Visas for Ecuador

General Information:
According to the second paragraph of article 5 of the Immigration Law: “The decision to grant, deny or revoke a visa to a foreigner, however compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, is sovereign and discretionary to the Executive Function through the relevant agencies”.

Under Article 8 of the Immigration Law “Any foreigner who applies for admission in Ecuador as an immigrant or nonimmigrant except in transit, shall be provided with a visa issued by a foreign service officer of Ecuador who serves in the place of residence of the foreigner or in his absence, at the nearest place. ”

Under Article 22 of the Immigration Law: “The Directorate of Immigration and Migration Affairs Department, each within its field of action, may alter migration grades or categories of foreigners who are in the country, regardless of their immigration status or category, subject to compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. “

While no foreigner requires a visa to enter Ecuador (with the exception of special regimen for Chinese citizens) for a period of 90 days for tourism purposes, they must obtain from the Ecuadorian Embassies or Consulates a VISA to stay in the country for a longer period after fulfilling the requirements established by law.

Any foreigner wishing to enter Ecuador to develop specific activities, except for in transit visitors, must necessarily obtain a visa at a Consulate of Ecuador, prior entering the country.

No foreigner may hold two or more immigration status simultaneously.

The General Directorate for Immigration Affairs, may in exceptional cases after investigation and analysis of each case, change the immigration status of a foreigner who enters as in transit visitor, upon request duly justified of the reason for not having obtained the appropriate visa for the activity to be developed besides meeting the statutory and regulatory requirements set out in the Immigration Law and Regulations.

All foreigners, except those who have a 12-X visa, within 30 days of their arrival in Ecuador, must register their visa in the General Directorate of Immigration of the Ministry of Government, carrying his passport and visa certificate awarded by the respective Consulate.

Also must necessarily approach the Immigration Department to receive the respective census and identification card.

All visas must contain exactly the activity that will develop the foreigner in Ecuador.

The procedure for visa renewal must be done 30 days before the expiration of the same, as required by Article 57 of the Rules of Immigration Laws.

The exemption for visa fees is only for those citizens from Colombia and Paraguay.

The General Directorate of Immigration of National Police has no power to extend the legal stay of foreigners in the country, except those framed under the Andean Community of Nations decisions.

Citizens of the Popular Republic of China, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan and Somalia, require a visa to enter Ecuador.

The following discloses the types of nonimmigrant visas available, with their respective requirements, subject to acceptance, validity of the visas, fees, and requirements for renewal. Foreigners must submit and comply with all required documentation, without exception, in order to ask for one of the immigration categories.