Ecuador: Temporary Residence Visa for Digital Nomads Available

• Description of visa. The visa allows foreign nationals who own a company or work for or provide services to a company or person outside Ecuador to reside in and work digitally from Ecuador, without local employer sponsorship. 
• Eligibility. The visa is available to nationals of 182 countries/territories as determined by the Ministry of Tourism.
• Duration. The visa can be granted for up to two years, renewable in two-year increments.
• Economic activity abroad. Foreign nationals must be able to provide documentation that demonstrates they work for or provide services to an employer, client or company domiciled outside Ecuador. For those with an employment contract, the contract must expressly state they can work remotely.   
• Sufficient funds. Applicant must earn a sufficient minimum income according to government regulations. 
• Other requirements. Applicants must hold private medical insurance valid in Ecuador for their entire period of stay; and have a clean criminal record.
• Process. Applicants submit their application online through the Virtual Consulate website and complete either a virtual or an in-person interview, depending on the consulate. Upon approval and visa payment (approximately USD 450), applicants receive an electronic visa. It can take the government approximately five business days to process visa applications, depending on their workload.
• Original documents. Depending on the consulate, visa holders may need to send the original application documents by regular mail to the corresponding consulate within one month from the date of issuance of the visa. Failure to comply may result in the automatic annulment of the visa.
• Dependents. Family members can apply for a dependent visa (visa de amparo) after the principal applicant obtains their digital nomad visa. The principal visa holder must demonstrate additional monthly income of at least USD 250 per each dependent.

• Working remotely. The visa offers foreign nationals an option to work remotely from Ecuador, whereas most visa options in Ecuador either require company sponsorship or are nationality-based.
• Local work restricted. Visa holders cannot perform local work in Ecuador.

• Continuing trend for economic recovery. Due to the unprecedented flexibility in work location that has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work immigration programs continue to be favored by the Latin American government as a mechanism to attract visitors and increase economic activity. There are at least 16 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that offer visas for remote workers.
• Remote work visa warning. In countries where remote work is unregulated, workers and employers may unknowingly put themselves at risk of noncompliance with many aspects of the law, exposing them to possible fines or other penalties, depending on the country. Importantly, noncompliance with regulations could result in employers losing their rights to hire foreign labor. Additionally, this type of work arrangement may have employment or tax law impacts. It will become increasingly important as such policies are developed (and in many countries where remote work is unregulated) for employers to analyze strategies and assess risks associated with implementing and/or continuing remote work policies with a trusted immigration partner.

As countries in the region continue to focus on post-COVID-19 economic remobilization, governments will likely continue to update, extend or create more remote work or other policies to attract foreign nationals. Fragomen will report on related developments.