What Is Ecuador’s SBU?
The SBU (Salario Básico Unificado) is Ecuador’s official minimum wage. In 2026, it’s $482 USD per month.
Why should visa applicants care? Because every single Ecuador visa income requirement is calculated as a multiple of the SBU. When the SBU goes up, so does every visa threshold. These multipliers are set by Ecuador’s Ley Orgánica de Movilidad Humana (Art. 60) and most recently updated through Acuerdo Ministerial No. 70 (June 28, 2024). The government decrees a new SBU each January, and the visa math automatically adjusts.
2026 SBU: $482
Ecuador’s government sets the SBU each January. Here’s the recent history:
| Year | SBU (Monthly) | Change | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $425 | +$25 | 6.3% |
| 2023 | $450 | +$25 | 5.9% |
| 2024 | $460 | +$10 | 2.2% |
| 2025 | $475 | +$15 | 3.3% |
| 2026 | $482 | +$7 | 1.5% |
The SBU increases every year. Some years by a lot, some years by a little. It has never decreased.
How the SBU Sets Every Visa Threshold
Each visa type requires a specific multiple of the SBU in provable income or investment. Here is the formula for each.
Pensioner (Retirement) Visa — 3× SBU
3 × $482 = $1,446/month. You need $1,446/month in pension income—Social Security, CPP, government pension, or equivalent.
Rentista (Passive Income) Visa — 3× SBU
3 × $482 = $1,446/month. Same threshold as the Pensioner Visa, but for non-pension passive income—investment returns, rental income, dividends, trust distributions, annuities.
Professional Visa — 1× SBU
1 × $482 = $482/month. The lowest income requirement of any residency visa. You need $482/month in provable income from any lawful source, plus a SENESCYT-registered degree. The government’s Acuerdo Ministerial No. 70 references “medios de vida lícitos”—lawful means of living—without specifying the income type.
Investor Visa — 100× SBU
100 × $482 = $48,200 lump sum. No monthly income needed. You invest this amount in Ecuador through property, a business, or a bank certificate of deposit.
Digital Nomad Visa — 3× SBU
3 × $482 = $1,446/month. Remote work income from a foreign employer or your own foreign-based business.
Dependent Visa — Additional Income
Per Ecuador’s government portal, each dependent (spouse or child) requires an additional $250/month in proven income beyond the base visa threshold. Note that dependent calculations may vary slightly by visa category—consult the specific visa requirements on gob.ec or ask during a consultation.
Summary
| Visa Type | Formula | 2026 Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pensioner | 3× SBU | $1,446/month |
| Rentista | 3× SBU | $1,446/month |
| Digital Nomad | 3× SBU | $1,446/month |
| Professional | 1× SBU | $482/month |
| Investor | 100× SBU | $48,200 investment |
| + Each Dependent | — | +$250/month |
Why This Matters for Planning
The most important planning insight is simple: visa thresholds only go up. If your pension is $1,450 per month, you qualify today by $4. If the 2027 SBU increases to $500—a reasonable estimate based on historical 2–5% annual increases—the Pensioner Visa threshold becomes $1,500, and you no longer qualify. The same logic applies to the Investor Visa: the $48,200 requirement today could be $49,500 or higher next year. Every year you wait costs more.
I tell every client the same thing: if you’re within 10% of the threshold, apply now. I’ve seen people wait a year “to be safe” and discover the new SBU pushed the requirement past their income. The threshold only moves in one direction.
The Investor Visa Gets More Expensive Each Year
| Year | Investment Required |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $46,000 |
| 2025 | $47,500 |
| 2026 | $48,200 |
| 2027 (est.) | ~$49,500 |
If you’re considering the Investor Visa, applying sooner literally saves money—each January pushes the required investment higher.
Permanent Residency Eliminates the Problem
After 21 months on any temporary visa, you can apply for permanent residency, which has no income requirement. This is the escape valve that makes timing so important. Qualify now while your income meets the threshold, hold your temporary visa for 21 months, convert to permanent residency, and SBU increases become irrelevant to you permanently. You only need to meet the income requirement once—at initial application.
Projecting Future SBU Increases
Based on historical trends of 2–5% annual increases, here’s what the next several years could look like for visa applicants:
| Year | Est. SBU | Pensioner / Rentista | Investor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $482 | $1,446 | $48,200 |
| 2027 | ~$497 | ~$1,491 | ~$49,700 |
| 2028 | ~$512 | ~$1,536 | ~$51,200 |
| 2029 | ~$528 | ~$1,584 | ~$52,800 |
| 2030 | ~$544 | ~$1,632 | ~$54,400 |
These are estimates. Actual amounts depend on Ecuador’s annual government decree. But the direction is always upward.
SBU and Cost of Living
The SBU isn’t just a visa calculation tool—it reflects Ecuador’s actual cost of living. Minimum wage earners in Ecuador bring home $482 per month. The average salary sits around $600–800 per month. Middle-class professionals earn $1,000–2,000.
When Ecuador requires 3× SBU ($1,446/month) for retiree visas, the government is setting a threshold that places you comfortably above the average Ecuadorian salary. You’re not scraping by at that income level—you’re living well. The threshold exists to ensure visa holders can support themselves without burdening public services, and at $1,446 per month in Ecuador, that’s genuinely comfortable.
SBU Impact Beyond Visas
The SBU touches more of your life in Ecuador than just the visa application. IESS health insurance contributions are calculated as a percentage of the SBU. Rental deposits are sometimes quoted in SBU multiples rather than fixed dollar amounts. Various government fees adjust when the SBU changes, and fines and penalties are often denominated in SBU units. Knowing the current SBU helps you decode costs across many areas of Ecuadorian bureaucracy.
What Happens If the SBU Changes Mid-Year?
It doesn’t. The SBU is set once per year in January and stays fixed for all twelve months. Your 2026 visa application uses $482 regardless of whether you apply in February or December. There is no mid-year adjustment—you can plan with certainty for the calendar year.
Practical Advice by Situation
If your income is close to the threshold, the best strategy is straightforward: apply now rather than waiting, because the number only moves upward. Remember that both spouses’ incomes can count together when meeting the requirement—a couple where each person has $750/month in Social Security clears the $1,446 Pensioner threshold comfortably. If you expect a cost-of-living adjustment to your Social Security next year, that helps, but so does getting the visa before the SBU increases.
If you’re well above the threshold, you have more time. Even with steady SBU increases, someone earning $2,000 per month or more won’t be pushed out anytime soon. That said, it still makes sense to apply for permanent residency at 21 months to eliminate the income requirement permanently and protect yourself against any future changes.
If you’re below the Pensioner or Rentista threshold, you have several options. Delaying Social Security increases your monthly benefit. Restructuring investments to generate more monthly income can help. The Investor Visa sidesteps monthly income requirements entirely if you have capital but not cash flow. But here is the most actionable option many people overlook: the Professional Visa requires only $482 per month in provable income from any lawful source—if you have a university degree. That’s less than a third of what the Pensioner Visa requires. If you have any degree and any source of income above $482/month, the Professional Visa may be your best path into Ecuador.
Related Guides
Pensioner Visa Income Requirement · Investor Visa: Is $48,200 Worth It? · Rentista Visa Guide 2026 · Visa Comparison Tool