“Kathleen, I have a great interest in living in Ecuador. I would like to know how one can qualify for the 50% discount for persons of a certain age. Also, is it possible for a retired person to start a business there? What are the requirements to become a resident in Ecuador? Is it a non-extradition country? Look forward to your reply.”
–Maurice M., United States
To qualify for the senior discounts available in Ecuador, you need only be a resident over 65 years of age. No registration or approval process is required. You just show your ID if asked for it by the vendor.
Here’s what Ecuador’s senior benefits package includes:
- 50% off all public transportation
- 50% off national and international airfares
- 50% off all cultural, sports, artistic, and recreational events
- 50% off electricity, water, and telephone service
- Special discount on property tax
- Relief from Ecuadorian income tax
- Discount on vehicle tax
- Discount on judicial fees
- Refund of Value Added Tax (sales tax)
Best of all, you never have to stand in line; seniors always go to the front.
To obtain residency in Ecuador, a pensioner must be able to show an income of at least US$800 per month. An investor’s visa is also available. To qualify for this, you must make an investment of at least US$25,000 in the country. This can be in anything from a CD at a bank to a piece of real estate to serve as your retirement residence.
Ecuador does in fact have an extradition treaty with the United States, signed in 1872 under the administration of Ulysses S. Grant. The specific list of extraditable offenses includes mostly what we know as felonies. It specifically excludes political offenses. Many cyber-offenses (as with the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Paul Assange) are not extraditable, due to the age of the treaty.
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