A. M. 
The General Directorate of Customs of El Salvador has announced new provisions for the importation of used vehicles in 2025. Starting this year, only vehicles with specific years of manufacture, established according to the type of transport, will be allowed to be imported. This change seeks to regulate the quality and safety of vehicles entering the country.
For light vehicles, whether passenger or cargo, the year of manufacture allowed is 2017 onwards. In the case of heavy passenger vehicles, they must be from 2015 or more recent years, while heavy cargo vehicles will only be accepted if they were manufactured in 2010 or later. These restrictions oblige importers to carefully review the documentation before starting the process.
An important detail is the exception for older vehicles. If the import process was delayed due to international inconveniences, importers will have until January 31, 2025 to complete the paperwork with the required documentation. This allows them to adjust their operations without incurring losses.
The key to determining the vehicle’s eligibility lies in the documentation, such as the title, registration card or, if necessary, the VIN number. The latter will be verified directly by Customs if the year of manufacture cannot be ascertained from the documents provided.
For more information, interested parties can contact Customs through its official website, phone line or WhatsApp. This announcement represents a call to traders and exporters to carefully plan their imports, ensuring compliance with the new requirements.
