EC country scene

Temporary Residence - Seafarer Crew Member

EcuadorWork

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

Official link

What type of worker, employment situation, occupation or professional activity is this pathway actually designed for?

The route is for crew members of special, commercial or industrial vessels, or specialised personnel working in the fishing industry, engaged in the vessel's manoeuvres or service.

See recorded sources

Does the applicant need a job offer, employer, sponsor, transfer relationship or other employer involvement? What is important about that employer relationship?

An employment contract and an updated RUC (taxpayer registration) are required under Article 70 of the Regulation as reformed by Ministerial Agreement 696 of 20 March 2023.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The 2022 Regulation text (Art. 70) instead lists an employment contract or sponsorship letter, a fishing permit, or documents on the vessel's legal stay; the gob.ec page states the article was reformed in 2023.

What are the few decisive professional characteristics of the pathway: occupation, qualifications, experience, salary, skill level, shortage status, labour-market condition or equivalent?

Seafarer status must be accredited with the Seaman's Book (Libretín de Identificación y Registro de la Gente de Mar) or an employment contract detailing the functions of the specialised foreign staff.

See recorded sources

What work does the permission allow? Is the holder tied to an employer, occupation or sector? Can family accompany where clearly established?

Foreign residents have the right to work and to social security; a change of activity or employer affecting the basis of the visa requires a new temporary residence visa within 30 working days. Dependant ('amparo') status is available for children, spouse or de facto partner.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • No seafarer-specific statement on work outside the vessel.

How long is the permission normally granted for, how is it renewed, and what longer-term residence direction exists if officially stated?

The seafarer visa allows entry for up to two years with multiple entries. Renewal requires the same documents as the first grant, without prejudice to the right to apply for permanent residence once the legal conditions are met (21 continuous months as a resident). The official 24 October 2025 amendment to LOMH Article 64 adds to temporary and permanent residence visa applications a certificate of no criminal record from the country of origin or prior residence, translated into Spanish and apostilled or legalised as applicable, valid for 180 days from issue, and a migration-registration certificate under the regulation. These are general visa-application conditions; they do not by themselves establish the route-specific renewal documents or a grant guarantee.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured 2025 amending law does not replace LOMH Article 60’s multiple-renewal text or the captured regulation’s 21-month permanent-residence filing rule, but the packet is not a fully consolidated 2026 statute/regulation; later changes to those provisions were not independently established.
  • https://www.gob.ec/mremh/tramites/concesion-visa-residencia-temporal-tripulante-marino
    La visa de tripulante marino permite el ingreso hasta por dos años con entradas múltiples, de conformidad al artículo 70 del reglamento de la LOMH.
  • https://www.gob.ec/mremh/tramites/concesion-visa-residencia-temporal-tripulante-marino
    Para la renovación de esta visa se deberán presentar, además de los requisitos generales previstos en la Ley Orgánica de Movilidad Humana, los exigidos para su otorgamiento por primera vez, dejando a salvo el derecho de los tripulantes marinos de solicitar la residencia permanente cumplidos los requisitos y condiciones previstos en la ley.
  • https://www.cancilleria.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2022.07.21-reglamento-a-la-Ley-Organica-de-Movilidad-Humana.pdf
    1. Acreditar veintiún meses (21) continuos de permanencia en el Ecuador, en calidad de residente, y presentar la solicitud de visa, previo al vencimiento de la residencia que haya obtenido;
  • https://www.asambleanacional.gob.ec/es/system/files/ro_ley_ref_a_la_ley_de_movilidad.pdf
    Articulo 17.- En el articulo 64 de la Ley Organica de Movilidad Humana efectuiense las siguientes modificaciones: Uno. Sustituyase el numeral 5, por el siguiente: “9. No haber obtenido sentencia condenatoria ejecutoriada en el Ecuador por delitos sancionados con pena privativa de libertad, conforme lo establecido por la ley penal vigente;”. Dos. Incluyase a continuacion del numeral 6, los siguientes numerales: “7. Certificado de no registrar antecedentes penales emitido por el pais de origen o por aquel en el que la persona extranjera haya residido previamente a la solicitud. Este documento deberd estar traducido al castellano y apostillado o legalizado, segiin corresponda. El certificado tendrd una vigencia de ciento ochenta (180) dias desde la fecha de su emisién. Por regla general se deberan presentar los antecedentes penales a nivel nacional. En casos excepcionales, la autoridad de movilidad humana, en consideracién de la normativa aplicable en cada pais, establecerad los mecanismos y documentos especificos para el cumplimiento de este requisito.” 8. Certificado de registro migratorio de conformidad a las condiciones y especificaciones previstas en el Reglamento a esta Ley.”
  • https://www.asambleanacional.gob.ec/es/system/files/ro_ley_ref_a_la_ley_de_movilidad.pdf
    Viernes 24 de octubre de 2025 Séptimo Suplemento N° 151 - Registro Oficial DISPOSICION FINAL La presente Ley entrara en vigor a partir de la fecha de su publicacion en el Registro Oficial.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

Your story.
Your next step.

Get your free results