Ecuador student visa (temporary residence for students)

The visa covers basic, secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate education at legally accredited Ecuadorian institutions, studies at an officially recognised language school, and pre-professional or professional internships. The institution issues an enrolment or admission certificate confirming regular student status, or the internship is confirmed in writing. The visa lasts as long as the course or internship, with a maximum of two years.

General requirements are a recent colour JPG photo (5 x 5 cm, white background, maximum 1 MB), a passport valid for at least six months, an original criminal record certificate from the country of origin or of residence in the last five years (over 18, translated, apostilled or legalised and no more than 180 days old at your last entry), proof of lawful means of support under Ministerial Agreement 70 of 28 June 2024 and any other document the authority requests.

For minors, add the apostilled or legalised birth certificate, translated if needed, and a special power of attorney or authorisation if one parent is absent. Foreign criminal record certificates must be apostilled or legalised and translated into Spanish.

File the request on the MREMH e-VISAS platform, open 24 hours a day, uploading the documents in PDF. Pay the USD 50 application fee the same day by card until 23:55 Ecuador time or by deposit at Banco del Pacífico from 08:30 to 16:00; otherwise the application is deleted. When the visa is authorised, pay USD 80 for its issue. The visa is issued through Ecuadorian missions abroad or the ministry's Zonal Directorates in Ecuador.

To renew, present updated documents about your studies or internship. Family members can join as dependants under the amparo visa, linked to the validity of your visa. After more than 21 continuous months of temporary residence you may apply for permanent residence, before your current status expires. The gob.ec page does not state whether the student visa allows work.

The fee pages for this visa grant a 50% discount to people aged 65 and over and a full exemption to people with a disability of 30% or more who hold the Ministry of Public Health disability card. Minors apply through their legal representative or an attorney-in-fact, and an applicant who is already in Ecuador must show regular status, either the Ministry of the Interior's tourist stay authorisation or a valid visa.