Ecuador (DNV)
Visa de Residencia Temporal de Nómadas Digitales (Rentista DNV)
Launched 2022.
- Income req
- $1K/mo
- Initial validity
- 2 yr
- Renewable
- Yes
- Application fee
- $450
- Permit fee
- $50
- Processing
- 4-8 wks
- Path to PR
- 2 yr
- Path to citizenship
- 3 yr
Income requirements
- Monthly minimum (USD): $1K
- Monthly minimum (native): 1,380 USD
- Multiple of minimum wage: 3×
Last 12 months bank statements
3x Ecuadorian basic salary (~USD 460/mo 2024) = USD 1,380/mo. Ecuador uses USD (dollarized economy).
Tax treatment
- Becomes tax resident: After 183 days in calendar year
- Special regime: None DNV-specific; standard tax-resident rules
- Foreign income: If tax-resident: worldwide income at progressive PIT (0–37%). Foreign-source income credit for taxes paid abroad. Ecuador uses USD natively.
Ecuador progressive PIT can reach 37% but FTC offsets US-source income for US persons. Dollarized economy + low cost-of-living are bigger draws than the tax regime.
Remote work requirements
- Must work for foreign employer: Yes
- Local clients allowed: No
- Local employment allowed: No
- Self-employed accepted: Yes
- Salaried vs freelance: both
Family inclusion
- Spouse: Yes
- Children under 18: Yes
- Dependent adult children: No
- Parents dependent: No
Family beneficiaries on derivative permits.
Path to PR & citizenship
Permanent residency
- Available: Yes
- Years required: 2
PR (permanent residency) eligible after 21 months on temporary residency. DNV time counts.
Citizenship
- Available: Yes
- Years required: 3
- Language test: Yes
- Language level: Spanish + history/civics exam
Citizenship at 3 years legal residency (Ibero-American category for Spanish-speaking countries; others 5-7 years). Dual citizenship allowed. Ecuadorian passport: Henley rank ~50s, visa-free Schengen + LATAM.
Eligibility requirements
- Non-Ecuadorian citizen
- Remote work for foreign employer/clients
- 3x Ecuadorian basic salary income (~USD 1,380/mo)
- Clean criminal record
- Health insurance
Disqualifiers
- Ecuadorian employer/clients
Recent changes
- 2022-07
Ecuador DNV via Executive Decree 484.
Notes
Ecuador combines low income floor + USD economy + 2-year DNV + Ibero-American 3-year naturalization. Underrated path for US persons seeking LATAM passport relatively quickly. Security perception has worsened recently — Quito/Cuenca remain safe; Guayaquil less so.
EasyPassport is a document-organization tool focused on citizenship by descent. This page is reference research, not legal or financial advice. Always verify with the official program authority.