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Profesional Visa

Temporary residence for professionals holding a recognized degree.

What It Is

The Profesional visa is a temporary residence visa for foreign nationals who hold a university degree (bachelor's or higher) in any field and want to reside in Ecuador. It is one of the most straightforward and commonly approved temporary residence categories.

Once approved, the visa grants residence for up to two years, renewable. After meeting the time requirements, it can be converted to permanent residence.

Requirements

Education

A university degree (bachelor's, master's, PhD) from a recognized institution. The degree must be apostilled (if issued in a Hague Convention country) and translated into Spanish by a certified translator.

The degree can be in any field — computer science, business, marketing, engineering, liberal arts, etc. The Ministry does not restrict which degrees qualify.

Income

You must demonstrate a monthly income of at least three Salarios Básicos Unificados (SBU). As of 2026, the SBU is approximately $482 per month, so the requirement is about $1,446 per month.

Income can be proven through:

Bank statements showing the required amount over the last three months
Employment contracts or pay stubs from a foreign employer
If contracting with an Ecuadorian company, you may need to partner with a local immigration lawyer to determine the best approach

Criminal background checks

FBI criminal record check (for US applicants) — must be apostilled
State criminal record check from your state of residence — also apostilled
If you have lived in other countries in the last five years, you will need a background check from each country

All background checks must be translated into Spanish by a certified translator and apostilled.

Costs

Application fee: $50 USD
Visa issuance fee: $270 USD
Senior discount (65+): 50% off
Disability discount (30%+): 100% off

How to Apply

Register at the eVISA portal and verify your email.
Select Visas → Nuevo Trámite → Visas Ordinarias y diplomáticas → Nueva Visa.
Identify yourself as Titular/Beneficiario.
Choose Residente Temporal as the migratory category.
Select Residencia Temporal-Profesional as the visa type.
Complete the application form and upload all documents.
Pay the fees before 23:55 Ecuador time the same day.

See the eVISA Portal Guide for a full walkthrough of each step with screenshots.

Tips

Get your degree apostilled and translated before starting the application. This is the most common delay.
Bank statements should be recent — within the last three months. They do not need to be from an Ecuadorian bank; foreign bank statements are accepted.
If your degree is from a non-Spanish-speaking country, the certified translation must be done by a translator licensed by Ecuador's judiciary. See certified translations for details.
The $482/month income requirement applies to the primary applicant. Dependents require additional proof of income.

Getting a Degree Quickly to Qualify

The Profesional visa only requires a university degree in any field — bachelor's or higher — plus three months of bank statements showing ~$482/month and clean FBI and state background checks. This means you do not need to already have a degree to pursue this visa path. You can earn one in under six months.

Western Governors University (WGU) offers competency-based programs in business, marketing, IT, and other fields. Because WGU charges a flat fee per six-month term (roughly $3,000–$4,000 with US financial aid available) and lets you accelerate by passing assessments as quickly as you can demonstrate mastery, it is possible to complete a degree in a single term. Computer science took 63 days with significant pre-study, but an easier program like business or marketing can be knocked out even faster.

This is a practical path if you do not yet have a degree and want to qualify for Ecuador residency through the Profesional visa category.