Resident Visas in Ecuador

1. There are different ways of obtaining a resident visa in Ecuador, as examples: a) A person that represents an Ecuadorian Corporation or a Foreign Corporation domiciled in Ecuador, b) A person who receives a pension overseas of at least US$800 per month, c) A person who invests in Ecuador in businesses at least US$30,000 or in a certificate of deposit at least US$25,000. The resident visa allows an individual to do business and work in Ecuador.

2. You can obtain your residence visa and can also favor your closer family with a resident visa. It is called Visa 9-VI.

3. You can begin the process while you are overseas, and the visa can be granted before the nearest Ecuadorian consulate but if you intend to obtain the resident visa you (and your family) while you are in Ecuador, you must have regular immigration status in Ecuador (the petition has to be filed at least 30 days before the admission expires).

4. If you are coming with your family and you want them to get a visa, you must obtain in your country, the documents that proof your relationship with them. These documents have to be translated, notarized, and then authenticated by the Ecuadorian consulate (or apostilled in your country) and we recommend translating those documents into Spanish.

5. You can make an application for each family member, but the cost for obtaining the visas will increase. It is better to make a family application.

6. You may also need a criminal history report from your country (legalized before the Ecuador consulate or apostilled) and medical reports of being in good health and not having infected /contagious diseases. If the medical report is from overseas it will need to be legalized.

7. Once that your passport have been stamped with the visa, you will receive two additional documents, one Registration Certification and the order for the Cedula (Ecuador ID) (you must save in your files a copy of these documents) With the Registration Certification and your passport you must go to the immigration office, so that the Censo is fulfilled. They will give you a credential called 'CENSO'. When you have the 'CENSO' you must go to the id office in Registro Civil to obtain your Ecuador ID (Cedula)

8. All regular immigrants can leave the country once the visa has been granted, but you can't stay out more than 90 days every year during the first two years since the admission date, or more than 18 consecutives months after these 2 years.

9. We recommend you to keep your passport, Cedula and Censo in a safe place. It can be difficult and in some cases expensive to obtain replacement documents. It is recommendable to have with you a copy or a certificate copy of these documents 10. If you are going to perform personal economic activities, you must file tax papers. 11. Detailed information for specific cases must be consulted to an Attorney.

This is only basic information, and does not intend to be legal advise. Consult a legal specialist for more information. Each case can be different.