Decide first
- Activity and form of entry to be assessed with your lawyer
- Shareholders, directors and ultimate beneficial owners
- Registered address, planned operations and banking needs
Coverage
Setting up your company in El Salvador
El Salvador is our base. Together with licensed professionals, we coordinate the formation of your company, the registration of your investment, bank preparation and initial obligations.
Initial guidance
Is this the right route for your project?
El Salvador: When the company, branch or main operating base will be established in El Salvador.
Prepare for the assessment
- Identification documents and proposed structure
- Foreign documents, apostilles and translations where applicable
- Business description, source of funds and target timeline
Essential limit
Vertex organizes and coordinates. Notaries, lawyers, accountants, banks and authorities carry out or decide what falls to them.
01Who it is for
Who it is for
For investors and companies from any country that want to form a company in El Salvador, open a branch of their company or start operations in the country, and for those who need to prepare for the arrival of shareholders and executives.
Commercial registration is rarely the only thing that determines progress. The bank account, the tax registrations and the immigration status of the shareholders also set the pace; that is why we prepare them from the start, in the order each institution requires.
02Problems it solves
Problems it solves
- Not knowing where to start or which structure to evaluate with your lawyer.
- Foreign documents that are incomplete, not apostilled or not translated where required.
- Procedures done out of order, which force steps to be repeated and delay the bank account.
- No single schedule with responsible parties, dependencies and pending decisions.
- Difficulty following the process from a distance.
03What can be coordinated
What is coordinated and who carries it out
- Formation of your company or of your company's branch, with a licensed notary and lawyer. Company formation →
- Registration of the foreign investment and, when your project justifies it, preparation of the file to apply for an incentive regime. Investment and incentives →
- Registered fiscal address, virtual office, document reception and administrative support, which are contracted separately. Registered fiscal address →
- Selection of offices, warehouses and land. Site selection →
- File for opening the bank account.
- Preparation of the immigration documentation of shareholders and executives, with licensed immigration lawyers when the law requires it. Executive mobility →
- Initial calendar of obligations, prepared with your accountant.
Who carries it out
Vertex Global Services prepares, organizes and coordinates, and keeps you informed of progress. Regulated acts are carried out by licensed professionals: the notary executes deeds and legalizations; a lawyer gives an opinion on the structure and acts as representative when the law requires it; the licensed accountant or auditor handles tax registrations, bookkeeping and tax returns; authorized translators or notaries prepare official translations; the customs broker carries out customs procedures. Institutions and banks make the decisions that are theirs to make.
We bring in each professional or supplier based on licensing, relevant experience, confidentiality and clear terms; we assess them against the agreed scope and do not guarantee their performance.
04Deliverables
Deliverables
Depending on the service contracted, you receive:
- An initial assessment report, if your case requires it, with steps, order, responsible parties, dependencies, risks and institutions involved.
- A document list based on your structure and the shareholders' country of origin.
- A checklist with the responsible party and status of each activity.
- Progress reports at the frequency set in the proposal.
- A file for opening the bank account.
- An initial calendar of obligations prepared with your accountant.
- A final folder with the company's documents.
Client requirements
- Identification of shareholders, directors and, where applicable, beneficial owners.
- A description of the planned activity and of the structure you want to evaluate.
- Documents of the parent company and of the shareholders, apostilled and translated where applicable.
- The domicile you will use and the decisions that are yours to make: corporate form, shareholders, directors and bank.
- Truthful and complete information. Before accepting an assignment, we assess the identity of the parties, the lawfulness of the objective, any possible conflicts of interest and whether the case is within our scope.
05Process
Process
Free initial call, with no obligation, of up to 30 minutes.
Initial assessment, if your case requires it. The initial assessment is normally delivered 3 to 7 business days after we receive the complete information needed to begin.
Proposal with scope, responsibilities, deliverables, exclusions, Vertex fees and third-party costs shown separately.
Meeting and document review.
Incorporation and registrations, with the professionals the law requires.
Tax registrations and registration of the investment, where applicable.
Bank preparation and calendar of obligations.
Delivery of the final folder.
Timelines depend on the institutions involved and on the documents available. We give you a written estimate in the proposal or in the initial assessment; we do not promise timelines we do not control.
