Ecuador Corporate Visa 2026: Employer-Sponsored Residency - Requirements and Process

Ecuador's work visa under dependent employment - the Visa de Residencia Temporal de Trabajo por Actividades Laborales bajo Relacion de Dependencia - is how companies legally bring foreign employees into the country. It grants two-year temporary residency tied to an Ecuadorian employer, and it is the foundation of every corporate relocation we handle.

This post covers the legal basis, what the company needs, what the employee needs, government fees, the step-by-step process, and the compliance obligations that come after approval.

Legal Basis

Ecuador's immigration framework sits on two pillars:

Ley Organica de Movilidad Humana (LOMH) - Ecuador's organic law on human mobility, published in the Official Gazette on February 6, 2017, and most recently reformed in October 2025.

Reglamento a la Ley Organica de Movilidad Humana - The implementing regulation, updated in 2023, which details the procedural requirements for each visa category.

The corporate work visa falls under Article 60, Numeral 1 of the LOMH. This article establishes temporary residency as a two-year migratory condition for foreign persons entering specific categories. Numeral 1 - the work category - covers persons entering Ecuador to conduct labor activities under a dependent employment relationship (relacion de dependencia) in the public or private sector.

Article 61 of the LOMH sets the general requirements for all temporary residency categories. The Reglamento's Article 62 and subsequent articles detail the specific documentation and procedural rules for each visa type.

The October 2025 LOMH reform did not eliminate or restructure the work visa category, but it did tighten rules around absences and permanent residency eligibility that affect long-term planning for corporate transferees.

Who Qualifies as a Sponsoring Entity

Any legally constituted entity operating in Ecuador can sponsor foreign employees. This includes:

• Ecuadorian companies - Incorporated under Ecuadorian law and registered with the Superintendencia de Companias
• Branch offices of foreign companies - Registered to operate in Ecuador
• Subsidiaries of multinational corporations - Separately incorporated Ecuadorian entities owned by foreign parent companies
• NGOs and international organizations - Operating under a sede agreement with Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (these may use the Convenio visa category instead)
• Government institutions - Hiring foreign technical or professional staff
• International schools and universities - Bringing in foreign faculty and administrators

The entity must have an active RUC (Registro Unico de Contribuyentes) with the SRI (tax authority) and be current on all regulatory obligations. Sole proprietors and informal businesses cannot sponsor work visas.

Employer Requirements

Before sponsoring a single employee, the company must demonstrate it is in good standing with three government bodies. The employer must provide:

1. Certificate of no debt to IESS - Issued by the Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social, confirming the company has no outstanding social security obligations
2. Certificate of no debt to SRI - Confirming the company is current on all tax filings and payments
3. Certificate of good standing from Superintendencia de Companias - Confirming the company is properly registered, has filed its annual reports, and has no regulatory sanctions

Additionally, the company must provide:

• Legal representative's appointment - The nombramiento of the President or General Manager, registered with the Mercantile Register (Registro Mercantil)
• Company RUC - Active and current
• Written sponsorship request - A formal letter signed by the legal representative, addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility (MREMH), requesting the visa on behalf of the employee

If the company was recently incorporated, it should also have its constitution deed (escritura de constitucion) and registration documents available.

Employee Requirements

The foreign employee must meet the general requirements under Article 61 of the LOMH:

• Valid passport - With at least six months validity remaining from the date of the most recent entry into Ecuador
• Criminal background check - From the country of origin or last country of residence, valid for 180 days from issuance to the date of last registered entry into Ecuador
• Employment contract - Signed by both parties, compliant with Ecuador's Codigo del Trabajo
• IESS enrollment document - The aviso de entrada proving the employee has been registered with IESS
• Proof of means of livelihood - For the work visa, the employment contract and IESS enrollment serve as the primary evidence of lawful income

The employee does not need to prove independent income or savings. The employment relationship itself is the means of livelihood.

Document Checklist

Company Documents

Employee Documents

All foreign documents must be apostilled in the country of origin. Documents not in Spanish must be translated by a certified translator in Ecuador.

