Immigration information

Airport Improvement Tariff at El Salvador International Airport

The Comisión Ejecutiva Portuaria Autónoma (CEPA), responsible for managing the El Salvador International Airport, established on October 28, 2023 a new Airport Improvement Fee, charged to passengers, for transit through San Oscar Arnulfo Romero and Galdámez Airport, serving El Salvador.

This fee applies to passengers from certain countries (listed below) and must be paid before beginning travel. It amounts to USD$1,130.00 (USD$1,000.00 + 13% VAT). Starting from July 1st, 2024, only credit card payments will be accepted for this fee. Passengers unable to pay the fee by credit card will not be able to board flights to El Salvador International Airport.

It is important to know that, even if you pay the fee, there is a possibility that, upon arrival at El Salvador, the General Directorate of Immigration and Foreigners will deny your transit through the country in accordance with its legal powers.  

Remember that the authorization of entry, transit, transfer, stay, and departure in El Salvador depends 100% on the immigration authority. 

  • The Tariff payment will be a mandatory requirement before boarding your flight to El Salvador International Airport.
  • If you purchased your ticket before October 23rd and are not willing to pay the tariff, you may refund your avianca ticket either through our website or through the travel agency where you made the purchase.
  • For tickets issued by other airlines, please contact the corresponding airline or agency.
  • The measure applies to passengers in transit in El Salvador of the following nationalities, regardless of their country of residence and place of departure. 

The nationalities subject to this measure are listed below.

  • Angola
  • Algeria
  • Benin
  • Botswana
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cape Verde
  • Cameroon
  • Central African Republic
  • Comoros
  • Ivory Coast
  • Chad
  • Egypt
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Ethiopia
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea
  • Guinea – Bissau
  • Equatorial Guinea 
  • India
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Mali
  • Mauritius
  • Mauritania
  • Morocco
  • Mauritius
  • Mauritania
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Rwanda
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • São Tomé and Príncipe
  • Western Sahara
  • Senegal
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Somalia
  • South Africa (Republic)
  • Sudan
  • South Sudan
  • Swaziland
  • Tanzania
  • Tunisia
  • Togo
  • Uganda
  • Djibouti
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
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