If you apply in Ecuador, if you apply outside of Ecuador you must receive it outside Ecuador. Please note there are different requirements the fee tends to be around $230 dollars for this service.

If you decide to apply from Ecuador an additional prerequisite that you have at least 30 days remaining on your visa, we ask for 45 just we can be certain that we have time for your documents to be in order, translated and notarized.  In the event that you do not have 30 days left you are required to apply for a 12-IX visa or 12-VI visa, the 12-VI is given in  Manta it costs $60 and it extends your stay for 60 days, in time to meet the requirement, or you can obtain a 12-IX that costs $230.

 There are 6 types of Residential Visas you may be interested in or qualifed to obtain:
9-I: Pensioner Visa
This visa is intended for retired persons who receive pensions from their native countries (pension from a stable source, at least $800 per month).
 
9-II: Investor of Real Estate or Securities Visa
This is for real estate and securities investors who are investing at least $25,000 or a Certificate of deposit in a Ecuadorian Bank for $25.000
9-III: Industrial Investor Visa
For investors in industry or investors who wish to export agricultural products, livestock, or minerals, provided they bring capital the equivalent of at least $30,000.
9-IV: Legal Representative, Work Visa, or Religious Visa
Intended for foreign local agents who possess unlimited power of attorney to represent a company in Ecuador, provided that 80% of the company’s local personnel are Ecuadorian. Also technicians or technical experts under indefinite work contract with a company established in Ecuador, and members of religious organizations. (An indefinite work contract is one that does not have a specified term.)
9-V: Professional Visa
For professionals with university degrees recognized by a national university who wish to practice their profession in Ecuador. Should the applicant’s profession not exist in Ecuador, the degree must be locally certified. The applicant must also fulfill the Ecuadorian requirements for such practice, such as bar exams, etc.
9-VI: Economic Dependence Visa
This is for individuals economically dependent on a spouse or a blood-related family member with an approved immigration visa

All visas require a police record which can either be legalized in the country of the applicant's origin, in addition we ask that you do not use internet based police record searches as they tend to be consider invalid by the Department of Foreign affairs. Please obtain this from your local or state police precint, remember no fingerprinting is required simply a minimum 5 year report (the longer the better). And don't worry about very old criminal records, Ecuador forgives wild youths.

Requirements for a 9 1 visa are a minimum of 800 a month and an additional 100 per family member or dependent. To qualify for a dependent you either have to be married to, have a civil union with or be a child of the primary applicant.

If you are applying as someone’s child (or are applying withyour child) you will need a birth certificate. Which needs to be legalized or apostilled.

For an application involving a married couple you will need a marriage license that is either legalized by an Ecuadorian consulate or apostilled by the state or country where it was celebrated. ******Note in some cases marriages older than 10 years cannot be legalized without being apostilled, in these cases the simple Apostille will suffice*****

An income letter must be legalized by an Ecuadorian consulate from country of origin. The income can be in the form of social security administration or any other type of pension.

For a 9 II Investor's visa you will need  a $25,000 investment in the form of a CD or purchase of property, we usually recommends a CD so you are not rushed into buying property right away, but what I´ve realized is that they need to have purchased the property in order to transfer the cd, one has to be opened in order for the other to be closed. For a dependent it has to be an additional $500 investment.

Please note for either of these visas if you wish to have your partner (boyfriend, girlfriend) be your dependent then you will need a "union de hecho", which sort of works like a civil union, we facilitate this.

9 VI visas are for dependents of applicants of other types of visas.

You will also need:

- 2 passport photos

-  simple copy of the passport

- marriage certificate legalize or apostille

- 5 year (minimum) police report

Both work like a notarization but while a notary is obtained from a Public Notary an Apostille is certified from your local government. While a legalization is certified by the consulate of Ecuador. Either process allows for the forms to be recognized as legal documents in Ecuador and certifies that they are not forged or falsified in any way.

A document can be Apostilled through your local governemnt agency and legalized through the nearest Ecuadorian Consulate.

If you are an American we have a contact at the Ecuadorian Consulate in Washington D.C. named Marco Farfan, his phone number is 2022347200, you can send him your social security income letter, and you may also send him your police reports and/or marriage certificate by courier and he can legalize it for you. He will then forward it directly to my office in Quito.

Of course we can! We include it in our fee.

We know and have done business many reliable services who we've come to depend on and trust as honest and trustworthy partners. Simply ask us for a referral!

Your required documents undergo two phases. The first must be done from the document’s country of origin, this is where your documents are either legalized or apostilled this certifies that your documents are valid and not falsified.

The second phase which is covered by Dr. Espinosa’s honorary fee, this is the translation, and subsequent notarization of the required documents. 

Dr. Espinosa’s honorary fee includes her representation, and the twelve percent tax as well as the translation fees and notary fees. The process of getting a visa is typically fraught with difficulties and the quick pace changes and intricacies of navigating the beaurocracy in Ecuador.

Until your visa gets a response from the Department of Foreign you are allowed to hang out in Ecuador. No applicant is at fault for the government office's delays or mishandlings of applications.