Your first 90 days in Ecuador: the arrival checklist
The visa got you in — this is what turns you into a functioning resident: the registration clock, the ID number everything else depends on, and the money, healthcare, and license steps in the order they actually unlock. Each step links the official source so you can verify the current rule.
Checked against official sources · July 2026 · how we verify
The catch that burns new arrivals
Temporary residents forfeit the visa by spending more than 90 days per year outside Ecuador (rules tightened again in the 2025 reform) — absence days count from day one.
The checklist, in the order it unlocks
Get the cédula de identidad for foreigners at Registro Civil once the residence visa is issued
After the visa is granted — no fixed statutory window; commonly done immediately
First issuance runs only at designated offices (Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca among them); the cedulación order plus passport required; the cédula expires with the visa.
Get your RUC (Registro Único de Contribuyentes), from SRI; the cédula is the base ID
Invoicing, formal work and putting utilities or contracts in your own name run on it.
Issued by SRI online or in office once the cédula exists; most daily transactions need only the cédula itself.
Open a bank account
Banks want the cédula, and some add a local reference or utility bill; the dollarized economy simplifies transfers. Wise plus a US account is the standard bridge for the first months.
Enrol in healthcare
IESS voluntary affiliation is open to residents for a monthly percentage of declared income and includes pre-existing conditions; inexpensive private plans are the common first-year choice.
Sort your driver's license
Residents can exchange (canje) at ANT: certified/apostilled license, psychosensometric exam, Red Cross blood-type certificate and a theory evaluation in Spanish; tourists drive on a valid foreign license meanwhile.
Deadlines and requirements vary by nationality, visa type, and region, and they change — this is information current as of 2026, not legal or immigration advice. Verify each step with the official source before you rely on it.
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Information only, not legal advice — we never file anything with any government. Requirements change; verify with the official source or a licensed immigration advisor before you apply.
First 90 days in Ecuador: FAQ
What do I have to do first after arriving in Ecuador?
Get the cédula de identidad for foreigners at Registro Civil once the residence visa is issued — After the visa is granted — no fixed statutory window; commonly done immediately. First issuance runs only at designated offices (Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca among them); the cedulación order plus passport required; the cédula expires with the visa. Verify the current rule with the official source before you rely on it.
What is the RUC and do I need one?
RUC (Registro Único de Contribuyentes), from SRI; the cédula is the base ID is Ecuador's personal tax/ID number. Invoicing, formal work and putting utilities or contracts in your own name run on it. Issued by SRI online or in office once the cédula exists; most daily transactions need only the cédula itself.
Can I drive in Ecuador on a US license?
Residents can exchange (canje) at ANT: certified/apostilled license, psychosensometric exam, Red Cross blood-type certificate and a theory evaluation in Spanish; tourists drive on a valid foreign license meanwhile. Rules differ by nationality and change — check the official source before the window closes.
How do I get healthcare after moving to Ecuador?
IESS voluntary affiliation is open to residents for a monthly percentage of declared income and includes pre-existing conditions; inexpensive private plans are the common first-year choice. See our healthcare-systems guide for how Ecuador's system treats foreign residents.