Can a Salvadoran child get the minor ID card from the United States?
The carné de minoridad is El Salvador's optional ID card for kids ages 10 to 17. Here's who issues it, what it takes, and which Salvadoran ID makes more sense for a child growing up in the US.
Not through a consulate. The carné de minoridad (El Salvador's optional ID card for ages 10 to 17) is not listed among consular services. By law, the city hall where the child lives in El Salvador issues it, and the child must be there in person. It's valid for 2 years. What a child can get at a US consulate is the passport ($60).
- Issued by
- City hall (alcaldía) in El Salvador Under Decree-Law 589 of 1981. It's not on the RNPN's or the consulates' list of services.
- Ages
- Over 10 and under 18 Kids under 10 only if the city hall considers it appropriate.
- Valid for
- 2 years It stops being valid once the holder gets a DUI at 18.
- Cost
- About $1.05 to $3.15 Each municipality sets its own fee. These amounts come from 2025–2026 news reports, not an official national fee.
- Required?
- No, it's optional
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Requirements
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Step by step
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Make sure your child is registered
If your child was born in the US, first register the birth at a Salvadoran consulate so they have a Salvadoran birth record. See how to register a child born in the US.
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Order a recent birth record
A minor's passport requires a birth record issued within the last year. Here's how to get a Salvadoran birth certificate from the US.
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Get the passport at the consulate
Book an appointment and go with both parents, or bring the missing parent's authorization. Details are in the Salvadoran passport guide.
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Still need the card? Check first
Call the Virtual Consulate toll-free at 1-888-301-1130 and the city hall you plan to use. Ask whether they issue the card to a child who lives abroad.
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Travel with your child to the city hall
Go to the city hall or district office of the municipality in El Salvador. Bring the two photos, the birth record and the responsible adult's DUI.
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Pay and pick up the card
Pay the municipal fee. The child signs if able and gives a fingerprint, and the city hall issues the card.
Can you get the carné de minoridad from the US?
There's no consular process for the carné de minoridad. It isn't listed among the services of El Salvador's Foreign Ministry or the RNPN (Registro Nacional de las Personas Naturales, the national ID registry). The law that created it, Decree-Law 589 of 1981, gives the job to the city hall where the child lives.
For a family in the US, that means:
- Consulates don't handle it. A consular appointment won't get you this card.
- A relative can't get it with a power of attorney. A close relative or guardian can request it, but only with the child physically at the city hall.
- Traveling doesn't guarantee it either. The law ties the card to the municipality where the child lives, and it's not confirmed that a city hall will issue it to a child who lives abroad.
No official page says "not available abroad" in those words. That conclusion comes from the law and from the official service lists. If your situation is unusual, confirm with the Virtual Consulate (toll-free at 1-888-301-1130) before you book flights.
Which Salvadoran ID should a child in the US have?
For a child living in the US, the Salvadoran ID you can get at a consulate is the passport. The minor ID card isn't issued there, and the DUI (Documento Único de Identidad, the adult national ID) starts at 18.
| Document | Where you get it | Age | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salvadoran passport | Consulate in the US | Children and adults | $60 |
| Carné de minoridad | City hall in El Salvador, child present | Over 10 and under 18 | About $1.05 to $3.15 |
| DUI | One of 18 US consulates with an RNPN service center | 18 and older | $35 |
The passport does double duty: it's a travel document and an accepted ID for a first DUI at 18. For a minor's passport you need a birth record issued within the last year and both parents present, or the missing parent's authorization.
If your child was born in the US to a Salvadoran mother or father, El Salvador's Constitution considers them Salvadoran by birth. Before applying for the passport, though, you need to register the birth at a consulate so the child has a Salvadoran birth record.
What the carné de minoridad is and who issues it
The carné de minoridad is an optional ID card for Salvadorans over 10 and under 18. Its legal name is the Carnet de Identificación Personal para menores (personal ID card for minors), and it's governed by Decree-Law 589 of 1981.
- City halls issue it, or their district offices, in the municipality where the child lives. The RNPN does not, even though many people assume so.
- It's optional. The law doesn't require kids to have one.
- Under 10: the city hall may issue it if it considers it appropriate.
- In person only: the child attends, signs if able and gives a fingerprint.
- Replacement: a new card for a lost or damaged one keeps the same number.
