Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa
Ecuador
Residency
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- Type
- Remote-work residence
- Work setup
- Remote workers whose job or clients stay abroad
- Core requirements
- Remote work, foreign income, insurance, and funds
- Local work
- Usually does not allow ordinary local employment
- Duration
- Temporary residence is generally valid for 2 years.
- Renewal / path
- Can support permanent residence after the required continuous stay.
Summary
Ecuador's Digital Nomad Visa (formally the Visa de Residencia Temporal Rentista para Trabajo Remoto, or "Visa Nómada") is a 2022 addition to the country's immigration toolkit. It lets foreigners who earn their income from companies or clients outside Ecuador live in the country for two years, renewable once, while continuing their remote work.
The threshold is modest by regional standards — roughly 3× the Ecuadorian minimum wage per month, which works out to about $1,446/month in 2026 (the 2026 Salario Básico Unificado, or SBU, is $482). Add $250/month for each accompanying family member. Because Ecuador uses the US dollar as its official currency, there's no FX risk on either side of the threshold.
Eligibility
You qualify if all of the following are true:
Income and employment
- You earn at least three Salarios Básicos Unificados per month (approx. $1,446/month in 2026) in foreign-sourced income.
- You can demonstrate that income for the three months prior to application, plus projected annual earnings of at least 36 SBU (approx. $17,352) for the coming year.
- Income comes from an employer, company, or client based outside Ecuador — employment contract, service agreement, or business ownership documentation.
- Add +$250/month per dependent (spouse, child).
Documentation
- Valid passport with at least six months remaining and two blank pages.
- Apostilled criminal background check from your country of residence and any country where you've lived for the past five years (no older than 180 days).
- Valid health insurance covering Ecuador for the full visa period. Foreign-issued policies are accepted if they explicitly cover Ecuador.
- Proof of accommodation in Ecuador — a rental agreement, hotel reservation, or hosting letter.
- A signed declaration of remote work attesting that your professional activity does not involve Ecuadorian employers or customers.
What doesn't qualify
- Income from Ecuadorian sources — clients or employers in Ecuador push you into the work visa instead.
- Variable gig-economy earnings without a documented multi-month track record.
- Purely cryptocurrency income, unless backed by exchange statements and bank transfers that establish a consistent pattern.
Family
Your spouse or registered partner and dependent children under 18 (under 24 if full-time students) can join you on dependent Amparo sub-visas. The main applicant's threshold rises by $250/month per dependent.
Path to permanent residency and citizenship
The Digital Nomad Visa is a VIRTE (temporary residency) category. After 21 months of continuous residence, you can convert to VIRPE, Ecuador's permanent-residency status. From there, three years as a permanent resident opens the door to naturalization. Total minimum runway to citizenship: roughly five years from arrival.
What This Route Allows
This route can allow you to live in Ecuador while working remotely for clients or an employer outside the country. It is mainly a temporary residence option, although some countries allow later renewal or a separate long-term residence step.
What This Route Is Not
This is not usually a local employment visa or a direct citizenship route. Most digital nomad routes limit work for local employers and must be renewed or replaced by another status later.
Next Steps
- Gather three months of income evidence. Bank statements showing foreign-sourced deposits, plus an employer contract or client agreement. A CPA or tax-professional letter summarizing your income helps considerably.
- Apostille and translate your documents. FBI criminal-record check, birth certificate (for dependents), and marriage certificate (if applicable). Apostille through the issuing state and translate into Spanish by a certified translator.
- Line up health insurance. Either buy an Ecuadorian policy or confirm in writing that your existing US insurer covers Ecuador for the visa's full two-year term.
- Apply online through Consulado Virtual. The entire process runs through serviciosciudadanos.cancilleria.gob.ec, Ecuador's foreign-ministry visa portal. Pay the $50 application fee, upload all scans, and book your consulate appointment if applying from abroad.
- Pay the visa fee on approval. $400 for the visa itself.
- Register your cédula on arrival. Within 30 days of entering Ecuador on the visa, register with the Dirección General de Registro Civil to receive your cédula de identidad.
Sources
- Concesión de visa de residencia temporal rentista para trabajo remoto (Visa Nómada) — gob.ec — official trámite.
- Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana — Cancillería portal.
- Ministerio del Trabajo — Salario Básico Unificado 2026 — 2026 SBU set at $482 (Acuerdo MDT-2025-195).
- Ley Orgánica de Movilidad Humana (LOMH) — statutory framework.