Your Ultimate Guide to Ecuador’s Digital Nomad Visa (2025)

Ecuador now offers a dedicated visa for remote workers and digital nomads. Officially called the Visa de Residencia Temporal Rentista para Trabajo Remoto, this visa allows eligible foreigners to live and work in Ecuador while earning income from abroad.

Introduction

I recently applied for, and got, Ecuador’s Digital Nomad Visa. Along the way I encountered every hurdle you can imagine, made some costly mistakes and spent money on translators, lawyers, notaries, you name it. But, my loss is your gain.

Like all news around digital nomad visas online, it’s all bollocks, incredibly out-of-date and is never written by a successful applicant. Do you know how many blogs out there still say Peru has a digital nomad visa? (Two years after announcing it, it still doesn’t exist). But fear not, I have documented every step along the way and also intertwined it with genuine legal advice I received from Ecuador.

However, remember, visa applications are overseen by real human beings and what might have worked for me, might not work for you and of course, the rules are subject to change at any time. Please also note that all of the information contained within this guide does not constitute as legal or official tax advice and if you have any concerns, you should seek the help of a qualified professional.

Eligibility Criteria

So I’m going to start with the basics as per the online advice before going into detail. In short, to qualify for the digital nomad visa you need to show that you’re earning money from abroad over a certain level, aren’t a criminal on the run and have health insurance. The rules are as follows:

• Valid Passport: Minimum 6 months validity at time of application
• Remote Income: Monthly income at least 3x the Unified Basic Salary (SBU). As of 2025, the SBU is $470, so you need at least $1,410/month.
• Income Source: Foreign-based employment, freelance work, or ownership of a company based outside Ecuador
• Proof of Income: Last 3 months of international bank statements showing consistent income
• Health Insurance: International or Ecuadorian coverage valid for your stay; must include Ecuador if issued abroad
• Criminal Record: Certificate from your country of origin and any country you’ve lived in for the last 5 years, issued within 180 days before your last entry into Ecuador, translated and apostilled or legalized (for applicants 18+ only)
• Passport Photo: Colour JPG format, max 1MB, size 5×5 cm (2×2 in), white background, neutral or natural smile, both eyes open
• Accredit licit livelihoods: In accordance with Ministerial Agreement No. 70 (June 28, 2024)
• Additional Income for Dependents: $250/month per dependent

The fine details of Ecuador’s Digital Nomad Visa

To start the process you can apply online. Whilst I believe you can apply at a consulate, I’ve heard conflicting reports: a popular immigration lawyer in Ecuador told me that you can only do the application online now but when I spoke with the Ecuadorian consulate in Malaga, they weren’t aware of such an issue. That said, everything in this guide is written from the perspective of the online application and a British citizen. I will try and make this as inclusive as possible to other nationalities where possible, but your experience will no doubt be different to mine. On a final note; I have also paywalled some of the more specific information. Whilst you’ll have answers to all of the questions in order to get your application done, some of the specifics, nuances and my recommended contacts are behind a paywall. It’s a one-time charge and valid for life.

These are three different steps in authenticating documents for use abroad. Which ones you need depends on both the type of document and the countries involved.

• Notarisation – This is when a notary public officially certifies that a document is genuine or that a signature is authentic. For unofficial documents (e.g. a private contract, bank statement, or translation), notarisation is often required first so that your government can issue an apostille. For official government‑issued documents (e.g. a birth certificate, criminal record check), notarisation is not usually needed, as they are already recognised by your government and can go straight to the apostille or legalisation stage.
• Apostille – This is a type of certification under the 1961 Hague Convention that allows a document from one member country to be recognised in another member country without further authentication. If both countries are members, an apostille from your government’s designated authority is normally all you need. You can check the list of current member countries here: HCCH Members List. Note: You apostille your document in the country of the source of the document, not your nationality. Whilst I’m British, my company is Estonian, which means documents related to my company are apostilled in Estonia, but my criminal record is apostilled in the UK, because I am a British citizen.
• Legalisation – This is the process for countries that are not part of the Hague Apostille Convention. It usually involves certification by your country’s foreign ministry, followed by authentication from the embassy or consulate of the destination country. It’s more time‑consuming and can involve multiple steps.

