Ecuador proof-of-life certificate from the US: USD 20 at a consulate

The certificado de supervivencia (proof-of-life certificate) is the document in which an Ecuadorian consular officer certifies the physical “existence” of a person who lives or is temporarily outside Ecuador. According to the Ecuadorian state’s Official Procedures Guide, it is a requirement to keep receiving retirement or survivor (montepío) pensions from Ecuador’s social security systems. You request it in person at the Ecuadorian consular office nearest to where you live, with your cédula and your original, valid passport, and it costs USD 20.00 (fee published on gob.ec, checked October 3, 2026).

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Key facts

ItemDetail (checked October 3, 2026)
Who issues itEcuadorian consular offices (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility)
For whomEcuadorian or foreign nationals who are abroad
ChannelIn person
RequirementsCédula de identidad; original, valid passport
FeeUSD 20.00, VAT-exempt
Age 65 and overPay 50%
Disability of 30% or more100% exempt, with the Ministry of Public Health card
Validity“Hasta el uso del documento” (until the document is used)
HoursCheck with the consular office

Source: the gob.ec page “Emisión de certificado de supervivencia en el exterior”, updated March 6, 2025.

What it certifies and who it is for

The gob.ec page defines it this way: “el funcionario consular certifica la ’existencia’ física de una persona que reside o está temporalmente fuera del país” (the consular officer certifies the physical existence of a person who lives or is temporarily outside the country). The same page says the document “es un requisito para continuar percibiendo las pensiones de retiro o de montepío de los sistemas de seguro social en el Ecuador.”

The procedure is for Ecuadorian or foreign natural persons who are abroad, who must go to the Ecuadorian consular office nearest to where they live. The page lists a single service channel: in person, at the consular office.

Step by step according to gob.ec

  1. Go to the consular office. Gob.ec points to the Foreign Ministry’s directory of embassies and consulates. To find yours, see the directory of Ecuadorian consulates or consulates by state. The Foreign Ministry’s appointment system is citas.cancilleria.gob.ec, where you choose a “Centro Administrativo” (office) and a service.
  2. Present your documents: cédula de identidad and original, valid passport.
  3. Pay the amount set in the current Consular and Diplomatic Tariff.
  4. Review and issuance of the document, “debidamente firmado por ambas partes” (duly signed by both parties).
  5. Collect the document.

Fee

  • Regular fee: USD 20.00, VAT-exempt.
  • Seniors (65 and over): pay 50% of the fee.
  • People with a disability (30% or more): 100% exempt, on presenting the card issued by Ecuador’s Ministry of Public Health.

A note on the source: the page cites the 2023 Consular and Diplomatic Tariff as “Partida 4.6” in the steps and as “Partida 4.9” in the legal basis. The difference is only in the item number; the USD 20.00 amount is the same throughout the page.

If your IESS pension is suspended: reactivation

The Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS) has its own procedure, “Reactivación de Jubilación o Montepío,” for pensioners “con estado de inactivos en el pago de su pensión jubilar o montepío” (whose pension payments are in inactive status). What gob.ec publishes (IESS page updated July 31, 2024):

ItemDetail
WhereIn person, at any IESS Universal Service Center nationwide (in Ecuador), document-management window
RequirementsOriginal, valid cédula; bank certificate in the applicant’s name; proof-of-life form
Who can file“pueden ser presentados por un tercero sin necesidad de tener autorización escrita” (a third party can file without written authorization)
Cost“El trámite no tiene costo” (free)

The IESS proof-of-life form for pension reactivation has a box “LLENAR INFORMACIÓN SOLAMENTE EN CASO DE SER RESIDENTE EN EL EXTERIOR” for the signature and seal of the Ecuadorian consul, and a note: “Para residentes en el exterior se necesita estado civil original y actualizado del pensionista que es emitido por el consulado o embajada del Ecuador” (residents abroad need an original, updated civil-status certificate issued by the Ecuadorian consulate or embassy). The IESS page also says a handwritten signature on the document is essential.

The identity and civil-status certificate issued by a consulate costs USD 5.00 according to gob.ec; see Ecuadorian civil-registry certificates from the US.

The bank account for payment while abroad

The IESS has an online procedure, “Registro y aprobación de Cuenta Bancaria para asegurados (afiliados, jubilados y/o derechohabientes) residentes en el exterior” (page updated November 18, 2025). The essentials:

  • The account must be at a bank in Ecuador: “La institución financiera debe tener residencia en Ecuador, no se permiten bancos del exterior” (foreign banks are not allowed).
  • Channel: the Virtual Window on the IESS portal, available 24 hours. It is free.
  • What you upload: a photo of your cédula (or passport, if you have no cédula), a photo of your face holding the cédula or passport, the signed bank-account update form, the bank certificate (valid 30 days from issue) and an MP4 video of you reading the authorization text the IESS publishes.
  • Validation: if the requirements check out, within 72 hours (3 business days) you receive an email inviting you to an identity-validation video call.

Free special power of attorney to collect the pension

If someone in Ecuador will collect on your behalf, the Foreign Ministry has a specific consular procedure: the special power of attorney for collecting salaries and retirement, disability and montepío pensions. According to gob.ec (updated January 20, 2026), “El trámite no tiene costo” (free); the 2023 Consular and Diplomatic Tariff lists it as “1.2 Poder especiales exentos de pago y primera copia o su revocatoria. USD 00.00.” It is signed in person before the consul and is valid “hasta que se ejecute el cobro” (until the collection is carried out). For other powers of attorney, see Ecuador power of attorney at a consulate.

What the sources do not say

None of the official sources checked publishes how often the IESS requires the proof-of-life certificate from pensioners living abroad. The consular page says only that the certificate is valid “hasta el uso del documento.” Confirm with the IESS (atencionalusuario@iess.gob.ec, the email listed on its gob.ec pages) before requesting it.

Your US immigration status

The consular page’s requirements are Ecuadorian documents — the cédula and passport; they do not ask for US immigration documents. The page itself summarizes Article 16 of the Regulation to Ecuador’s Organic Law on Human Mobility: Ecuadorian and foreign nationals can access consular services “sin importar su condición migratoria” (regardless of their migration status).

Official sources

Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. Consular fees and IESS requirements change. Verify directly with the Ecuadorian consular office and with the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS). Not legal advice.