Menu
Expat.com

Residency

Post new topic

dmcmillen

How long does it take and how much does it typically cost to get an immigrant visa once I have all my paperwork collected, Apostilled, and translated into Spanish.  Is there a discount for a couple. I understand I have to hire someone in Ecuador to do this and they have to be a lawyer/judge or have access to them to get this done.  I have heard horror stories of people who have hired someone, given them money and then they disappear.

Thanks, David

mugtech

ZenSpike just went through the whole process in June, I am sure he could point you in the right direction.

Loving Ecuador

Hi dmcmillen,
There are no discounts for couples per se (lol!) but you can file your spouse as dependent, which will require the basic visa condition to be met by you only: be it the basic monthly retirement income, the minimim investment amount, the profession, the bond holder, etc (depends on the type of Visa you apply for, there are many).
You only need to hire someone if you do not master Spanish. The visa application is personal, but you can have a lawyer get docs translated, certified, fomrms filled and papers organized in your behalf for a fee, usually between 800 and 1200 depending upon each case.
There are horror stories about everything in life, but the vast majority of the expats relocating here with sucessful visa process stories outweights by far the bad stories.
Just get a good lawyer referral and you will be just fine..good luck!

Articles to help you in your expat project in Ecuador

  • Advice for travelers in Ecuador
    Advice for travelers in Ecuador

    THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER DOCUMENT IN SOUTH AMERICA

  • Retirement in Ecuador
    Retirement in Ecuador

    For the past decade or so, Ecuador has moved between the number one and number two spots in polls that rank ...

  • Food in Ecuador
    Food in Ecuador

    What kind of food will you find in restaurants, cafes, and private homes in Ecuador? Many restaurants in Ecuador ...

  • Work in Ecuador
    Work in Ecuador

    Ecuador is famous as a retirement haven. But you might not want to wait until retirement age to move there and ...

  • Healthcare in Ecuador
    Healthcare in Ecuador

    Ecuador, as a fast-developing nation, has laws that are constantly evolving, but one thing is certain: the ongoing ...

  • Opening a bank account in Ecuador
    Opening a bank account in Ecuador

    A few years back, an expat would just breeze into an Ecuadorian bank, flash their passport and a bank account ...

  • Family and children in Ecuador
    Family and children in Ecuador

    Family is everything to an Ecuadorian. The extended family unit is the most important aspect of life in Ecuador, ...

  • The Working Holiday Visa for Ecuador
    The Working Holiday Visa for Ecuador

    Ecuador is truly a paradise for adventure and nature lovers, and thanks to the Working Holiday Visa program, they ...

All of Ecuador's guide articles