Government Fees

Government visa fees for 2026 have not changed from prior years:

These are government fees only. They do not include legal representation, document apostilles, certified translations, or notarization costs.

For a company relocating 10 employees, the government fees alone are $4,500 - before dependents.

Step-by-Step Process

1. Company Preparation

Before filing any visa application, ensure the company's three compliance certificates (IESS, SRI, Superintendencia) are current. If any are expired or show outstanding obligations, resolve those first. This step alone can delay a corporate relocation by weeks if not handled proactively.

2. Employment Contract and IESS Registration

Draft and sign an employment contract compliant with Ecuador's Codigo del Trabajo. Then register the employee with IESS by filing the aviso de entrada. This must happen within the first 15 days of employment. Missing this deadline triggers penalties.

3. Document Collection and Authentication

Gather the employee's passport, criminal background check, and any other required documents. All foreign documents must be apostilled in the issuing country. Non-Spanish documents need certified translation in Ecuador.

4. Online Application via eVisas Portal

Ecuador's eVisas portal handles the initial application. Create an account, select the work visa category (Residencia Temporal - Trabajo bajo Relacion de Dependencia), upload all scanned documents, and pay the $50 application fee online via credit or debit card (Visa or Mastercard).

5. Review and Processing

The MREMH reviews the application. Processing times vary, but the typical range is 2 to 8 weeks. During this period, the ministry may request additional documents or clarifications.

6. In-Person Appointment

After online approval, the applicant must attend an in-person appointment at a Cancilleria office in Ecuador for:

• Biometrics capture (fingerprints and photograph)
• Physical verification of original documents
• Payment of the $400 grant fee

7. Cedula Issuance

Once the visa is granted, the employee receives their cedula de identidad - Ecuador's national ID card. This card is essential for banking, contracts, and daily life in Ecuador. The cedula appointment is scheduled at the Registro Civil.

Timeline

The wide range reflects reality. A well-prepared application with clean company compliance can move in six weeks. A first-time company with document issues abroad can take five months.

Bulk Processing for Multiple Employees

This is where corporate immigration gets interesting - and where most firms fall short.

When a company needs to relocate 5, 10, or 50 employees, the process is not simply filing individual applications in parallel. Effective bulk processing requires:

Coordinated document collection. Every employee's home country has different apostille timelines and processes. We build a document matrix tracking each person's status across every required item.

Staggered submissions. Filing all applications simultaneously can overwhelm processing capacity at the MREMH. We batch applications strategically to maintain flow without creating bottlenecks.

Single point of contact. The company's HR department deals with one firm - us - not with 50 individual processes. We coordinate with employees directly for their personal documents while handling all company-side filings centrally.

Family coordination. Most employees bring families. Each spouse and child needs a dependent visa filed in parallel with the primary application. A relocation of 20 employees can easily involve 50-60 total visa applications.

Compliance calendar. We track every IESS enrollment deadline, contract registration requirement, and document expiration across the entire group.

Over 25 years, we have managed corporate relocations involving factory workforces, international school faculty, multinational executive teams, and NGO staff. The logistics are what separate a corporate immigration practice from a general one.

IESS and Labor Law Compliance

Getting the visa is step one. Staying compliant is the ongoing obligation.

IESS (Social Security)

Every employee on a work visa must be enrolled in IESS. This is not optional. Contributions are split:

The employer must file the aviso de entrada within 15 days of the employment start date. Late registration triggers penalties and can jeopardize the visa application or renewal.

After the employee's first year of service, the employer must also pay reserve funds (fondos de reserva) equal to 8.33% of total remuneration - either monthly to IESS or as an annual lump sum to the employee.

