Papers Please

One thing I always advice people not do while wandering around El Salvador is to not carry their passport, a tip I learned from my dad. Instead, carry a photocopy of the page where the picture is displayed. You should actually do this even if your destination is not El Salvador.

Doing so helps avoid potential problems that might arise should you misplace your travel documents, or worse, if your belongings are stolen. Better to lose a photocopy of your picture, than the actual passport. Another option is to carry a photocopy of valid identification cards issued to you by your local government. For example, a photocopy of your license. 

Photocopies will suffice for most situations where you need to show identification, but for certain transactions, originals are necessary. A good example of such a transaction would be cashing a check or paying with a credit card. While your originals may suffice for some of these transactions, there are others that specifically request one show a Documento Unico de Identidad (DUI). In short, a national identification card.

Some transactions that require it include:

• Obtaining a Salvadoran Passport
• Voting
• Purchasing a mobile phone (pre-pay or otherwise)
• Opening a bank account (also has other requirements)

By no means is that a comprehensive list, but obtaining a DUI is a worthwhile venture. 

Most expatriates take the opportunity to obtain their passport while in El Salvador, because it is significantly cheaper than doing it abroad. The cost usually hovers around US$15, whereas abroad, it can set you back nearly 7 - 8 times that amount, depending where you live. Of course, to do so you must first get a DUI.

Obtaining a DUI is a rather simple process, but does require some patience. 

First and foremost, lets talk about the requirements. The first one is a fee of US$12, payable at any local bank. Simply go to a local bank branch of your liking and explain to them you wish to pay the DUI fees. Pay the fee and in turn, they will give you a receipt indicating the proper fees have been paid. Save this receipt as you will need it.

Second, you will need two certified copies of your birth certificate. You can obtain these at city hall from whichever city or municipality in which you were born. If that happens to be San Salvador, you have the added benefit of being able to go to a city hall branch office located at the Metrocentro shopping center. The fee for each copy is US$2.50.

Third, if this is the first time you are obtaining a DUI, you will also need to take 2 witnesses with you when you go obtain it. They should be folks that know you and can vouch that the information you will be providing is correct. They will need to bring their DUIs with them as well.

Once you've got your paperwork (and witnesses) lined up, head to your nearest DUI processing center. There are various throughout San Salvador, but my personal preference is to go to the one located at the Galerias shopping center. Take a pen with you, just in case.

When you arrive at the processing center, you will be given a form to fill out with your personal details, including name, birthday and other information, including your marital status. If you are married, you will be required to show a Salvadoran marriage certificate as proof. Should you not have such documentation available, you will be required to choose the option for single.

It is also worth noting that it is still very commonplace for people to refer to university graduates as Licenciado and the like. The prefix is actually added to the DUI as part of your name. Should you wish to be registered in that manner, you must show proof of your university degree. Most travelers don't carry such documentation with them, which leaves you with the option of selecting empleado.

Note that you will also need to reference a local address. Make sure you have one available. 

Once the form is filled out, a person will review it with you and may ask you to confirm some details. Likewise, part of the form asks one to indicate whether one is missing any limbs, fingers or has any tattoos. Don't be offended if they visually inspect you to confirm your answers.

If this is your first DUI, you will then be asked to call your witnesses and they are asked to vouch for you and sign an affidavit. Following confirmation, one proceeds through a queue with numbered windows, each indicating a different step in the process. 

The first window is the most important as you will hand over your form and your vitals are officially registered in the system. You will be asked to confirm the information before it is committed. Be sure to inspect it closely, as errors can be difficult and time consuming to correct. From there, the rest of the process is just a matter of getting your picture taken, signing your DUI and waiting for it to be handed to you. All in all, if it is a busy day, it might take you about 2 hours to complete the process.

Lastly, if you indeed are interested in obtaining a passport, you will need to pay the US$15 fee at the bank as well, which you can do so when you pay for your DUI. You will also need 2 additional certified copies of your birth certificate for that transaction. 

Remember that you need your DUI to obtain your passport. Therefore, you must first get your DUI and then you can head to the passport processing center. As with DUI centers, passport centers are located in different places throughout the city.