Moving to Ecuador !!

Use the searchbox atop this page to check that your diploma is on the university visa list for Ecuador, and get back to us.

cccmedia in Quito

vpbuzz wrote:

e. What is the general validity of a Proff Visa?
g. Finally, does this type of visa automatically help me qualify for the EC citizenship after 3 yrs?

100 percent valid in Ecuador.

After three years, you may apply for citizenship provided you have not been outside of Ecuador for a total of more than 90 days in those years.

cccmedia in Quito

cccmedia wrote:

Use the searchbox atop this page to check that your diploma is on the university visa list for Ecuador, and get back to us.

cccmedia in Quito

Thanks for your reply...well I couldn't find this list from the search, but a few days back..I remember crossing a list of universities around the world that directly qualified or were recognized by the EC authorities for Visa matters and I could see my University feature in that list.

If you search exactly what cccmedia wrote, it's the fourth post down and will take you to a secondary link (PDF file) with a list from last year...hope that helps.

If you need to work to support yourself you are taking a big gamble in coming to Ecuador without a firm contract and promise of employment. If there are qualified Ecuadorians for the job a foreigner  will not be hired unless you are perhaps a health care professional proficient in Spanish. You are competing with thousands of Venezuelans now trying to get jobs and earn a living in Ecuador.

In terms of immigrants Ecuador is primarily  a retirement destination for North Americans with a guaranteed pension income of at least $800 a month and $900 with dependents You will not be able to get a residence visa unless you can prove to the authorities that you have a guaranteed income or can do the investment visa. Others will advise you the same and if you don't believe it you should come on a tourist visa and see for yourself.

Having a professional visa does not mean there are jobs waiting. Native English speakers with teaching experience and graduate degrees cannot find jobs teaching English.

You would need to be proficient in Spanish to work  and it would be difficult to start a business without a working knowledge of Spanish.

I don't know what your profession is, but there are lots of countries in this world where being able to speak English is to your advantage in finding work

Good Luck

@suefrankdahl - Really appreciate your comments here !!

Thank you for being realistic and I do get a sense of the caution that you want to alert me (& possibly other enthusiast) who want to move to EC under the pretext of being a dreamland.

My intention is to move there on a Professional Visa and then try to live on a minimal income of (400 USD/month) for as long as I can strike a job/start a small venture by myself. On this income, I could support myself for about 2yrs..if I don't find a steady employment. I do recognize, Spanish is the national language and I plan to take up Spanish courses for the initial 3-4 months if I happen to come there. Is that realistic?

Would you also want to throw some light on some specific questions, I have asked in my original post.

No, it is completely unrealistic.

You will NOT be able to get a residence visa if you cannot prove to the authorities that you have a income minimum of $800USD per month. You may not be able to get that visa because it is pensioner visa which you are not.

You absolutely will not be able to survive on $400 per month unless you plan on being homeless. Ecuador is not India. Street crime is a problem in Quito like any other large city in the world. I would not recommend "living on the street " as we say in America to describe the homeless.

Probably minimum monthly apartment rental is $200 to $250 .You will have to pay for a  place to stay until you find an apartment.$15 to $20USD per night minimum. It will be very difficult to find and rent an apartment in large city that you have never been to. On top of that you don't know a soul (anyone) there to help you. And of course you can't speak Spanish.

Please reread my post  #6. Whether you get a professional visa or not  is a completely moot (irrelevant)  point. You will not be able to get a job.  Ecuador is not going to give away it's jobs away to foreigners that don't speak Spanish. And let me reiterate there are  thousands of Venezuelans ,who do speak Spanish,  trying to move to Ecuador. and get jobs.

If you don't believe me go to Ecuador on a tourist visa and see for yourself. I am relatively certain that when you arrive they will check to make sure you have a round trip ticket in Customs. You have the option to become an illegal alien after the 90 days are up.

