El Salvador recently imposed a $1,000 tax on visitors from Africa and India.
El Salvador’s port authority has mandated that travelers having passports from India or any of the 50 or so African countries pay this levy, with the proceeds going toward the renovation of the country’s principal international airport.
President Nayib Bukele’s administration said it is working hard on modernization and expansion projects at El Salvador International Airport in order to provide first-class service to all users and passengers who travel through the terminal.
The country is a key hub for one of the region’s most prominent airlines, with direct flights to over 30 destinations in 14 different countries.
According to the port authority “There has been an increase in the number of passengers entering, leaving and connecting at the airport, compared to previous years.
“Therefore, we inform you about the application of the Airport Improvement Fee of the El Salvador International Airport, San Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez, for passengers in transit
While the Salvadoran authorities did not state it officially, this step appears to be aimed at the increased number of African and Indian passengers transiting through the airport. Many of these passengers travel to the United States on planes with stopovers in Managua, Nicaragua.
According to the port authority, airlines will notify the AIES-SORG’s billing, collection, and payments division on a daily basis via a list that must include the name of the passenger, nationality, arrival flight, and departing flight of the following nationalities:
Before boarding, passengers must pay the corresponding amount of 1,130 USD (1,000 USD + 13% VAT), per passenger. This airport improvement fee became effective on October 23, 2023
The Billing, Collection, and Payments Division of AIES-SOARG will generate the relevant fiscal document every week, summarizing the information provided by the airlines.
