Sea lions and blue-footed boobies on black lava rock on a Galápagos shore

Apply for the Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa

Work where your money goes furthest: remote income in a US dollar economy with the lowest living costs in the region, with legal residence status instead of a makeshift tourist stay.

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Fixed prices and ordering

All prices in US dollars for the main applicant; family members coming with you are added to the same case.

Not included: government fees, translations and apostilles (government fees approx. USD 335). Ongoing: health insurance for Ecuador. You add family members at checkout.

Who this procedure suits

The Digital Nomad Visa is for remote workers and location-independent freelancers who live on foreign income and want to make Ecuador a real base. Eligibility depends on your nationality, and we check it before you order. The income threshold is tied to the minimum wage (three times the SBU), which in 2026 means USD 1,446 a month, one of the most accessible thresholds in the region. In return you get a daily life that suits remote work: the US dollar with no exchange-rate friction if you earn in dollars, fibre in Cuenca and Quito at 50 to 100 Mbps, and living costs at which a single person manages well on around EUR 1,000 a month. Choose your region wisely, the highlands rather than the coast, and you combine that with a high quality of life; the honest assessment is in our Ecuador reality check.

And who it does not suit:

  • ✕You only want to stay a few months and move on: a long-term Ecuadorian residence visa makes you tax resident, regardless of how many days you spend in the country. For short stops, visa-free entry as a tourist is the better tool.
  • ✕You want to work locally for Ecuadorian clients or employers: the Digital Nomad Visa is designed for foreign income, and local income is taxed at the normal progressive rates.
  • ✕You expect 0% tax indefinitely: Ecuador's window for newcomers is set at five years, after which normal worldwide taxation applies. If you want open-ended territorial taxation, Panama or Paraguay are the better fit.

Requirements

The core is proof that you live remotely on foreign income: the threshold is three times the SBU minimum wage, which in 2026 means USD 1,446 a month; because the figure moves with the SBU, we check the current value before you apply. On top of that comes the usual chain of formalities: a valid passport, an apostilled police clearance certificate, proof of income and of your work, all with certified Spanish translations. Exactly which documents the authority currently requires for the digital nomad category, and how long your status is valid, is checked for your case before you apply; Ecuador's rules change often.

What we take care of

  • ✓Clarifying before you order whether the Digital Nomad Visa or another category better fits your plan
  • ✓Checking whether your income structure (remote employment, freelancing, your own company) meets the requirements
  • ✓A complete document list for your case, including an apostille and translation plan
  • ✓Preparing and pre-checking every document before submission
  • ✓Submission and representation by licensed local attorneys
  • ✓Coordinating your in-person appointments with your travel plans
  • ✓Ongoing follow-up with the authority until a decision is made
  • ✓Support with the cédula as an add-on to your case, including for dependents
  • ✓One personal contact coordinating everything in English throughout the process

Step by step

  1. 1

    Confirm the category and your proof of income

    We check whether the Digital Nomad Visa fits your setup and how your remote income can be documented cleanly. Only then do you order.

  2. 2

    Prepare your documents

    Police clearance, proof of income and of your work: everything is obtained from our list, apostilled, translated by a certified translator and pre-checked by us.

  3. 3

    Submit in Ecuador

    Together with our local partners, licensed attorneys in each country, your application is submitted and you are represented throughout; we schedule your in-person appointments around your trip.

  4. 4

    Processing and follow-up

    The authority reviews your case, the local attorneys follow up, and we keep you updated in English until the decision.

  5. 5

    Approval, cédula and next steps

    After approval we can support you with the cédula and clarify how your status moves on towards permanent residence if Ecuador is to be more than one stage.

How long it takes

No one can honestly promise a blanket processing time: it depends on the authority's workload and the quality of your documents. That is why you get a realistic estimate for your case before you order rather than a wishful number. We also check how long your status is valid against the current rules before you apply, instead of copying a figure from old guides. The biggest lever on timing is you: complete documents, correctly apostilled and translated.

