Ecuador
Ecuador Investor & Rentista Residency
Also known as: Ecuador Inversionista Visa, Ecuador Rentista Visa, Ecuador Pensioner Visa
- Min investment
- $1K
- Program tier
- Permanent Residency
- Program type
- Investor Visa
- Initial validity
- 2 yr
- Renewable
- Yes
- Path to PR
- 2 yr
- Path to citizenship
- 3 yr
- Schengen access
- Yes
Investment options
Bank Deposit
$48KInversionista — 100x Ecuadorian Unified Basic Salary (USD 482 in 2026); minimum USD 48,200 in a CD at an Ecuadorian bank for 2 years, OR USD 48,200 in Ecuadorian real estate, OR USD 48,200 in a registered Ecuadorian company.
Passive Income Proof
$1KPensionado — 3x Unified Basic Salary monthly (~USD 1,446/month) from guaranteed lifetime pension (Social Security, government, life annuity). 401k/IRA drawdowns do NOT qualify (must be annuity-style).
Passive Income Proof
$1KRentista — USD 1,446/month passive recurring foreign income — rental income, trust payouts, portfolio dividends. Unlike Pensionado, income does NOT need to be guaranteed for life.
Physical presence
Path to citizenship
- Available: Yes
- Minimum years: 3
- Physical-presence years: 3
- Language test: Yes
Naturalization after 3 years legal residence (Ibero-American/Spanish) or 5 years general. Spanish language, civic test, integration. Dual citizenship allowed.
Tax implications
- Becomes tax resident automatically: No
- Worldwide income taxed: Yes
- Territorial tax system: No
- Day-count for tax residency: 183 days
- Wealth tax: No
Tax resident at 183+ days OR economic center of interests. Ecuador uses USD as official currency. Worldwide income taxed for residents (5-37% progressive); foreign tax credits available. No wealth tax, no inheritance tax above thresholds. New tax residents may benefit from initial-year exemption on certain foreign-source income.
Family inclusion
- Spouse: Yes
- Children under 18: Yes
- Dependent adult children: No
- Parents: No
Spouse and dependent minor children. Adult dependents require own USD 250/month income proof or separate visa. Family-unity visa for parents possible after principal naturalization.
Additional fees
- Application fee: $50
- Government fees: $450
- Legal/agent (est.): $2K
Application fee USD 50; visa fee USD 400-450. Cédula (national ID) USD 5. Legal/agent fees typically USD 1,200-2,500.
Eligibility requirements
- Age 18+
- Clean criminal record (apostilled)
- Proof of qualifying investment/income
- Health insurance
- E-Visa online submission
Disqualifiers
- 401k/IRA withdrawal as Pensionado income source (must be guaranteed annuity)
- Insufficient income documentation
- Excessive absence (>90 days in first 2 years)
Recent changes
- 2024-2026
Unified Basic Salary increased to USD 482/month for 2026, raising Investor visa threshold to USD 48,200 (from USD 47,400 in 2025) and Pensionado/Rentista to USD 1,446/month.
- 2025
E-Visa system mandatory for all applications; processing ~60 days.
Notes
Ecuador uses USD as official currency — eliminating FX risk for US persons. Cheapest investor-residency in Latin America at USD 48,200 CD route. Permanent residency in 21 months and citizenship in 3 years (Ibero-American) is fast. Security situation (drug-related violence, especially Guayaquil) has deteriorated 2022-2025 — material consideration for lifestyle applicants. Galápagos and Andes lifestyle remain attractive; cost of living among lowest in Americas. US persons remain US-tax-resident regardless.
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.