A waterfall plunging into a green gorge near Baños in Ecuador

Apply for Temporary Residence in Ecuador

Your way into the US dollar economy with the lowest living costs in the region: temporary residence in Ecuador, applied for properly and supported through to approval.

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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

Temporary residence is the way into Ecuador. Eligibility depends on your nationality, and we check it before you order. Ecuador deliberately keeps the thresholds low: the usual route is proof of regular income from a pension, investments or self-employment, with the threshold tied to the minimum wage (three times the SBU, which in 2026 means USD 1,446 a month). Alternatively, an investment from USD 48,200 (one hundred times the SBU) qualifies, as a fixed-term deposit with an Ecuadorian bank, property or a stake in a company. Technically, the application runs through one of the visa categories Ecuador provides for this; which one applies to you, we clarify before you apply. The country suits retirees and investors looking for maximum purchasing power in a dollar economy, and anyone who wants to use the five-year tax regime for newcomers deliberately and will genuinely live there to do it. For the full picture, see the Ecuador country page.

And who it does not suit:

  • ✕You want a low-presence backup: on the way to permanent residence you may be absent for no more than 90 days in total across your temporary residence, and the residence visa alone makes you tax resident. For a status kept in a drawer, Paraguay is the better choice.
  • ✕You see maximum safety as a basic requirement: Ecuador's situation varies widely by region, and the highlands around Cuenca are considered much safer than parts of the coast. Choosing where to live belongs in your planning.
  • ✕You need to move capital freely across borders all the time: Ecuador levies a 5% capital outflow tax (ISD) on transfers abroad. If you regularly transfer large sums, you have to factor that in.

Requirements

The core is either a regular income or an investment. The thresholds are tied to the SBU minimum wage and move with it: the income route requires three times the SBU, which in 2026 means USD 1,446 a month, and the investor route one hundred times, currently USD 48,200 (bank deposit, property or company shares, legally equivalent). One important point on the investor route: the investment must be maintained throughout the temporary residence phase. Then comes the chain of formalities: a valid passport, an apostilled police clearance certificate, an apostilled birth certificate and proof of funds, all with certified Spanish translations. Whether you can enter visa-free as a tourist for the preparation depends on your passport; we check it before you order. Which route and which evidence apply to your situation, we check before you apply.

Thinking about a retiree visa, but no pension that moves with you?

Retiree routes require a documented monthly income. For the self-employed and business owners we build a structure for exactly that: the pension plan LLC, your own US company that you fund with a loan and that repays it to you in regular monthly instalments under a documented pension plan. It works for many retiree visas, with no minimum age; we confirm acceptance for your destination before you order.

About the pension plan LLC →

What we take care of

  • ✓Clarifying before you order which route (income or investment) and which visa category fit your situation
  • ✓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
  • ✓Deadline tracking for the 90-day rule and the 21-month window to permanent residence
  • ✓One personal contact coordinating everything in English throughout the process

Step by step

  1. 1

    Confirm the route and category

    We review your situation: income or investor route, which visa category applies and whether Ecuador fits your plan. Only then do you order.

  2. 2

    Prepare your documents

    Certificates, police clearance, proof of funds: everything is obtained from our list, apostilled, translated by a certified translator and pre-checked by us before you fly.

  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 deadlines

    After approval we can support you with the cédula; from then on we track the 90-day rule and the window for permanent residence.

How long it takes

No one can honestly promise a blanket processing time: it depends on the category, 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. The framework afterwards is fixed: temporary residence is initially valid for about two years, and you can apply for permanent residence at the earliest after 21 months. Complete documents, correctly apostilled and translated, are the biggest lever on timing; that is exactly what our pre-check is for.

Do you need to be there in person?

The question hardly anyone answers up front: Ecuador is Plan A, not a backup. On the way to permanent residence you may be absent for no more than 90 days in total across your temporary residence, or your path stalls. Even more important for planning: simply holding a long-term residence visa makes you tax resident in Ecuador, regardless of how many days you spend there. If you want to commute or travel a lot, plan for that before you apply, not afterwards. We coordinate the in-person steps your application itself requires with your travel plans.

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. On the income route, the threshold rises by USD 250 per dependent (2026 figures, tied to the SBU mechanism); we check the current value for your situation before you apply. It makes sense for the family to submit in the same window so that the timelines, and later the 21-month window, stay in step. Scope and documents for minor children are clarified before you order. The cédula can be handled for dependents at the same time as an add-on.

What comes next

The roadmap is unusually clear: at the earliest after 21 months of temporary residence you apply for permanent residence in Ecuador, which we support as a separate procedure. If the switch is not yet possible, a residence renewal keeps your status alive. After that a third clock runs: naturalisation is possible after three years of permanent residence, realistically about five years after arrival, and dual citizenship is permitted. The details are in our guide to Ecuadorian citizenship and on 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
  • •Proof of income and the investment capital itself (deposit, property or shareholding)
  • •Tax advice in the destination country

Tax note

Residence is not the same as tax residence, and in Ecuador the usual pattern is reversed: simply holding a long-term residence visa makes you tax resident, regardless of how many days you spend there, and Ecuador in principle taxes its tax residents on their worldwide income (0 to 37%). The lever is the five-year tax regime for newcomers (since January 2024): chosen correctly, foreign income stays untaxed during that window. 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 or capital do I need to prove?+

The thresholds are tied to the SBU minimum wage: three times the SBU for the income route (2026: USD 1,446 a month) and one hundred times for the investor route (currently USD 48,200 as a deposit, property or company stake). Because the figures move with the SBU, we check the current values before you apply.

Do I have to keep the investment?+

Yes. On the investor route the investment must be maintained throughout the temporary residence phase. That belongs in your liquidity planning before you order.

How long can I be away from Ecuador?+

On the way to permanent residence, no more than 90 days in total across your temporary residence. That makes Ecuador a deliberate poor fit for a drawer residence; if you travel a lot, plan for it in advance.

Does residence automatically make me liable to tax?+

Yes, and that surprises many people: simply holding a long-term residence visa makes you tax resident, regardless of how many days you spend there. That is why the five-year tax regime for newcomers belongs in your planning from the start, not after the move.

Is the cédula included?+

It can be booked as an add-on to your case, for you and your dependents. That way you are not left with an approval but no ID document.

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; on the income route the threshold rises by USD 250 per dependent (2026 figures). Submitting in the same window is the leanest approach.

Who handles the procedure in Ecuador?+

Licensed local attorneys we work with. We coordinate your case, pre-check your documents and remain your personal contact, coordinating everything in English.

What comes after temporary residence?+

You can apply for permanent residence at the earliest after 21 months; after three years of permanent residence, naturalisation opens up, realistically about five years after arrival. We support both steps.

Ecuador Temporary Residence: let's look at your case

You get a specific, no-obligation quote for your situation: no waiting loop and no paperwork on spec.

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Harley Bieder

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A personal consultation with Harley Bieder, our Latin America expert, before you order.

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