I don't know what your profession  is or what kind of ventures you were thinking about . I suggest you look at South East Asian countries such as Viet Nam. There is a very active VN Forum and it seems that ambitious expats can find work  or start ventures after they arrive in VN. English is spoken most big cities

Good luck

suefrankdahl wrote:

No, it is completely unrealistic.

You will NOT be able to get a residence visa if you cannot prove to the authorities that you have a income minimum of $800USD per month. You may not be able to get that visa because it is pensioner visa which you are not.

He isn't trying to get a retirement visa.

suefrankdahl wrote:

You absolutely will not be able to survive on $400 per month unless you plan on being homeless. Ecuador is not India. Street crime is a problem in Quito like any other large city in the world. I would not recommend "living on the street " as we say in America to describe the homeless.

Probably minimum monthly apartment rental is $200 to $250 .You will have to pay for a  place to stay until you find an apartment.$15 to $20USD per night minimum. It will be very difficult to find and rent an apartment in large city that you have never been to. On top of that you don't know a soul (anyone) there to help you. And of course you can't speak Spanish.

If he shares his accommodations with someone he might be able to do it. But it would be tough living.

suefrankdahl wrote:

Please reread my post  #6. Whether you get a professional visa or not  is a completely moot (irrelevant)  point. You will not be able to get a job.  Ecuador is not going to give away it's jobs away to foreigners that don't speak Spanish. And let me reiterate there are  thousands of Venezuelans ,who do speak Spanish,  trying to move to Ecuador. and get jobs.

Sue, I don't think you can state that he won't be able to get a job. I think that greatly depends on his training and experience.

As to the lack of Spanish, that could be a problem. That greatly depends on the work environment. And, if you are planning on being fluent in several months forget that dream. I have been here for a little over a year and in that time I have lived with my Ecuadorian girlfriend who does not speak any English and I am still not fluent. I still have to use Google translate for some things and also have to get her to reiterate some things. I still have trouble understanding a complete conversation. I suspect in another year I will be in pretty good shape language-wise. So, don't expect a Spanish course to magically transform your capabilities.

I got offered a part time job teaching English in my first month in Ecuador. It only paid $300 per month, but it would have sorted out my visa issues if had needed a work visa. I do have a little experience teaching English in Korea, but it was all illegal under the table gigs. I don't have a TEFL or any certs like that... So, it is possible. Yes, you can live on $400 per month, but it's really rough living and if you have to pay rent out of that you're going to be one bout of dysentery away from disaster.

In my opinion, becoming an expat takes resources you don't yet have. I wouldn't try to make the move on less than 50k, even if you are planning to work.  You will run into unexpected expenses, bureaucracy, and life's various misfortunes. It's a big gamble to face those things on a shoestring budget in a strange land far from home. Ecuador is one of the easiest places to get residency, but that doesn't mean it's an easy place to live and work if you are not retired or well off enough to start your own business.

Mike & Jesse - thank you for the nice advice.

Though 'suefrankdahl' comments gave me an opportunity to introspect my plans, however I haven't totally ruled anything out as yet. I also acknowledge what you guys have told and your feedback helps me revisit my plans and be a little more practical.

I'm kind of confident to learn the language in about a years time and at the maximum cost of 500 USD/month, I can support myself for about 2 years. If I were to divide my expenses, this is how I see it

Rental - 200 USD/month (Sharing)
Food & Travel - 200 USD/month
Everything Else - 100 USD/month

May be this is too less, but I'm prepared for a constrained living for a couple of years until I'm decently qualified to pick up a good local work. I'm a qualified software engineer with good team mgmt experience, however I will be open to look for opportunities in any stream or also if I find like minded people, I have a few ideas to start-up a own venture to.

I have also initiated a dialogue with the consulate back home, but they recommend that - I first travel to Ecuador as a tourist and on arrival I have my passport stamped under the T3 category; this entitles me to stay there for 90 days and during this time they advice me to apply for the Professional Visa at the Immigration Department of Ecuador. With so many answers to this, I wonder if this is a legitimate & appropriate way to go about?

