Menu
Expat.com
Search
Magazine
Search

Obtaining an Ecuador Visa (2021)

cccmedia
#1
Maité Duran of GringoVisas.com explains the rules for six residency visas available to Expats in 2021, in a 15-minute video posted in February of '21.

Most of these Ecuador visas are good for two years, and then are renewable, generally as permanent visas.

Travel restrictions on some visas have been relaxed.

Minimum income requirements have changed for some visas.  See next post on this thread.

Marriage to an Ecuadorian can speed the visa/citizenship process.

Search... Ecuador residency visas 2021 live abroad now youtube
 

Gringo Visas has offices in major Ecuadorian cities and in Connecticut, USA.

I do not receive compensation for discussing Gringo Visas or its website.

  -- cccmedia
2 members reacted to this post
See also
cccmedia
#2
Ecuador has reduced the minimum income required for Expats to apply for Pension and Rentista Visas.

The minimum income needed for a single Expat is $400 a month for these visas.  Previously an Expat had to show income of at least $800.

Pension visas are based on income typically from government sources, including social security and disability payments.

Rentista visas are based on income from an annuity or from non-governmental sources, including rent received through a contract involving property owned by the visa applicant.

Source... Visa specialist Maité Duran, in the same presentation
1 member reacted to this post

The Ecuador expat guide

Comprehensive and free

Read it now
Ecuador
cccmedia
#3
Purchase of a CD or property in Ecuador also qualifies an applicant for a two-year visa, which is renewable.

The minimum value of the asset has been raised to $40,000.  If real estate is the basis, the value is based on an assessment, not the purchase price.

A CD (certificate of deposit) is typically earning the depositor 8.5 percent in Ecuador.  The interest income can be withdrawn monthly by the depositor.  On a CD worth $40,000, 80 percent of the value is guaranteed by the government.

The source of information in this post is the presentation by visa specialist Maité Duran of Gringo Visas.

  -- cccmedia
cccmedia
#4
Volunteer and Employment Visas are still available in Ecuador.

However, these are not renewable as permanent visas.

Also, Ecuador no longer requires an Expat to have health insurance to apply for a visa.

  -- Source... Expats J.P. and Amelia, who hosted Maité Duran in the 15:00 video
1 member reacted to this post
terri lorrain
#5
This is fantastic! I was stressing out a little worring my Canadian government retirement funds might not meet the $800 USD threshold. Now that the residency requirement is lowered to $400, I'm good to go!

Thank you for sharing this fantastci information!  :top:
CopperMS
#6
Hi CCC, are you aware of any difficulty for a citizen of one of the islands in the Caribbean in obtaining a residency/retiree visa in Ecuador? Say, St. Maarten.
cccmedia
#7

CopperMS wrote:

CCC, are you aware of any difficulty for a citizen of one of the islands in the Caribbean in obtaining a residency/retiree visa in Ecuador? Say, St. Maarten.


No, I have no reason to think that an Expat from St. Maarten or the islands will face difficulty because of current residency.

For a really solid immigration attorney, I recommend Sebastian Cordero of Quito, who also has clients on the Ecuadorian coast.

Since successfully guiding me to obtain my visa and cédula seven years ago, Sebastian has continued to impress.  Last week, I asked him to represent me before the Ecuador DMV in renewing my expired drivers license.  He promptly emailed me back with the news that expired licenses remain valid through December 2021 because of the pandemic, by government decision.

Email... scordero(at)rcpabogados.com

  -- cccmedia in Quito

R
#8

@terri lorrain

Hi Terri


My name is Marco and Im in Saskatoon SK


Im looking in about 4 years to become an expat


How is life in Ecuador?


I have a Canada pension of about $ 750.00/mo + some savings..would this quality for visa?

Essential services for your expat journey

Choose the best health insurance
Choose the best health insurance
Protect your health and get easy access to treatment for expats in Ecuador.
Plan your international move
Plan your international move
Facilitate your move to Ecuador by getting a quote from our top rated movers.
Open a bank account that suits you
Open a bank account that suits you
Discover the best international banks to manage your money securely.
Send money overseas at the best rate
Send money overseas at the best rate
For fast, safe and secure money transfers to and from Ecuador.
Other discussions on formalities in Ecuador
Ask your questionOther discussions about formalities in Ecuador

Further reading

Work in Ecuador
Ecuador is famous as a retirement haven. But you might not want to wait until retirement age to move there and ...
Healthcare in Ecuador
Ecuador, as a fast-developing nation, has laws that are constantly evolving, but one thing is certain: the ongoing ...
Opening a bank account in Ecuador
A few years back, an expat would just breeze into an Ecuadorian bank, flash their passport and a bank account ...
Phones and Internet in Ecuador
General visa requirements in Ecuador
Ecuador's visa policy, one of the world's most lenient, makes it easy for tourists from almost all the countries ...
Setting up a business in Ecuador
Family and children in Ecuador
Family is everything to an Ecuadorian. The extended family unit is the most important aspect of life in Ecuador, ...
Discover Ecuador
This article paints a brief picture of Ecuador, a small but complex and diverse Andean country. Although a small ...