How much does the Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work) cost and how long does it take?

The fee is about $320 (US$50 application fee plus US$270 visa fee); Stated on the gob.ec trámite sheet: US$50 for the application form and US$270 for issuing the visa, no VAT. A 50 percent discount applies to people aged 65 or over and a full exemption to people with a disability of 30 percent or more. Processing time: not stated. The Foreign Ministry does not publish a decision time for this visa; payment must be completed by 23:55 Ecuador time on the day it is requested or the application lapses. Consulates and the zonal offices in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca typically take a few weeks.

Does the Ecuador digital nomad visa lead to permanent residence?

Yes. It is a temporary residence visa, and Ecuador's Foreign Ministry grants permanent residence to anyone who has held temporary residence for more than 21 months and can show lawful means of subsistence, so a nomad who stays can switch before the two-year visa ends.

Digital nomad visa · Latin America

Ecuador digital nomad visa 2026: requirements and cost

Ecuador's Visa Nómada is a two-year temporary residence for people who work remotely for an employer or clients abroad and earn at least three times the basic salary, US$1,446 a month in 2026. You apply online on the Foreign Ministry's e-Visas platform from abroad or inside Ecuador, pay US$320 in fees, and after 21 months of temporary residence you can apply for permanent residence.

Official name: Visa de residencia temporal rentista para trabajo remoto (Visa Nómada). Facts updated 2026-10-04 · Not yet reviewed by a person · Dataset 2026.10.7.

Who can apply: Any nationality; Any nationality. You must prove foreign-source income from work or services performed remotely, as an employee or independently, for an employer, client or company domiciled outside Ecuador, and hold health insurance valid in Ecuador.
Minimum income: $1,446/month; Three Salarios Básicos Unificados per month (3 x US$482 = US$1,446 in 2026) for the three months before applying, or 36 SBU (US$17,352) per year
Fee: about $320; US$50 application fee plus US$270 visa fee
Processing time: not stated
Initial stay: 2 years, renewable up to 4 years
Where to apply: Online; Online on the Cancillería's e-Visas platform (serviciosdigitales.cancilleria.gob.ec), available 24 hours a day; the file is reviewed by the Ecuadorian consulate for your country if you apply from abroad, or by a Coordinación Zonal of the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana if you are in Ecuador.

Not yet reviewed by a person

Compiled from the official pages listed below, last read on 2026-10-04. A named person has not yet re-checked it; treat it as a starting point and confirm with the source before you apply.

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Who can apply

Any nationality. You must prove foreign-source income from work or services performed remotely, as an employee or independently, for an employer, client or company domiciled outside Ecuador, and hold health insurance valid in Ecuador.

What you need

Passport valid for at least six months
Colour photo 5 x 5 cm (2 x 2 inches) on a white background, JPG format, maximum 1 MB
Criminal-record certificate from your country of origin or from the countries where you lived during the last five years, apostilled or legalised and translated into Spanish
Health insurance, Ecuadorian or foreign, valid in Ecuador for the whole period of the visa
Documents proving that you work or provide services to an employer, client or company domiciled abroad, remotely, digitally or by telework (contract, employer letter, client agreements or proof of ownership of a foreign company)
Bank statements showing foreign-source income of at least three basic salaries a month for the previous three months, or 36 basic salaries in the year
Proof of lawful means of subsistence as required by Acuerdo Ministerial No. 70 (medios de vida lícitos)
Proof of payment of the US$50 application fee, then of the US$270 visa fee

Income proof: The trámite requires foreign-source income of at least three unified basic salaries a month over the three months before the application, or 36 basic salaries a year, shown with bank statements. Ecuador uses the US dollar, so no conversion is needed. The 2026 SBU is US$482 under Acuerdo Ministerial MDT-2025-195 of 15 December 2025 (Ministerio del Trabajo).

Family: The Visa Nómada is individual. A spouse, partner or dependent children apply for their own temporary residence visa 'por amparo' (dependency) on the strength of yours, each paying the standard fees.

