El Salvador Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

El Salvador

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records from 1704 to 2001. For a complete list of all the cities contained in this collection, see the Cities of El Salvador - Civil Registration coverage table.

The civil registration was not instituted until about 1859; however, some church records were used as civil records prior to this time. The birth records were issued in municipal offices of the civil registration and a copy of the registers was sent to be archived in the Central Archives. This collection also includes the individual indexes. Copies of the registers were archived in the Central Archive in San Salvador.

The civil registration was necessary in order to keep an official record of the civil events and acts related to the civil state of the citizens. These records are a great source for genealogical research. Some of the records appear to have some damage, which have caused some loss of information. The text is in Spanish in a narrative style.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2

If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth Records
 * Name and surname of child
 * Date and place of birth
 * Gender of child
 * Parents' names

Marriage Records
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Groom's name, age, marital status and occupation
 * Bride's name, age and marital status
 * Groom's parents' names
 * Bride's parents' names

Death Records
 * Name of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Age and gender of deceased
 * Parents' names of deceased

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year
 * Family relationships

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 


 * 1) Select Department
 * 2) Select City or Municipality
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Check the image the index was taken from to see if there is additional information
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see the section Citing This Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image
 * Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each spouse to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * El Salvador Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records) are also a good substitute when civil records of births, marriages, and deaths cannot be found or are unavailable
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name
 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring area. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions

If you are unable to read a document or you’re not sure where to go next in your research, you can ask for help through these resources: Hispanic Genealogy Research community on Facebook is a page sponsored by FamilySearch and here you may also post a question or upload an image of a document for further assistance. The Hispanic Genealogy Research page is designed especially for those who have Hispanic ancestry but may not be fluent in Spanish. Be sure to click like on the page on your first visit so you can receive information and updates from the page in your news feed.

New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back to see if your ancestor’s records have been added. You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections. Watch for an asterisk for recently added or updated records.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in El Salvador.
 * El Salvador Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.