Ecuador Visa And Residency Information

An Ecuador visa will be issued on arrival for citizens of the United States, Canada, and much of Europe. This tourist visa is typically valid for 90 days. Check the stamp to make sure you know how many days they gave you.

You can extend your 90-day stay one time, for an additional 90 days. But, if you want to stay longer than 180 days as a tourist, you can get a special tourist visa at the consulate. Get this in advance of your trip, because it’s valid for up to one year.

Also, you can apply for such a visa once every five years.

Residency Visas

The Ecuadorian residency process follows two steps. Firstly, you need to hold a temporary resident visa. Once you have this you can apply for a permanent residency visa.

The application for residency needs to be in Ecuador.

You must head to your local immigration office. If you are not fluent in Spanish, bring someone who is. You can no longer apply for residency in your home country.

Documents such as police check certificate, need to be authenticated. Depending on the country of origin, you’ll use either the apostille process or consular legalization.

Any document that is not in Spanish must be translated into Spanish. The translator must certify the translation as correct, and their signature must be verified by a notary.

Importing Household Goods

One big advantage of residency in Ecuador is that you can import your household effects, duty-free. Your attorney will guide you through this process. Don’t attempt to go it alone.

Timing is critical and you must pay strict adherence to the rules. For example, you need to submit a request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and you can only bring up to 200 kgs of your effects duty-free (anything over is taxed).

Permission to import household effects is granted by the customs law, rather than the immigration law.

Temporary Residency (Residencia Temporal)

Those who lived in Ecuador uninterrupted for up to 21 months can apply for a permanent residency visa. The Temporary Resident Visa allows you to stay in Ecuador for up to two years. You may renew this only once.

You used to be unable to be absent from Ecuador no more than a cumulative total of 90 days per year while on this visa, but the rules changed in 2021. On a Temporary Resident Visa, you may now travel out at will.

Ecuador charges a non-refundable, US$50 application fee for each applicant. In addition, a visa fee of US$400 is due on receiving the visa.

Types of Resident Visa

There are 13 types of Temporary Resident Visas; the most commonly used by expats are these:

• Trabajador (workers)
• Rentista (those with income from abroad or from Ecuadorian sources)
• Jubilados (retirees with a pension)
• Investionistas (investors)
• Amparado (for dependents of other visa-holders)

The general requirements for temporary resident visas (regardless of which kind you’re asking for) include:

• Passport: You must have a passport from your home country that won’t expire for at least six months.
• Movimiento Migratorio: This is a record of your movements in and out of Ecuador (movimiento migratorio). It is available from the immigration office.
• Background Check: Ecuador requires a background check from your country of origin. If you have been living outside your home country for more than five years you will need a check from this country.

In addition to the three general requirements above, here are the requirements that are specific to each type of visa…

Citizenship And An Ecuadorian Passport

Ecuador recognizes dual citizenship.

Although permanent residents may vote and run for office, only citizens can import a vehicle duty-free. This counts towards their household effects.

The law allows for importation of cars up to five years old, which are valued at less than 60 times the minimum wage. At US$460 for 2024, the maximum value of the vehicle would be US$27,600.

Above all, Ecuador’s customs laws grant a special exemption for vehicles of the handicapped, of any nationality.

By Naturalization

Ecuador has one of the quickest citizenship programs we know of. You can become a citizen after only two or three years of continued residency.
Citizenship is granted in Ecuador by means of a naturalization letter (Carta de Naturalización). For expats, the naturalization letter is generally granted for two categories:

• Residents who have resided in Ecuador for three years, or
• Married residents or those with a permanent civil relationship with an Ecuadorian citizen. The resident must have resided in Ecuador for two years.

How To Qualify

In order to qualify, you’ll need to be able to recognize Ecuador’s patriotic symbols (flag, seal, etc.) and pass an interview. During the interview you will need to state motives for becoming a citizen.

You will also need to provide proof of income. If you cannot complete the interview speaking Spanish you are almost certain to fail.

You must not have been absent from Ecuador for more than 180 days per year for each of your first three years of permanent residency. (This restriction does not apply if you are qualifying by having an Ecuadorian family member or by marrying an Ecuadorian citizen.) You must also have a clean criminal record.

By Descent

Ecuador recognizes both jus soli and jus sanguinis without limitation. Children born in Ecuador can claim citizenship without exception, as can those born abroad to at least one Ecuadorian parent.

In fact, you can be eligible for citizenship up to the third degree of consanguinity. This means if you’ve got an Ecuadorian grandparent, you are eligible to claim citizenship.