Which Ecuador residency visa option is best for you?

My brother is married to a Thai woman.  

Even still, when they go to live over there for part of the year, he still has to do "border runs" every month or so.  Even for him, residency is complicated!

Other countries, like the Philippines, or Colombia don´t force you to leave the country but every month or so you have to keep paying and paying to renew your tourist visa.  

Ecuador is not like that.  

Ecuador is one of THE EASIEST countries in the world to get residency, no doubt about it.  And after three years of legal residency you could apply and get a South American second passport which opens up the whole continent to you making it much easier for you to live in Colombia, Peru, Brazil or any of the other countries down here.  
 

But which visa is the LEAST hassle for you?  
Got a pension or disability income of at least $800 a month?  Or $900 if you want to bring a spouse?  Go for the 9-1 Rentista (Pensioners) visa.  This is the most hassle-free visa there is if you qualify.

Don´t have a pension or steady income for life you can prove?  

You could go for the 9-II Investors visa by investing at least $25,000 USD in a real property or a CD in a bank in Ecuador.  A mere pittance compared to the $500,000 USD the USA requires as investment to gain residency there.  Even other latin countries like Panama and Costa Rica require a much larger investment.  
 
But what if you don´t have or don´t want to put $25,000 down?

No problem, go for the visa I´m on, and the one that opens Ecuador wide open to young people with no pensions… the 9-V Profesional visa.  All you need is a four year degree from a university on their long list of accredited universities.  Then you need to get that degree vaidated by the Ecuadoran Institute of Higher Education, the SENESCYT, and apply, that´s it, you´re in!  And if your university is not on the list, no problem, you can still apply, but you just have to do an extra step to get your university put on the list.  No other country I know of has this visa option for literally ANY career type!  
 

What if you have no degree?  
 
I didn´t know this until I talked to an expert on the subject while preparing my Guide to Ecuador Residency due to be released in about a week, but you could also apply for the 9-III Investor in a personal business visa.  For this visa, you have to show investment in a business located in Ecuador in the "exporting, or industry or agriculture fields".  

​You place a value on all the inventory in the business equalling at least $30,000 USD.  Like my "$3000" lap top I´m writing on now.  Oh yea, and my "$20,000" car. This could include your home office.  A bit more complicated, sure, but it´s covered in my guide and the experts recommended therein could help you see it through.  Tough to do this one on your own but It´s an option if you don´t qualify for any of the other above visas.

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Journeyman Jack Ecuador

Proudly serving Ecuador Expats since 2008, My Services, web links, contact info tel. #'s - US, CAN & EC. are all below: Thank You, Jack Abercrombie, Cumbaya, Quito- ECUADOR S.A. [email protected] [email protected] #StrategicRelocationEcuador "May your strategy be as dark as night and as swift as a boulder rolling down a mountain." ~ Sun Tzu "I'd rather prep 10 years too early than 10 minutes too late." Strategic Relocation Ecuador: http://JourneymanJack.com/ Ecuador Real Estate: http://EcuadorRealEstate.org Call Toll free from U.S. & Canada: Mnts: 770-828-7913, & Coast: 770-988-4492, EC. Off: 02-380-4088, Ec. Cel Claro: 098-828-8953, WhatsApp, Zello, Telegram, Viber, Signal, WIRE, Element, Sessions: +593-98-828-8953, For Virtual Real Estate Tours, PreTrip Planning Video Conference via Zoom, jitsi, "skype" user name: "Jack.Abercrombie"- https://join.skype.com/invite/B4plcVLSCGWk Someone once said that Ecuador is a country that is: •EASY to love- •HARD to understand- •Impossible to forget- 'All the Very Best on Your Endeavors in Ecuador-