Ecuador · Investing
Ecuador Investor · $48k deposit
Investment needed: $48k+
Visa de residencia temporal — Inversionista: certificado de depósito a plazo (Reglamento art. 66 a)
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Investor · $48k deposit is an investing route for Ecuador. Applicants need an investment of $48k+. You can stay 2 yrs, renewable. You can work locally. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Money needed
- $48k+
- Government fees
- $50 · $270
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fees $320 in total (2 fees); investment $48k+. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees$50 · $270
- $50Visa application fee, paid online when the request is filed; no VAT.
- $270Visa grant fee, paid on approval; no VAT.
Invested and held$48k+
- $48,200Deposit certificate or policy of at least 730 days, dematerialised, for not less than 100 SBU (100 x USD 482 = USD 48,200 in 2026); the investment must be kept for the visa validity or the visa can be cancelled.
RenewalRenewable
Temporary residence lasts up to 2 years and can be renewed once.
Permanent residenceAfter 21 months of residence
You can request permanent residence after 21 continuous months as a resident, filing before the temporary visa expires.
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad HumanaMinisterio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana
CitizenshipTime here doesn't count
Naturalisation needs at least 3 years of regular domicile holding a permanent residence visa, so time on a temporary visa does not count directly.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Apply online through the foreign ministry's e-VISAS platform, from inside Ecuador or through an embassy or consulate abroad.
Presence rulesAway max 90 days in total
To keep the 21 months continuous, you cannot be away from Ecuador more than 90 days in total during the temporary visa.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Time on this route doesn't count toward citizenship
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- A dematerialised deposit certificate or policy of at least 730 days for not less than 100 SBU is required.
What you must show1
- A fee is payable.
Documents4
- A passport valid at least 6 months is required.
- An original criminal-record certificate from the country of origin and places of residence in the last 5 years is required (adults only).
- The certificate is apostilled or legalised, translated, and valid 180 days to the last entry.
- Lawful means of livelihood are required under Acuerdo Ministerial 70 of 28 June 2024.
After you arrive1
- The investment must be kept for the visa validity or the visa can be cancelled.
What happens at day 183
How Ecuador decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
2 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in a same fiscal period, or 12 months across two fiscal periodsPresence in Ecuador, including sporadic absences, consecutive or not (art. 4.1 a and b)
- Foreign-source income
Ecuador taxes Ecuadorian-source income and also income obtained abroad by natural persons domiciled in the country (LRTI art. 2), on a 2026 scale of 0% up to USD 12,208 rising to 37% above USD 109,956; an individual is a fiscal resident after 183 days or more in the country in a fiscal period, with a credit for tax paid abroad under art. 49.
- Special regime
Residencia fiscal temporal · Tax relief
New arrivals who qualify may pay income tax only on Ecuadorian-source income for 5 years.
All tax rules for Ecuador Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Certified translation
The certificate is apostilled or legalised, translated, and valid 180 days to the last entry
- Police certificate and civil documents
An original criminal-record certificate from the country of origin and places of residence in the last 5 years is required (adults only)
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Investor residence backed by a dematerialised time deposit of at least 730 days at a bank supervised by the Superintendencia de Bancos or de Economía Popular y Solidaria. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- An investment of at least $48,200 · Deposit certificate or policy of at least 730 days, dematerialised, for not less than 100 SBU (100 x USD 482 = USD 48,200 in 2026); the investment must be kept for the visa validity or the visa can be cancelled. 1 2 3
- A fee of $50 · Visa application fee, paid online when the request is filed; no VAT. 2
- A fee of $270 · Visa grant fee, paid on approval; no VAT. 2
Requirements
- A dematerialised deposit certificate or policy of at least 730 days for not less than 100 SBU is required. 1 2 3
- A fee is payable. 1
- A passport valid at least 6 months is required. 1
- An original criminal-record certificate from the country of origin and places of residence in the last 5 years is required (adults only). 1
- The certificate is apostilled or legalised, translated, and valid 180 days to the last entry. 1
- Lawful means of livelihood are required under Acuerdo Ministerial 70 of 28 June 2024. 1
- The investment must be kept for the visa validity or the visa can be cancelled. 1 2 3
Stay
- Temporary residence authorises a 2-year stay, renewable once; permanent residence can be requested after 21 continuous months as a resident.
- Initial permitted stay: 24 months.
- Visa validity: 24 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
Holders may carry out productive and commercial activities, act as legal representative and hold administrative posts in the investment; there is no limit on time spent abroad and multiple entries are allowed.
Family
Spouse or partner and children can be covered by the holder ("amparo"); the holder shows an additional USD 250 per month of income for each adult child covered.
