Temporary residence for employment under a dependent labour relationship.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Report facts: 8
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
South America · Immigration
Ecuador
Ecuador sits in South America. Its immigration system runs 28 distinct routes — led by family, work and talent and merit, each set out in official law. 27 of them cite an official government source, shown on the route with the date we last read it. Who actually qualifies depends on your full profile.
- Immigration routes
- 28across 16 route categories, each set out in official law
- Source-cited routes
- 27 of 28cite an official government source, with the date we last read it
- Largest category
- Family4 of the 28 routes — see them under Family below
- Region
- South America
- Capital
- Quito
- Population
- 18,289,896
- Official language
- Spanish
- Currency
- USD
- Time zone
- 2 zones
Source-cited pathways
Immigration routes
All 28 routes, grouped by purpose — 27 of 28 cite an official government source directly. Any route below without one says so on the route.
Work
3 routes
Temporary residence for qualifying governmental or NGO cooperation or foreign-press work.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Report facts: 8
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Temporary residence for service as an eligible marine crew member.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Report facts: 8
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Investment
1 route
Temporary residence for investment of lawful funds in Ecuador.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 4Process & costs: 4Report facts: 5
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Starting a business
1 route
Temporary residence for autonomous work, professional, civil or consulting services or sponsorship.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 2Report facts: 7
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Talent and merit
3 routes
Temporary residence for artistic or cultural-management activity.
Eligibility: 2Documents: 3Process & costs: 2Report facts: 3
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Temporary residence for a recognised professional, technical or artisan qualification.
Eligibility: 2Documents: 3Process & costs: 2Report facts: 3
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Temporary residence for scientific, research or academic activity.
Eligibility: 2Documents: 3Process & costs: 2Report facts: 3
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Study
1 route
Temporary residence for study in a recognised Ecuadorian programme.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 2Process & costs: 1Report facts: 5
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Family
4 routes
Permanent residence based on marriage or a legally recognised de-facto union with an Ecuadorian or permanent resident.
Documents: 2Report facts: 8
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Permanent residence based on dependency as a minor or person with disability on an Ecuadorian or permanent resident.
Documents: 2Report facts: 7
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Permanent residence based on kinship up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity with an Ecuadorian or permanent resident.
Documents: 2Report facts: 8
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Temporary residence for a child, spouse or recognised partner of a temporary-residence holder.
Documents: 1Report facts: 12
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Living from your own income
2 routes
Temporary residence for a lawful pension supporting residence.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 3Process & costs: 1Report facts: 7
Temporary residence for lawful recurring income not based on Ecuadorian employment.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 3Process & costs: 1Report facts: 7
Remote work and digital nomads
1 route
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
Income from USD 1,446/mo
Eligibility: 3Documents: 2Process & costs: 1Report facts: 7
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Long-term residence
1 route
Permanent residence based on more than twenty-one months of eligible temporary residence.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 2Report facts: 7
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Free movement
3 routes
Permanent residence based on nationality and prior status under an applicable regional residence framework.
Documents: 1Report facts: 6
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Temporary residence for nationality and conditions under the Andean Migratory Statute.
Documents: 1Report facts: 8
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Temporary residence for nationality of a state covered by the MERCOSUR residence framework.
Documents: 1Report facts: 8
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Youth mobility
2 routes
Temporary residence for Australian nationality and the bilateral working-holiday conditions.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 2Process & costs: 1Report facts: 4
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Temporary residence for French nationality and the bilateral working-holiday conditions.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 2Process & costs: 1Report facts: 4
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Culture, faith and volunteering
2 routes
Temporary residence for religious or religious-volunteer activity.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 7
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Temporary residence for non-remunerated volunteer or missionary activity.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 7
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Short stays and visits
1 route
Temporary-entry visa for a traveller whose nationality or purpose requires prior authorisation.
Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 6
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Humanitarian protection
1 route
Free in-country refugee-status application followed by temporary humanitarian documentation and, if recognised, international-protection residence.
Documents: 1Process & costs: 3Report facts: 6
Source pending confirmation: help.unhcr.org · checked 2026-07-27
Sport
1 route
Temporary residence for professional or contracted sporting activity.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 2Process & costs: 2Report facts: 5
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Special cases
1 route
Temporary residence for an exceptional case accepted by the human-mobility authority.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 2Process & costs: 1Report facts: 5
Official government source: cancilleria.gob.ec · checked 2026-07-27
Official sources
- Cancilleria e-VISASGovernment
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