If you are looking to expand your business into Latin America and considering the Ecuadorian market as a potential destination, you will need to understand Ecuador investment visa requirements. In Ecuador, the visa that most investors acquire in order to visit and do business in the country is called a temporary residency investor visa, which for simplicity will be referred to as an investment visa.
Such a visa is granted to foreign nationals who intend to invest in Ecuador, be that through the purchase of real estate or via productive and commercial activities, and such a visa can be acquired by an individual investor, their legal representatives, or an administrator being sent to act on behalf of a company.The Ecuador investment visa requirements are not overly complex, but it helps to have local support.
Below, details are provided regarding Ecuador investment visa requirements, while some insight is given into what makes the market such an enticing destination for investment, including those who want to set up a company in Ecuador. If you would like to know more about how we can assist you in getting a visa and doing business in Latin America and the Caribbean, contact us now.
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Why invest in Ecuador?
Ecuador has witnessed considerable growth since the turn of the century, only seeing gross domestic product (GDP) decline during two years between 2000 and 2020, including the final year of that period due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bordered by Colombia and Peru — two of the most popular investment destinations in the region — Ecuador is a member of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) alongside its two neighbours and Bolivia.
While CAN was established more than 50 years ago, it has recently been implementing a series of measures to deepen integration between members that are beneficial to businesses within the bloc.
Since electing business-friendly President Guillermo Lasso in April 2021, Ecuador is also making significant efforts to join the Pacific Alliance — an economic association that includes Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, and which recently accepted Singapore as an associate member as part of its efforts to expand beyond the region.
Among other aspects that make Ecuador attractive for doing business is the fact that, despite the country’s modest size, in Guayaquil it has one of the biggest ports in Latin America and the Caribbean by container throughput, contributing to the country’s status as a significant hub for trade.
Investors based in the United States or who do a lot of business in US dollars also benefit from the fact that Ecuador is one of three dollarized economies in Latin America — offering a greater measure of stability than in other markets.
The country is also home to a growing tech industry, and the innovation sector is among a range of significant and untapped business opportunities, for which you will need to meet Ecuador investment visa requirements if you wish to take advantage of them.
Ecuador investment visa requirements: eligible investments
Among the Ecuador investment visa requirements you will have to meet are minimum investment requirements. As such, you will need to be able to present at least one of the following pieces of evidence:
- A title, policy or certificate of deposit with a minimum term of seven hundred and thirty days, issued by a credit institution recognized by the banking authorities of Ecuador of a minimum amount USD$40,000.
- A deed of ownership of a property with a minimum value of USD$80,000 that is located in Ecuador and is registered in any Property Registry within the country.
- Shares in an Ecuadorian company, with a minimum value of USD$10,000.
- Copy of public deed of an investment contract signed with the Ecuadorian State, and which is in force.
- Copy of a delegated management deed signed with entities of the central or decentralized autonomous governments, and which is in force.
Ecuador investment visa requirements: other considerations
As well as demonstrating that you have met the minimum investment related to your commercial activity, you will also need to present a range of documentation in order to meet Ecuador investment visa requirements:
- Valid passport
If your passport is due to expire during the two-year period for which your Ecuador investment visa will be valid, it would be advisable to renew it. - Background checks
You will need to provide background checks from the relevant government agency where you are based, as well as from any countries where you have resided in recent years. This check must be less than six months old when processing your application. - Visa fees
Your investor’s visa will come with a non-refundable administrative charge (approximately $50) as well as a larger fee (around USD$400) for the visa once it is approved.
FAQs on Ecuador investment visa requirements
According to our experience, these are the most common questions we receive.
There are 32 types of visa in Ecuador, although this is really many subclasses of three basic types:
Non-resident visas
Temporary resident visas (the investor visa is a subclass of this)
Permanent resident visas
In Ecuador, the visa that most investors acquire in order to visit and do business in the country is called a temporary residency investor visa, which for simplicity will be referred to as an investment visa.
The usual documents needed are any of the following:
A title, policy or certificate of deposit with a minimum term of seven hundred and thirty days, issued by a credit institution recognized by the banking authorities of Ecuador of a minimum amount USD$40,000.
A deed of ownership of a property with a minimum value of USD$80,000 that is located in Ecuador and is registered in any Property Registry within the country.
Shares in an Ecuadorian company, with a minimum value of USD$10,000.
Copy of public deed of an investment contract signed with the Ecuadorian State, and which is in force.
Copy of a delegated management deed signed with entities of the central or decentralized autonomous governments, and which is in force.
The company must be duly incorporated in Ecuador and fully compliant with all local laws.
No, there are no restrictions on investment in property in Ecuador and foreigners have the same rights as Ecuadorian nationals.
All documents must be provided depending on the type of visa, i.e. there are types of visas that require all the documents of the foreign applicant duly authenticated and apostilled from the country of origin.
Biz Latin Hub can help with Ecuador investment visa requirements
At Biz Latin Hub, we provide tailored packages of integrated back-office services and have the personnel and expertise to assist you entering and doing business in the Ecuadorian market, including meeting Ecuador investment visa requirements.
Our portfolio of services includes accounting & taxation, company formation, due diligence, legal services, and visa processing, among others, and we have teams in place in 16 markets around Latin America and the Caribbean, including Ecuador.
Contact us today to find out more about how we can assist you.
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