Cost and timeline

Minimum income	$1,446/monthThree Salarios Básicos Unificados per month (3 x US$482 = US$1,446 in 2026) for the three months before applying, or 36 SBU (US$17,352) per year
Fee	about $320Stated on the gob.ec trámite sheet: US$50 for the application form and US$270 for issuing the visa, no VAT. A 50 percent discount applies to people aged 65 or over and a full exemption to people with a disability of 30 percent or more.
Processing time	not statedThe Foreign Ministry does not publish a decision time for this visa; payment must be completed by 23:55 Ecuador time on the day it is requested or the application lapses. Consulates and the zonal offices in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca typically take a few weeks.
Stay	2 years, renewable up to 4 years

How to apply

Online. Online on the Cancillería's e-Visas platform (serviciosdigitales.cancilleria.gob.ec), available 24 hours a day; the file is reviewed by the Ecuadorian consulate for your country if you apply from abroad, or by a Coordinación Zonal of the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana if you are in Ecuador.

Create an account on serviciosdigitales.cancilleria.gob.ec, choose 'Nuevo trámite' then 'Nueva visa', and select the temporary residence rentista visa for remote work (Visa Nómada).
Upload your passport, a 5 x 5 cm colour photo on a white background (JPG under 1 MB), the apostilled criminal-record certificate, your health insurance policy and the documents proving remote work for a foreign employer or client.
Attach bank statements showing at least three basic salaries a month (US$1,446 in 2026) for the previous three months, or 36 basic salaries over the year, and pay the US$50 application fee the same day.
Respond to any observations from the consulate or zonal office, then pay the US$270 visa fee when the visa is approved.
Once in Ecuador with the visa, register it and obtain a cédula de identidad for extranjeros at the Registro Civil; apply for permanent residence after 21 months or renew before the two years end.

After you arrive

Renewal: Issued for up to two years and renewable once for the same period under the trámite sheet. In practice most holders apply for permanent residence after 21 months of temporary residence rather than renewing.

Residence: Ecuador grants permanent residence to foreigners who have held temporary residence for more than 21 months and show lawful means of subsistence (gob.ec trámite 'Concesión de visa de residencia permanente por tiempo de permanencia mayor a 21 meses'). Time on the Visa Nómada counts as temporary residence. Permanent residence is typically possible after 21 months.

Taxes

You become an Ecuadorian tax resident after 183 days of presence in a tax year or across 12 months, and are then taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates up to 37 percent, subject to double-tax treaties; before that only Ecuadorian-source income is taxed. Ecuador is dollarised, so there is no currency risk on a US-dollar salary.

In practice

The Ministerio del Trabajo's website returned a gateway error on 2026-10-04; the US$482 SBU figure comes from that ministry's own announcement page title and the 2026 sectoral salary tables published by the Contraloría, which show the SBU column at US$482.
Most passports enter visa-free for 90 days a year (extendable by 90), so you can scout Quito, Cuenca or Guayaquil first and lodge the online application from inside Ecuador.
Fee payment on the platform must be completed by 23:55 Ecuador time on the same day, so have a card ready when you submit.
Cuenca has the most established expat and nomad community; Quito's altitude (2,850 m) takes a few days to adjust to.

For your passport

Choose your passport in the ranker and the notes that apply to you move to the top.

EU, EEA, CH, GB, US, CA, AU, NZ, JP:Visa-free for 90 days in any 12 months (extendable once), so you can apply from inside Ecuador or from home; the income rule is the same.
AR, BR, CL, CO, PE, PY, UY, BO:Eligible, and MERCOSUR and associated-state nationals can instead use the MERCOSUR temporary residence, which has no income threshold.
All other passports:Some nationalities need a visitor visa to enter Ecuador; the nomad visa can still be requested online and reviewed by the Ecuadorian consulate before you travel.

