TSE Urges Salvadorans to Update DUI Address Before February 2026 Ahead of 2027 Elections

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal of El Salvador (TSE) is urging citizens to update their address on their Unique Identity Document (DUI) before the February 27, 2026, deadline, in preparation for the 2027 general elections.

The update process, which began on October 8, is part of the official electoral calendar. The tribunal states that keeping DUI information up to date is vital to ensuring an orderly and efficient voting process.

TSE President Roxana Soriano emphasized that both domestic and overseas Salvadorans should take advantage of the extended timeline to make changes without complications.

“We have started well in advance so people can change their residence and exercise their right to vote without setbacks,” Soriano said. “For Salvadorans abroad, updating their address brings two benefits: online voting and early participation.”

Overseas voters will be able to cast their ballots online between January 30 and February 28, 2027. Meanwhile, citizens residing in El Salvador can benefit from residential voting, which allows them to vote at polling stations nearest to their homes.

The National Registry of Natural Persons (RNPN) estimates that more than 1.6 million Salvadorans will need to renew their DUIs in 2026—a 232% increase compared to 2025, when just under 500,000 documents expired.

In the last 13 years, 6.8 million DUIs have expired, but only about 43% were renewed on time, according to RNPN data. The agency expects a surge in renewals starting January 2026 as expiration dates peak.

To handle the influx, the RNPN will open three temporary DUI service centers nationwide and install 10 additional printing machines abroad from January 2026 to March 2027.

With an expected 1.6 million renewals, 2026 is expected to be the second-highest year for DUI reissues in recent history, surpassed only by 2018, when more than 3 million documents expired.

Other years have not topped the million-mark, though 2027 is projected to come close, with about 948,000 renewals, followed by 2019 with 824,000.