Increased Tax Burden for Indian Travellers to El Salvador

Increased Tax : El government of El Salvador has recently imposed a $1,000 fee on passengers originating from Africa or India as part of their strategy to combat irregular migration through their nation.

This decision, disclosed by El Salvador’s port authority on October 20, stipulates that travelers holding passports from India or more than 50 African countries will be required to pay this fee.

Increased Tax for Indian Tourists

The revenue generated from this fee is dedicated to the improvement of the country’s main international airport. The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has documented an unprecedented 3.2 million migrants arriving in the United States during the fiscal year 2023, which concluded in September.

Migration to the United States from various regions, including Africa, frequently entails passing through Central America. When factoring in the Value Added Tax (VAT), travellers originating from these affected countries now face an additional expenditure of $1,130.

This fresh charge took effect on October 23 and was implemented due to the increased utilization of El Salvador’s primary international airport, as affirmed by the authorities.

To implement this policy, airlines now have a mandatory requirement to provide daily reports to Salvadoran authorities regarding passengers originating from a specified list of 57 countries in Africa and India.

Significantly, Avianca, a Colombian airline and one of the primary users of the airport, has taken the initiative to inform travellers from these designated countries about the obligatory fee. Passengers are required to settle this fee prior to boarding their flights to El Salvador.

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