Rentista Residence in Ecuador in 2026

Ecuador's ordinary temporary rentista residence is for foreign nationals who intend to establish themselves in Ecuador and can document qualifying lawful personal income.

Income test

The official procedure requires documents evidencing personal lawful rent-type income, such as rental contracts, investment instruments or similar sources, at 3 SBU or more per month. With the 2026 SBU at USD 482, the current arithmetic reference is USD 1,446 per month. Because the rule is expressed in SBU, applicants should recalculate for the filing year.

The procedure also requires health insurance for the visa period. For a sponsored dependant, it states an additional USD 250 of monthly income per dependant.

Distinguish rentista from the nomad visa

This ordinary rentista category is not the same as Ecuador's Remote-Worker / Digital Nomad Residence, which is expressly designed for remote work tied to foreign-domiciled employers, clients or a foreign company. A founder relying on dividends or investment/rental income should not assume that rentista status itself proves authorization for a separate local professional activity.

The official page states two years of temporary residence.

See the Ecuador immigration hub, methodology and legal disclaimer.

Official sources: Gob.ec — Rentista residence; Ministerio del Trabajo — 2026 SBU.

Official and supporting sources

Related routes in Ecuador