Most nationals,
including citzens of the
EU, and North American
and Australasian
countries, do not need a
visa to enter Ecuador,
only requiring a
passport valid for more
than six months, a
return ticket and proof
of having enough money
for the duration of the
stay. You'll be issued
with a T-3 tourist card
on arrival, which you
should keep with your
passport - it will be
collected when you leave
the country. The tourist
card can allow up to
ninety days' stay,
though it's up to the
official whether you're
allocated thirty, sixty
or ninety days on
arrival.
You can get
extensions for US$10
at the Jefatura
Provincial de Migración
in provincial capitals -
it's often at the same
address as the police
headquarters - and in
Quito at Isla Seymour
1152 and Río Coca (Mon-Fri
8am-noon & 3-5pm). You
can't be granted an
extension until the day
on which your tourist
card runs out; there's a
small fine if you renew
it after it's expired.
Extensions are given at
the discretion of the
relevant official in
batches of thirty days,
up to a maximum of 180
days per twelve months.
It's unusual that you'll
be refused an extension,
but politeness and smart
dress certainly won't
harm your cause. In some
cases you'll be asked to
prove you have enough
money to stay in the
country for the length
of your extension.
You should carry your
passport , or at
least copies of the
important pages, with
you at all times - if
you can't produce
adequate identification
on demand you may be
fined or even be
detained. In some
sensitive areas,
particularly the
Oriente, only the
original document will
suffice.
Visas
If you want to work in
Ecuador, or simply to
guarantee a
stay of
over ninety days ,
you'll need a
visa
. There are a range of
visas available, all of
which last from six to
twelve months, covering
study (12-V), work (12-VI),
volunteering (12-VII),
cultural exchanges (12-VIII)
and long-stay business
or tourism (12-IX). Each
has its own application
procedure - you should
contact your consulate
before travel for advice
well in advance. The
prices of visas were
raised significantly
following dollarization.
It costs $30 for a visa
application form, $100
for a student visa, $200
for a work visa, $150
for volunteers, $50 for
cultural exchanges, and
$200 for long-stay
business or tourism.
Once in Ecuador, you
have to report to the
Dirección de Extranjería
at Carrión and Páez in
Quito (tel 02/549080;
Mon-Fri 8am-12.30pm)
within thirty days of
arrival in order to get
a censo (identity
card). You should bring
your passport,
certificado de visación
(given to you at the
consulate), and copies
of your entry stamp, a
large envelope (manila)
and a folder (carpeta),
available from the small
hut outside the building.
Write your name, address
in Quito and passport
number on the envelope
containing your passport;
it'll be stamped and
ready for you to collect
the next day. After this,
go to the Dirección
Nacional de Migración at
Avenida Amazonas 2639
and Avenida República (tel
02/454122; Mon-Fri 8am-noon
& 3-6pm) opposite El
Jardín shopping centre,
armed with your passport,
three passport photos,
photocopies of your
passport (both available
in the shop next door),
entry stamp and
Extranjería stamp, and a
letter from your hotel
owner or landlord
confirming your address,
plus a copy of their
identity card (cédula).
You'll be given a form
to sign, asked to stick
your photos on various
bits of paper, and pay a
small fee, after which
you'll be presented with
your Certificado de
Empadronamiento (the
censo), which you can
have laminated at a
stall outside.
The officials often
neglect to tell you this,
but you'll also need
permission to leave
the country (permiso de
salida), which you can
buy here for a small fee.
You can use it for
multiple exits during
the course of one year.
Ecuadorian embassies
around the world
Australia 1st
Floor, The Law Society
Building, 11 London
Circuit, Canberra, ACT
2601 (tel 02/6262 5282,
fax 6262 5285).
Canada 50
O'Connor St, Office 316,
Ottawa, ON K1P 6L2 (tel
613/563-8206, fax
235-5776).
Ireland 27
Library Rd, Dun
Laoghaire, Dublin (tel
01/280 5917).
New Zealand
Ferry Building, 2nd Foor,
Quay St, Auckland (tel
09/377 4321).
UK Flat 3b, 3
Hans Crescent, London
SW1X 0LS (tel 020/7584
1367, fax 7823 9701).
US 2535 15th
St NW, Washington, DC
20009 (tel 202/234-7200
or 234-7166, fax
667-3482).
