Guayaquil, Ecuador

An Ecuador visa will be issued on arrival for citizens of the United States, Canada, and much of Europe. This tourist visa is typically valid for 90 days. Check the stamp to make sure you know how many days they gave you.

You can extend your 90-day stay one time, for an added 90 days. But, if you want to stay longer than 180 days as a tourist, you need to get a special tourist visa at the consulate. Get this in advance of your trip, it’s valid for up to one year. You can apply for this type of visa once every five years.

Now, if you’re interested in retiring in Ecuador, you’ll need to get a residency visa.

The Ecuadorian residency process follows two steps. Firstly, you need to hold a temporary resident visa. Once you have this you can apply for a permanent residency visa.

You need to apply for the residency visa in Ecuador, not in your home country. Head over to your local immigration office, and make sure you bring someone who is fluent in Spanish along with you if you’re not fluent yourself.

Documents such as police check certificates need to be authenticated. Depending on the country of origin, you’ll use either the apostille process or consular legalization.

Any document that is not in Spanish must be translated into Spanish. The translator must certify the translation as correct, and their signature must be verified by a notary.

For more information on visas and residency options for Guayaquil, Ecuador, contact an immigration attorney who speaks both English and Spanish fluently to help you out.