Since El Salvador's 2024 municipal reform, many former municipalities now operate as districts, so you may apply at a district office. In May 2026, for example, San Salvador Centro briefly suspended issuance at its main office for equipment maintenance, while the Mejicanos and Ayutuxtepeque districts kept issuing it.
The Ley Crecer Juntos (a child-protection law in force since 2023) recognizes children's right to an ID from birth, but no new ID document for minors was found in operation.
How much the minor ID card costs and how long it lasts
The card is cheap, but there's no national fee: each municipality sets its own. Salvadoran news outlets reported amounts between $1.05 and $3.15 in 2025 and 2026. The 1981 law set a fee of one colón, which no longer applies.
| Item | What we know |
|---|---|
| Cost | Municipal fee, about $1.05 to $3.15 |
| Valid for | 2 years from the issue date |
| Stops being valid | When the holder gets a DUI at 18 |
| Processing time | Set by each city hall; no official national timeframe |
A common mistake is assuming the card lasts until 18. It lasts 2 years, so a kid who gets it at 11 would need to renew it several times to keep it current.
The press figures are not official published fees, so confirm the price with the city hall before you go. Because the card is optional and only available in El Salvador, the passport is usually the more practical choice for a child living in the US.
Turning 18: the minor ID card and the DUI
At 18, the minor ID card stops being valid and the young adult gets a DUI instead. The 1981 law says the card is presented to get the adult ID, which today is the DUI.
A first DUI at a consulate requires, among other things, an ID document. According to dui.sv and news reports, the carné de minoridad counts, though an older RNPN list doesn't include it. If you live in the US, these options are safer bets:
- Salvadoran passport: it's on the list of accepted IDs.
- US documents: a green card, TPS, a work permit (EAD) or a driver's license, among others.
- No ID at all: at 18, the young adult can go with their mother or father, who must have a valid DUI, instead of two witnesses.
A first DUI is done in person at one of the 18 US consulates with an RNPN service center, and it costs $35. If your child turns 18 soon, having their Salvadoran passport ready makes that appointment easier.
Common mistakes and scams
- Booking a consulate appointment for the minor ID card: it isn't a consular service.
- Assuming the RNPN issues it: the city hall where the child lives does.
- Sending a relative with a power of attorney to get it without the child: the child must be present.
- Assuming it lasts until 18: it's valid for 2 years from the issue date.
- Thinking it's mandatory: the law says it's optional.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Salvadoran minor ID card mandatory?
No. The law that governs it says it's optional. If you need your child to have Salvadoran ID while living in the US, the document you can get at a consulate is the passport, which also works for travel.
How much does the carné de minoridad cost?
It depends on the municipality. Each city hall sets its own fee, and Salvadoran media reported between $1.05 and $3.15 in 2025 and 2026. That's not an official national fee, so check with the city hall. US consulates don't charge for it because they don't offer it.
Can my relative in El Salvador get it for my child with a power of attorney?
Not without the child. The law requires the child to be present. A grandparent, close relative or guardian can request the card and show their DUI, but only while accompanying the child at the city hall. A power of attorney does not replace the child's presence.
Can my US-born child get a carné de minoridad?
In practice, it's hard. Your child first needs to be registered as Salvadoran, and only the city hall where the child lives issues the card, with the child present. It's not confirmed that a city hall will issue it to a child who lives abroad. The simpler path is to register the birth and get a passport at a consulate.
What age can you get the minor ID card?
From over 10 until just before 18. For a child under 10, the city hall may issue it if it considers it appropriate. At 18 the card stops being valid, and the young adult applies for a DUI instead.
Does a Salvadoran passport work instead of the minor ID card?
Yes, as Salvadoran ID, and it also lets your child travel. A passport costs $60 at the consulate and is accepted as ID for a first DUI. To get one, book a free consulate appointment and bring a recent birth record for your child.
What if the minor ID card is lost?
You can replace it at the city hall. The child must go in person with two ID-size photos and the responsible adult's DUI. If the card is damaged, you hand it back. The new card keeps the same number as the old one.
Sources
- Law on Personal Identification for Minors under 18 (Decree-Law 589 of 1981, Spanish)
- RNPN: service guide (Spanish)
- Foreign Ministry: passports abroad (Spanish)
- Foreign Ministry: civil registry at consulates (Spanish)
- DUI abroad (dui.sv)
Confirm this detail with the consulate before you go.