Ecuador Retirement Visa: Is Ecuador the Best Country to Retire?

The Ecuador retirement visa or pensioner visa is by far the most common type of residency that expats apply for when moving to Ecuador.

It is a temporary residence visa that allows expats to settle in Ecuador for long-term and can be converted to a permanent residence visa as well.

Many expats from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and European countries have used this visa to retire in Ecuador.

Activities Allowed for Holders of Ecuador Retirement Visa

As per the Ecuadorian constitution, residents have the same rights as Ecuadorian citizens. You can do almost everything that a citizen can do.

You can

1. freelance or be self-employed in Ecuador
2. open a business
3. teach English in Ecuador
4. invest in a property and earn rent ……..and more

What are the Ecuador Retirement Visa Requirements?

1. A Monthly Stipend of at least $800

Retirement in Ecuador really just means you have a steady provable income. It really isn’t about actually being retired.

It must be a guaranteed income “for the remainder of your lifetime.” Examples are

• Social Security
• A recognized retirement income from the military, railroad, or anything else

Ecuador’s immigration recognizes it as a valid guarantee for life. If not, then you can either petition to have it recognized or try for another visa such as the Ecuador rentista visa or a professional visa for Ecuador.

The minimum monthly pension accepted for this visa is 800 USDs.

2. Background Check

The background check to verify that you have a clean criminal record is a mandatory document.

Although there have been instances in the past where expats have been able to get a retirement visa without a federal background check, you should not take chances with this.

Ecuador also asks for a criminal record for everywhere you lived for 5 years or more. So if you lived in any country other than your home country, you need to provide the background check from there.

This document must be apostilled from where you got it, and then translated & notarized.

US citizens

• FBI background check
• State police

UK citizens

UK citizens needing an Ecuador visa for retirement can request a UK criminal report online.

3. Health Insurance

Anyone applying for an Ecuador retirement visa has to have health insurance, at least during the period when the visa is being applied.

A letter for travel insurance that covers 90 days (what you can get upon entering) should be sufficient. There are many providers to get travel health insurance.

Getting a travel health insurance from Safety Wing, an international provider is a great idea, which also covers Covid-19. In case you will be working remotely, they also have remote health insurance.

How to Apply for Ecuador Pensioner Visa?

The steps to apply for an Ecuador retirement visa can seem a little overwhelming with all the apostilling, translation and notarization. But if you follow all the steps, you can easily do it without involving an attorney.

1. Get the Required Documents Apostilled in Your Home Country

The following documents must be apostilled in the country where they were issued. The process to apostille these are different for every country.

• Social security letter of income or pension letter or the document that proves your guaranteed income for life.
• Background check from all the countries where you lived for more than 5 years.

2. Get a Certificate of Protocolization

A certificate of protocolization is a certificate issued by a consulate of Ecuador, certifying your guaranteed income. This consulate must be in the country from where your guaranteed income originates.

For example, if you have a social security income from the USA, you would need to get your income letter apostilled and then get it verified from a consulate of Ecuador in the United States.

This can be done by mail when you are in the United States or from Ecuador. If you are doing it by mail, you need to send the following documents to an Ecuador consulate in Washington DC or Houston or Miami or any other:

• the original social security letter of income or pensions benefit letter, that has been apostilled
• two notarized color copies of our passport
• a $40 dollar money order for payment
• a return envelope
• a cover letter

Make sure that the cover letter lists what you have enclosed, your phone number/email, and do ask for a Certificate of Protocolization in that letter.

3. Get the Documents Translated & Notarized

As Ecuador is a Spanish-speaking country, you need to get the following documents translated into Spanish and notarized.

• Social security income letter
• Background check

You can do it using an Ecuador consulate in your country. In the Ecuador consulate in USA, they translate and certify all required retirement visa documents.

4. File for the Ecuador Visa Application for Retirement

When all your documents are ready, you can file for the visa. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to submit an Ecuador visa application.

Once you file it doesn’t matter that your 90 days expired as long as you do not leave the country.

Ecuador Retirement Visa Fees

While the visa fees for the Ecuadorian retirement visa itself are $450 USD, you also need to add in the expenditure for the notarizations, apostilles, translations, and notarizations of translations.

Your final cost will depend on how many documents you have and how many pages each one consists of. This is because translators charge by the page.

Ecuador Pensionor Visa : F.A.Q.S