Buying Off-Plan in El Salvador from Abroad: What to Check Before Paying a Reservation Deposit

The project’s trading name may differ from the legal names of the landowner, developer and sales company. Request each entity’s details and a documented explanation of its role.

Check who will sign the reservation agreement and their authority to bind the seller. If the proposed payment recipient is a different person or company, ask for a written explanation and evidence of its authority to collect the funds.

Before transferring money, make sure the payment instructions identify the property or unit, the purpose of the payment and the entity responsible for acknowledging it. The fact that companies belong to the same group does not, by itself, establish which company owes you the contractual obligations.

Obtain a recent certificación extractada for the relevant property. The National Registry Center (CNR) describes it as a summary of registered rights, encumbrances and documents pending registration. A certificación literal serves a different purpose when the complete registered instrument needs to be examined.CNR: real estate registry services.

If your unit does not yet have a separate registry entry, ask how it is identified within the parent property and what remains to be done to create its individual registration. Compare those details with the plans and contract.

If the land is mortgaged, understand how that mortgage will be dealt with when your unit is sold. Ask for the proposed release arrangements and identify who must carry them out. Registry review should be combined with review of the project documents; it does not replace assessment of permits, construction or financial capacity.

“Application pending,” “approved” and “ready for handover” describe different positions. Request the available decisions, their attachments and any outstanding conditions. Check that they relate to the land, intended use and project phase being marketed.

The permitting framework includes the Directorate of Territorial Planning and Construction (DOT), alongside specific responsibilities held by other authorities. The appropriate authority and procedure must be established for the particular project file, rather than assumed from an outdated checklist.Legislative Assembly: construction permit reforms, October 21, 2025.

Ask for a schedule that distinguishes construction, physical handover and execution of the deed. If approvals remain outstanding, establish which payments will fall due before they are obtained and what happens if the approved project differs from the offer.

A document’s title does not fully explain its effect. A reservation agreement may contain penalties, deadlines for further payments or additional commitments. Read it with its attachments and the proposed agreement you will be expected to sign later.

A promise to enter into a contract has specific requirements: it must be written, concern a legally effective contract, establish a time or condition for execution, and sufficiently define the promised transaction.Civil Code, Article 1425: requirements for a promise to enter into a contract.

Paying a reservation deposit does not make you the owner. A real estate sale requires legal formalities, while registration affects enforceability against third parties. Understand the steps from the initial agreement through the deed, formal transfer and registration.Judiciary: real estate sales, public deeds and formal transfer, Judiciary: formal transfer and registration against third parties.

Review the total price and how each payment will be credited. Identify additional charges, closing expenses, parking, storage and financing conditions. An expectation of mortgage financing is not bank approval. The agreement should make clear what happens if financing is unavailable.

Include specifications that allow you to compare the offer with the completed property: floor area, layout, finishes, equipment and common facilities. Ask which changes the agreement allows, how they will be communicated and what options you will have.

Delivery dates also need context: permitted extensions, qualifying events, notice requirements and consequences of delay. Keep relevant advertising and correspondence. A sales statement referring to an “estimated delivery” does not answer all of these questions.

Request written explanations for specific scenarios: you decide not to proceed, financing falls through, the seller defaults or the project changes. Establish the process, proposed deductions and promised repayment period.

The Consumer Protection Law addresses deferred delivery, withdrawal rights and unfair terms. Applicability depends on the consumer relationship and the particular circumstances. Buying from abroad does not, by itself, create an automatic right to recover every reservation payment in full.Consumer Protection Law, including 2024 amendments: Articles 3, 13, 13-A and 17.

A “non-refundable deposit” clause warrants legal review: its wording alone does not settle which rights are available.

If someone will act on your behalf, first agree on the authority they need. Reserving a unit, signing a contract, accepting changes and taking delivery are distinct decisions. Review the power of attorney for the intended transaction before signing it.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes guidance on consular powers of attorney and authentication or apostille of foreign documents. The appropriate route depends on the document and issuing country. An apostille authenticates its formal origin; it does not remedy insufficient authority.Ministry of Foreign Affairs: notarial services and consular powers of attorney, Ministry of Foreign Affairs: authentication and apostilles.

Keep contracts, attachments, bank instructions, transfer confirmations and receipts connecting each payment to the unit. Confirm the bank’s documentation requirements before sending funds.