Look fwd to keeping this post active and I hope the commentary here also serves other interested people.

Thank you for all those who have contributed so far.

vpbuzz wrote:

They recommend that I first travel to Ecuador as a tourist and on arrival I have my passport stamped under the T3 category; this entitles me to stay there for 90 days and during this time they advise me to apply for the Professional Visa at the Immigration Department of Ecuador. With so many answers to this, I wonder if this is a legitimate & appropriate way....

Good for you, Buzz, for sticking with this and engaging us in discussion.

Most new posters/job aspirants on the forum, if receiving a post or two detailing the hard facts of life for an Expat job seeker in Ecuador, disappear immediately.

About the professional visa, an exception could be made, but normally applicants are required to have a diploma from a school on the EC acceptable-universities list.

Did the consulate confirm that you meet this requirement?

If not, visit the "universities list" thread...

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=454402

...and let us know if your school is listed.  If you have multiple degrees, only one acceptable diploma is needed.

cccmedia in Quito

cccmedia - Your nice words are always music to the ears

I have a bachelors in engineering and BINGO I can see the name of my university on the list here.

vpbuzz wrote:

cccmedia - Your nice words are always music to the ears

I have a bachelors in engineering and BINGO I can see the name of my university on the list here.

Bingo, Gringo !

Thanks for the acknowledgment.

cccmedia in Quito

Just a suggestion... given that you're a software engineer. Take a job that you can do remotely, so you can make 1st world wages, then get a student visa in Ecuador and study Spanish.

Jesse - Honestly, I'm exploring options where I can work remotely - ecommerce, stock trading or selling dreams - but none of these are any close to realization...however the mind is at work.

Without digressing the main topic - I just want to know is it easier to obtain a Student Visa compare to a Professional Visa? Does a student visa entitle me to work there along with the Spanish course classes? And when it reaches its validity can I extend the student visa or naturally upgrade it to a permanent residency (taking into account that I abide by the law of the land)?

Do you have recommendations for schools that teach Spanish - full time, half time?

vpbuzz wrote:

is it easier to obtain a Student Visa compared to a Professional Visa?...
Do you have recommendations for schools that teach Spanish?

The student visa is easier to obtain and should set you up for one full year.  The professional visa often carries the requirement to pass a Spanish-language exam in one's specialty.  For instance, an attorney would have to pass the equivalent of a bar exam, in español.

There are plenty of language schools that would be glad to accept your tuition and grant you a student visa.  Why not find out which ones are convenient to your new residence and then check their online reviews....

cccmedia in Quito

vpbuzz wrote:

Does a student visa entitle me to work there along with the Spanish course classes? And when it reaches its validity can I extend the student visa or naturally upgrade it to a permanent residency?

While here on a student visa, you can do the type of remote work that Jesse suggested.  However, it does not entitle you to accept a job that could otherwise go to an Ecuadorian.  For that you would need an official offer from the prospective employer in the form of a contract and get it endorsed by the Cancillería, or foreign ministry, for the appropriate work visa.

You cannot "naturally upgrade" a student visa to a permanent residency visa.  Nice try, though.    You still would have to meet the permanent-visa requirements.

The possibility of extending beyond a year via consecutive student visas may be a gray area.  An alternate option in Year 2 might be to do volunteering and obtain a non-immigrant visa that way.  Many organizations welcome part-time volunteers and their leaders are pleased to use the outfit's status to arrange for your visa, probably good for one year once approved.

Keep in mind that we are not immigration attorneys, and you might want to ask a question or two of someone who is.  For instance, in Quito:  Sebastian Cordero at scordero(at)gcabogados.com

cccmedia in Quito

I have looked at student visa for the US.( ESL) Some of the schools required tuition upfront.

What about arranging the volunteer job and try to find the cheapest Spanish School?, Maybe volunteer org would help with cost of  the school

If you can get a full time volunteer job and assistance with visa. Maybe you can live on $500/mo. It's possible that they would provide housing or a stipend

Does your travel budget include airfare?

