Ecuador
Ecuador visa guide: visits, residence and protection
- 10 visa types
- checked 25 October 2026
How visas for Ecuador work
Ecuadorian visas are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility (MREMH) under the Organic Law on Human Mobility. Almost every visa is now requested online on the ministry's e-VISAS platform: you upload the documents as PDFs, pay a USD 50 application fee on the same day by card or by deposit at Banco del Pacífico, and pay a second fee when the visa is granted. Unpaid applications are deleted at 23:55 Ecuador time on the day they are filed.
Most nationalities do not need a visa to visit. Ecuador's list of nationalities that must present a visa covers about 45 countries, such as Afghanistan, China, Cuba, India, Iran, Pakistan, Syria and Venezuela. Tourists may stay up to 90 days in a one-year period from the first entry, and the law allows one extension of up to 90 more days.
For longer stays Ecuador uses temporary residence visas, valid for two years, in categories such as work, students, retirees, rentistas, remote workers (Visa Nómada), investors and dependants (amparo). After more than 21 continuous months of temporary residence, holders can apply for permanent residence; spouses and partners of Ecuadorians can apply for permanent residence directly. Many thresholds are expressed in Salarios Básicos Unificados (SBU), the unified basic wage set each year.
Which visa do I need?
Holiday or family visit: no visa unless your nationality is on the visa-required list; up to 90 days a year, extendable once.
Business meetings, events, training or academic activities without employment: temporary visitor visa for commerce and other activities, up to 180 days per entry.
Remote work for foreign employers or clients: Visa Nómada (temporary residence for remote-working rentistas).
A job with an employer in Ecuador: temporary residence for work under an employment relationship.
Living on a foreign pension: retiree (jubilado) visa; on rents or investment income: rentista visa.
Investing at least 100 SBU in property, a fixed-term deposit or company shares: investor visa.
Married to or in a registered union with an Ecuadorian: permanent residence by marriage or union.
Fear of persecution while in Ecuador: application for refugee status.
Visa types for Ecuador
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Tourist entry and temporary visitor visa for tourists (visa de visitante temporal turista)
Most foreign nationals visit Ecuador without a visa and can stay as tourists for up to 90 days in a one-year period from their first entry; the Organic Law on Human Mobility allows one extension of up to 90 days.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in a one-year period from first entry, extendable once by up to 90 days
Business and self-employment
- Business visa Temporary visitor visa for commerce and other activities (visa de visitante temporal por actos de comercio y otras actividades)
Ecuador's temporary visitor visa for commerce and other activities is a multiple-entry visa for short stays for commercial, cultural, administrative and similar activities that do not create an employment relationship, such as business meetings, events, training, sport, academic or scientific activities.
Maximum stay: Up to 180 days per entry, multiple entries - Investor visa Temporary residence visa for investors (visa de residencia temporal inversionista)
Ecuador's investor visa is a temporary residence for foreigners who invest lawful funds in productive or commercial activities.
Maximum stay: Two years, no limit on time spent abroad
Study and training
- Student visa Temporary residence visa for students (visa de residencia temporal de estudiante)
Foreigners who want to live in Ecuador to study or do pre-professional or professional internships apply for the student temporary residence visa.
Maximum stay: Length of the studies or internship, up to two years
Work
- Work visa Temporary residence visa for work under an employment relationship (visa de residencia temporal de trabajo)
Foreigners hired by a public or private employer in Ecuador apply for the temporary residence visa for work.
Maximum stay: Two years - Digital nomad visa Temporary residence for remote-working rentistas (Visa Nómada)
Ecuador's Visa Nómada is a temporary residence for people who live in Ecuador while working remotely for foreign employers, clients or their own company abroad.
Maximum stay: Up to two years
Family
- Spouse and partner visa Permanent residence by marriage or de facto union (visa de residencia permanente por matrimonio o unión de hecho)
Foreigners married to, or in a registered de facto union with, an Ecuadorian or a foreign holder of an indefinite or permanent visa can apply directly for permanent residence.
Maximum stay: Indefinite
Residence
- Retirement visa Temporary residence visas for retirees and rentistas (visa de residencia temporal jubilado / rentista)
Ecuador has two temporary residence visas for people living on passive income.
Maximum stay: Two years - Permanent residence Permanent residence after more than 21 months (visa de residencia permanente por tiempo de permanencia mayor a 21 meses)
Foreigners who have held temporary residence in Ecuador for at least 21 continuous months can apply for permanent residence before their current status expires.
Maximum stay: Indefinite
Asylum and international protection
- Asylum and international protection Determination of refugee or stateless status (determinación de la condición de refugiado o apátrida)
Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility decides refugee and statelessness claims from people already in Ecuador.
Maximum stay: Humanitarian visa while the claim is pending, renewed until the decision
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa for Ecuador?
Only if your country is on the MREMH list of about 45 nationalities that must present a visa, such as China, Cuba, India, Iran, Pakistan and Venezuela. Everyone else can visit as a tourist for up to 90 days in a year.
How much does an Ecuadorian residence visa cost?
Every application costs USD 50. The grant fee depends on the category: USD 80 for students, USD 270 for work, retiree, rentista, nomad and investor visas, USD 200 for dependants, and USD 225 for permanent residence after 21 months. People aged 65 and over get 50 per cent off.
Can I apply for an Ecuadorian visa online?
Yes. Visa applications are filed only online on the MREMH e-VISAS platform, which runs 24 hours a day; the application fee must be paid the same day.
What is an SBU?
The Salario Básico Unificado is Ecuador's unified basic wage, updated every year. Retiree, rentista and nomad visas require income of at least three SBU a month, and the investor visa requires 100 SBU.
Do Ecuadorian visa documents need an apostille?
Yes. Criminal record certificates and other foreign documents must be apostilled or legalised and translated into Spanish; the criminal record must be no more than 180 days old.
Embassies and consulates
Last checked 25 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.