Ecuador Visas, Taxes and Money for Digital Nomads

Ecuador’s nomad visa is a temporary residence visa (Residencia Temporal de Nómada Digital), for people who work remotely for employers or clients outside Ecuador or run a business registered abroad.

• Who: remote employees, freelancers and business owners of any nationality whose income comes from outside Ecuador. You can’t work for Ecuadorian employers or clients on this visa.
• Income: at least three times the Ecuadorian basic salary (SBU) a month from abroad. The SBU is set each year and is $482 in 2026, so the threshold is $1,446 a month, or $17,352 a year. You show it with bank statements for the last three months, plus a contract or client agreements.
• Length: two years of residence, renewable more than once. After 21 continuous months as a temporary resident, you can apply for permanent residence instead.
• Fees: $50 to apply plus $270 when the visa is granted.
• Family: a spouse or partner and children can be included as dependants, with about $250 a month of extra income for each.

Documents

• A passport valid for at least six months.
• A criminal record certificate from your country of nationality, or from where you have lived for the last five years, issued within 180 days, apostilled and translated into Spanish. It is needed for everyone over 18; a national-level certificate such as an FBI check is accepted for US citizens.
• A migration-record certificate, added to the requirements by a law reform in October 2025.
• Health insurance valid in Ecuador for the length of the visa, public or private. A foreign policy must state that it covers Ecuador.
• Proof of income from abroad: bank statements, employment contract or client contracts, and company documents if you own a business.
• A colour photo and proof of an address in Ecuador, such as a rental contract or booking.

Documents not in Spanish need a certified translation, and foreign public documents need an apostille.

How to Apply

Applications are made online through the Cancillería’s e-VISAS platform, either from abroad (the visa is then handled by an Ecuadorian consulate) or from inside Ecuador while you are on a tourist stay, in which case it is handled by a regional office of the ministry. You pay the $50 application fee when you submit. The ministry may ask for more documents or an interview, and once it approves the application you pay the $270 issue fee. The law gives the ministry up to 60 days to decide.

Once you have the visa, register with the Registro Civil for an Ecuadorian cédula (identity card), which you will need for a bank account, a phone contract, rental agreements and most official dealings.

Citizens of the US, Canada, the UK, the EU, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries don’t need a visa to visit. You get 90 days in a 12-month period. Before the 90 days run out, you can apply in Ecuador to extend your stay once by another 90 days, for a fee, giving up to 180 days in the 12 months. Some nationalities need a visa in advance; check the Cancillería’s list.

Many nomads apply for the nomad visa during their first 90 days, which avoids leaving the country.

Overstaying is recorded automatically when you leave. You pay a fine before you can depart, and longer overstays can lead to a ban on returning. Extend or change your status before your permitted stay ends.

• Tax residence: you become an Ecuadorian tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in Ecuador in a calendar year, or in a 12-month period across two years.
• Residents are taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates from 0% to 37%. In 2026, roughly the first $12,000 a year is taxed at 0%.
• Non-residents are taxed only on Ecuadorian-source income.
• No special regime: holding the digital nomad visa doesn’t exempt you from tax. A two-year visa doesn’t make you a tax resident by itself, but spending more than 183 days a year in Ecuador does.
• Double tax: Ecuador has tax treaties with some countries, including Canada and several EU states, but not the US.
• Currency-exit tax (ISD): Ecuador taxes money sent abroad from Ecuadorian accounts, with some exemptions, which matters if you move savings out.

This is a general guide, not tax advice. If you stay more than half the year, register with the tax authority (SRI) or get advice from an Ecuadorian accountant. Our digital nomad taxes guide explains the general principles.

Ecuador has used the US dollar as its currency since 2000. Prices, rent, salaries and ATMs are all in dollars. Ecuador mints its own centavo coins, which are the same size and value as US coins and are used alongside them. Many shops and taxis refuse $50 and $100 notes, so carry $20s and smaller.

ATMs from banks such as Banco Pichincha, Banco Guayaquil and Produbanco take foreign cards, usually with a fee of a few dollars and a limit of a few hundred dollars per withdrawal. Use ATMs inside banks or shopping centres. Cards are accepted at supermarkets, chain restaurants and better hotels, but cash is still common, especially outside the cities.

Opening a bank account normally needs a cédula, so it comes after your visa. With a local account you can pay rent by transfer and use local QR payment apps such as DeUna. Wise and similar services can send money to Ecuadorian accounts.