Obtaining an Ecuadorian Visa

Recently, I began my preparation for my return to Ecuador, my home for the previous five years. In those years prior, I had been fortunate enough to have access to a visa covered under a diplomatic agreement between the United States and Ecuador (though, not a diplomatic visa). However, that expired, and I had to pursue other options.

While a variety of classifications exist, most visas are either Immigrant visas, or non-immigrant visas. Immigrant visas are designed for individuals who intend to reside in the country for long periods of time, (on the order of years) whereas Non-Immigrant visas are temporary in nature, typically one year or less.

The visa process is governed by the Ministero de Relaciones Exteriores (Ministry of Foreign Relations, the Ecuadorian equivalent to the US State Department) They are often referred to by their classification. Immigrant visas for example, are known as Class 10 visas, whereas Non-Immigrant visas fall under Class 12.

For the time being, i have decided to apply for a Non-Immigrant visa. Non-Immigrant visas can in turn be broken down further into various types, each having their own requirements, restrictions, and limitations. For example, a student visa is good for up to one year, and can be renewed continually, however, the applicant must already have been approved to study at an accredited school or university prior to applying. A Class 12-IX visa (often referred to as a tourism or commercial activities visa) has much less stringent requirements, however is limited to a maximum of 6 months.

Before applying, it’s important to know that Ecuador does not require a visa for legal entry in all cases. Citizens of over 60 different countries can enter Ecuador with a passport registered in their home country, valid for at least 6 months past the date of entry. a complete list can be found at the website for Ministry of Foreign Relations website (http://www.mmrree.gov.ec/).

For these individuals, a stamp is placed in the persons passport with the mark 'T-3' and indicating the number of days permitted. The number of days granted is often left to the discretion of the immigration officer, and can range anywhere from two weeks, to three months (the maximum permitted on a single stamp). Individuals requiring additional time can seek an extension at most any Ministry of Foreign Relations office. For the nearest office in Ecuador, you can call +593 (2) 299-3284. In any case, the absolute maximum for any kind of tourism is 180 days in any 365 day period. Fines for overstaying a visa can range anywhere from $200 on up (generally depending on the length of time overstayed), and violators can risk incarceration.

Despite being from one such country, I had already used my "non-visa" visa, and thus entering on a passport alone wasn't an option. Therefore, I decided to seek the Class 12-IX visa mentioned above.

Requirements for this type of visa are rather minimal. To begin, the applicant will complete two forms, an Aplicación de Visa (Visa Application, MS Word DOC) and an Certificado de Visación (Visa Certification, MS Word DOC). In addition, the applicant will verify that his or her passport is valid for at last 6 months following the date of entry.

In addition, Ecuadorian law requires a "Doctors Certificate and HIV test, indicating the person does not have any communicable diseases." Some people might find this requirement somewhat ambiguous (as I did). In my case, I went to the local clinic and order a HIV test and requested what is known as a travel physical. The process took only about 20 minutes and consisted of a brief interview with the doctor. During this time, I illustrated to the doctor the visa health requirement and requested a statement (in writing) from the doctor that indicated that, in his professional opinion, I was in a healthy condition with no apparent or observed symptoms that could cause an urgent medical condition. Within two days, I was able to retrieve the letter and HIV certificate from the clinic. Total cost was approximately $120.

The Ecuadorian Mission to the United States also requires that applications supply, and I quote, "Police certificate indicating that there is no record". This requirement will be particularly confusing for many US residents, as we do not have combined national police force, but rather numerous levels of police protection, including the City, County, State, and Federal. I believed that the fulfilling the 'sprit' of the requirement would be sufficient, and obtained a citation report from the local police department. The desk sergeant was kind enough to point out how to interpret the report (consisting of mainly internal codes and gibberish). I then highlighted the relevant section that illustrated that i was in fact *not* a wanted criminal. The cost of the report was $5. As it turned out, this was sufficient. It is worth mentioning that my state (Minnesota) does offer a more extensive background criminal check, however this is designed more for pre-employment screening and costs quite a bit more.

Lastly, they require you submit proof of financial solvency. From the Ecuadorian Government's point of view, they don't want to risk you getting in a position where you don't have enough money to pay for basic needs, like shelter and food. There is specific requirements, however keep in mind that the average monthly income for a typical Ecuadorian is between $500 and $600.

Don't forget to provide two passport photos as well. these are photographs that have very particular size requirements, and can be best obtained from nearly any United States Post Office, in addition to many photography studios and film processing centers. The cost from the Post Office is $15, and includes two photographs.

Finally, they'll want a copy of your tickets. Paper tickets are a rarity now-a-days, so I submitted a copy of my e-mail confirmation, which did the trick.

The last step is to provide all the above documents to one of eight Ecuadorian Consulates in the United States. A detailed list is available on the US Mission website. For other countries, consult the complete list of overseas missions at the website of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Relations.

There are two fees charged, totaling US$230.00, and the consulates only accept cash, and cashier’s checks.

If you intend to submit the application by mail, be sure also include a postage paid return envelope. Your best bet is to go to the post office ask them to help in calculating proper return postage. Since you'll be sending your passport, you'll want to insure that both envelopes are sent "Registered Mail". This will allow you to track the package as it goes to the Consulate, and makes it's way back to you. Don't forget to record the tracking number for the return segment; you'll not be able to take the receipt as it has to stay with the return envelope until it is actually mailed by the consulate.

Lastly, it's good advice to contact the consulate BEFORE you mail your application to ensure that they in fact accept applications by mail; the decision to accept or not accept is at the discretion of the consulate and not all do; (The Consular General in Washington DC *does* accept visa applications by mail. The Chicago office only accepts applications presented in person.)

Applications are processed in less than 48 hours. This means that, assuming you've sent the application by priority mail and included a postage paid priority mail envelope for the return trip, an approved visa can be had in as little as one week, including travel time.

Your visa will consist of little more than a special stamp in your passport detailing the circumstances of your visa and the dates of validity. Also, there will be several stickers that are used as proof of payment of the applicable visa fees. Everything will be stamped liberally with the consular seal.

Overall, the process is quite painless and shouldn't be much of a challenge. I am now happy relaxing in the tropical warmth along the pacific coast.

Good luck with your visa application!

-Jojo