How to Obtain Residency in Ecuador

Why seek to obtain residency in Ecuador?

• An absolutely gorgeous country with mountains, beaches, national parks and great weather.
• Geographic location – same timezone as North America. It’s fantastic for remote workers.
• With proper structuring, it is possible to pay very little in taxes in Ecuador as there aren’t any CFC rules
  
• Many international schools.
• Affordable healthcare.
• Good infrastructure.
• Relative political neutrality in an increasingly bifurcated world

A great thing about residency in Ecuador is that you can sponsor dependents of one generation above and one generation below – both your dependent parents and children.

In essence, both sets of grandparents, your spouse, and children can all qualify.

How to get residency in Ecuador

What are the Residency options in Ecuador?

1. Investor Visa
2. Pensioner visa
3. Rentista Visa
4. Professional visa
5. Digital Nomad Visa

Family Reunification Benefits: All visa types allow you to sponsor: your spouse and children. One a permanent resident you can include your parents as well.

Investor Visa

Ecuador offers an interesting residency option for anyone willing to invest $47,000 into the local economy.

You have two options to obtain this type of residency in Ecuador:

1. Invest $47,000 in Ecuadorian real estate.

2. Invest $47,000 in a term deposit in an Ecuadorian bank.

You’ll need the following documentation to obtain your residency in Ecuador: 

• Proof of investment according to Immigration’s specifications
• Criminal Background Check
• Birth Certificate in some cases
• Marriage Certificate (if applicable);
• Application Form and Cover Letter (to be done by lawyer)
• Fingerprints

Rentista and Pensioner Visa

To obtain a Pensioner visa, you must prove a minimum of $1350 of fixed monthly income. This must come from social security, a private pension fund, or a life insurance product. Thet will NOT accept dividends, royalties or rental income. In essence, they want to see an annuity.

To obtain a Rentista / Passive income visa, you must demonstrate at least $1350 of monthly passive investment income such as dividends, rental income. $1350 must be deposited on a monthly basis to an Ecuadorian bank account.

You’ll need the following documentation to obtain your pensioner of passive income / rentista residency in Ecuador: 

• Birth certificate (in some cases)
• Marriage certificate (if applicable)
• Police background check
• Application form (done by Andrea)
• Proof of pension (for pensioner visa)
• Proof of passive investment income (for rentista visa)
• Fingerprints

Professional Residency Visa

The Professional Residency option in Ecuador is barely ever mentioned online. But essentially, all you need to show is that you graduated from university.

Additionally, you need to show either $10,000 on a bank account for the past 6 months, or even just a credit card statement showing that you have a credit limit of at least $1,700.

Digital Nomad Visa

This option requires you to demonstrate that you have a guaranteed online work income of at least $1,410 per month for the next two years. It’s still relatively new and has some teething issues but works.

 Physical Presence Requirements:

• Temporary Residency: No minimum time required to renew (valid 2 years)
• To reach Permanent Residency: Max 90 days outside Ecuador in total for the prior 2 years of temporary residency
• To maintain Permanent Residency: Max 6 months outside per year for first 2 years, then 1 day every 2 years from year 3
• To reach Citizenship: Available after 3 years of permanent residency with at least 6 months per year in country.

What if I don’t meet the requirements for residency in Ecuador?

Even if you do not meet the requirements set by the government, as long as you are a Westerner, there is usually a way in. Sara has taken many cases in which applicants earned less than the $1350 per month for example.

It’s more work for Sara, and she charges more based on the expected level of difficulty, but it’s possible.

FAQ

Transcript of “How to Obtain Residency in Ecuador”

LADISLAS MAURICE: Hello, everyone. Ladislas Maurice of The Wandering Investor. Today, we’ll be discussing how to obtain residency in Ecuador, because it’s an under appreciated country in Latin America. We’ll be having this conversation together with Sara, who’s an attorney in Ecuador and who specializes in helping people move to Ecuador. Sara, how are you?

SARA: I’m fine, thank you for asking, and thank you very much for inviting me to this interview.

LADISLAS MAURICE: Cool. There’s a number of ways to obtain residency in Ecuador. It’s actually one of the easier countries in Latin America to obtain residency in.

How to obtain residency in Ecuador

LADISLAS MAURICE: Apart from the usual marriage, or having a kid there, etc., what are the main ways to obtain residency in Ecuador?

SARA: About the residency visa in Ecuador, the first thing that I would like to explain is that everybody who wants to apply for a visa, they will apply for a temporary residency visa. This visa is valid for two years, 24 months. And these people, as long comply with the requirements of their temporary residency visa, can go from temporary to permanent. That means that as long you comply with the requirements, with the conditions, you can be a permanent residency visa, that is a visa valid for lifetime.