Mandatory Benefits Under the Codigo del Trabajo

Foreign employees on work visas receive the same rights as Ecuadorian workers. There are no exceptions. Mandatory benefits include:

• 13th salary (decimo tercer sueldo) - One additional month's salary, paid in December or prorated monthly
• 14th salary (decimo cuarto sueldo) - One SBU ($482 in 2026), paid regionally in March (Costa) or August (Sierra/Oriente)
• Profit sharing (utilidades) - 15% of company profits distributed to employees annually
• Vacation - 15 days per year after one year of service
• Severance and termination protections - Strict rules on dismissal, with mandatory severance payments

Foreign Worker Limitations

Ecuador's Codigo del Trabajo historically restricts the percentage of foreign workers a company may employ. The general rule limits foreign employees to a minority of the total workforce, with exceptions for technical or specialized roles that cannot be filled locally. Companies planning to hire a significant number of foreign workers should verify current thresholds with the Ministry of Labor, as enforcement and exceptions vary by industry and role.

Dependent Visas for Employee Families

Spouses and children under 18 can obtain dependent visas (visa de amparo) tied to the employee's work visa. Requirements include:

• Spouse - Apostilled marriage certificate, valid within 6 months of apostille date at the time of submission
• Children - Apostilled birth certificate
• Additional income - The primary visa holder must demonstrate $250/month additional income per dependent

Dependent visas are filed alongside or shortly after the primary applicant's visa. Dependents receive the same two-year residency term as the primary visa holder.

Time on a dependent visa counts toward permanent residency. After 21 months, dependents can apply for permanent status alongside the employee.

For a corporate relocation, we file all family member applications as a coordinated package to avoid processing gaps that could leave a spouse or child without legal status.

Rights and Limitations

What a Work Visa Holder Can Do

• Live and work in Ecuador for two years
• Open bank accounts and sign contracts
• Enroll children in school
• Access IESS healthcare
• Travel freely in and out of Ecuador (subject to the 90-day annual absence limit for permanent residency eligibility)
• Renew the visa once for an additional two years
• Apply for permanent residency after 21 months

Limitations

• Employer-tied - The visa is linked to the sponsoring employer. Changing employers requires a new visa application
• Two-year term - Must be renewed or converted before expiration
• Absence limits - Temporary residents who leave Ecuador for more than 90 days in a calendar year may jeopardize their path to permanent residency
• No automatic work authorization for dependents - Spouses on dependent visas must apply separately for work authorization if they wish to be employed

Path to Permanent Residency

The work visa is a stepping stone. Here is the timeline:

1. Months 1-21 - Hold temporary residency, maintain employment, stay within the 90-day annual absence limit
2. Month 21+ - Apply for permanent residency (visa de residencia permanente)
3. Years 2-5 - As a permanent resident, absence limits relax to 180 days per year for the first two years, then up to two continuous years thereafter
4. Year 5+ - After 3 years as a permanent resident, apply for Ecuadorian citizenship through naturalization

The October 2025 LOMH reform added a critical rule: permanent residents who remain outside Ecuador for two or more continuous years automatically lose their permanent residency status. This matters for corporate transferees who may rotate between countries.

For employees on multi-year assignments, we advise planning the permanent residency application around month 21 to preserve optionality - even if the employee may eventually leave Ecuador.

Common Mistakes

Filing before the company is compliant. If the IESS, SRI, or Superintendencia certificates show outstanding obligations, the application will be rejected. We clear compliance issues before touching the visa application.

Missing the 15-day IESS enrollment window. The aviso de entrada must be filed within 15 days of employment. Late enrollment creates penalties and complications that ripple into the visa process.

Criminal background checks that expire. The 180-day validity window is strict. If apostille and translation delays push the application past 180 days from issuance, the background check must be redone. For employees coming from countries with slow apostille processes, this is a real risk.

Ignoring the 90-day absence rule. Employees who travel frequently for business may exceed 90 days outside Ecuador in a calendar year without realizing it. This does not void the temporary visa, but it resets or delays eligibility for permanent residency.

Not filing dependent visas concurrently. A gap between the employee's visa approval and the family's dependent visa filing can leave family members without legal status. We file everything together.

Assuming the visa transfers between employers. It does not. If the employee changes jobs, a new visa application is required with the new employer as sponsor. The old visa becomes void.

Keep reading:

• Corporate Relocation to Ecuador
• Ecuador Visa Requirements 2026
• Ecuador Dependent Visa 2026

Relocating employees to Ecuador? Contact us or call 651-621-3652.