amounts of money and make sure valuables are kept out of sight.  It is often better to cross borders in the morning as borders sometimes close in the early evening. It also allows time for you to reach your destination before dark.

As a result of past conflicts, there remains unexploded ordnance such as landmines in the countryside.  Those going off-road should be aware of these potential dangers when visiting the more remote locations.  You should take local advice and avoid travel to such areas if advised.

Road Travel

The main highway through El Salvador is being brought up to international standards.  The other main routes to Honduras are in good condition.  Some roads, however, are in poor condition and can be dangerous to drive on.  Care should be taken whatever road is used as the standard of driving is low.  

For more general information see Driving Abroad.

Local laws and customs

For more general information for different types of travellers see Travel Advice Relevant to You.

Entry requirements

Health

Medical facilities outside the capital, San Salvador, are generally basic.  State-run hospitals are on the whole under-staffed, under-funded and ill-equipped.  You should use private clinics whenever possible.  You should be aware that some hospitals in El Salvador may be reluctant to provide treatment until they are satisfied that you have medical insurance.  You should therefore carry a copy of your insurance cover at all times.  

Water is not generally safe to drink outside the better hotels in the main towns but bottled water is widely and cheaply available.

Dengue fever is common to Latin America and the Caribbean and can occur throughout the year. In 2007 there was a marked increase in the number of reported cases of dengue across the region, especially in the common border areas shared with El Salvador and Honduras.  

In the 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 35,000 adults aged 15 or over in El Salvador were living with HIV; the prevalence rate was estimated at around 0.9% of the adult population. This compares to the prevalence rate in adults in the UK of around 0.2%.  You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.

You should seek medical advice before travelling to El Salvador and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date.  For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the  NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

For more general health information see Travel Health.

Natural disasters

Volcanoes
 
El Salvador has a number ofactive volcanoes.  The most recent notable eruption was the Santa Ana(Ilamatepec) volcano, which erupted on 2 October 2005, prompting agovernment alert, which lasted for several months before the activitydied down and local residents returned to the area. 
 
Also on 12October 2006, the local authorities issued a yellow alert warningcovering a 4km radius of the Chaparrastique volcano, locatedapproximately 12 kms southwest of the city of San Miguel.  You shouldmonitor local media and heed the advice of local authorities. Youshould seek local advice before climbing any volcanoes in El Salvadorand monitor local media for any updates on increased volcanic activity.

For further information on volcano warnings please check with the Humanitarian Early Warning System.

Rainy Season
 
Therainy season in El Salvador normally runs from June to November,coinciding with the hurricane season in the Caribbean.  Mountain areasare particularly vulnerable to landslides in the rainy season.  Youshould monitor local and international weather updates from the World Meteorological Organisation and the US National Hurricane Centre.   For more general information see Tropical Cyclones.
 
Earthquakes
 
ElSalvador is subject to frequent minor earth tremors and occasionalearthquakes.  Two major earthquakes in 2001 affected large areas of thecountry and many roads and buildings are still being reconstructed. Strong earth tremors are occasionally felt.  The most recent earthquakeon 13 June 2007 measured 6.8 on the Richter scale and was locatedoffshore from the Pacific coast of Guatemala.  The earthquake was feltin El Salvador but there were no reports of injuries or significantstructural damage.  More recent tremors have been measured at around5.5.
 
You should ensure that you know what action to take shouldan earthquake occur.  If staying in a hotel read their earthquakeinstructions.  During an earthquake, you should drop to the ground andtake cover under sturdy furniture, in a doorway or next to an insidewall, away from windows or objects which may fall.  Cover your headwith a pillow or your arms and wait for the earthquake to stop, beforemoving to a safe area outside.
 
Further advice may be found on the following website:  http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/keepsafe/readyearth.html.

General

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake.  For more general information see Travel Insurance.

If things do go wrong when you are oversees then this is How We Can Help.

Registration

Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.  More information about registering with LOCATE can be found here.

Consular Representation

There is no British Embassy in El Salvador.  The British Embassy in Guatemala City has overall responsibility for El Salvador.  In the event of an Emergency you can contact the British Honorary Consul:
 
Mr George Chippendale, San Salvador, PO Box 424; Tel:  +503 281 5555 or 271 1050; Fax:  +503 271 1026; e-mail: claims@gibson.com.sv

Honorary Consul Office Hours: Local Time:  Mon-Fri:  08:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00; GMT:  Mon-Fri:  14:00 to 18:00 and 19:00 to 23:00.

Passports should be left in a hotel safe/deposit box.  You should carry a photocopy of your personal details page for identification purposes. You should ensure that your passport has sufficient validity and a plentiful supply of unused pages before you travel.

The British Honorary Consul in San Salvador and the British Embassy in Guatemala City do not issue standard passports. Applications for new passports need to be sent to the British Embassy in Costa Rica for processing. The process may take up to 6 weeks. If a courier is used, the cost will have to borne by the applicant. Please contact the British Embassy in Costa Rica for further details.

However, in emergencies and some circumstances, we are able to process temporary and emergency passports in Guatemala City, but it is dependant on your situation. These documents are only available if you have held a full passport previously. Please note that these passports are restrictive - temporary passports are only valid for up to one year and emergency passports are for one journey back to the UK. Temporary passports (but not Emergency passports) are valid for travel via the US.

You are strongly advised to register with the British Embassy in Guatemala on arrival in El Salvador. You can do this via email at consular.guatemala@fco.gov.uk  or through the Embassy website at: www.ukinguatemala.gov.uk.

Money

The American Dollar is the official currency in El Salvador.  Although some prices are still quoted in the Salvadoran Colon, payment is expected in Dollars.  The exchange rate is fixed at US$1.00 = 8.75 Salvadoran Colón.
 
Pounds sterling cannot be exchanged anywhere in El Salvador, so you should bring a mixture of cash and travellers’ cheques in US dollars.  You are advised to bring some low denomination US dollar notes as US$50 and US$100 notes may not be accepted in many smaller restaurants and shops, in bars and by taxi drivers.
 
ATMs allowing withdrawals using debit and credit cards are widely available in El Salvador. For advice on using ATMs, please refer to the Crime section above.

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