El Salvador PNC police clearance from the US: through the consulate

The Salvadoran police clearance (solvencia policial) is issued by El Salvador’s National Civil Police (PNC) and, in the PNC’s words, certifies that a person “carece de antecedentes policíacos o no es requerida en un proceso judicial pendiente” — has no police record or is not wanted in a pending court case in El Salvador. From the United States it is not an online request: it is filed in person at a Salvadoran consulate, which sends it to El Salvador by diplomatic pouch. The foreign ministry says the clearance is free (page checked October 3, 2026), and the PNC estimates two to three months. What to know before you go: the PNC and the foreign ministry publish two different requirement lists.

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Key facts

ItemDetail (checked October 3, 2026)
Issued byNational Civil Police (PNC), clearances unit
Where to request it from the USIn person at the Salvadoran consulate closest to where you live
Fee from abroad“GRATUITO” (free) according to the foreign ministry; the PNC publishes no fee for this route
TimeTwo to three months (PNC)
How it travelsConsulate → foreign ministry (diplomatic pouch) → PNC → back the same way
For use in the USApostilled, exempt from fees (foreign ministry)
ValidityNot stated on the official pages checked

The requirements: two official lists that do not match

Do not blend them. These are the two versions, as each institution publishes them:

RequirementPNC (page published March 31, 2022)Foreign ministry (“Solvencias de la PNC” page; no visible date, HTML metadata dated December 17, 2020)
IdentificationCopy of your personal identity documents with photoPhotocopy of the DUI or of a valid passport (photo page)
PhotosTwo front-facing and two right-profileTwo front-facing and one right-profile, passport size, in color
FormFill out the police clearance application form at the consulateFill out a form at the consulate
LetterLetter justifying the reason for the request, addressed to the head of the unitNot mentioned
FingerprintsNot mentionedTaken at the consulate
Prior clearanceNot mentionedIf it is your second time, a copy of the previous clearance
FeeNo fee published for abroad“GRATUITO”

The differences are real: the number of profile photos, the justification letter, and the copy of a prior clearance. The consulate is the one that confirms which list applies at the time of your appointment.

How the process works

  1. Request an appointment at the consulate. The Salvadoran consular network books services through the foreign ministry’s appointment portal (portalcitas.rree.gob.sv). Find your office in the directory of Salvadoran consulates or the consulates by state map.
  2. Appear in person. The foreign ministry says “el trámite es personal” — the request is made in person.
  3. Fill out the application form at the consulate and hand in the documents. According to the foreign ministry, fingerprints are taken there.
  4. Shipment to El Salvador. The PNC explains that the consulate sends the request to the foreign ministry by diplomatic pouch, the ministry forwards it to the police unit, where its databases are checked, and the finished clearance “se devuelve por el mismo conducto” — is returned through the same channel.
  5. Wait two to three months (the PNC’s estimate) for the clearance to return to the consulate.

When the PNC may decline to issue it

The PNC publishes this note: its Registry and Police Records Unit “se reserva el derecho de no emitir SOLVENCIA” — reserves the right not to issue a clearance — to people found to have criminal records who have not resolved their court situation.

What belongs to the branches in El Salvador

The PNC separately describes the in-country process at its branches: an online appointment at solvencias.pnc.gob.sv, an original valid DUI, and payment of US$3.50 for the form at the cashier. Those steps belong to in-person service in El Salvador; for people living abroad, the PNC points to the consulate route.

Apostille and use in the United States

  • The foreign ministry states: “En el caso de Solvencias para los Estados Unidos, los documentos se Apostillan y son exentos de aranceles” — clearances for the United States are apostilled and exempt from fees.
  • The PNC clearance is on the document list of the electronic apostille portal, apostilla.rree.gob.sv (Presidency of El Salvador, February 24, 2022).
  • For countries that are not members of the Hague Convention, the foreign ministry describes the authentication (auténtica) chain instead: the signature on PNC documents is authenticated by the PNC, then by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then by the representation of the country where the document will be used.

More in apostille of Salvadoran documents.

It is not the criminal record certificate

The PNC clearance covers police records and pending court cases. The criminal record certificate (antecedentes penales) is issued by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, requested online at simple.sv for US$3.00, and requires a valid DUI: see Salvadoran criminal record certificate from the US. Your US history is a separate request: FBI background check.

Your US immigration status

Neither official list includes US immigration documents: they ask for a photo ID (the foreign ministry specifies a photocopy of the DUI or of a valid passport), photographs, and the form.

Consulado Virtual

For questions, the foreign ministry runs the Consulado Virtual: 1-888-301-1130 from the US and Canada, and WhatsApp (503) 7070-1071 from anywhere in the world. You can also check the consulate appointment tracker.

Official sources

Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. PNC and consular requirements, fees, and timelines change, and the two official pages cited do not agree on every point. Verify directly with your Salvadoran consulate or the National Civil Police. Not legal advice.