Visas & Fees for Ecuador
Nationals of the USA, Canada, Australia and the UK do not need a Visa to travel to Ecuador – you are given a 30, 60 or 90 day Tourist Visa (the stamp in your passport) when entering the country via land or air. You do, however, need to have a passport that is valid for at least six months from the time you arrive.
Coat of Arms for Ecuador
Note: Make sure you are given the full 90 day visa upon entering the country if you intend to stay that long.
You may stay in the country for a maximum of 180 days in a year on a Tourist Visa. For an extension up to 90 additional days you must apply in person at an Immigration office, or leave the country and re-enter, paying at the border crossing. Immigration offices are in Quito (north) and the city of Guayaquil in the south. Cost for an extension is $230 USD plus a $50 consular fee when applying through an Immigration office, subject to change.
Note: Embassy contact & emergency assistance information: Living in Ecuador – Embassies of the USA, Canada, Australia & UK.
Do not overstay your Tourist Visa! If you do you will need to leave the country and not be allowed to re-enter for a year. After 180 days in any given year you must leave the country. You are only allowed 180 days maximum per year on a Tourist Visa. If in the country illegally past this time and caught by the authorities, you can be fined and forced to leave. The fine can be up to $2000 USD.
You can apply for a 6-month Tourist Visa before you leave on your trip at the Ecuadorian Embassy in your home country (click here for Embassy of Ecuador in USA, Canada, Australia & UK contact information & links to websites). The 6-month visa is now called a “Commercial Act Visa” and costs $230 USD. There is a $30 application fee and a one time $40 fee for the proof of income letter they write (in Spanish). The proof of income letter verifies that you meet the income requirements – approximately $600 USD per month, subject to change.
You must have a 6-month visa (or “Commercial Act Visa”) to apply for an Ecuador Residency Visa.
You do not need to become a resident in order to purchase property in Ecuador. More information and how to buy real estate is located here: Living in Ecuador – Purchasing Real Estate.
If you purchase a property for $25,000 USD or more you are considered an investor in the country and will automatically be granted a Residency Visa after completing the required paperwork.
For more information on living in Ecuador – click here to get your FREE online Living in Ecuador Guide.
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Hello,
My wife and I are looking at living in Ecuador for about 3 years but i’m confused about the visa. If we get a tourist visa for 180 days then leave the country can we only get an extension for 90 Days? We don’t want to buy a house either. Can you explain how we can stay for the 3 years?
Thank you for your time and effort,
Michael and Aimee Dawson (Australia)
Hi Michael and Aimee, sounds like an exciting adventure! Basically you can only stay for 6 months in Ecuador without a Residency Visa – or other visa like a Student Visa, Volunteer Visa, etc. Tourist Visas are only good for six monnths. And you cannot get six months when arriving, only 3 months (90 days). They make you pay for the additional 90 days for the maximum of 180 days on a Tourist Visa.
It is a pain, as the other visas take time to get, are complicated to apply for, etc. I’m sorry I don’t have more info up on others, takes time to get th articles researched, etc. There is info online for Residency Visas, Volunteer Visas, etc. just do a Google search.
Very important though is to plan ahead, make sure you apply for whatever well in advance, not close to the time your alloted six months (180 days) is expiring. Hope that helps a little, Molly
U produced some good points with ur article, “Visas & Fees for Ecuador”.
I am going to possibly be coming back again to ur page shortly.
Many thanks -Katie
Thanks much for the nice comments, and you may want to check out the eBook, just send me your email at editor (@) southamericaliving.com and I will send you a free copy. best, Molly
Thanks so much for the information, very clear and easy to understand!
Your welcome! Just sent you a copy of free eBook. best, Molly
Thanks for the information. My wife and 3 children (13, 8, 4) are planning on a 3 month visit to Ecuador. We would eventually like to stay for the maximum 6 months per year and may invest to have a residency visa… Your information is very helpful. What months do you feel are best to visit Ecuador? We are thinking about Quito as a base but plan on travelling a bit to see all there is to see… do we need a rental car? if so, any suggestions? Thanks for your help.
Glad it was helpful and that sounds fun. Quito has many nice areas, and many places to visit in the surrounding area – I recommend Jena Davison’s blog for you to browse through, she’s a travel writer/editor who used to live in Quito and wrote extensively on the country, tons of info on great trips, parks, off the beaten track places, etc.
Everyday Musings From Across the Equator: http://jenainecuador.wordpress.com/
I know there are some local rental car companies and the major ones (Hertz, Avis), more info here: http://www.southamericaliving.com/living-in-ecuador-transportation/
Timing wise so much depends on what you want to do, where you want to go, etc. better to think and research that independently online. Best, Molly
hello
if you have used up your visa and then left ecuador, for peru, is it possible to return to ecuador for a couple of days in order to trvel through to columbia (cheap busses!). and do you know howm much it might cost for a couple of days
thanks a lot joseph