In short:
– Hague Convention member countries → apostille (with notarisation first if the document is unofficial).
– Non‑member countries → full legalisation process.

Step 1: Your online application

Passport and applicant details

You’ll need a PDF of your passport photo page. If you don’t have a scanner to hand, use your phone, crop the edges and ensure you convert the PNG/JPG to PDF. For anything related to PDFs I use and highly recommend “ilovepdf”. Check them out here. Nothing complex here, just a photo of your passport.

You’ll then have to put in your address details as per your passport and this is probably where you’ll run into some issues, like I did. The city and country fields are not free-text, you have to select them from a dropdown. Some are in English, some are in Spanish, some don’t exist and some cities are simply under the wrong country. If you end up that your city of birth and city of passport issuance doesn’t exist, you might run into a problem in your application and as such you’ll need the following letter, this is an exact copy of the letter I used and I have just added some comments, recommended ChatGPT prompts and how to upload this letter. Please note that this letter is part of the paywalled premium guide.

Step 2: Required documents

The first step is proving that your income meets the minimum requirement. This number is linked to Ecuador’s minimum wage and as such, it will reset every year in January. The number is three times the Unified Basic Salary, which for 2025 is $470, as such, you’ll need to demonstrate that you’ve earned at least $1,410 per month for the previous 3 months. You do this by providing your bank statements, which need to be verified and then apostilled.

This is broken into two sections: one is proof of the value and one is the proof that it comes from a legitimate place.

Your income

For your income, you’ll need to provide your bank statements and these bank statements will need to carry an official verification seal from your bank, then be apostilled and then translated. An apostille can only be done on officially recognised government documents, so you’ll need this official bank seal in order to proceed. Remember: 3 months of statements and more than $1,410 per month.

Looking for specific advice on what to do if you can’t get your bank statements stamped and a copy of the explanatory letter I provided with my finances that you can copy? You’ll need the premium guide 👇

Your income source

The second part of your income is under the “accredit illicit livelihoods” rule, which basically means you must prove that your money comes from legal, verifiable sources. Now this is a bit of a triple threat, as you need to achieve three things here:

• Prove it comes from a legitimate source: a payslip or an invoice, or a contract
• Prove it’s ongoing and it’s for remote work: a consultant or employment contract (although, I argue that a contract can cover all three points, which is what I did)
• Prove that the money comes from outside of Ecuador: sometimes you may be asked for an incorporation certificate

And remember, every one of these documents will need to be notarised, apostilled and then translated. You can see how this is starting to get expensive right?

Want to know how I got two birds with one stone here and the explanatory letter I included? You’ll want to unlock the premium guide, here 👇

Your Criminal Record

Then your criminal record. Now, it doesn’t say that your criminal record has to be clean, so if you have a minor offence, you should be fine, but it is likely you’ll be interviewed and asked to explain it. If you have a serious offence, it’s highly likely your application will be denied. Now, this isn’t your typical police clearance certificate, this is an elevated check and each country has a specialist body that deals with it. Once you have your record, you’ll need to arrange to have this apostilled and then a sworn translation. Once this is done, upload this as one bundled document (original, apostille cert and sworn translation). Want to know where to get your certificate, how to apostille and what to look out for in translations? Download the premium guide 👇

Health Insurance

And last but certainly not least is your health insurance. Unfortunately, your usual nomadic insurance programs like Safetywing and Genki will not be accepted. Even though Safetywing and Genki offer a global policy, because the certificate doesn’t expressly state Ecuador, it will be rejected.

I did speak with the guys at Genki and they said they would provide an explanatory letter that confirmed coverage was included in Ecuador and I would expect that would be sufficient. I love Genki and if you are on the hunt for nomad insurance, I strongly recommend them. You can read my guide on dealing with getting sick as a nomad, here.

Annoyingly, Genki recently changed their underwriter and now only provide certificates in English, they used to provide Spanish, which would save a fair few quid.

