Launched in October 2022, The Ecuador digital nomad visa, known as the Rentista Temporary Residence Visa, invites global remote workers to live in the country for up to two years. Ecuador joins neighboring Colombia in offering a long-stay visa for location-independent remote workers in an effort to attract high-value individuals. Only available to those earning triple the average salary in Ecuador, the digital nomad visa has the clear target of growing the local economy. 

It’s great news for those looking to explore the South American country in detail with the huge two-year time period, and remote workers will really need it. From the cities of Quito and Cuenca to the famous Galápagos Islands—there’s plenty to see and do. From the minimum income requirements to the evidence of health insurance—find out everything you need to know about the Ecuador digital nomad visa in our guide to remote working in the country. 

What is the Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa?

The Ecuador digital nomad visa, known as the Rentista Temporary Residence Visa, offers global remote workers the opportunity to live and work in the country for a maximum of two years. This type of visa grew rapidly in response to the global pandemic, offering recuperation from the drop in tourist income. Now, with the world returning back to normal, countries slow to the trend are seeing the economic benefits of offering long-term visas to global high earners. The Ecuador digital nomad visa follows the path of more than 35 other countries opening their borders to global remote workers. 

Why is the Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa Better Than a Tourist Visa?

The main benefit of the Ecuador digital nomad visa lies in the length of time that a visitor can spend there. Typically, digital nomads without a remote work visa are only permitted to spend up to 90 days in Ecuador. With the Rentista Temporary Residence Visa, remote workers can spend up to two years in the country. Another key benefit of the Ecuadorian digital nomad visa is the ability to bring family members to live with you under the remote working visa. Spouses and dependents are permitted to travel to Ecuador under the visa, although the minimum income requirement increases by $250 per person. 

Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa Requirements 

The Ecuador digital nomad visa is not available to all and applicants must satisfy short criteria to qualify for the remote working visa. The following requirements must be satisfied by all applying digital nomads: 

• Valid Passport: The applicant's passport must be valid for at least six months. 
• $1,275 USD Minimum Monthly Income: Applicants must prove a minimum income of at least three unified basic salaries per month ($1,275 USD). A $250 USD increase is required for each individual dependent. ‍
• Remote Worker: All income earned by the applicant must be earned from outside of Ecuador. All applicants must either be remote employees at foreign companies, business owners, or freelancers. ‍
• Eligible Foreign National: All applicants must be eligible foreign nationals to apply for the digital nomad visa. A full list of eligible nationalities can be found online. ‍
• Health Insurance: Applicants must show proof of health insurance with coverage in Ecuador. 

How to Apply 

Applying for a remote working visa can be a confusing and costly process if mistakes are made. Our step-by-guide, designed to be used alongside the official how-to video, walks through the application process for a successful visa application.  

Step 1: Collect all Necessary Documents 

The first step when applying for any digital nomad visa is to first collect all of the necessary documents required during the application process. For the Ecuador digital nomad visa, applicants should gather the following: 

• Copy of Passport (valid for at least six months on application)
• Proof of Remote Work (Remote Employee of a Foreign Company, Freelancer, or Business Owner)
• Evidence of Sufficient Income (minimum of three unified basic salaries per month, for the three months prior to the visa application)
• Proof of Health Insurance 

All documents should be digitized, and ready for upload during the application process. 

Step 2: Create an Account and Submit the Application

Once all documents have been gathered and digitized, applicants are then able to create an account at the official immigration site.  Begin the application process by choosing “Visa” from the “Consular Procedures” tab. Applicants should simply follow the onscreen instructions, entering all requested personal information into the online forms. During the application process, you must schedule an appointment with their nearest consulate. Once complete, the online software will request the digitized documents gathered by digital nomads which can be uploaded directly.  An email containing a processing number will then be received by applicants. This can be used to make payment of the visa processing fee ($50 USD) on the online platform. 

Step 3: Attend the Scheduled Visa Appointment

Following the initial application process, nomads must attend their scheduled appointment at the nearest Ecuadorian embassy or consulate. Applicants should attend the appointment with all physical documents required during the initial application process (passport, health insurance, etc.). 

Step 4: Await Digital Nomad Visa Approval

After attending the scheduled appointment, digital nomads are simply required to await the decision of their application. The current processing times can be as long as two months with the verdict and visa issued via email. Once approved, successful applicants must then make the visa payment ($400 USD), made in the same way as the visa processing fee. 

Why Choose Ecuador for your Next Remote Working Trip?

Using the 2021 Legatum Prosperity Index, an annual independent study utilizing more than 100 different indexes to evaluate countries, Ecuador ranks in 83rd position, out of 167 different nations. This positions the country between Botswana (82) and the Philippines (84) when measuring prosperity. Away from the numbers, Ecuador is home to the famous Galápagos Islands, a bucket list destination for an unrivaled number of animal lovers around the world. But there’s more to the country than the famed volcanic archipelago and Ecuador’s mainland is the perfect destination for a real adventure. 

The capital city and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Quito is perched high in the Andean foothills with an altitude of 2,850m. Built on the ruins of an ancient Incan city, there’s no better place to start an adventure in Ecuador. Outside of the capital, it’s Cuenca that proves the most popular destination among digital nomads. Located in the country’s southern Andes mountains, the city offers a great infrastructure for digital nomads with coworking spaces, inexpensive accommodation, and laptop-friendly cafes to work from.

Remote Work Culture in Ecuador

Cuenca is the primary destination for digital nomads looking for a remote working destination in the country and offers a great infrastructure for online workspaces. A range of coworking spaces, including La Ofi Coworking, StartUPS Coworking, and IMPAQTO Coworking, offer great destinations to find like-minded remote workers in a digital nomad community. The median internet speeds in the country are far from the fastest that nomads are likely to find, but remote workers should find plenty of bandwidth available in the major cities. The fixed broadband median download speed of 45 Mbps and upload speed of 43 Mbps offers more than enough capacity for most online professionals. 

Cost of Living and Quality of Life in Ecuador 

The cost of living in Ecuador is low, with an estimated value of 50.4% lower than in the United States. The average monthly cost for an individual digital nomad living in Ecuador is estimated at $485 USD with the figure increasing to $1,735 USD for a family of four. Rental prices are also favorable in the South American country with remote workers expected to pay approximately 79.2% less in rent for a comparable property in the United States. The quality of life in Ecuador is rated as moderate with an index score of 121.7 out of a maximum total of 240 points. The country performs well in healthcare, climate, and cost of living, but poorly in purchasing power. Other indexes, including safety, pollution, and traffic commute time are rated as moderate.

Healthcare in Ecuador

Again, using the 2021 Legatum Prosperity Index, Ecuador is listed in the 78th position out of 167 different countries included in the study. This ranks the country between Jordan (77) and Mexico (79) when addressing healthcare in the nations. This ranking takes into account a range of healthcare issues including mortality rates, risk factors, illness outcomes, and access to healthcare services in the country. Although a requirement of the digital nomad visa, we would always recommend that remote workers ensure they are covered by health insurance before visiting the country. 

Conclusion 

Offered to global remote workers for up to two years, the Ecuador digital nomad visa is a great choice for those looking to explore the South American country in detail. A short list of requirements, including a minimum monthly income of $1,275 USD, health insurance covering stays in the country, and a combined visa fee of $450 USD are needed to qualify for the remote working visa. With more digital nomads than ever looking to live and work in new, exciting countries—we’re expecting an influx of remote workers arriving in Ecuador in the coming months!