Update On Permanent Residency In Ecuador

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In a previous post, I mentioned that the permanent residency process in Ecuador was going through some changes.

I was talking with someone who works at an Ecuadorian Embassy the other day.  Here is what I’ve found about the changes to the permanent residency requirements.

As always, double-check everything with a good residency assistant or lawyer.  They should be assisting people in the process right now, and can tell you exactly what the current information is.

Police background check is required

If you’re going to apply for residency in Ecuador, you’ll need to submit a police background check.

The background check needs to be from the country where you were resident for the last five years.

Investor’s visa may require additional paperwork

If you want to use the Investor Visa to qualify for residency in Ecuador, some additional business paperwork may be required.

The government wants to know that your company has all its permits, and has been paying the required taxes.

Citizenship through marriage is more difficult

If you marry an Ecuadorian citizen, you can get citizenship there relatively quickly.

However, there were many people taking advantage of this, with “marriages of convenience” – especially Cubans.  As most governments do, when they find a loophole that people are exploiting, they try to close it.

If you’re a foreigner, without legal residency in Ecuador, you need to have been in the country for at least 75 days before you can marry an Ecuadorian citizen.  I’ve heard rumors that may be increased to one year.

If you have a child with an Ecuadorian citizen, there is no minimum time in-country required.

Apply for your residency quickly and legally

There was a news report of lawyers who were assisting people with acquiring Ecuadorian residency and citizenship, using forged documents.  At least 170 identity documents have been revoked, due to alleged fraud.

This is a sign that you need to do your residency application completely legally.

This should also be a sign that you need to act quickly, wherever you apply for residency.  More people will be looking to get out of their home countries, and many governments will want to control the number of new immigrants.  So the process will most likely become more difficult, have tougher requirements, and take longer.