Visa Information

Please note that we are not lawyers or professionals, this page is for informational use only. 

1. Most nationalities a get free 90-day tourist visa on arrival in Ecuador. See this page: https://www.gob.ec/mremh/tramites/concesion-visa-visitante-temporal-trista-90-dias

2. To get an additional 90-day extension read our page here on how to get a tourist visa extension in Ecuador

3. To obtain a long-term visa: Best to use a facilitator to coordinate and help in the process, without travelling far and for long hours and help with navigating the system that changes rules often in Spanish, for example English speaking facilitator: Ulises Acosta whatsapp/telegram/signal +593993709519 https://visatoecuador.com/

For updated information see this page: https://expatsecuador.com/visas/ecuador-visa-requirements/

2023 updates: https://www.ecuaassist.com/2023-temporary-and-permanent-visa-ecuador

Generally: The first step is to obtain temporary residency for 2 years (see below). Towards the end of the 2 years with a temporary visa, you may apply to obtain permanent residency, which is valid indefinitely with less conditions.

The costs for temporary visa range from $1,500 to $2,500 and permanent visas may cost similar (start applying after about 20 months of temporary visa) depending on the conditions, facilitator fees and government fees. There are additional things to consider like the travel time to the local offices.

The options for getting a temporary residency are:

1. Professional visa with a university degree
2. Investment visa with at least US $47k which requires either a certificate deposit in a bank (interest rates between 6%-7%), or buying land (tax valued) or a business of equal value
3. Digital nomad visa – 2 year contract of earning minimum of $1410/month (letter and bank statements)
4. See other options on the websites link on this page (or do your own research and let us know)

The other required documents* that we recommend you bring with you from your country of residence are:

1. Criminal background check from your country
2. The documents required for the specific visa you are applying for (university transcript, diploma, etc.)
3. Bank statements of at least $470/month of income in the last 6 months. Check with your facilitator for any changes in the amount or other details. These can be simple bank transfers going into the account with your name.

* Note: It is useful and helpful to bring these documents with you from your home country because they are usually more expensive and time consuming to obtain once outside your home country.

We recommend hiring a facilitator to help with the process because of the language barrier and rules that often change on short notice. This will also reduce the number of trips to the cities and government offices. (For example: https://expatsecuador.com/visas/ or research others online and let us know about your experiences by contacting us.)

For more information, have a look at https://thevisaproject.com/ecuador-visa/residency/. And use your choice of search engine to find more resources and a facilitator to help with the process.

IMPORTANT: Fruit Haven does not give legal advice, we are not liable for any information that is out of date or incorrect on this page, and we do not take any responsibility for your visa or any issues that may occur because of our information or pages on this website.