By Marcos Chiluisa
The Human Mobility law has changed, and a fulfillment of a certain number of days in Ecuador is no longer a requirement for every temporary resident. They now have three options to choose from when it comes to required minimum stays. None of these options are good or bad, but all depend on the future plans that one has for their travels into and out of Ecuador.
A temporary resident whose plan is to become a permanent resident does have to stay a required number of days, while those who are looking forward to renewing their temporary visa do not have to, unless they want to complete an Ecuadorian background check for the renewal.
Residents who plan to pursue permanent residency in Ecuador are required a minimum stay in order to qualify for a permanent residency visa. During those 2 years or temporary residence, a person can be out of Ecuador for a total of 90 days. This requirement is verified when reviewing one’s Migratory Movement obtained from Migration Police. A migratory movement includes detailed information on the times a person has left and entered Ecuador.
Article 65 of the Human Mobility Law says that a temporary resident can enter and leave Ecuador an unlimited number of times except for those who plan to become legal residents and refugees. Many people like this option because they still have some pending things in their home country and are not forced to stay in Ecuador during their residency time, and this will not affect a renewal process.
The third option is pretty similar to the permanent residency requirement, but the goal in this case is to renew a temporary residency visa status. Obtaining a background check can be a headache in some countries and it may take a while to apostille them as well, so for those who would like to use an Ecuadorian background check, they cannot be out of Ecuador for more than 90 days in those two years of temporary residency in accordance to Article 58 of the Human Mobility Bylaws.