Cities in Ecuador on Nostos

Montañita
Balanced score 60 · $1,350/month
Quito
Balanced score 59 · $1,127/month
Guayaquil
Balanced score 58 · $1,383/month
Vilcabamba
Balanced score 58 · $1,350/month
Loja
Balanced score 58 · $1,350/month
Manta
Balanced score 57 · $1,383/month
Baños
Balanced score 54 · $1,350/month
Cuenca
Balanced score 52 · $1,383/month

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Frequently asked

Who can apply for the Ecuador digital nomad visa?: Any nationality. You must prove foreign-source income from work or services performed remotely, as an employee or independently, for an employer, client or company domiciled outside Ecuador, and hold health insurance valid in Ecuador. Ecuador's Visa Nómada is a two-year temporary residence for people who work remotely for an employer or clients abroad and earn at least three times the basic salary, US$1,446 a month in 2026. You apply online on the Foreign Ministry's e-Visas platform from abroad or inside Ecuador, pay US$320 in fees, and after 21 months of temporary residence you can apply for permanent residence.
How much income do you need for the Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work)?: About $1,446 per month (Three Salarios Básicos Unificados per month (3 x US$482 = US$1,446 in 2026) for the three months before applying, or 36 SBU (US$17,352) per year). The trámite requires foreign-source income of at least three unified basic salaries a month over the three months before the application, or 36 basic salaries a year, shown with bank statements. Ecuador uses the US dollar, so no conversion is needed. The 2026 SBU is US$482 under Acuerdo Ministerial MDT-2025-195 of 15 December 2025 (Ministerio del Trabajo).
How much does the Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work) cost and how long does it take?: The fee is about $320 (US$50 application fee plus US$270 visa fee); Stated on the gob.ec trámite sheet: US$50 for the application form and US$270 for issuing the visa, no VAT. A 50 percent discount applies to people aged 65 or over and a full exemption to people with a disability of 30 percent or more. Processing time: not stated. The Foreign Ministry does not publish a decision time for this visa; payment must be completed by 23:55 Ecuador time on the day it is requested or the application lapses. Consulates and the zonal offices in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca typically take a few weeks.
How long can you stay in Ecuador on the Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work), and can it be renewed?: 2 years, renewable up to 4 years. Issued for up to two years and renewable once for the same period under the trámite sheet. In practice most holders apply for permanent residence after 21 months of temporary residence rather than renewing.
Does the Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work) lead to permanent residence in Ecuador?: Yes. Ecuador grants permanent residence to foreigners who have held temporary residence for more than 21 months and show lawful means of subsistence (gob.ec trámite 'Concesión de visa de residencia permanente por tiempo de permanencia mayor a 21 meses'). Time on the Visa Nómada counts as temporary residence.
Can family members come with you on the Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work)?: The Visa Nómada is individual. A spouse, partner or dependent children apply for their own temporary residence visa 'por amparo' (dependency) on the strength of yours, each paying the standard fees.
Do you pay tax in Ecuador on the Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work)?: You become an Ecuadorian tax resident after 183 days of presence in a tax year or across 12 months, and are then taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates up to 37 percent, subject to double-tax treaties; before that only Ecuadorian-source income is taxed. Ecuador is dollarised, so there is no currency risk on a US-dollar salary.
Where do you apply for the Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work)?: Online: Online on the Cancillería's e-Visas platform (serviciosdigitales.cancilleria.gob.ec), available 24 hours a day; the file is reviewed by the Ecuadorian consulate for your country if you apply from abroad, or by a Coordinación Zonal of the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana if you are in Ecuador.
Does the Ecuador digital nomad visa lead to permanent residence?: Yes. It is a temporary residence visa, and Ecuador's Foreign Ministry grants permanent residence to anyone who has held temporary residence for more than 21 months and can show lawful means of subsistence, so a nomad who stays can switch before the two-year visa ends.

Sources

Concesión de visa de residencia temporal rentista para trabajo remoto (Visa Nómada), Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, gob.ec · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Three SBU income rule, two-year validity renewable once, US$50 plus US$270 fees, documents, online steps
Concesión de visa de residencia permanente por tiempo de permanencia mayor a 21 meses, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, gob.ec · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Permanent residence after more than 21 months of temporary residence
Gobierno, empleadores y trabajadores acuerdan fijar el Salario Básico Unificado de 2026 en USD 482, Ministerio del Trabajo y Desarrollo Humano del Ecuador · retrieved 2026-10-04 · SBU 2026 of US$482 (Acuerdo MDT-2025-195); the site returned HTTP 504 on the retrieval date, figure taken from the page title and search excerpt
Salarios mínimos por ley 2026 (tablas sectoriales), Contraloría General del Estado del Ecuador · retrieved 2026-10-04 · 2026 salary tables showing the SBU column at US$482.00

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