Visa & Legal

Cuenca-based EcuaPass is highlighting a recent retirement visa approval handled from the first inquiry through the final visa PDF and cedula order. The application was submitted April 15 and Ecuador issued the visa PDF and cedula order June 9, about 55 days after submission.

Cuenca visa agency EcuaPass is sounding the alarm for expats approaching permanent residency. Ministry reply times have stretched, document demands have grown, and a denial can reset the residency clock. Here's a real client case — and what it took to get the file approved.

A health insurance certificate from your Ecuadorian insurer is no longer sufficient for the residency visa categories that require insurance — immigration now wants the policy registered in a central government database, and the registration takes roughly a month. Not every category is affected (the professional visa, for example, doesn't require health insurance at all). Here's what's happening and what to do if you're in the middle of an affected application.

A Filipino diver living in Malaysia had her tourist visa denied, then watched the clock tick toward her non-refundable $14,000 Galápagos liveaboard departure date. Here's how she got approved with 24 hours left.

An American working remotely from overseas had been paying full federal and state taxes for four years. One consultation revealed he qualified for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. The amended returns are recovering over $25,000.

A couple called me this morning who hired a visa service in Cuenca for their investor visa. After 8 months of work his application was denied — and now on day 180 of a tourist visa, they may have to leave the country. I decided to record the conversation.

Everything expats need to know about IESS (Ecuador's public health insurance) in 2026 — enrollment, costs, what's covered, appointment wait times, and whether it's worth it vs. private insurance.

Everything you need to know about moving to Cuenca, Ecuador as an expat — visas, cost of living, neighborhoods, healthcare, banking, safety, and the honest pros and cons from someone who did it.

Opening a bank account in Ecuador isn't hard — but the requirements vary wildly between banks. Here's what Banco Pichincha, Banco del Austro, JEP, and other institutions actually ask for, and which ones are easiest for expats.