Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) to El Salvador visa requirements

A Taiwan (ROC) ordinary passport holder needs a visa to enter El Salvador for tourism. There is no visa-free entry, no visa on arrival, and no standard eVisa channel for Taiwanese nationals. El Salvador cancelled Taiwan's visa exemption on 12 December 2018 after switching diplomatic recognition to the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan now falls under El Salvador's "Substitute Visa" category, meaning the application must be reviewed and authorized by immigration authorities in San Salvador before travel. El Salvador does not grant visa-free access, the standard US$12 CA-4 tourist card, or an open eVisa to Taiwan ordinary passport holders. Until December 2018 Taiwanese passport holders could enter visa-free, but El Salvador severed diplomatic ties with Taipei in August 2018 and formally cancelled the visa exemption on 12 December 2018. Taiwan was reclassified into the "Substitute Visa" (visa por sustitucion / special entry permit) group: the traveler cannot simply buy a tourist card on arrival but must lodge a visa request that is forwarded to and approved by the Direccion General de Migracion y Extranjeria (DGME) in El Salvador. Taiwan's own Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BOCA) does not list El Salvador among visa-free, landing-visa, or eVisa destinations, confirming a visa is mandatory. The process is handled through El Salvador's representation (often via consular channels or an authorized agent, since El Salvador has no resident embassy issuing tourist visas in Taipei after the diplomatic break) and approval comes from San Salvador. Once approved, a special entry permit is stamped at the port of entry. Cruise passengers holding a valid cruise booking may transit visa-free for up to 24 hours, but this does not help ordinary air travelers. Conservatively, treat this route as visa-required and arrange authorization well before departure.