Ecuador Dependent Visa 2026
Bring your spouse, children, or partner to Ecuador under your existing residency visa — including same-sex marriages and civil unions. The Visa de Amparo keeps your family together while you build your life here.
Last updated: February 2026
Who Qualifies for the Dependent Visa?
Ecuador's Dependent Visa — formally the Visa de Amparo — lets family members of an existing visa holder live in Ecuador under their legal protection. It's not a standalone visa. Instead, it attaches to the sponsor's existing temporary or permanent residency.
The sponsor (called the amparante in Ecuadorian immigration law) must already hold a valid Ecuador residency visa: Pensioner, Professional, Investor, Digital Nomad, Rentista, or any other temporary residency category. From there, the following family members qualify as dependents:
Legally married spouses, including same-sex marriages. Ecuador's Constitutional Court legalized same-sex marriage in June 2019 (Case No. 11-18-CN), and immigration law applies equally regardless of the spouses' genders. Registered domestic partners (unión de hecho) also qualify, including same-sex civil unions — Ecuador has recognized civil unions since 2008.
Children under 18. Both parents must consent to the child's relocation to Ecuador. If one parent has sole custody, a court order or notarized custody agreement serves as proof. If one parent is deceased, a death certificate is required. Children also need up-to-date vaccination records for school enrollment.
Adult children with disabilities who are legally dependent on the sponsor are also eligible. The disability must be certified and documented.
Important: Parents of the visa holder are generally not eligible under the amparo category. The official MREMH requirements for the Visa de Amparo list spouses, partners, and children — not parents. If you're looking to help a parent relocate, they'll typically need to qualify for their own visa (such as the Pensioner Visa if they receive pension or Social Security income).
What It Costs
There is no separate government fee per dependent for the Visa de Amparo. The $250 USD per dependent figure refers to the additional monthly income the sponsor must demonstrate for each dependent added to their visa.
The sponsor must also prove an additional $250/month in income for each dependent, above whatever their base visa requires. This is a fixed amount set by MREMH regulation — it doesn't change based on which visa category the sponsor holds.
Professional Visa Sponsor
Income Examples
Base requirement: $486/month (1× SBU)
+ Spouse: $736/month ($486 + $250)
+ Spouse & one child: $986/month ($486 + $500)
Pensioner Visa Sponsor
Income Examples
Base requirement: $1,458/month (3× SBU)
+ Spouse: $1,708/month ($1,458 + $250)
+ Spouse & one child: $1,958/month ($1,458 + $500)
Official Source (MREMH):
“El amparante deberá justificar ingresos mensuales adicionales de doscientos cincuenta (250) dólares estadounidenses por cada persona amparada.”
Required Documents
Every dependent visa application requires two sets of documents: one from the sponsor and one from each dependent.
From the Sponsor
A certified copy of the sponsor's valid Ecuador residency visa and cédula de identidad, proof of income meeting the base visa threshold plus $250 per dependent, and a formal request letter (or completed online form) requesting the amparo.
From Each Dependent
A valid passport (color copies of all pages), an apostilled criminal background check for adult dependents (covering the last five years), health insurance valid in Ecuador for the visa duration, and proof of relationship to the sponsor.
The “proof of relationship” varies by family member. For a spouse, this means an apostilled marriage certificate — and it must be apostilled in the country where the marriage was performed, not necessarily your country of citizenship. For a registered domestic partner, the civil union certificate applies. For children, an apostilled birth certificate naming the sponsor as parent.
If both parents are alive and a child is being sponsored, both must provide notarized consent. If one parent holds sole custody, provide the court order. These documents must also be apostilled. All foreign-language documents require certified Spanish translations.
Need help with apostilles? See our Apostille Requirements Guide for step-by-step instructions, or check the full document checklist.
Benefits and What to Expect
The dependent visa grants full legal residency status in Ecuador, tied to the sponsor's visa duration (typically two years for temporary residency). Each dependent receives their own cédula de identidad — Ecuador's national ID — which provides access to public services, banking, and other benefits that require legal residency.
Education: Children can enroll in public or private schools with their cédula. Ecuador has a strong network of bilingual schools in major cities, particularly Quito, Guayaquil, and Cuenca.
Healthcare: Dependents can enroll in Ecuador's public healthcare system (IESS) or use private insurance. Health insurance valid in Ecuador is required as part of the visa application.
Permanent residency: Time spent on a dependent visa counts toward permanent residency eligibility. After 21 months of continuous temporary residency (with no more than 90 cumulative days outside Ecuador), dependents can apply for permanent residency alongside the sponsor. For more on the long-term path, see our citizenship guide.
Same-sex partnerships: Ecuador applies all dependent visa benefits equally to same-sex marriages and civil unions, per the 2019 Constitutional Court ruling (Case No. 11-18-CN). Immigration offices process these applications under the same procedures and timelines.
Important Limitation
Work Authorization
The dependent visa does not automatically include work authorization. Dependent visa holders who wish to work in Ecuador need to apply for a separate work permit or transition to their own visa category (such as a Professional Visa). The dependent visa grants residency, not employment rights — an important distinction if you're planning around dual-income arrangements.
The Process
Dependent visa applications can be filed simultaneously with the sponsor's primary visa or after the sponsor has already received their residency. Filing together is generally more efficient — the immigration office processes the entire family's paperwork as one case, and everyone attends the same appointment.
The general steps: gather all relationship documents (marriage certificates, birth certificates), obtain apostilles from the issuing country, compile proof that the sponsor meets the income threshold with dependents included, submit applications through Ecuador's online visa portal (MREMH), attend the immigration appointment at the nearest consulate or Cancillería office in Ecuador, and receive visas and cédulas for all family members.
Processing time depends on several factors — which consulate handles the case, whether documents need corrections, and whether the application is filed alongside a primary visa. When everything is properly prepared, the dependent visa typically processes on the same timeline as the sponsor's primary visa application.
Tip: If you haven't started your own visa application yet, apply for your primary visa and your family's dependent visas at the same time. It saves a second round of immigration appointments and can cut weeks off the total timeline.
Chip Moreno
Founder & Lead Visa Consultant
I went through the visa process myself — SENESCYT registration, immigration appointments in Spanish, permanent residency. I know what it takes to get from “interested” to “cédula in hand.”
Family applications mean coordinating documents across multiple people — apostilles, background checks, consent forms, and income verification. I handle the logistics so you can focus on the move.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Bring Your Family to Ecuador?
Family applications require coordinating documents across multiple people — apostilles, background checks, consent forms, and income verification. Book a free consultation and I'll give you a clear roadmap.
+593 96 284 8410
info@ecuapass.com
GET STARTED
Book Your Free Consultation
Get expert guidance on your Ecuador visa options within 24 hours.
Prefer to chat directly?
Message us on WhatsApp