The rules from the Ministry state that the policy must provide coverage for Ecuador and be valid for the length of the visa. The latter is a bit tricky because you will not find a two-year health insurance certificate, they’re always annual. So what you need is a certificate without an expiry date or an explanatory letter (from the insurer) that says the contract automatically renews.

And remember: it all needs to be notarised, apostilled and translated.

Want to know how I managed to get health insurance for $30 and didn’t need to get anything notarised, apostilled or translated? You’ll need my premium guide 👇

And that’s it, that’s everything that you need. Be sure to read the rest of the document below that will cover some other areas you’ll need to know about, I’m confident that this post will cover everything you need to know – good luck! And hey, if you get the visa, hit me up for a beer! 🍻

Ready to apply?  Official Website

What happens once you’re accepted?

It’s all pretty simple after this point. Whilst I normally receive an email notification whenever anything changes, I didn’t get one when my application was accepted, but the visa portal is being upgraded and changed all the time. Once you’re accepted the status of the visa will change to “awaiting payment”, you make the payment and Bob’s your uncle. Note that the website often spews up an error that makes it look like your payment didn’t go through, but double check your bank and you’ll see it’s fine.

Within the hour you’ll receive a receipt and then two critical emails, one that has your visa – make sure you bookmark that email, back it up and also print a physical copy: you’ll need to present this when you enter the country and if you applied from within the country… well, I’m not actually sure, but seek professional advice on that one, because Customs will still have you down as being on a tourist visa and you might run into a problem on exit.

The second email is a receipt for your cedula application which will be valid for 20 business days. It’s not entirely necessary but if you want to register for income tax, rent a property or open a bank account you will need a cedula. Unfortunately this process needs to be done in person and apparently is an absolute ballache. I haven’t done it at the time of writing, but I’ll come back and update this guide in due course – wish me luck!

Cost of the Digital Nomad Visa

Can You Bring Family?

Yes, you can bring dependents such as a spouse or children under the same visa type.

• Extra Income Requirement: $250/month per dependent
• Each dependent requires separate documentation and background checks

Visa Duration & Renewal

• Length: 2 years
• Renewable? Yes, but you cannot be outside of Ecuador for more than 90 days total in the first two years if you want to renew.
• Path to permanent residency: Providing you don’t break the above rule, you can apply for Permanent Residency at the end of the 2 years.

Taxes for Digital Nomads in Ecuador

Now I’m not a tax professional but you have three options as I understand it:

• Avoiding tax residency: If you stay under 183 days in a year and have tax residency elsewhere you can avoid paying tax in Ecuador. However, note that the old “less than X days” trick doesn’t always work. Certain countries won’t accept this and it also heavily depends on your nationality. As such, take this route with a very large pinch of salt and seek professional advice.
• Take up tax residency: Ecuador’s income tax system works in bands based on income and the percentages are very low. For somebody earning around $50,000 a year, you’ll pay around 11%
• Take advantage of a 5-year tax break: Ecuador offers a five-year tax break on all foreign sourced income, providing you haven’t been a tax resident of Ecuador in the past. But you have to opt into IESS (their Social Security) and as a freelancer, this works out about 17.6% of your income. As such, you’ll need to make sure you earn more than $90,000 a year for it to be more financially attractive than option 2. After the five years, usual rules apply.

As such, Ecuador has one of the most attractive tax options in South America for digital nomads and is a great fiscal base for Latin America.

Best Places to Live in Ecuador as a Digital Nomad

• Cuenca: Colonial charm, walkable, strong expat scene and year-round Spring weather. You can read my digital nomad trip report about Cuenca, here.
• Quito: Ecuador’s capital, perfect if you prefer big city life
• Loja: Smaller, cheaper, good infrastructure
• Coastal towns: Olón, Ayampe and Manta have growing digital nomad scenes – sea-level too, if high altitude is a problem for you

FAQs: Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa

Final Thoughts

Ecuador’s digital nomad visa is one of the most accessible in Latin America. With low cost of living, diverse geography, and straightforward entry requirements, it’s an ideal option for remote workers looking to settle down for a while. I’m biased obviously, but I’d strongly recommend it, if you have the patience to gather all of the required paperwork! Good luck!