The Ecuador visa services market has no licensing requirement, no industry certification, and no regulatory body. Anyone with a website can call themselves a visa company. That means the difference between a great experience and a nightmare comes down to seven questions you ask before you hand over any money.
I run a visa service, so I have skin in this game. But these questions work against me too—if I can’t answer them well, you should go elsewhere. The goal here is to give you a framework so you can evaluate any provider, including mine, on substance rather than marketing.
1. Are They Physically Located in Ecuador?
This is the single most important question, and the one most people forget to ask.
Your Ecuador visa process requires in-person appointments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You will sit across from an immigration officer who speaks Spanish, reviews your documents in real time, and may ask follow-up questions on the spot. If something is missing, unclear, or formatted incorrectly, the officer will tell you right there—and your response in that moment affects whether your application moves forward or gets sent back.
A company operating from the United States—or anywhere outside Ecuador—cannot be in that room with you. They can prepare documents. They can coach you over the phone. But they cannot attend your appointment, translate in real time, or handle an unexpected request from the officer. When something goes sideways at the window (and it sometimes does), you’re on your own.
What to ask: “Where is your office? Will someone from your company attend my immigration appointment in person?” If the answer is anything other than a physical address in Ecuador and a “yes” to appointment attendance, keep looking.
For a deeper dive on why this matters, I wrote a separate piece on why your visa provider should be based in Ecuador.
2. Who Actually Handles Your Case?
Many visa companies have a polished founder or front person who does the initial consultation—then hands your file off to junior staff you’ve never spoken to. You thought you were hiring Maria, but your case is actually being managed by someone three months into the job.
This matters because visa processing isn’t a cookie-cutter operation. Every applicant has different documents, different timelines, different income sources, and different complications. The person who understands your situation from the first conversation should be the same person managing your application, attending your appointment, and answering your questions at 8pm when you realize your apostille might be expiring.
What to ask: “Will the person I’m speaking with right now be the one who handles my case from start to finish? Will they attend my immigration appointment personally?”
Team-based operations aren’t inherently bad—but if they can’t tell you exactly who will be your primary point of contact and who will be at the immigration office with you, that’s a yellow flag.
3. Do They Charge for Initial Consultations?
Some companies charge $25–$50 just to have a first conversation. Think about what that signals: they’re either unsure they can convert prospects into clients, or they’ve decided that your initial evaluation of their service should be a revenue stream.
The first conversation between you and a visa service should serve one purpose: determining whether you’re a good fit for each other. You’re evaluating their competence, communication style, and pricing. They’re evaluating whether your situation falls within their expertise. Charging a fee for this conversation puts a barrier between the client and the information they need to make a good decision.
What to ask: “Is the initial consultation free?” If no, ask yourself whether you’re comfortable paying to be evaluated—or whether that money would be better spent with a company confident enough to let their initial consultation speak for itself.
4. Are They a Registered Legal Entity?
This is the question nobody thinks to ask until something goes wrong. And by then it’s too late.
A registered business entity—an LLC, a corporation, a formally registered company—means legal accountability. It means the company has filed paperwork with a government, operates under a legal framework, and can be held to its commitments through established channels. It means your contract is with a legal entity, not an individual who could disappear.
Some visa “companies” in Ecuador are individuals operating with nothing more than a website and a WhatsApp number. They may be perfectly competent. But if something goes wrong—if they lose your documents, miss a deadline, or simply stop responding—you have no legal entity to pursue and no formal recourse.
What to ask: “What is the legal name of your business, and where is it registered?” A legitimate company will answer this immediately. Anyone who hesitates or deflects is telling you something important.
5. Will They Provide a Written Contract?
Before you send any money—to any visa service, anywhere—you should receive a written contract that specifies:
- Exactly what services are included
- The total cost, with no ambiguity
- The payment schedule (deposit, milestones, final payment)
- What happens if the visa is denied
- The expected timeline from start to finish
- What’s not included (government fees, translations, etc.)
This shouldn’t be controversial. It’s basic business practice. Yet a surprising number of visa providers operate on verbal agreements, vague email confirmations, or invoices that list a dollar amount without specifying what you’re paying for.
What to ask: “Can I see a sample contract before committing?” If they don’t have one, or if their “contract” is a one-paragraph email, look elsewhere.
6. How Fast Do They Respond?
This is the easiest test to run, and the results are remarkably predictive.
Send an inquiry to a visa company. Note the time. Then wait. The speed of their first response tells you almost everything you need to know about how they’ll treat you once they have your deposit.
A company that responds same-day is telling you: your business matters, communication is a priority, and they have the bandwidth to take on your case. A company that takes three to five days is telling you: they’re either overwhelmed, disorganized, or not particularly motivated by your inquiry. None of those bode well for a process that requires months of responsive communication.
What to expect: Same-day response is the gold standard. Within 24 hours is acceptable. Anything beyond 48 hours for a first response to a new potential client is a red flag.
7. Do They Publish Educational Content?
Look at their website. Is there a blog? Are there guides? Do they explain visa types, requirements, timelines, and costs in detail? Or is the website essentially a brochure with a contact form?
Companies that publish detailed, up-to-date content are doing two things: demonstrating genuine expertise, and being transparent about a process that many providers deliberately keep opaque (so you have to hire them just to understand what’s involved).
Ecuador’s visa rules change frequently. Income thresholds update annually. The e-visa system launched in 2024 and changed the entire application process. A company whose website still references pre-2024 procedures or outdated income requirements—or worse, has no educational content at all—may not be keeping up with the changes that directly affect your application.
What to look for: Recent content (2025 or 2026 dates), specific details about current requirements (the 2026 SBU of $482, the 3x income threshold of $1,446), and coverage of the e-visa portal. Generic, undated content is a warning sign.
The Quick Scorecard
Before hiring any visa service, run through this checklist. You shouldn’t need all seven to be perfect—but if a company fails on more than two, especially the first three, think carefully before committing.
| Question | Green Light | Red Flag |
|---|---|---|
| Based in Ecuador? | Office in Ecuador, attends appointments | US/international address only |
| Who handles your case? | Named person, start to finish | “Our team will handle it” |
| Free consultation? | Yes, no obligation | $25–$50 fee to talk |
| Registered entity? | LLC, corporation, or equivalent | Individual with a website |
| Written contract? | Detailed scope, costs, timeline | Verbal agreement or vague invoice |
| Response time? | Same day | 3+ days |
| Educational content? | Detailed, dated guides with 2026 data | Brochure site, no blog |
How EcuaPass Answers These Questions
I’ll put myself through the same test:
Based in Ecuador? Yes. I live in Cuenca full-time and attend every immigration appointment in person.
Who handles your case? I do. Personally. From first consultation through cédula. There is no sales team and no handoff.
Free consultation? Always. No fee, no obligation.
Registered entity? Iterative Systems LLC, registered in the United States. You contract with a legal entity, not an individual.
Written contract? Every client receives a detailed service agreement before paying anything. It covers scope, costs, timeline, payment schedule, and what happens if the visa is denied.
Response time? Same day. Usually within a few hours.
Educational content? You’re reading it. I publish detailed guides on every visa type, cost breakdowns, document requirements, and process walkthroughs—all updated for 2026.
If those answers work for you, book a free consultation and let’s talk about your specific situation. If they don’t, use this framework to evaluate whoever you do hire. Either way, you’ll make a better decision than most people moving to Ecuador.
For a side-by-side comparison of how 9 visa companies perform against these criteria, see the independent comparison on EcuadorVisas.org.