Decree 387 Reorients Ecuador Free Zones Toward Tech Services With 51% Presence Rule

President Daniel Noboa has issued Executive Decree 387, changing Ecuador's free-zone regulation toward technology services and the knowledge economy.

Regulatory Change

Primicias reports that the decree was issued on May 18, 2026 to orient Ecuador's free-zone regime toward services linked to innovation, technology and export services, with the stated objective of positioning Ecuador as a regional technology-services export hub.

The reform modifies the general regulation to the Ley Organica de Eficiencia Economica y Generacion de Empleo, which entered into force on December 20, 2023.

Authorized Activities

The reform creates delimited spaces for activities including:

• Telecommunications
• Information systems
• Data processing, storage and transmission
• Cybersecurity
• Scientific and technological research
• Software development and cloud services, including SaaS, PaaS and IaaS
• Blockchain, artificial intelligence and fintech
• Digital animation, biotechnology, nanotechnology and videogame creation

Operating Rules

The decree includes labor flexibility through telework and hybrid modalities. To maintain control, Primicias reports that the reform requires a minimum monthly 51% presence in free-zone facilities, with a lower threshold only if supported by a motivated technical report.

Workers may enter and leave the free zone with equipment such as phones, laptops, hard drives and cameras without paying foreign-trade taxes, provided the equipment is registered automatically and used exclusively for free-zone purposes.

What to watch

• Whether the Cuenca technology free-zone announcement referenced by Primicias moves into operating authorization under the new framework.
• Technical criteria for approving less than 51% in-zone presence.
• Investor uptake in software, cloud, cybersecurity, AI and fintech activities.
• Customs-control implementation for registered devices entering and leaving free-zone spaces.

Source: Primicias