The main visas that we have in Ecuador are five. Retire visa is the first one, investor, professional, a normal digital visa, and the last one, that is rentista visa. I will explain each of them. It is important that everybody understand that it requires and the amounts of money that you need to submit is for this year, 2025. I make emphasis on this because each year Ecuador increase little bit the investment or the required income for you can apply for a visa.

Investor visa for Ecuador

First step is investor visa. There are two ways to investment in Ecuador. The first one is investment in real estate. You need to buy a property in Ecuador, and the minimal investment that you need to make for this property is $47,000, and the property should be under your name. The second way to investment in Ecuador is investment in Ecuadorian bank. For this reason, you need to open up an account in Ecuador, and the minimal investment that you need to make this year, 2025, is $47,000 in a bank certificate of deposit. Also, the people who invest in Ecuador can bring their dependents, their spouses, the children, has no investment, $500 for dependent.

LADISLAS MAURICE: The dependents, spouse, children. What about the parents on both sides, can they also be included?

SARA: No, that’s the reason I don’t name them, because when you are a temporary resident, you only can be dependent visas to your spouse of your children. Only when you are permanent, you can give dependent to your grandparents, to your parents, your different people. But with temporary, we have restrictions.

LADISLAS MAURICE: Okay. You can come in with your spouse, your children, get to permanent, and then you can bring the parents a few years later?

SARA: Exactly. Really, that is what I do with my clients. After two years, we can bring more people, more dependents.

Pensioner visa, professional visa and digital nomad visa for Ecuador

SARA: The second category is pensioner visa. This is for the people who have a pension guarantee for lifetime. The minimal amount of money is $1,450 for the main applicant, plus $250 for dependents. The third category is professional visa. For this kind of visa, you need to have a university degree, bachelor, master, or PhD. If you are a professional, you have a university degree, you can register your degree in Ecuador and apply for your professional visa.

And the next category is normal digital visa. For this visa is kind of new in the law, however, you need to have a digital work guarantee for a minimum of two years. And the minimal salary that you need to make monthly is $1,410. And the last category is rentista visa. For this kind of visa is for the people who will have an income guarantee for the next two years. For example, you can rent a property. You can receive an income $1,410, and you can apply for a visa in Ecuador.

For any of these categories, the investor visa, a professional visa, pensioner visa, normal digital visa, rentista visa, you must to show your background checks from the country that you live the last five years. And if your country is in the agreement of the apostille, all your documents must to have an apostille before you come to Ecuador to apply for your visa.

LADISLAS MAURICE: We’re talking birth certificate, criminal background check, marriage certificate, all of that with apostille, if possible?

SARA: Yes. One very important data, Ecuador doesn’t require the birth certificate for the temporary or permanent. Birth certificates only requirement in the case that you are bringing your children with you.

LADISLAS MAURICE: Okay.

SARA: But you’re applying by yourself, no, you don’t need to bring.

Converting temporary residency to permanent residency in Ecuador

LADISLAS MAURICE: And the digital nomad visa is also considered temporary residency? One can work towards permanent residency with it?

SARA: Yes, with all the temporary residency visas, you have the same benefit that you can migrate from temporary to permanent as long you comply with the requirement to stay in the country. Your visa is valid for 24 months. However, to apply for your temporary, you can do that from the 21st month, as long you stay in the country most of the time. Only you could be outside of Ecuador a maximum 90 days, so 90 days in 24-month period.

LADISLAS MAURICE: Okay. Really, to be able to get to permanent residency, you need to spend a lot of time in Ecuador, and you’re just allowed six weeks a year to go back home and see family, or to go on business. Essentially, you do this, you get to permanent residency. Now, what are the minimum physical presence requirements once you have permanent residency in Ecuador?

SARA: The moment that you are a permanent resident, I think the things are easy. You could be outside of Ecuador a maximum 180 days. Is that six months in Ecuador, six months outside of Ecuador, in any other country. These requirements is enforced for the first two years of your permanent residency visa. The first year, no more than 180 days. The second year, no more than 180 days. However, from the third year of your permanent residency visa, you could be outside a maximum of two years in the same period of three.

LADISLAS MAURICE: Okay, so just one day in Ecuador every two years, once you’ve done essentially four years of living in Ecuador?

SARA: Yes, absolutely works that way.

LADISLAS MAURICE: And applying for citizenship?

Applying for Ecuadorian citizenship as a permanent resident

SARA: Applying for Ecuadorian citizenship, the things are little different. Because at the moment that you are a permanent resident, the immigration law explains that you can apply for your Ecuadorian citizenship from the third year, as long you stay in the country most of the time. The maximum period of time that you could be outside of Ecuador is 180 days at any time. That means the first year, the second year, the third year. You cannot leave the two years, because the two years is for you keep your permanent residency visa.