Maybe it would be better to stay in India until you can save more money before going to Ecuador in order to have "set up money" eg paying for a place to stay until you find a roommate situation. This would also give you time to start studying basic Spanish. To get the professional visa you will need money to get your transcripts translated ....there are  so many expenses that aren't predictable .  Also you should have money for emergencies as Jesse said. What if you get very ill?

If you get the T3 stamp and have to go back to India for any reason will you be able to afford another ticket ?.Say the
immigration office requests documents that you can't get by mail

I don't want to discourage you but you need to think practically. For the student visa you will need to have money for tuition and books.

Sue

vpbuzz wrote:

A Big hello to all the Ecuadorian friends on this forum.

Let me start by apologizing if the same question has been asked on this forum a multiple times. I will try to be more precise and would appreciate specific answers.

I'm a professional in my mid-30s and considering moving to EC for personal reasons. I don't have enough money to apply for a investment visa (minimum invst of 25k USD in housing), hence I'm considering moving on a Professional Visa. My questions are as follows:

a. Can I travel to EC on a tourist visa and apply for a Proff Visa while I'm there?

Technically...yes. I would not. Professional Visas are not as easy to acquire as Pensionar Visas or Investor VIsas. MConsult an attorney on this, please.

b. I read different information on different sites, but does someone have a precise list of documentation I would have to carry from home with my application, bczz I want to have every relevant document in place while applying for a visa..

Again, this is a question best left to an attorney.

c. How long does a Proff Visa take to process? (Average time)

No matter what anyone quotes you, even a good attorney, there is no "average time" in Ecuador. Depends on who handles your Visa...their current mood...the position of the moon...whether Venus is in ascension...truly a unique system.

d. Do most people take the Lawyer/Consular route to apply or they do it by themselves?

Forget what "most people" do. What do YOU want to do? My advice...contact an attorney.

e. What is the general validity of a Proff Visa?

Not sure what you mean here. Please rephrase.

f. Does this type of visa entitle me to work, start my business, invest in real estate in EC?

Your professional Visa allows you to be recognized as a valid professional in your field and it recognizes the field as a desired occupational field worthy of granting Visa status. Businesses and investments are a separate matter.

g. Finally, does this type of visa automatically help me qualify for the EC citizenship after 3 yrs?

Consult an attorney. Qualification laws are constantly being tweaked and the entire Visa process is undergoing a major review right now.

My turn. May I ask a question. How many times have you visited Ecuador?

As probably most of you would understand, these are only some of the queries over my mind before I decide on anything further. I appreciate a response from ppl with some knowledge or any similar experience as mine.

VPB

@HGQ2112 

"Consult an attorney. Qualification laws are constantly being tweaked and the entire Visa process is undergoing a major review right now."

Could you expand on this topic? Tell us what may be under review, and what kinds of changes are being considered?

gardener1 wrote:

@HGQ2112 

"Consult an attorney. Qualification laws are constantly being tweaked and the entire Visa process is undergoing a major review right now."

Could you expand on this topic? Tell us what may be under review, and what kinds of changes are being considered?

I appreciate the question and request for clarity. As most that have read my posts over the years know, I will respond to just about anything...sometimes incessantly. The one area I don't tread is legal advice. Hence, my suggestion that folks consult an attorney that deals with this directly, every day, as opposed to dealing with it as a support service, to my core business, which is, in turn, conducted via knowledgeable and well vetted attorneys. So...back to square one...folks should consult an Ecuadorian attorney. Best investment your money will buy.

To bring back to life this post from the grave.

- I have a valid Passport that expires only after 6yrs from now
- I have a bachelors degree from a university recognized by Ecuador in the prefered university list
- I think I have Money to support me on a minimilistic living for 2yrs (additionally, i have Money for airfare + some other adhoc expenses)

I would want to start the Processing of my Professional Visa before I travel to EC. I enquired With different consultants recommended at this forum and each having a varied review & cost. Can someone from the recent past share a decent name? Also, what do i need to do With my graduation certificates - i.e. apostile, affiliation, etc?

