Ecuador
Visa de Residencia Temporal Rentista para Trabajo Remoto (Visa Nómada): health insurance requirements
Yes: health insurance is required
Ecuador's remote-work visa, officially the Visa de Residencia Temporal Rentista para Trabajo Remoto and marketed as the Visa Nómada, is a two-year temporary-residence visa that is renewable. It is for people earning from a foreign employer or clients, and it requires health insurance covering the full visa period. The income test is three times Ecuador's unified basic salary (SBU) per month, which works out to about $1,446 a month in 2026 (3 x $482).
The requirements at a glance
| Repatriation required | Not required |
|---|---|
| Minimum policy duration | Full duration of the visa (two years) |
| Local-licensed insurer required | No: compliant international IPMI is accepted |
| Accepted proof | A valid national or foreign health insurance policy or contract covering the full visa period; a foreign policy must explicitly state that it provides coverage in Ecuador. |
Income of at least three unified basic salaries (SBU) per month from foreign sources, proven over the three months before applying (about $1,446/month in 2026 at an SBU of $482), or 36 SBU per year. Applicants show they work remotely for a foreign employer, client or company domiciled abroad, hold a passport valid at least six months, and provide a clean criminal-record certificate. Applied for online through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MREMH) e-VISAS platform; government fees are roughly $50 application plus a visa grant fee (commonly cited around $270 to $400) plus a cédula card. Valid two years, renewable, with a path to permanent residency.
Our take
Ecuador is one of the few nomad visas where insurance is a genuine gate rather than a box-tick: you must show cover for the full two-year period, and a foreign policy has to spell out that it covers Ecuador. There is no published minimum coverage figure, so the consulate is checking that you are insured, not that you hit a euro or dollar number. Pick a policy that names Ecuador and runs the length of the visa.
The real exposure is the Galápagos, not the mainland. Mainland private care is cheap, but the islands cannot treat major cases and an air evacuation to the mainland or the US can exceed $60,000. If your stay includes the Galápagos, treat medical evacuation cover as the headline feature of the policy, not a footnote, and check it is in force before you fly out there.
What happens if you get it wrong
Buying a domestic Ecuadorian plan that only later starts (IESS enrolment happens after visa approval), or a foreign policy that does not explicitly state coverage in Ecuador. Either can stall the application, since the visa demands valid cover for the whole period and a foreign policy must name Ecuador on its face.
Carrying a mainland-only or no-evacuation policy and then booking the Galápagos. Park authorities check insurance on arrival, and a policy without strong medical evacuation cover leaves you facing a five-figure flight if a serious case has to leave the islands.
Interactive
Verified pricesWhat would it cost in Ecuador without insurance?
You pay, out of pocket
$1,000–$5,000
Per-day room to a multi-day admission; indicative.
Bars to scale. A flight home is in another league.
That is the bill you carry alone. Insurance exists for exactly this.
See what cover costsTypical private-care estimates for illustration, not a quote. Actual bills vary by hospital, city and severity.
FAQ
Yes. You must present a valid national or foreign health insurance policy covering the full two-year visa period, and a foreign policy must explicitly state that it covers Ecuador. No minimum coverage amount is published.
Three times Ecuador's unified basic salary (SBU) per month from foreign sources, proven over the three months before applying. With the 2026 SBU at $482, that is about $1,446 a month, and the figure rises whenever the minimum wage does.
It is a temporary-residence visa valid for two years and renewable, with a path to permanent residency. It is applied for online through Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-VISAS platform.
No official minimum amount is published. The rule is that the policy must be valid for the full visa period and, if foreign, must state coverage in Ecuador, so insure for the real medical and evacuation risk rather than a set number.
Yes. Travel medical insurance is mandatory to enter the Galápagos and is checked on arrival. Because the island hospitals cannot handle major cases, choose a policy with strong medical evacuation cover, as an evacuation can exceed $60,000.
Reviewed by Lukas Schönberg, Founder & researcher, Nomad Insurance Broker OÜ
Nomad Insurance Broker OÜ (Estonia) is an information and matching platform, not currently registered as a regulated insurance intermediary in any jurisdiction. See /how-it-works for the full disclosure.
Source: gob.ecLast verified
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