Getting An Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa
How To Get An Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa In 2025!
I just spent around 7 months getting a Ecuador digital nomad visa. Was it easy? Overall, I would say not really, but with my experience and tips it can be a less complicated process for you. Make sure to read this entire blog, take some notes, and it will be a breezy and less time consuming.
If you could acquire this visa in three months instead of seven, you will be laughing 😂. Follow along, and I will show you how to get this done.
Getting A Digital Nomad Visa Is Not As Easy As You May Think!
Here is a little bit of a backstory, I visited Quito for about 5 or 6 days in June of 2023 and after visiting Parque Carolina, Citudad Del Mundo, Teleferico, and other amazing sights I decided I would move there. I made a promise to myself that I would be back in exactly one year.
In May of 2024 I returned back to Quito, rented an apartment, and was getting ready to spend the next two years living life and exploring. But of course that is not what happened.
The entire visa process was much more complex than I anticipated, and I could not complete it within 60 days. After finding this out, I tried to get an extension with the immigration office but I had to leave before 90 days expired.
Who Can Apply For An Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa?
Anyone can apply for a digital nomad visa and it is good for 2 years. But, if you want to expierence the country beforehand there are about 40 countries which require a tourist visa to visit.
Some of these countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, and Vietnam.
The Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa Process
Here is a complete breakdown and the steps that I had to go through to get my digital nomad visa. I applied as a Canadian and the process may be similar for other nations, but be sure to do your own research!
Skipping this step and being naive is what got me in trouble the first time. Research thoroughly and it should only take you one try 😃.
Research
This is probably the most important step of the entire process! Don’t mess this up like I did.
If I had would of done better due diligence, I would have known that the rules and procedures had recently changed. This may have helped me out and I could have started the visa process sooner but I was delayed over one month.
This article from Visaguide.world has some pretty solid information on the application process.
Other helpful link(s):
https://visa-to-travel.com/news/ecuador-digital-nomad-visa
Choosing The Best Visa Agency
For me choosing a visa agency was the best option for me. There is a good amount of paperwork to navigate and part of it is in Spanish, which is not my first language so it made sense for me to get extra help. I did not want to take the chance on translating it or running it through Google.
During this 7 month process I worked with two different visa agencies, and one was much better than the next. I am not going to mention the name of the first company I worked with but they made some silly mistakes that should have been caught right away. These errors easily added months to the timeline.
The second agency I will gladly share, and the name is PM Visa & Translations. Possibly some of the best customer service I have ever experienced anywhere in the world, and the owner helped me out in every way possibly and it was too easy to contact through text or email when I had questions.
✅ Visa Tip #1: Besides just using Google to look for a visa agency, try looking through Facebook groups. There is a ton of information and people there are happy to help you out! Keep an eye out for travel & expat groups.
Collecting Your Paperwork & Getting Organized
Fingerprints & Police Background Check
I was still in Ecuador when I started the visa process, and I was able to get my fingerprints taken there. I went to a police station and the entire process took about 1.5 hours, there was a bit of waiting around and you need to give four different sets of prints.
Next, I went to a notary to get my fingerprints notarized before they were sent to the visa agency. From here, the agency sent the documents to a background check company in Canada called Reliability Screening Solutions Inc (RSSI). RSSI handled my background check with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and they also signed off on my fingerprints.
Sending the fingerprints away, the entire background check process, and sending them back to the visa agency took about 1.5 months total for me.
✅ Visa Tip #2: If you are living outside of your own country and have been there for more than 6 months, you will also need to get a background check. Additionally, these documents will need to be notarized and apostilled by the government. This will also be another set of fees you must pay.
Health Insurance
Getting health insurance is mandatory before you can apply for your digital nomad visa. There are many insurance companies and policies which you can choose from but the company I went with is called Sweaden.
The policy I got is good for $10,000 worth of coverage and it costs approximately $55.00 per month.
Other Insurance Companies:
- Best Doctors
- BMI Insurance
- Confiamed
- Medicompanies
✅ Visa Tip #3 Choose the insurance option which is best for you. I opted for a lower policy because I am in my early 30’s and pretty healthy. I have also experienced the healthcare system in Ecuador and it was very affordable & fantastic.
Notarized & Apostilled Documents
Digital Nomad Visa Fees
You are probably wondering how much the entire digital nomad visa process costs?
| Item | Cost ($) CAD |
|---|---|
| Visa Agency (Lawyer) | 2,158.17 |
| RCMP Background Check | 516.60 |
| Foreign Background Check | 200.00 |
| Business Registration | 100.0 |
| Digital Photos (Passport Size) | 70.00 |
| Express Document Shipping (Guesstimate) | 463.00 |
| Total: | |
Staying Sane Through The Entire Process 🤯💥
Keep A Positive Mindset
Realize That It May Take Longer Than Expected
For some reason had envisioned that this entire visa process was going to be quick and easy, but I was completely wrong.
I thought one month or maybe two at most, and I would be right back to Quito. Nope, it took 7 months.
Final Thoughts On Getting An Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa
If you actually want to pursue this visa, it is totally obtainable but you just need to be highly organized and patient.
Things during this process are not always going to go according to plan but they will eventually get sorted out. Once that is all done, you can focus on working remotely.