Ecuador Investor Visa
Ecuador
Residency
Could you qualify?
Answer a few quick questions to see which global citizenship and residency pathways fit your background. It's free, and takes just a few minutes.
See if you're a match →This residence pathway is for applicants who can make or hold a qualifying real-estate or other approved investment in Ecuador. It generally requires proof of the investment, source of funds, and standard identity and background checks.
- Type
- Investor residence
- Investment fit
- Investors making a qualifying investment in Ecuador
- Core requirements
- Investment amount, source of funds, and required approvals
- What to know
- Approval can depend on official judgment or program space
- Duration
- Temporary residence is generally granted for 2 years.
- Renewal / path
- Can support permanent residence after the required stay period.
Summary
The Inversionista Visa is Ecuador's investor residency — a two-year VIRTE (temporary residency) for anyone who puts capital into Ecuadorian real estate, a fixed-term bank deposit, or a productive business. The minimum investment is a notable bargain: 100× the Salario Básico Unificado (SBU), Ecuador's official monthly base wage, which comes to about $48,200 in 2026 (SBU = $482).
That's one of the lowest investor-visa thresholds in the Western Hemisphere. Because Ecuador uses the US dollar, there's no FX exposure. The investment must remain in place for the duration of the residency, and the visa converts to permanent residency after 21 months.
Eligibility
You qualify if you meet one of the three investment tracks and clear the baseline requirements.
Investment tracks (pick one)
- Real estate — Ecuadorian property (residential, commercial, land) valued at at least 100 SBU (approx. $48,200). Must be registered in your name at the Registro de la Propiedad in the canton where the property sits. Co-ownership with a spouse is allowed.
- Fixed-term bank deposit — a 730-day (two-year) minimum certificate of deposit with an Ecuadorian bank regulated by the Superintendencia de Bancos, for at least 100 SBU. The deposit must stay in place for the visa term.
- Business investment — shares or participation in an Ecuadorian company of at least 100 SBU, with the investment recorded at the Superintendencia de Compañías. The business must be active — Ecuador does check.
Baseline requirements
- Valid passport with six+ months of remaining validity and two blank pages.
- Apostilled criminal background check from every country where you've lived in the last five years.
- Proof of funds' legal origin — bank statements, sale contracts, inheritance documents, or employer letters tracing the investment capital to a lawful source. Ecuador is strict about this under its anti-money-laundering rules.
- Health insurance valid in Ecuador for the duration of the visa.
Rights granted
- Live in Ecuador for two years, renewable. Convert to VIRPE, Ecuador's permanent-residency status, after 21 months.
- Work for your own business or passively hold your investment. An investor visa does not grant an automatic right to work as an employee — for paid employment, apply for a work visa.
- Bring your spouse and dependent children on Amparo dependent visas.
Family
One investor visa covers spouse and dependent children (under 18, or under 24 if full-time students) through Amparo dependent applications.
Path to citizenship
VIRTE (2 years) → VIRPE (permanent) after 21 months → naturalization eligibility after 3 more years as permanent resident. Ecuador allows dual citizenship, so Americans can naturalize without renouncing US citizenship.
Duration, Renewal, and Long-Term Path
- Duration: Temporary residence is generally granted for 2 years.
- Renewal: Can support permanent residence after the required stay period.
What This Route Allows
If approved, this route gives you investor residence in Ecuador. Initial validity: Temporary residence is generally granted for 2 years. Renewal or longer-term path: Can support permanent residence after the required stay period. Key limit: The investment must meet the 100 SBU threshold and stay registered for the visa term: property at the Registro de la Propiedad, a 730-day bank CD, or company shares at the Superintendencia de Compañías.
What This Route Is Not
This is not a guarantee of approval. Immigration authorities can still review documents, admissibility, background, funds, and whether the facts match the pathway rules.
Next Steps
- Pick your track. Real estate is the most common for retirees and lifestyle movers; CDs offer the cleanest paper trail; business investment makes sense if you're already planning an Ecuadorian venture.
- Close the investment. For real estate: engage a local abogado and register at the Registro de la Propiedad. For a CD: wire funds to an Ecuadorian bank and obtain the bank's certificate. For a business: register the company or share purchase with the Superintendencia de Compañías.
- Gather documentation. Apostilled FBI criminal-record certificate, apostilled birth and marriage certificates for dependents, certified Spanish translations, proof of funds, and the investment evidence.
- Apply through Cancillería, Ecuador's foreign ministry and consular-services portal. Submit online at serviciosciudadanos.cancilleria.gob.ec. Application fee $50; visa fee $450 on approval.
- Attend biometrics. If applying from abroad, visit the Ecuadorian consulate serving your US state. If applying in-country on a tourist status, visit the Cancillería office in Quito, Guayaquil, or Cuenca.
- Register your cédula. Within 30 days of arrival or approval, register with the Dirección General de Registro Civil to receive your cédula de identidad.
Sources
- Concesión de visa de residencia temporal inversionista — 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) — Arts. 58–62 (residency categories).