Those who are in receipt of a pension from their country of origin are welcome to apply for the status of a permanent resident of Ecuador. They must be able to prove that their income is regular and will be enough to support them and any dependents – such as a spouse or young child – for the time they will be staying in the country.

Claiming your pension from your home country should be fairly easy. It is important to discuss your planned move with the pensions department in your home country as they will be able to advise you on the procedures you will have to follow to claim from them. It may be that your country has an agreement with Ecuador and that monies can be easily transferred. If not, you should still be entitled to the pension and can have this paid into a bank account in your home country for you to transfer yourself. If this is the case you should be aware that there will be charges from the banks for transferring monies from one country to another and you will be responsible for those charges yourself.

If you are in receipt of a private pension rather than a state pension you may find that the company administering your fund will be reluctant to transfer monies abroad. In this case, you will have to have the money paid into a bank account in your home country and transfer it yourself.

Unless you have been resident in Ecuador for a long time and have become a citizen, paying into the national insurance scheme, it is unlikely that you will be able to claim any financial help from the state.

Ecuador is an attractive country for those who are looking for a warmer climate and extremely low cost of living. The average state pension in the UK, for example, can easily keep a married couple in some luxury. There are many families in Ecuador that have larger homes than they would have been able to afford in their home country and even employ domestic help.

Those who are looking for an active retirement will find that Ecuador meets their needs. The opportunities for taking part in new sports are many, and people can learn to scuba dive or paraglide. The beautiful countryside offers the potential for hiking and trekking and the whole way of life in the country is very laid back and relaxed.