Salvadoran consuls exercise notarial functions abroad under the notarial law and the organic law of the consular service. A power of attorney granted before a consul has the same validity as one granted before any notary in El Salvador, and it can be used directly by your lawyer there without an apostille, because the Convention does not cover documents executed by consular agents.
Quick facts
This is the route people use to sell property, settle an inheritance, deal with a bank or appear in a court case without travelling. The alternative — a U.S. notary plus apostille plus translation — works for some purposes but is rejected more often for family and property matters.
Fees breakdown
| Route | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Power of attorney before the consul | Consular tariff | Ask the consulate for the current amount |
| Additional certified copies | Consular tariff | Request them at signature |
| U.S. notary route: notarisation | $5–$25 per signature | Document must arrive unsigned |
| U.S. notary route: apostille | $3–$25 | Secretary of State |
| Lawyer’s fees in El Salvador | Agreed separately | Drafting and execution |
Have the draft written by the lawyer who will actually use it. Wording that satisfies a registry, a bank or a court is specific, and a generic text prepared abroad is the most common reason a power is refused on arrival.
How to apply
- Decide what the power must cover: selling or mortgaging property, accepting an estate, representation in a case, banking, or a single defined transaction.
- Ask your lawyer in El Salvador to prepare the draft with the exact wording required.
- Collect the full legal names and identity numbers of the grantor and the person receiving the power.
- Book at the consulate, or attend on a walk-in day, and confirm the fee and payment method first.
- Sign before the consular officer with valid identification. Do not sign in advance.
- Send the original instrument to El Salvador for use in the procedure.
Required documents
- Valid Salvadoran identity document or passport for every grantor.
- Certified birth record where the consulate requires it.
- Evidence of civil status when the act depends on it.
- Identity details of the person receiving the power.
- The unsigned draft and a clear description of the powers granted.
- Payment in the accepted form.
Where to apply
Notarial services are provided by the consulate covering your residence, and by mobile consular days in cities without a permanent office.
No offices currently listed.
Additional notes
No apostille needed
Because a consular instrument is excluded from the Convention, sending it for an apostille is both unnecessary and impossible. It travels to El Salvador as it is.
Acts for use in the United States
Consular notarial functions cover acts destined for El Salvador. A document meant to take effect here goes before a U.S. notary instead.
Authorisations for minors
When one parent cannot attend a passport appointment for a child, a special power or notarised authorisation from the absent parent replaces their presence. Prepare it before the appointment, not after.
Revocation
A power is revoked by a further instrument executed the same way, and the revocation has to reach whoever holds the original. An old general power left standing is a real exposure.