06Contracting
Contracting, invoicing and limits
Contracting
The initial call is free and creates no obligation for either party. If you decide to continue, we send you a written proposal with scope, responsibilities, deliverables, exclusions, Vertex fees and third-party costs shown separately. You can hire only the initial assessment or specific services. We may request additional information or decline an assignment; if your case falls outside our scope, we tell you clearly. We quote according to scope, complexity and country. The proposal separates Vertex fees from third-party costs. If you completed the initial assessment beforehand, its fee may be credited as set out in the proposal.
Invoicing
In El Salvador, Vertex fees are invoiced by Vertex Global Services. The professionals and suppliers involved invoice their own fees.
Third-party costs
Fees of notaries, lawyers, accountants or other professionals, official fees, translations and apostilles are itemized before work begins. Whenever possible, you pay the professional, supplier or operator directly. If Vertex needs to handle a payment, the item requires your prior authorization and is presented separately. No hidden markups are applied.
Exclusions
The following are not part of our service: notarial acts; legal, tax, immigration, accounting or financial advice; the company's bookkeeping and tax returns; representation before authorities when the law reserves it to a professional; official fees, duties and third-party fees; real estate brokerage.
Limits
- We do not guarantee decisions by authorities or banks: registrations, records, residency, incentives and bank accounts depend on them.
- Eligibility for an incentive regime is decided by the authority; we can coordinate its assessment with a licensed advisor, not ensure it.
- The regulatory information on this page is general, does not replace the opinion of a licensed professional and may change.
- We communicate directly in Spanish and English. When a counterpart requires Mandarin or another language, we coordinate translation tools and external interpreters according to the needs of the case.
07Reference regulatory framework
Reference regulatory framework
This section describes in general terms the framework that is usually involved. It is not advice and does not detail requirements, fees or timelines, which change and depend on each case. Check the official source and the opinion of your licensed professional.
Ways to set up
Salvadoran law allows a business to operate through a company incorporated in the country or through the branch of a foreign company. The right form for your case is determined by your lawyer.[1]
Registration of the investment
The Ministerio de Economía (the Salvadoran Ministry of Economy), through the Oficina Nacional de Inversiones (its National Investment Office), publishes the service charter for the registration of domestic and foreign investment, which includes the case of branches of foreign companies.[1]
Residency of shareholders and executives
The Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (the Salvadoran General Directorate of Migration and Foreign Nationals) publishes the service charters for residency procedures. Requirements depend on each person's immigration category and nationality.[2]
Foreign documents
El Salvador is a party to the Hague Convention abolishing the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents (the Apostille Convention). Documents in another language may require translation, and each institution may ask for additional requirements.[3]
08Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
01Does Vertex form the company itself?
No. We prepare and coordinate; the deed is executed by a notary and the registrations are decided by the institutions.
02Do I need to be in El Salvador to get started?
Not for the initial call or for the initial assessment. Some steps, such as opening the bank account, may require your presence or a representative; we define this with you when preparing the file.
03How long does it take?
Timelines depend on the institutions involved and on the documents available. We give you a written estimate in the proposal or in the initial assessment; we do not promise timelines we do not control.
04Can you guarantee the bank account, residency or an incentive?
No. Those decisions rest with the banks and the authorities. We prepare the files and coordinate the professionals.
05What language will we work in?
We communicate directly in Spanish and English. When a counterpart requires Mandarin or another language, we coordinate translation tools and external interpreters according to the needs of the case.
09Regulatory sources
Regulatory sources
General information, verified as of October 21, 2026. It does not constitute legal, accounting, tax or immigration advice. Laws and procedures change: always check the official source.
- [1]"Registro de inversión nacional y extranjera (Inversiones)" (registration of domestic and foreign investment), service charterInstitution: Ministerio de Economía, Oficina Nacional de Inversiones (Ministry of Economy, National Investment Office). Verified on October 21, 2026.
- [2]"F-32 Trámite de residencia definitiva para categorías varias" (F-32, permanent residence procedure for various categories), service charterInstitution: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (General Directorate of Migration and Foreign Nationals). Verified on October 21, 2026.
- [3]"Convenio de 5 de octubre de 1961 suprimiendo la exigencia de legalización de los documentos públicos extranjeros: estado actual" (current status of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 abolishing the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents)Institution: Conferencia de La Haya de Derecho Internacional Privado (Hague Conference on Private International Law), depositary of the Convention's information. Verified on October 21, 2026.
Verification date: October 21, 2026
First step
Assess your setup in El Salvador. Tell us about your activity, the nationality of the shareholders and your planned timeline. Request your free initial call, with no obligation, of up to 30 minutes. If your case requires it, we will propose an initial assessment.