Moving to Cuenca starts with paperwork. Not the most exciting part, but the most important one. Get it right the first time and the rest follows. Get it wrong and you’re looking at months of delays.
Ecuador offers several residency visa options for expats. The most common for English-speaking retirees, remote workers, and investors are the retirement visa, the investor visa, and the professional visa. Each has its own specific requirements, but all share the same core document list.
What every applicant needs
A valid passport with at least six months of remaining validity. A criminal background check from your home country, apostilled and translated into Spanish. A certified copy of your birth certificate, apostilled. Proof of health insurance valid in Ecuador. Two passport-style photographs. Payment of the consular fee.
For the retirement visa
Official proof of pension or retirement income of at least $800 per month, issued by the paying institution, apostilled and translated into Spanish.
For the investor visa
Proof of investment in Ecuador, typically a property deed or a bank deposit certificate meeting the minimum required amount.
For the professional visa
Recognized professional credentials and a valid contract with an Ecuadorian entity.
What is an apostille?
An apostille is the international certification that makes your documents valid outside your home country. Without it, Ecuadorian institutions will not accept anything issued abroad. It’s one of the most common reasons applications get returned.
One thing worth knowing
Having the documents is only half of it. The other half is making sure every translation meets official standards, every apostille is current, and nothing is missing before anything gets submitted. That’s exactly where most people run into trouble. At Cuenca Roots we review every document with you before anything is submitted, in plain English, with no surprises.