Will at a Salvadoran consulate in the US: US$100 open, US$150 closed

Salvadoran consulates in the United States execute wills (testamentos) as public instruments, the same way they handle powers of attorney. The foreign ministry lists two fees: US$100.00 for an open will (testamento abierto) and US$150.00 for a closed will (testamento cerrado) (checked October 3, 2026), and requires 3 witnesses for an open will and 5 for a closed one. The service is booked by appointment, through the appointment portal or the Consulado Virtual. The detail most people miss: the consular law says fees for a deed (escritura matriz) are collected before it is drafted and are not refunded if the parties abandon it; the sources checked do not say how that rule applies to a closed will, whose fee is for legalizing its cover.

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Key facts

ItemDetail (checked October 3, 2026)
Who executes itThe Salvadoran diplomatic or consular office
Open willUS$100.00 · 3 witnesses
Closed willUS$150.00 · 5 witnesses
ID (Salvadorans)Documento Único de Identidad (DUI), passport, or residence card
ID (foreign nationals)Any other identity document
How to request itForeign ministry appointment portal or Consulado Virtual
PaymentLaw’s rule for deeds (escritura matriz): collected before drafting; not refundable if abandoned (Consular Service Organic Law)
ApostilleDoes not apply to consular documents; signature legalization exists (US$5.00)

Sources for the amounts: the foreign ministry’s page “Otorgamiento o autorización de instrumentos públicos en el extranjero”, its “Actas Notariales” page (US$40.00 per deed, except open wills at US$100.00 and closed wills at US$150.00), and the Article 212-bis fee schedule of the Consular Service Organic Law, which matches.

Requirements according to the foreign ministry

For “Testamento abierto o cerrado – persona natural” (open or closed will, individual), the ministry lists:

  • For Salvadorans: Documento Único de Identidad, passport, or residence card.
  • For foreign nationals: any other identity document.
  • Witnesses: 3 for an open will and 5 for a closed will.

The page does not set out further requirements for the witnesses or ask for a draft text; confirm with your consulate when you book.

Open or closed: what the sources say

The ministry’s pages distinguish the two types by fee and by number of witnesses. The law’s fee schedule describes the closed-will fee as “la legalización de la carátula de un Testamento cerrado” — legalizing the cover of a closed will — while the open-will fee is for “el otorgamiento de un testamento abierto”, executing an open will. The sources checked do not explain the legal differences between the two or their effects on an estate; that is governed by Salvadoran civil and notarial law and is a question for a Salvadoran attorney.

Step by step

  1. Request the service at your consulate through the appointment portal (portalcitas.rree.gob.sv) or the Consulado Virtual. The ministry’s appointment portal lists “Escrituras públicas” (public deeds) and “Actas notariales” (notarial acts) among its services. Find your office in the directory of Salvadoran consulates or the consulates by state map.
  2. Decide the type of will (open or closed), because the fee and the number of witnesses differ.
  3. Bring the witnesses: 3 or 5, depending on the type.
  4. Bring your identification (see the list above).
  5. Pay the fee. The law says the consular official “cobrará los derechos a los interesados previamente a la elaboración de la escritura matriz” — collects the fee before drafting the original deed — and that if the parties abandon it or ask for its suspension, they “no podrán exigir la devolución”, cannot demand a refund.
  6. Execute the will before the consul at the appointment.

Other consular notarial fees

The Article 212-bis fee schedule of the Consular Service Organic Law, in its notarial-acts section, also sets:

ActFee
Sworn statements (declaraciones juradas)US$20.00
Substitution of any power of attorneyUS$15.00
Any notarial act that is not a public deed, or not specified in the scheduleUS$20.00
Attending the execution of an act outside the office, during the dayUS$20.00, plus transportation costs
The same, at nightUS$30.00, plus transportation costs
Original deed not otherwise specified; general or special power of attorneyUS$40.00

For powers of attorney, see the guide to the power of attorney at the consulate.

What you cannot do: apostille a consular will

The foreign ministry quotes Article 1 of the Hague Convention: the apostille does not apply to documents issued by diplomatic or consular officials. A will executed before the consul is a consular document. For a document made abroad to take effect in El Salvador, the ministry describes legalization, which certifies the consular official’s signature; authenticating a Salvadoran official’s signature carries a US$5.00 fee. The pages checked do not say whether a given will requires that step; ask at the consulate. More in apostille of Salvadoran documents.

Your US immigration status

The published requirements are an identity document and the witnesses. The foreign ministry’s page does not mention US immigration status and also covers foreign nationals.

Consulado Virtual

Questions: 1-888-301-1130 from the US and Canada, and WhatsApp (503) 7070-1071 from anywhere in the world. In February 2022 the foreign ministry announced debit and credit card payment for consular services inside the appointment portal. You can also check the consulate appointment tracker.

Official sources

Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. Consular fees and requirements change, and the effects of a will depend on Salvadoran law and on each case. Verify directly with your Salvadoran consulate and, for the content of the will, consult a Salvadoran attorney. Not legal advice.