Official sources
- Reglamento a la Ley Orgánica de Movilidad Humana (arts. 60-76, 83-84) · Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana · checked 2026-10-12
- Concesión de visa de residencia temporal inversionista · Guía Oficial de Trámites — MREMH · checked 2026-10-10
- Acuerdo MDH-DM-2026-0005-A (quotes Acuerdo MDT-2025-195: Salario Básico Unificado 2026 = USD 482) · Ministerio de Desarrollo Humano · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2026-02
- Ley Orgánica de Movilidad Humana (consolidated text) · Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana (Ecuador) · checked 2026-10-11
- Obtención de la nacionalidad ecuatoriana por carta de naturalización · Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana (Ecuador) · checked 2026-10-11
Investor · $48k deposit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investor · $48k deposit | Needs an investment of $48k+ | 2 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Investor · $48k shares | Needs an investment of $48k+ | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Investor · $48k property | Needs an investment of $48k+ | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Investor · State contract | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Investor residence Mexico | Needs an investment of MXN 5.4M+ ≈ $294k | 4 yr | With a permit |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Investor · $48k deposit?
An investment of at least $48,200. Deposit certificate or policy of at least 730 days, dematerialised, for not less than 100 SBU (100 x USD 482 = USD 48,200 in 2026); the investment must be kept for the visa validity or the visa can be cancelled. A fee of $50. Visa application fee, paid online when the request is filed; no VAT. A fee of $270. Visa grant fee, paid on approval; no VAT.
How long can I stay on the Investor · $48k deposit?
Temporary residence authorises a 2-year stay, renewable once; permanent residence can be requested after 21 continuous months as a resident.
Can I work on the Investor · $48k deposit?
Yes. Holders may carry out productive and commercial activities, act as legal representative and hold administrative posts in the investment; there is no limit on time spent abroad and multiple entries are allowed.
Can I bring my family on the Investor · $48k deposit?
Spouse or partner and children can be covered by the holder ("amparo"); the holder shows an additional USD 250 per month of income for each adult child covered.
Does the Investor · $48k deposit lead to permanent residence in Ecuador?
Time on the Investor · $48k deposit counts toward permanent residence in Ecuador, which the rules allow after 21 months of residence. Time on the Investor · $48k deposit doesn't count toward citizenship.
Is there a tax break for Investor · $48k deposit holders in Ecuador?
Residencia fiscal temporal (LRTI, Ley Orgánica de Eficiencia Económica, RO 461-S of 20 Dec 2023): New arrivals who qualify may pay income tax only on Ecuadorian-source income for 5 years. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Residencia fiscal temporal (LRTI, Ley Orgánica de Eficiencia Económica, RO 461-S of 20 Dec 2023)
Tax relief
Details
- On: Ecuadorian-source income only, taxed on the ordinary scale
- Who: Not previously a fiscal resident of Ecuador
- Limit: $150k
New arrivals who qualify may pay income tax only on Ecuadorian-source income for 5 years.
Taxed on
Ecuadorian-source income only, taxed on the ordinary scale; foreign-source income is outside the base.
Who it applies to
- Not previously a fiscal resident of Ecuador.
- Either invest at least USD 150,000 in Ecuadorian real estate or productive activities and keep it at least 5 years, or prove non-Ecuadorian-source monthly income of at least USD 2,500 and affiliate to social security.
- Conditions must be met between day 1 and day 120 after entering Ecuador.
Exclusions
- Ecuadorian-source income remains taxable.
Limits
- $150,000 · Minimum investment in real estate or productive activities in Ecuador, kept at least 5 years.
- $2,500 a month · Alternative: proven monthly income not of Ecuadorian source; holder must join social security.
Tax residence
Lasts 5 years from the fiscal year the conditions are met.
Visas
The law links the regime to temporary residence.
Other taxes
Social-security affiliation is required under the income route; VAT is unaffected.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in Ecuador
Investment visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 5 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Reglamento a la Ley Orgánica de Movilidad Humana (arts. 60-76, 83-84) · Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana · checked 2026-10-12
- Concesión de visa de residencia temporal inversionista · Guía Oficial de Trámites — MREMH · checked 2026-10-10
- Acuerdo MDH-DM-2026-0005-A (quotes Acuerdo MDT-2025-195: Salario Básico Unificado 2026 = USD 482) · Ministerio de Desarrollo Humano · checked 2026-10-10
- Ley Orgánica de Movilidad Humana (consolidated text) · Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana (Ecuador) · checked 2026-10-11
- Obtención de la nacionalidad ecuatoriana por carta de naturalización · Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana (Ecuador) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.