Ecuador Citizenship 2026: Requirements, Test, Timeline, and Costs

Citizenship is the end of the road - plan for it from day one.

Most people who come to us are thinking about visas. They want to know how to get into Ecuador legally and stay. Fair enough. But the ones who plan ahead - the ones who understand that citizenship is the final step - save themselves years of headaches.

Ecuador is one of the few countries in the world where a foreign national can go from first visa to full citizenship in under six years, keep their original nationality, and do it all for a few hundred dollars in government fees. But the path has specific rules, and if you break them - even accidentally - the clock resets.

We have been guiding clients through this process for over 25 years. Here is how it actually works.

The Full Path: Temporary Visa to Permanent Residency to Citizenship

There are three stages. No shortcuts.

Stage 1: Temporary Residency (21 months minimum)

You enter Ecuador on a temporary residency visa - Pensioner, Rentista, Investor, Professional, Digital Nomad, or any other qualifying category. All temporary visas are issued for two years (EcuaAssist).

During this period, you cannot be outside Ecuador for more than 90 days total. Not per year - total, across the entire 21-month window. Violate this and you cannot apply for permanent residency on schedule.

Stage 2: Permanent Residency (3 years minimum)

After 21 months of continuous temporary residency, you apply for your Permanent Residency Visa (PRV). Government fees run approximately $275, with a 50% discount for applicants 65 and older (EcuaPass). Processing takes three to six months.

Permanent residency does not expire and does not require renewal. But to qualify for citizenship, you must hold it for at least three consecutive years.

During these three years, the absence rule loosens: you may be outside Ecuador for up to 180 days per year (EcuadorVisas.com). That is a meaningful difference from the temporary residency phase, and it matters for clients who split time between countries.

Stage 3: Citizenship Application

After three years of permanent residency - with no single year exceeding 180 days outside the country - you are eligible to apply for naturalization.

The Citizenship Test

This is where most applicants get nervous, and where preparation matters.

The test is a computerized, multiple-choice exam of 20 questions administered entirely in Spanish. You must score at least 90% - that means getting 18 out of 20 correct (EcuadorVisas.com). Questions cover Ecuadorian history, geography, culture, and politics.

There is no English version. There is no translator. You sit down, read the questions in Spanish, and answer them.

The good news: the question pool is not a secret. Study materials circulate among applicants, and the questions tend to repeat. With two to three weeks of focused preparation, most of our clients pass on the first attempt.

Who Is Exempt from the Test

Two groups skip the exam entirely:

• Applicants aged 65 and older. You are automatically exempt from the test and proceed directly to the document review stage (EcuaAssist).
• Applicants married to an Ecuadorian citizen. If you have been legally married for at least two years, you skip the test. You also qualify for a reduced residency requirement of two years instead of three (Wikipedia - Ecuadorian nationality law).

Both exempt groups also receive a 50% discount on government fees.

The Economic Requirements Most Guides Skip

Here is where the process gets specific - and where many applicants are caught off guard.

To demonstrate "economic means of life" in Ecuador, you must satisfy at least two of the following four criteria (EcuaAssist):

1. Ecuadorian bank statements showing at least $450 per month in deposits from any single source, covering the last 12 months.
2. Real estate property in Ecuador with a total value of at least $45,000.
3. Certificate(s) of deposit from any Ecuadorian bank(s) totaling at least $45,000.
4. Notarized lease contract registered with the corresponding institution, with you listed as the landlord receiving rental income.

Two out of four. Not one. This is the requirement that trips people up, because many online guides either omit it entirely or describe it vaguely as "proof of income."

If you are a retiree with a pension depositing into a local bank account and you own property, you already meet the threshold. If you are a younger expat renting an apartment and living off foreign freelance income, you need to plan ahead - open a local bank account, route income through it, and document everything for 12 months before applying.

Required Documents

The document checklist for naturalization is extensive. Gather these well in advance:

• Apostilled birth certificate from your country of origin (must be apostilled per the Hague Convention)
• Valid passport with at least 12 months of remaining validity
• Ecuadorian cedula (national ID card, issued with your residency visa)
• Registro Civil index card (ficha indicial from the Civil Registry)
• SRI tax compliance certificate (from Ecuador's Internal Revenue Service, confirming you have no outstanding tax obligations)
• Municipality compliance certificate (from the municipality of your residence, confirming no outstanding property taxes or fees)
• IESS compliance certificate (from Ecuador's social security institute, confirming no outstanding obligations)
• Criminal background check - both from your country of origin (apostilled) and from Ecuador
• Marriage certificate, divorce decree, or death certificate of former spouse (if applicable), apostilled from the country of origin

Every foreign document must be apostilled and, if not in Spanish, officially translated by a certified translator in Ecuador.

Timeline and Costs

Once your application is submitted with all documents, expect a processing time of 6 to 12 months for approval (EcuadorVisas.com).

Government fees for the naturalization application are modest - approximately $400. Applicants who are 65 or older, or who are married to an Ecuadorian citizen, receive a 50% discount on these fees.

Legal fees vary depending on the complexity of your case and how much document preparation you need. We handle the full process - from document procurement and apostille coordination to test preparation guidance and application submission.

Dual Citizenship: You Keep Your Original Nationality

Ecuador explicitly permits dual citizenship under Article 8 of its Constitution. Naturalized citizens are not required to renounce their nationality of origin (Dual Citizenship Report). This has been the law since 1995 and was reinforced in the 2008 Constitution.

For U.S. citizens: the United States also permits dual citizenship. You will not lose your American passport by becoming Ecuadorian.

This is one of the strongest practical arguments for completing the naturalization process. An Ecuadorian passport gives you visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to most of South America and parts of Europe, and it eliminates any future concern about residency visa renewals or status changes.

The Realistic Timeline from Start to Finish

Here is what the full path looks like when everything goes smoothly:

That is not fast by some standards, but it is remarkably straightforward compared to most countries. And the cost - a few hundred dollars in government fees at each stage - is a fraction of what comparable processes cost in the U.S. or Europe.

Common Mistakes That Delay or Derail Applications

After 25 years of doing this, we see the same errors repeatedly:

• Exceeding absence limits. Spending 91 days outside Ecuador during temporary residency, or 181 days during any year of permanent residency. The government tracks entry and exit stamps.
• Failing to meet two of four economic criteria. Applicants assume a single bank account or a single property is enough. It is not.
• Expired apostilles or translations. Some countries have expiration windows on apostilled documents. Ecuador requires current documents at the time of submission.
• Ignoring tax compliance. If you owe anything to the SRI, the municipality, or IESS - even small amounts - your application stalls.
• Underestimating the test. An 18/20 passing score is high. Casual preparation is not enough if you are not fluent in Spanish.

Keep reading:

• Guide to Ecuador Residency
• Ecuador Visa Requirements 2026
• Investor Visa vs Pensioner Visa Ecuador

Ready to start your path to Ecuadorian citizenship? Schedule a consultation or call 651-621-3652.