Are you considering moving to El Salvador, the first country to make #Bitcoin a legal tender?
Or maybe you're a proponent of "flag theory", wanting to diversify your personal & financial affairs?
Read on how @ElSalvadorVisas helped me to get a temporary residency in ES.
π π
1/22
First, you might ask:
"Why would I move to El Salvador? It's a 3rd world country. It's also dangerous."
Sure, the infrastructure in many parts of the country cannot really compare to that of many "developed" countries.
Still, you can find developed areas in the cities.
2/22
The security situation has improved massively in the last few years.
This has been due to the current government's crackdown on violent gangs that used to terrorize the country and its people.
The once-dreaded high murder rate has decreased dramatically.
3/22
As for being the "#Bitcoin country", most people still prefer the US dollar for payments.
But it's possible to live only on BTC, without a bank account.
Many supermarkets, restaurants and shops accept BTC.
Bitcoin ATMs abound and you can also pay your utilities with BTC.
4/22
The main benefit for independent workers for getting a residency in El Salvador are the tax advantages.
El Salvador operates a territorial tax system.
This means that income tax is only levied on income sourced in El Salvador, not on your worldwide income.
5/22
People in El Salvador exude hopeful optimism after decades of hardship.
I sensed the opposite in Europe.
There, people are watching their societies falling into malaise as war, debt, pandemic and rising living costs fill up the news headlines.
6/22
There is a lot of sunshine in El Salvador and people are extremely friendly. π
It's a country of small distances.
If you live in the capital San Salvador, you can drive to the beach in less than an hour.
You could also pick up surfing as your new hobby. π
7/22
So, you have decided to move to El Salvador?
Where to start?
You may ask:
Do I need to invest a hefty sum of money in a local company?
Do I need to prove that I'm loaded with cash/Bitcoin?
The answer is NO.
8/22
El Salvador has different visa programs to apply for.
And almost anybody can fit in some of those categories.
You can e.g. apply for an independent worker visa, as a student, pensioner, or even as a missionary for a church.
9/22
If you're applying for an independent worker visa, you don't even have to prove your income.
You only need a sworn, notarized statement of your projected income.
This is good for "digital nomads".
10/22
It's good to have an income stream before moving to the country.
Finding a job in ES is not the optimal route.
The minimum wage is only around $350 dollars/month and you would have to compete in the labor market with Salvadorans who are extremely hard-working people.
11/22
Once you have found the best category for you to apply for:
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Make sure that your passport has at least 6 months left before expiry, or get a new one.
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Get your criminal record check apostilled from all the countries that you were a legal resident in the past 2 years.
12/22
This might take some time and it's best to get your apostilled documents in hand before you arrive in El Salvador, because mailing them might be a hassle.
It's good to have the originals of all the documents that you need for your particular application upon arrival.
13/22
I arrived in El Salvador for the @AdoptingBTC conference in November 2022, and started my application process right after.
I met with @ElSalvadorVisas, handed in all the necessary documents, and they started to process the application on my behalf.
14/22
At the end of January 2023, I got my residency card.
The process was very fast, taking into account that there was Christmas holidays in-between.
15/22
Granted, you can do the application yourself and not pay the $2,885 fee in BTC that Escape to El Salvador charges for individuals.
But if your Spanish is not sufficient and you're not a fan of navigating legal bureaucracy, I would say the fee is well worth it.
16/22
Escape to El Salvador was also very helpful in any questions/concerns I had during and after my successful immigration.
They recommended a local English-speaking real estate agent for me who helped me to find a rental apartment.
17/22
The temporary residency is valid only for 1 year, but extending it should be an easier process than getting the residency for the first time.
The extension can be either for 1 or 2 years.
After 3 years of temporary residency, you can apply for a permanent residency.
18/22
After 5 years of residency, you can apply for citizenship.
If you're from a Spanish-speaking country, you only need 1 year of temporary residency before you can apply for a permanent one.
In this case, Salvadoran citizenship can be obtained after 3 years of residency.
19/22
Marrying a Salvadoran gives you a shortcut to citizenship.
For all nationalities, you would need 2 years of temporary/permanent residency before or after the marriage to be eligible for citizenship.
20/22
If you got excited and you're ready to live in the land of #Bitcoin, beaches, volcanoes and pupusas, you can use the referral code TEEMU to get 15% off of your @ElSalvadorVisas service fee.
escapetoelsalvador.org/product/basic-residency-service/
21/22
This applies to "normal residencies", not to special packages.
Examples:
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Individual: $2,885 β your price: $2452.25
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Family of 4: $5,885 β your price: $5002.25
22/22
Finally, here's a recent podcast episode of @Bitcoinbeach with Jeremy from Escape to El Salvador:
youtube.com/watch?v=Cy5og5A0RRg
teemupleb
@teemupleb
I write threads about Bitcoin (#NaturalMoney) projects. β‘οΈteemupleb@getalby.com #npub15vxdlmhftkh452a06vnr3mmks2dy8hqejeuxuv6sgy5rgtf0jllsccfzg7