And also, it is important that to apply the Ecuadorian citizenship, first, is the time, three years as a permanent resident. Second, that you cannot leave Ecuador more than 180 days. And third, you need to qualify with a financial requirement, because you need to prove that your investment here, that you live here, that you have income in Ecuador.

LADISLAS MAURICE: So, 180 days per year, or, in total, in these three years?

SARA: Per year.

LADISLAS MAURICE: Per year. And does Ecuador actually grant citizenship to foreigners relatively easily and how long does the processing time take?

SARA: Yes, absolutely. In Ecuador, as long you comply with the requirements, you have the right to apply for your Ecuadorian citizenship, and that will be issued for you. And honestly, at the moment that you are senior, 65 years or more, the requirements are easy. Because we have here a test, a Spanish test, about the geography, history about Ecuador. However, the people who is 65, they don’t give this test. They automatically eliminate that test, and they go for the second step. Regarding the Spanish, the Spanish test is also easy. The most important question is that you need to answer why you want to be Ecuadorian.

LADISLAS MAURICE: Yeah. I mean, you should at least speak Spanish after a few years of living full-time in Ecuador, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

SARA: Exactly, yes.

LADISLAS MAURICE: What’s the processing time, roughly, between applying for citizenship and actually getting it?

SARA: In my experience, the process can take a while, like, two, maximum of three years.

LADISLAS MAURICE: Okay. And during that time, can you be away, or are they still monitoring for you to be in the country?

SARA: You can leave Ecuador for trip, for business, whatever. However, you cannot be more than 180 days outside. The require of this time is very important. Also, another important information is that if you are married with Ecuadorian citizenship, you can apply because, also you are married with your spouse. If you are married two years with your spouse, you can apply for your Ecuadorian citizenship. You also, you don’t need to give test, and your Ecuadorian citizenship can be issued in three to six months.

LADISLAS MAURICE: All right, so I guess it’s high time to get married to an Ecuadorian.

SARA: [laughs] That could be a good option.

Is Ecuador safe for expats?

LADISLAS MAURICE: [laughs] Cool. And to people who are considering obtaining residency in Ecuador, a lot of people are very wary of all the gang violence they hear about. Is this actually an impediment? Is it everywhere in the country, or are some areas really fine? Can you give us a bit of feedback, because you deal with a lot of foreigners getting residency on a regular basis, how are they living through it?

SARA: Yes. Thank you for that question. In my experience as Ecuadorian in working with foreigners for the last 12 years, always, my advice is to avoid the areas that is qualified as a risk. Usually, this is the North, close to Colombia, especially in the beach, honestly. And I can name the province is Esmeraldas. This could be little danger. The rest of the country is really peaceful. I am in the city of Cuenca. It’s a really tranquil city. We don’t have any problem here. Most of my clients stay in Cuenca or Quito, or some other areas, the beach. Salinas, also it is a good city to be there.

LADISLAS MAURICE: Yeah, I can confirm. I spent some time in Cuenca, like, two, three years ago. I bought an apartment there together with a relative. And I remember walking around at, like, 3:00 in the morning, it’s totally safe, no issue. But going to the coast in Guayaquil, and just even in the middle of the afternoon, just feeling not comfortable at all [laughs] walking around there. There are big variations in the country, and if you choose the right spots, it’s generally okay.

Ecuador as a Plan B destination

LADISLAS MAURICE: Look, this is interesting. Ecuador is not discussed much, but it’s pretty easy to get residency. There is a path to citizenship if you actually if you’re willing to spend the time there. And also, it can be a bit of a Plan B, if the rules don’t change, in the sense that you can just make a deposit, $47,000, whatever, in a bank, you get a two-year residency, and you just need to come back every two years to renew. You won’t work towards permanent residency, but you can at least have an active residency permit that requires one trip every two years to keep active, that doesn’t block a lot of money. You’re getting paid some half decent interest, interest in banks around 5%, 6% or so.

That’s also an option for people who want an active residency but don’t have enough to get a permanent residency in a place like Panama, which requires more work, etc., or more money. It’s a decent option.

SARA: Yeah. One important information, too. Another one is that with the temporary residency visa, too, you can come and leave as you please if you don’t want to apply for the permanent. Really, Ecuador gives you these two wonderful options. One that you can come and leave as you please, as a temporary resident for two years, or only if you want, if you choose to be a permanent resident, that is when you need to stay this period of time in the country, at least 21 months and only could be outside 90 days.

How to contact Sara to get residency in Ecuador

LADISLAS MAURICE: Fantastic. If you want to find out more about how to obtain residency in Ecuador, there’s a link below with a lot more information, and you can also get in touch with Sara this way. Sara, thank you very much for your time today.

SARA: My pleasure. Have a wonderful day.

Other services in Ecuador:

• Real Estate Lawyer in Ecuador