2025 Ecuador Retirement Visa: Complete Guide & Updates

The Ecuador Retirement (Pensioner) Visa remains one of the most popular options for expats. Here's everything that changed in 2025 and what you need to know.

2025 Income Requirements

As of January 2025, the minimum monthly income requirement is $1,380 for the primary applicant, plus $230 for each dependent.

Qualifying Income Sources:

Social Security retirement benefits
Government pensions (military, federal, state)
Private pension plans
401k/IRA distributions (if permanent)

Required Documents for 2025

Passport: Valid for at least 6 months
Background Check: FBI (USA) or equivalent, apostilled, less than 6 months old
Birth Certificate: Apostilled copy
Pension Letter: Official letter from pension provider showing monthly amount
Bank Statements: Last 6 months showing pension deposits
Marriage Certificate: If applying with spouse (apostilled)

Timeline Expectations

Based on 2024-2025 data:

Document preparation: 4-8 weeks
Application submission: 1-2 days
Initial review: 2-4 weeks
Additional documents requests: 1-3 rounds (2-6 weeks total)
Final approval: 2-4 weeks
Total average: 3-6 months

Common Pitfalls

Don't make these mistakes that cause delays:

Using 401k/IRA withdrawals that aren't permanent distributions
Not getting pension letter on official letterhead
Expired background checks
Missing spouse's documents in family applications

Cost Breakdown

Government fees: ~$450
Background checks: $50-100
Apostilles: $50-150
Translations: $200-400
Lawyer (if used): $2,000-5,000
DIY total: $750-1,100
With lawyer: $2,750-5,550