By Christian MacDonald
When you arrive in Ecuador, your passport will be stamped with a tourist visa, normally good for 90 days. Immigration will usually extend this visa for an additional 90 days if you request it prior to your time running out. Also, if you leave the country and return, they’ll normally give you an additional 90 days.
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Do I need a lawyer? I know a number of people who obtained their own visas, but this has become increasingly difficult in recent years. The safest, and probably the fastest, course is to obtain the services of a good immigration attorney … especially if you are importing your household effects. Here’s a solid recommendation: Drs. Nelson Idrovo and Grace Velastegui, tel. +593 (7) 284-2225, or +593 (9) 611-0451, e-mail: gracevelastegui@yahoo.com. This husband-and-wife team has extensive experience in immigration law, importation law, and real estate. They’ve helped more expats than anyone I know in Ecuador. |
But neither method of extension is automatic. You may get 30 or 60 days upon return, especially if all you did was cross the border into Peru and come back. My niece found this out the hard way and had to leave the country on short notice in the middle of her teaching term.
In any case, as a non-resident, you are limited to 180 days stay during any 12-month period. So the tourist visa should be all you need to spend just under half the year in Ecuador each year.
As a resident, you’ll have no such limits…you’ll be treated as a citizen, though without the right to vote. Here are the two most common visa types for permanent residency:
Pensioner visa: You must prove that you have at least $800 per month from a “stable source.” This could be a pension, an annuity, or payments from a trust. In my experience, immigration is somewhat flexible as to the income source, provided you show evidence that it’s stable.
Investor visa: You must invest $25,000 or more in securities or real estate. If you use real estate, it’s the municipal (assessed) value that must exceed $25,000, not the purchase price. This is a high municipal value in Cuenca, which, if unchanged, can result in higher than necessary taxes. A good lawyer however, will help you avoid this trap.
Of these two visas, I recommend the pensioner’s visa, if there’s any way you can make it work. It does not need to be re-reviewed; nor does it link your residency to your property or bank accounts.
Other visas are available for industrial investors, working professionals, exchange students and teachers, religious workers, and dependents.
A permanent visa will cost about $350, plus any legal fees.
Importation of household effects and pets
You can import your household effects duty-free, as long as you have a residency visa. With a good attorney (see sidebar for recommendation) your move will be trouble-free. Here is some advice from my own experience:
- Clear customs in Cuenca, not Guayaquil. The customs operation in Guayaquil is extremely corrupt, and it’s not worth the trouble trying to work with them, as I did. You must specify this option with your mover in advance. If your mover can’t promise customs clearance in Cuenca, I’d advise you to get one who will.
- Don’t ship your effects until you have a residency visa. I had a friend lose her entire household because she didn’t receive her visa after her household arrived in Ecuador. Again, a good attorney will keep you out of trouble.
You can bring your pets to Ecuador, and there is no quarantine period when they arrive. All you need is a certification that the dog or cat is in good health and up-to-date with their vaccinations. This certificate must be legalized by the consulate and dated not more than 30 days prior to your arrival in Ecuador. As with all official submittals, it must be translated into Spanish, if it wasn’t originally written in Spanish.
Check with the consulate for any late-breaking special requirements.