Do you need to be there in person?

The question hardly any provider answers honestly: even for nomads, Ecuador is not a country for a status kept in a drawer. Simply holding a long-term residence visa makes you tax resident, regardless of how many days you spend there, and if you later want permanent residence, you may be absent for no more than 90 days in total across your temporary residence. We check which presence requirements your specific status carries, and which in-person steps the application needs, and coordinate them before you apply.

Family members coming with you

Your spouse or partner and other adult dependents are added as their own line item in the same case, each with their own document pack including apostilles and translations; we handle the coordination. Whether and how the income threshold rises per dependent is checked for your situation before you apply. It makes sense to submit in the same window so the family's timelines stay in step; scope and documents for minor children are clarified before you order.

What comes next

When a working stop turns into a base: Ecuador's roadmap is unusually clear, permanent residence opens at the earliest after 21 months of temporary residence; whether and how your digital nomad status counts towards it is checked before you apply. We support permanent residence in Ecuador as a separate procedure, and after three years of permanent residence even naturalisation becomes possible, realistically about five years after arrival. For the full picture, see the Ecuador country page.

What is not included

  • •Government fees and state charges in Ecuador
  • •Apostilles and legalisations in your home country
  • •Certified translations
  • •Notary costs
  • •Travel and accommodation costs
  • •The proof of income and work itself (contracts, bank statements, certificates)
  • •Tax advice in the destination country

Tax note

Residence is not the same as tax residence, and Ecuador reverses the usual pattern: simply holding a long-term residence visa makes you tax resident, and Ecuador in principle taxes its tax residents on their worldwide income (0 to 37%). The lever for nomads is the five-year tax regime for newcomers (since January 2024), which leaves foreign income untaxed during that window; the 5% capital outflow tax (ISD) also belongs in your planning. For context, see our comparison of tax holidays in Uruguay, Chile and Ecuador; your individual case belongs with a tax adviser.

One point of contact, from start to finish

Your application is filed together with our local partners, licensed attorneys in each country, with whom we have worked for years. We coordinate your case, check your documents and remain your point of contact: in English, throughout.

That applies whether you are still at home or already on the road: one point of contact, no language barrier, no loose ends across four time zones.

Frequently asked questions

How much income do I need to prove?+

The threshold is three times the SBU minimum wage, which in 2026 means USD 1,446 a month from foreign sources. Because the figure moves with the SBU, we check the current value before you apply.

Will I pay tax in Ecuador on my remote income?+

Without planning, yes: the residence visa alone makes you tax resident, and Ecuador taxes worldwide income. The lever is the five-year regime for newcomers, which leaves foreign income untaxed during that window. That is exactly why tax planning comes before the application.

How good is the internet really?+

Good in the cities: fibre is widespread in Cuenca and Quito, and 50 to 100 Mbps costs around EUR 25 to 40 a month. In rural areas the connection can be much slower; choosing your region is part of the planning.

Can I also work for Ecuadorian clients?+

That is not what this visa is for: it is aimed at remote work with foreign income. Ecuador taxes local income at the normal progressive rates. If your setup includes local clients, we clarify the right category before you apply.

How long is the visa valid, and can I extend it?+

We check the validity and follow-on options of your specific status against the authority's current rules before you apply; Ecuador's rules change often, and outdated figures help no one.

Can my family come with me?+

Yes. Your spouse or partner and other dependents are added as their own line item in the same case, each with their own document pack. Submitting in the same window is the leanest approach.

Can nomad status turn into permanent residence?+

Ecuador's route to permanent residence opens at the earliest after 21 months of temporary residence; whether and how your digital nomad status counts towards it is checked before you apply. If Ecuador is to become your base, we plan the path from the start.

Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa: let's look at your case

A fixed price, three ways to pay, and once your payment arrives our team first checks your requirements before your case goes to our local partners.

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Harley Bieder

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