El Salvador Judicial Assistance

Party to Hague Service Convention? No
Party to Hague Evidence Convention? No
Party to Hague Apostille Convention? Yes
Party to Inter-American Convention? No
Service of Process by Mail? N/A

DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY AND MAY NOT BE TOTALLY ACCURATE IN A SPECIFIC CASE. QUESTIONS INVOLVING INTERPRETATION OF SPECIFIC FOREIGN LAWS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE APPROPRIATE FOREIGN AUTHORITIES OR FOREIGN COUNSEL.

Embassies and Consulates
U.S. Embassy San Salvador
Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur,
Urbanizacion Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatlan,
La Libertad
San Salvador, El Salvador
Telephone: 011-503-2501-2999
Emergency Telephone: 011-503-2501-2316 or 011-503-2501-2253
Fax: 011-503-2278-5522
CongenSansal@state.gov
List of Attorneys
List of Attorneys - U.S. Embassy San Salvador
Helpful Links
None
Service of Process
El Salvador is not a party to the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extra Judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Matters. The United States and El Salvador are parties to the Inter-American Convention on Letters Rogatory and Additional Protocol.. The U.S. Central Authority for the treaty is the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, Office of Foreign Litigation, Washington, D.C.  Requests for service under the Inter-American Convention on Letters Rogatory and Additional Protocol may be sent to the U.S. Department of Justice's contractor, Process Forwarding International (PFI), for transmittal to the Salvadoran Central Authority.
Criminal Matters

Prosecution Requests: U.S. federal or state prosecutors should also contact the Office of International Affairs, Criminal Division, Department of Justice for guidance. 

Defense Requests in Criminal Matters: Criminal defendants or their defense counsel seeking judicial assistance in obtaining evidence or in effecting service of documents abroad in connection with criminal matters may do so via the letters rogatory process.

Obtaining Evidence in Civil and Commercial Matters
El Salvador is not a party to the Hague Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil and Commercial Matters.  The United States is not a party to the evidence component of the Inter-American Convention on Letters Rogatory.  The taking of evidence in El Salvador is governed by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
Taking Voluntary Depositions of Willing Witnesses
Authorities in El Salvador have advised the U.S. Embassy that voluntary depositions of willing witnesses in civil and commercial matters may be taken before U.S. consular officers in El Salvador.  Voluntary depositions may be conducted in El Salvador regardless of the nationality of the witness, provided no compulsion is used.  Oral depositions or depositions on written questions may be taken by U.S. consular officers or by private attorneys from the United States or El Salvador at the U.S. Embassy or at another location such as a hotel or office, either on notice or pursuant to a commission  If the services of a U.S. consular officer are required to administer an oath to the witness, interpreter and stenographer, such arrangements must be made in advance with the U.S. embassy directly.
Authentication of Documents
El Salvador is a party to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalization of Foreign Public Documents.  El Salvador’s competent authority for the Hague Apostille Convention will authenticate Salvadoran public documents with Apostilles.  For information about authenticating U.S. public documents for use in El Salvador, see the list of U.S. Competent Authorities.  To obtain an Apostille for a U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America, contact the U.S. Department of State, Passport Services, Vital Records Office.