Life-in-Ecuador Q&A,
from $29/month
After your visa is done, the questions keep coming. The Expat Concierge is an ongoing retainer with Chip and the Cuenca team for residency, tax, insurance, banking, real estate, and life-in-Ecuador questions. Cancel anytime.
Pick the level of help you need
Tell us which level fits your needs. We review the scope and send a written, case-specific quote before you decide.
Basic
Async expat Q&A for the everyday stuff.
Quote after review
3 questions · 48 hours response
- Email-based Q&A on residency, life-in-Ecuador, and 2FA
- Help with US phone numbers, SIMs, and cross-border banking basics
- Real estate rental pointers (not purchase support)
- Up to 3 questions per month
- 48-hour response time, Mon–Fri
Plus
Add tax, insurance, and WhatsApp support.
Quote after review
6 questions · 24 hours response
- Everything in Basic
- Tax filing questions for US expats (paired with FileAbroad.com)
- Health insurance questions (paired with EcuaInsure.com)
- Real estate purchase walk-throughs (rentals + buying)
- Up to 6 questions per month
- 24-hour response time, Mon–Sat
- WhatsApp support channel
Pro
Permanent residency, banking, and response normally within one business day.
Quote after review
Unlimited questions · 12 hours response
- Everything in Plus
- Cédula renewals and permanent residency filings
- Cross-border banking (US, Ecuador, and offshore)
- Guidance on when to consult an independent Ecuadorian attorney
- Unlimited questions
- 12-hour response time, 7 days a week
- Priority WhatsApp support
Not sure which tier fits? Tell us what you need and we'll recommend a scope before quoting it.
Topics the Expat Concierge actually covers
These are the questions we get most often from people who already live here. If your question doesn't fit any tier, send it anyway and we'll point you in the right direction.
Residency & life-in-Ecuador
Anything that comes up after your visa is done — renewals, address changes, the rules around how long you can be out of the country.
US phone numbers & 2FA
Keeping a US number alive, dealing with banks and brokerages that require US 2FA, which VoIP providers actually work, what to do when a code never arrives.
Real estate — rentals
Lease norms, deposit culture, what to watch for in a Cuenca rental contract, how to set up utilities in your name.
Cross-border banking basics
Whether your US bank will close your account, how to receive USD in Ecuador, basic Pichincha / JEP / Produbanco questions.
Tax filing coordination (FileAbroad)
We sit in the middle between you and the FileAbroad.com tax team — explain the question, review the answer, and make sure the timeline works.
Health insurance (EcuaInsure)
We coordinate with EcuaInsure.com for Ecuador health and life insurance quotes. You tell us what you need, they send the options, we help you compare.
Real estate — purchases
Walk-throughs of the purchase process, what to ask the seller, how the定金 and closing work, and what to do about title issues.
Cédula renewals & permanent residency
When to renew, what to bring, what changed since your last renewal, and how to convert from temporary to permanent residency after 21 months.
Cross-border banking (advanced)
Offshore structures, multi-currency accounts, FATCA reporting, and how to keep your US accounts healthy after you move.
Independent legal help
We explain when independent legal advice may be appropriate and help you prepare the right questions. Any attorney engagement is separate.
From signup to your first concierge request
Request your quote
Tell us whether Basic, Plus, or Pro fits your needs. We review the scope and send a case-specific written quote before any payment is due.
Get your welcome packet
Within minutes, you receive a welcome email with instructions on how to submit questions and a direct line to the concierge desk.
Ask your questions
Email (all tiers) or WhatsApp (Plus and Pro). One focused question per request. Reply within your tier’s SLA window.
We handle the rest
We answer, route specialist questions to FileAbroad or EcuaInsure, or explain when you should consult an independent professional.
Sister services we coordinate with
Some questions need a specialist. We work directly with the teams below so you don't have to be the middleman.
FileAbroad.com
Expat Tax Filing for Americans Abroad
US tax filing for Americans living in Ecuador. Federal returns, FBAR, FATCA, and the foreign-earned-income exclusion. EA credential in progress. Included coordination on the Plus and Pro tiers — we help you talk to them.
Visit FileAbroad.comEcuaInsure.com
Health & Life Insurance in Ecuador
Ecuador health, life, and travel insurance for expats. Local carriers, English-speaking support, and policies that satisfy visa health-insurance requirements. We coordinate on the Plus and Pro tiers.
Visit EcuaInsure.comCommon questions
What exactly do I get with the Expat Concierge?
A monthly retainer for ongoing, async Q&A on life in Ecuador. Each tier includes a fixed number of questions per month, a response-time SLA, and a set of covered topics — from residency and cédula renewals to US phone numbers, 2FA, cross-border banking, real estate rentals and purchases, tax and insurance handoffs (to FileAbroad.com and EcuaInsure.com), and general ‘how does this work in Ecuador’ questions. We do not file new visa applications under this retainer — for that, start an intake at ecuapass.com/intake.
How is this different from a full visa service?
Visa service is one-time, project-based work with a defined visa and deliverable. The Expat Concierge is ongoing support for the questions that pop up after you arrive — cédula renewal deadlines, a tax letter, banking questions, or whether your US phone number will work for 2FA. Both services are scoped and quoted after review; the concierge is asynchronous and focused on Q&A, not application preparation.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. The Expat Concierge is month-to-month. Cancel anytime by emailing us or replying to your monthly Mercury invoice. You keep access through the end of the current billing month, and we do not bill the next one.
What does ‘question’ mean? Is there a word limit?
One question is one focused topic. “Do I need to renew my cédula this year, and what documents do I bring?” is one question. “Help me with cédula, tax, insurance, and banking” is four. There is no hard word count, but we ask that you keep each question focused so we can give you a real answer within the response window.
Do you file documents for me under the retainer?
No. The concierge covers advice, document review, and Q&A. If your question turns into a defined project (a cédula renewal that needs new filings, a tax year that needs full prep, or a real estate purchase that needs contract review), we will review the additional scope and send a separate written quote before starting that work.
How do you handle tax and insurance questions if you’re not a tax preparer or insurance broker?
We coordinate with the specialists. For US tax questions we route you to FileAbroad.com (our sister service for expat tax filing). For Ecuador health and life insurance we route you to EcuaInsure.com (our partner broker). On the Plus and Pro tiers, we sit in the middle — we explain what to ask, review the answers, and make sure the three of you are on the same page.
Is this legal advice?
No. The Expat Concierge is general guidance and Q&A from a visa consultant who has lived in Ecuador full-time since 2019. For complex cases such as immigration appeals, civil disputes, or criminal matters, consult an independent Ecuadorian attorney. Any legal engagement is separate from EcuaPass.
Who is this for?
Existing EcuaPass clients, future visa clients, and any current expat in Ecuador who wants a reliable English-speaking point of contact for the questions that come up after the visa is done.
Tell us what you need
Tell us what you need help with. We'll reach out personally and we'll recommend a support tier and send a written quote.