How to Use Ecuador's E-Visa Portal: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

Ecuador's e-visa portal — serviciosdigitales.cancilleria.gob.ec — handles the initial application and document submission for residency visas online. It launched in mid-2024, and it's a genuine improvement over the old process where every step required a physical visit. But I want to be clear about what it is and isn't, because there's a lot of confusion online about how "digital" Ecuador's visa process actually is.

The portal lets you create an account, select your visa category, upload scanned documents, and pay government fees — all from your computer, anywhere in the world. That's the online part. What still happens in person is biometrics capture, physical document verification, and your cédula appointment at the Cancillería. In other words, the portal handles the paperwork submission, but you'll still need at least one in-person appointment in Ecuador before your visa is finalized. If you've read elsewhere that Ecuador's visa system is "100% online" or that in-person appointments are no longer required, that's an overstatement — particularly for residency visas, which is what most of our clients are applying for.

Here's how to navigate the portal based on what we've seen working with applicants since the system launched.

What the Portal Actually Does

The Cancillería's digital services portal replaces the old process of physically delivering a stack of documents to an immigration office for initial review. You now submit your application and supporting documents digitally, pay fees online, and receive status updates through the portal rather than by phone or in person.

What hasn't changed: once your digital application clears initial review, you'll need to appear in person at a Cancillería office in Ecuador (or at an Ecuadorian consulate abroad, in some cases) for biometric data capture — fingerprints and a photograph — and for an immigration officer to physically inspect your original documents. Think of the portal as handling Phase 1 (submission and review) while Phase 2 (verification and biometrics) remains face-to-face. After your visa is approved, you'll also visit a civil registry office to obtain your cédula, Ecuador's national ID card. That process is separate from the visa portal entirely.

This hybrid system is actually common in Latin America. Colombia, Chile, and Peru have all digitized parts of their immigration processes while retaining in-person verification steps. Ecuador's portal is a meaningful modernization — it saves you from multiple trips to the Cancillería during the document-gathering phase and gives you a centralized place to track your application. But it's not a fully remote process, and planning your timeline around at least one in-person appointment is still essential.

Creating Your Account and Starting an Application

The portal lives at serviciosdigitales.cancilleria.gob.ec. You'll create an account using your passport information and an email address. Use whatever email you actually check — the system sends notifications here when your application status changes or when the Cancillería requests additional documents, and you don't want those sitting unread.

After logging in, you'll select your visa category. The portal lists the main residency visa types — Pensionado (retirement), Professional, Rentista (income), Investor, Dependent, and others — and each one displays its specific document requirements. Take the time to read through the requirements for your category before you start uploading anything. If you're not sure which visa type fits your situation, our visa comparison tool breaks down the differences, or you can message me on WhatsApp to talk it through.

One practical note: use a desktop or laptop computer for the application, not your phone. Government portals are not known for elegant mobile design, and uploading multiple document scans from a phone browser is an exercise in frustration. Chrome and Firefox tend to work best. Save your progress after each document upload — government portal sessions can time out without much warning, and re-uploading everything is not how you want to spend your afternoon.

Uploading Your Documents

The document upload section is the core of the portal experience. You'll upload scanned copies of your passport, apostilled birth certificate, criminal background check (apostilled), proof of income or financial means, and any visa-specific supporting documents. For the full document list by visa type, see our document checklist guide. For apostille specifics, the apostille requirements guide covers what needs apostilling and how to get it done from the US, UK, Canada, and other countries.

For the scans themselves, practical guidance: scan everything in color as PDFs. Use a flatbed scanner if you have access to one — phone camera scans can work but tend to produce uneven lighting and skewed angles that may cause issues. Make sure the entire document is visible with no cut-off edges. Name your files clearly (something like "passport-bio-page.pdf" or "background-check-apostilled.pdf") so you can find them quickly if you need to re-upload. Keep individual files at a reasonable size — if a scan is coming in at 20MB, compress it before uploading. The portal has file size limits, and oversized uploads will be rejected without much helpful explanation.