Appreciate some feedback on this.

The professional residency visa presents a far more complicated scenario than the easier pensioner visa, and you are wise to recognize the need for qualified assistance.

In Quito and the EC Coast... attorney Sebastian Cordero, scordero(at)gcabogados.com

He got me a non-immigrant extension visa, a permanent residency visa of investor class and rocked the Agencia Nacional de Transito for me when one of their officials lost the plot.

cccmedia in Quito

cccMedia,

My lawyer in Loja, Ecuador assures me that I will not have to take a Spanish-language exam for my Professional visa.  However, this second degree is in Canadian Studies.  My first degree is in Psychology.  Hoping that this will not happen...
HelenPivoine

I don't perceive any great need in Ecuador for professionals focused on Canadian studies.

Psychology could be a different story.  It seems within the realm of possibility that there is a Spanish-language test in that field.

So, theoretically, you could obtain the professional visa as your attorney predicted, but later have to take a Spanish-language exam to put up a shingle or accept a job at a university, hospital or clinic.

If you might want to work in the psychology field and haven't specifically asked your attorney if it's possible you'd need to take an exam at some point, consider asking that question now.

cccmedia in Quito

cccMedia,

I have put that question to my lawyer and am awaiting his reply.  I do not plan on working in Ecuador at regular employment.  Rather I will be getting a pension, but the timing and other aspects are not copacetic for using the Pensioner visa option at this date, so I am just using the Professional option.  The lawyer says that I will not actually have to work. 

He says that the govt really wants to keep your money in Ecuador and he advised against the third option for me (CD investment).

<helenpivoine

Finally, I'm starting to receive some concrete responses from some of the attorneys as suggested by some of you folks here. Thank you !!

With regard to the Professional Visa application, I want to know the following - should I have my Graduation, Birth certificate only Apostilled (or) Apostilled & Attested as well (or) anything more?

vpbuzz wrote:

Finally, I'm starting to receive some concrete responses from some of the attorneys as suggested by some of you folks here. Thank you !!

With regard to the Professional Visa application, I want to know the following - should I have my Graduation, Birth certificate only Apostilled (or) Apostilled & Attested as well (or) anything more?

Now that you're communicating with attorney(s), ask one of them .. rather than have us non-attorneys guess at the latest visa rules.

FYI, I don't recall coming across the term 'attested' in connection with visa rules.  Maybe you're thinking about notarization.

cccmedia in Quito

CCMedia - Valid feedback..will ask and let you also know once I Discover the facts.

Yes, please keep us posted on your visa experiences.

There are serial Expats, members and lurkers who follow these threads to assist them in streamlining their own visa quests to the extent possible.

Good luck with the next steps.

cccmedia in Quito

Wow, I just found and signed up to this blog, but I've got to tell you I am truly excited. Firstly, there is quite a bit of updated information.

So, my family of 2 adults 5 children are expecting a move to Ecuador from the Bahamas by February 2016. I have been researching info on Visas and my husband and I have decided that we would purchase property for the Investment Visa. What I would like to know is
1) Is it safe to come in on a 90 day at the gate Visa, seeing that the Bahamas is on the list of countries allowed to do this?
2) Can we just apply for the Investment Visa within that 90 days to avoid having to pay for 2 sets of Visas, or must we apply for the 90 day, then apply for the Investments
3) There is no Ecuadorian Embassy or consulate in the Bahamas, so where would we go to get documents translated to Spanish or apostilled. In addition, there is no federal agency here for Police records and other documents so how would we proceed for police records, finger prints etc.

I would be so thankful for all the help we could get, because I am constantly searching and have even sent emails to attorneys and gotten no response. Thank you all in advance for your help, and hope to meet up with at least a few of you when we have touched ground in Ecuador.

