After Receiving Your Visa
Visa term
Your pensioner visa is valid for 24 months. This means that after obtaining this visa you have the right to stay in Ecuador for 24 months.
Cédula
After having received your visa, you can apply for a cédula (Ecuadorian identity card). Applying for a cédula is not obligatory.
Being outside the country
There is no time limit on how long you can be outside of Ecuador. You can enter and leave Ecuador as many times as you want. An exception is when you want to convert your visa into a permanent resident visa. In that case you cannot be outside of Ecuador for more than 90 days during the total duration of your visa. In that case, for example, you can make five 14-days trips to another country (70 days in total), but you cannot make seven 14-days trips (98 days in total).
Options before the expiration of your visa
Your visa will expirate after two years. Before the expiration of your visa you have the following options if you want to stay to in Ecuador after the expiration of your visa.
- Visa renewal: you can apply for a renewal of this visa before the expiration of your visa. With the visa renewal, you can stay in Ecuador for another two years.
- Permanent resident visa: if you have stayed in Ecuador for 21 continuous months on your pensioner visa, you can apply for a conversion of your (temporary) digital nomad visa into a permanent resident visa. You must do this before the expiration of your visa.
- Visa of a different type: you can also apply for a visa of different type. For example an investor visa instead of a pensioner visa. You have to do this before the expiration of your visa if you don't want to leave the country.
Overstaying your pensioner visa
If you don't choose for one of the options above, you will have to leave Ecuador before the expiration of your visa. You will receive a fine if you overstay your visa.