Ecuador · Business / Startup
Ecuador Professional / tech visa
First stay: 2 yrs
Visa de residencia temporal — Profesional, técnico, tecnólogo o artesano (Reglamento art. 76)
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
Professional / tech visa is a business / startup route for Ecuador. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- $50 · $270
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Cost, time and long term
Government fees$50 · $270
- $50Visa application fee, paid online when the request is filed; no VAT.
- $270Visa grant fee, paid on approval; no VAT.
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 apply2
- Applicants are foreign nationals who will practise a profession, technical or technologist activity or a craft in Ecuador.
- Applicants already in Ecuador need a regular status, either a tourist authorisation or a valid visa.
What you must show2
- Visa application fee USD 50 (one time).
- Visa grant fee USD 270 (one time).
Documents4
- A degree apostilled or legalised and registered with the Ecuadorian authority is required.
- Artisans show their registration and Junta Nacional de Defensa del Artesano validation.
- A passport valid for at least 6 months and an apostilled or legalised criminal record certificate (adults) are submitted.
- Lawful means of living of at least one unified basic salary a month (USD 482 in 2026) are shown.
Steps1
- The application is filed online on the e-VISAS platform and the first payment is made the same day.
After you arrive1
- The visa authorises a 2-year stay, renewable once; permanent residence can be requested after 21 continuous months.
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
A degree apostilled or legalised and registered with the Ecuadorian authority is required
- Police certificate and civil documents
A passport valid for at least 6 months and an apostilled or legalised criminal record certificate (adults) are submitted
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
For holders of a professional, technical or technologist degree (or registered artisans) who will practise in Ecuador. 1 2
What you must show and pay
- 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
- Applicants are foreign nationals who will practise a profession, technical or technologist activity or a craft in Ecuador. 2 1
- Applicants already in Ecuador need a regular status, either a tourist authorisation or a valid visa. 2
- Visa application fee USD 50 (one time). 2
- Visa grant fee USD 270 (one time). 2
- A degree apostilled or legalised and registered with the Ecuadorian authority is required. 1
- Artisans show their registration and Junta Nacional de Defensa del Artesano validation. 1
- A passport valid for at least 6 months and an apostilled or legalised criminal record certificate (adults) are submitted. 2
- Lawful means of living of at least one unified basic salary a month (USD 482 in 2026) are shown. 3 4
- The application is filed online on the e-VISAS platform and the first payment is made the same day. 2
- The visa authorises a 2-year stay, renewable once; permanent residence can be requested after 21 continuous months. 2 1
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
Practise the registered profession.
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 de profesional, técnico, tecnólogo o artesano · Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana · checked 2026-10-11
- Acuerdo Ministerial No. 0000070: lawful means of living for visa applications · Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2024-06-28
- 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
Professional / tech visa and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional / tech visa | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Freelancer visa | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Freelance professional M Colombia | Needs income of COP 8.8M+ a month ≈ $2,740 | 3 yr | Limited |
| BC Entrepreneur · Base Canada | Needs an investment of CAD 200k+ ≈ $140k | – | – |
| E-1 Treaty Trader United States | – | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Professional / tech visa?
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 Professional / tech visa?
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 Professional / tech visa?
Practise the registered profession.
Can I bring my family on the Professional / tech visa?
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 Professional / tech visa lead to permanent residence in Ecuador?
Time on the Professional / tech visa counts toward permanent residence in Ecuador, which the rules allow after 21 months of residence. Time on the Professional / tech visa doesn't count toward citizenship.
Is there a tax break for Professional / tech visa 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
Business / startup 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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An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 6 official sources. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.
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 de profesional, técnico, tecnólogo o artesano · Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana · checked 2026-10-11
- Acuerdo Ministerial No. 0000070: lawful means of living for visa applications · Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana · 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.