I have a Professional Residency Visa. I used Maite Duran with Gringovisas.com and was happy with her services. I started the process before I moved here. She has an office in the US and they handled everything. I signed a POA for them to act on my behalf. So my Visa was just about ready when I arrived and mailed to me via Servientrega as I don't live in Cuenca. They even had someone meet me in Quito when I went to obtain my Cedula. They did it all.....needless to say, I hate dealing with bureaucracies.

Thank you so much. I messaged you for further more personal info.

Would you mind telling me what they charged you for this service?

Guys just an update - After some consideration, I plan to use the services of Joseph Guznay. Someone, somewhere recommended his name and so far he his response has been impressive.

I haven't paid him anything yet, I just shared my background info, requested for info, queries, etc - and he has been very spot on with the timely response and also the English communication.

His fee is 500 USD to help register the graduation certificates and facilitate everything else. He asks 50% to be paid before starting the work and 50% after everything is done.

The other charges he mentioned are as follows:
- $30 dollars, payable when the application is filed to the Ministry
- Visa: $320,00 dollars, payable when the visa is approved
- Cedula: $9,00 dollars

I sincerely hope I'm in safe hands. Appreciate if anyone has any feedback on him to let me know and if not, I'll keep you guys posted with how my case goes.

Its great that you've found someone you're comfortable with. Please message me his contact information, Perhaps he's someone that my family and I can use also. Thanks and good luck

msbahamas wrote:

What I would like to know is
1) Is it safe to come in on a 90 day at the gate Visa, seeing that the Bahamas is on the list of countries allowed to do this?

Not sure what you mean by "safe". It certainly is possible to do this.

msbahamas wrote:

2) Can we just apply for the Investment Visa within that 90 days to avoid having to pay for 2 sets of Visas, or must we apply for the 90 day, then apply for the Investments

Yes, you could. But if you plan on buying property to use as the investment for your visa. You might get lucky within 90 days. That is probably stretching things with regards to timing. You would have to allow for time to get the legal paperwork done once you find a place. In order to do this you would likely have to find a place within the first 45 days of your 90 day visa. That is rushing things.

It is very likely you will run out of time and require the 180 day visa. You need the investment in place before you can make your application for the investment visa.

msbahamas wrote:

3) There is no Ecuadorian Embassy or consulate in the Bahamas, so where would we go to get documents translated to Spanish or apostilled. In addition, there is no federal agency here for Police records and other documents so how would we proceed for police records, finger prints etc.

You don't get your documents translated in your native country. You wait until you get here to do that. If you do it in your country there is a chance that the translation will not be acceptable and you would then have to pay to have it done again.

Documents can be apostilled before they are translated. Once they are translated they must be notarized.

As to police records, you will have to contact the Ecuadorian government and ask them that question. No one on this forum is going to be able to answer that question unless they just happened to have experienced something like that recently. You could try this email address to see if you can interact with them remotely:  coordinacioncuenca@cancilleria.gob.ec

Just wanted to let you folks know that the Ecuadorian Consulate in Ottawa, Canada is super.  They bent over backward to help me process all the papers (hopefully finishing tomorrow) and even went so far as to hand me their Consulate bank deposit slips so that I could pay for the Consular procedures.  The on-line Consuladavirtual.gob.ec has some hiccups  - like it does not provide the Consulate's transit number for bank deposits, and would not accept my credit card, nor an electronic deposit.  But all is well.  Even though, today, what was 8 documents yesterday suddenly morphed into 20 documents today, all for a very good reason, depending on which rule you are following at the time.  I had to laugh, it is just like people said it would be in Ecuador.  And they complimented me on my Spanish, so I feel well prepared.

Only one tidbit of information might be good for a Professional visa:  The consular fellow advised , upon arriving in Ecuador, to have the Degree Certificates  and all associated paperwork (translations, notarizations of that, etc.) taken to a notary and certified for two copies.  This is because my papers have to go to two different locations for registration .  Maybe yours do not, if you only present one degree to them.
HelenPivoine