The most common upload issues I see with clients fall into a few categories. Uploading a background check that's past its six-month validity window. Forgetting the apostille on a foreign-issued document. Submitting bank statements older than three months. Uploading a passport photo that doesn't meet specifications — the portal expects a recent photo with a white background, no glasses, no head coverings except religious ones. All of these will trigger a request for additional documents, which adds weeks to your timeline. Getting the uploads right the first time is the single most effective thing you can do to speed up your process.

Paying Government Fees

The portal processes fee payment online via credit or debit card — Visa and Mastercard are the accepted networks. Government visa fees for a temporary residency visa total $320: a $50 non-refundable application fee plus a $270 visa grant fee upon approval. Applicants aged 65 and older receive a reduced grant fee of $135, bringing their total to $185. These fees are set by the Cancillería and are the same regardless of visa type for standard temporary residency.

One thing to be aware of: the $50 application fee is charged when you submit, and it's non-refundable regardless of outcome. The $270 grant fee is charged only upon approval. Make sure your card works for international transactions before you sit down to submit — getting declined mid-application because your bank flagged an Ecuador-based charge is a common and avoidable headache. Call your bank first and let them know you'll be making a payment to the Ecuadorian government.

For a breakdown of all costs involved in the visa process beyond government fees — translations, apostilles, professional assistance — see our DIY vs. professional help comparison.

What Happens After You Submit

Once your application and documents are uploaded and your application fee is paid, the portal moves your case into review. You'll be able to log in and see a status indicator showing where your application stands. The Cancillería reviews submissions in the order they're received — there is no paid expedited option. Based on current processing patterns, expect four to eight weeks from submission to decision for straightforward cases. Our processing time guide covers timelines in more detail, including what "straightforward" means and what causes delays.

During review, the Cancillería may request additional documents or clarification. These requests come through the portal and by email. Respond quickly — the system typically gives you ten business days to provide whatever's been requested, and delays here extend your overall timeline significantly. This is one area where having professional support pays for itself. When we manage applications, we monitor the portal daily and respond to document requests within 24 hours, which keeps the process moving.

If your application is approved, you'll receive notification through the portal. At that point, you transition to the in-person phase: scheduling a biometrics appointment at a Cancillería office in Ecuador, bringing your original documents for physical verification, and then proceeding to your cédula appointment. If you're applying from abroad, some of these steps can be handled at an Ecuadorian consulate, though availability varies by location.

If your application is denied, the portal provides the reason. Common denial reasons include incomplete documentation, insufficient proof of income, or issues with apostilled documents. In most cases, you can address the issue and reapply. An outright denial on substantive grounds — criminal record issues, for instance — is a different situation that warrants legal consultation.

Common Questions

Is Ecuador's visa application fully online? Partially. The e-visa portal at serviciosdigitales.cancilleria.gob.ec handles application submission, document uploads, and fee payment digitally. However, biometrics capture and original document verification still require at least one in-person appointment at the Cancillería or an Ecuadorian consulate. For residency visas, plan on at least one in-person visit.

What documents do I upload to the portal? The specific list depends on your visa type, but all applicants need a passport scan, apostilled birth certificate, apostilled criminal background check, proof of income, and a passport-style photo. See our full document checklist for visa-specific requirements.

Do I still need an in-person appointment? Yes. After your digital application is reviewed and approved, you'll need to appear in person for biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) and to present your original documents for verification. This happens at a Cancillería office in Ecuador or, in some cases, at an Ecuadorian consulate abroad.

Getting It Right the First Time

The portal is functional but unforgiving — a rejected upload or a missed document request can add weeks to your timeline, and the interface doesn't always explain what went wrong in plain language. If you want your application reviewed before you submit it — catching formatting issues, missing apostilles, or expired documents at the upload stage rather than discovering them during Cancillería review — message me on WhatsApp for a free consultation. We'll walk through your documents, confirm everything meets the portal's requirements, and make sure your first submission is your only submission.