Do I need to speak Spanish to get an Ecuador visa or live there?

For the visa process itself, no — EcuaPass and many visa service providers operate in English. For daily life, it depends entirely on where you live. In Cuenca, you can function with minimal Spanish thanks to the large expat infrastructure. In smaller towns or coastal villages, Spanish is essential. For the visa interview or any government interaction, having Spanish support is valuable. Learning even basic Spanish dramatically improves your quality of life, safety, and integration. Many expats take Spanish classes upon arrival — Cuenca and Quito have excellent language schools at very low cost.