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.
