Expat Community > Ecuador

Dezari
Joined 2011
Posts: 5

Disappointed in my findings about moving to Ecuador

12 years ago

Just want to vent...I have been researching the possibility of moving to Ecuador for the last 4 months. Bought books, subscribed to magazines and every website, blog, newsletter, etc. that I could find. Read countless legal information documents, and so many posts on various forums and blogs that my eyes feel permanently blurred.

Here's our story --- my husband and I are 56 and 59 - too young for social security benefits, have no disabilities so we could claim SSI, don't want to teach, don't want to start a business, frankly, don't want to work at all while in Ecuador, don't want to buy property - at least not until we've stayed in the country for a long enough period of time to see if it is truly the place we want to put down permanent roots again.

We have plenty of cash money in the bank - don't need to rely on a pension. And all we want to do is rent a place for a year (which everyone always suggests before ever committing to buy), tour the land, mingle with the people, learn Spanish, soak up the local color, and just RELAX. Maybe fish a little, pick up some hobbies...

However, and unless someone on these boards can tell me I'm out of my mind, what we want to do is just not doable at our ages, because we are not pensioners. All fingers ultimately point to the fact that we only qualify for a 90-day tourist visa, can possibly get an extension on that to 180 days, but there is no way we can actually remain in Ecuador for an entire year. Funny, none of the rental landlords I've communicated with regarding their one-year lease condos actually mentioned that we wouldn't be able to stay a year there...

Anyway, I was hoping to hear from others in my general age group/situation (non-pensioners under a certain age) who have come to the same conclusion, or who disagree with me because they have found it to be a very easy, uncomplicated process, and who wish to share their info.

Thanks for listening!

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