Considerations

Here are some pointers we offer for transitioning to Ecuador:

Before moving anywhere we highly recommend that you understand a locations drinking water availabilities. Most parts of the world actually have their water piped in or trucked in and the water does not come from ones own property. This is a fragile system to rely upon. Not to mention there are many vectors for contamination.
 

Many harmful particulates are falling from the sky in many areas throughout the world, so exposed water sources are a weak point. Springs are great because of the natural filtration process when traveling through various sedimentary layers. A well can work in a similar fashion, though you should understand whether it is naturally filtering through a short distance of earth or a longer distance. Rivers and streams can be a good option, yet you should understand what is upstream. Is the waters head on your property or not? 

Municipal water, and trucked in water can stop at any time. As well many are full of harmful additives. 

Residency options: 

You can use a legal specialist to handle your visa's and eventually your permanent residency. 

You must realize that apostilled documents are only valid in the country you are visiting for a short period. Typically 3 to 6 months. 

This means you must acquire your apostilled documents, visit the country, complete the immigration/migracion process all within the timeframe that your visa is valid for. 

You should also contact a reputable legal advisor ahead of time that is very familiar with this process.
With exception of citizens from 34 countries, anyone can enter Ecuador for a period of up to 90 days visa free.

Those countries who must first apply for a visa are; Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, 15 Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, India, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Syria, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Vietnam y Yemen.

All visitors to Ecuador need a passport with at least 6 months of validity to enter the country.

Overstaying the 90 day tourist visa or T-3 as it is know is an immigration offense that incurs a penalty where the individual who has committed the offense is denied entry to Ecuador for a period of 9 months.

This penalty can be circumvented if you obtain a visa from an Ecuadorian Consulate outside of Ecuador.

In Ecuador officials are entitled to request your documents at anytime. The onus is on you to prove you legal status. If you are found to have overstayed your visa, local officials can initiate the process of deportation.

​

There are 4 common types of residency visas though others exsist:

Investor Visa

Pensioners Visa

Professional Visa

Rentier Visa

For all resident visa applications you are required to provide:

Criminal history (both state and from the FBI) notarized and apostilled

Proof of health insurance

While in many cases not required it is advisable to have your birth certificate as well. Notarized and apostilled.

Marriage certificate if applying as a couple. Notarized and apostilled

​

It can sometimes be easier to apply for your visa where you currently live if you are near an Ecuadorian Embassy – this allows you to avoid traveling in Ecuador to a Visa office and sometimes the individual consulates have more relaxed requirements. Your documents expire! Begin preparing your documents close enough to your planned application date that they won’t expire. Use an FBI channeller (if you are from the US) to get your FBI criminal history as they can get it fast whereas if you send the prints yourself it could take 3-4 months to receive the documents. Get help! Can you apply for a resident visa on your own? Sure and many have! However it will make your life much easier and allow you to avoid the many pitfalls and bureaucratic nightmare so common to Latin America if you hire a professional service to assist. We offer a list of reputable and trusted professionals to help make this process as easy and as seamless as possible. Be sure to ask us- we are here to help!

​

Hotels:
Hotels are safe and widely available in Ecuador. Any normal booking website you would use anywhere in the world will have several available options. However many hotels are not listed on the international booking websites and can only be found locally. It is customary in Ecuador for breakfast to be included in the price of your overnight stay at a hotel. While hotels function as they would anywhere in the world- and there are inexpensive options all over the country- they are not always up to international standards as far as quality and service. 18 If you are looking for an international quality standard meeting hotel here in Ecuador, you should expect similar rates to middle to higher end hotels in the US, Canada and Europe. Most, but not all hotels will accept credit cards.

​

Time Zone and Climate:

Ecuador experiences approximately 13 hours of daylight, everyday, year round, with very little variance. Daylight is from approximately 5:30am to around 6:30pm everyday. There is no time change, or need to adjust the clocks during the year for daylight savings time. There are however seasons that will vary according to the region you are in. Make sure to do your research on the climate/seasons for the specific locations you are interested in.

In general, Ecuador experiences 2 seasons – dry season 8 and rainy season. The dry season- approximately June through Octobercoincides with more wind and cooler temperatures. In many parts of Ecuador, during dry season, the vegetation dries out and the landscape turns brown. During the rainy season- approximately November through May- temperatures are slightly warmer and the rains return.

Something to keep in mind is that in Ecuador, rainy season does not mean constant rain day and night like many countries. It simply means that during that time of year there are rains, whereas during dry season in many places, there aren’t. Ecuador is the land of microclimates. In general, temperature is dependent on altitude – the lower the hotter, the higher the cooler. In the mountains, climate can vary dramatically even within very small geographic distances due to change in altitude. Even within a valley, there are usually areas that experience more or less rain and perhaps even differences in temperature. Things like temperature, humidity, cloud cover and rainfall can all vary greatly based on altitude, micro region, and other factors.

Mainland Ecuador has 3 climates. Coastal, Mountain and Amazon or ‘La Costa’, ‘La Sierra’ and ‘El Oriente’ in Spanish. Do your research on the climates in each location you are considering so you can easily eliminate regions that simply won’t appeal to you climate-wise. For example, if you can’t live with humidity, you are not going to be happy in the Orient or parts of the coast. Much of the Orient can be warm and humid. If too much rain bothers you, places like Cuenca and Loja may not be for you. Ecuador has plenty of places that get cold at night, as well as during the cooler parts of the year. Basically any location around or above 6,500 feet (1,981 meters) in altitude will experience temperatures from time to time that could be compared to early fall in North America.

Currency and Cards:

Ecuador’s official currency is the US Dollar. If you are traveling from a country that does not use the USD, it is recommended to locate the best exchange rate you can prior to your arrival. If you do arrive with a currency you must exchange, the service is available in the Quito and Guayaquil airports, however the rate may be substantially more than in your home country. Unless you will be strictly on the coast or in the orient, (Amazonian region) you will want to bring cool weather clothing. Waterproof boots and rain gear are also highly recommended if you plan to do any exploring (of properties or otherwise). The bacteria in the food and water in Ecuador is different from what many are accustomed to. While in general water quality here is excellent, you may want to stick to bottled water for your first few months in Ecuador. You should also bring your stomach salve of choice just in case. To access funds while you are in Ecuador, generally speaking your ATM card will work (Schwab Bank currently has no foreign ATM fees). You may also be considering opening an Ecuadorian bank account prior to your arrival via a 7 Power of Attorney and wiring yourself funds ahead of time. You can use your credit card while in Ecuador at many hotels, supermarkets, stores and upscale restaurants, however saturation of credit card acceptance is low – many/most places do not accept credit cards. Due to this fact, you will want to bring cash, preferably smaller denominations, bills of $20 or under are recommended. You will need to purchase health insurance (and have proof of it) before you leave for your trip. Most credit cards offer travelers insurance as part of their perks package. Make sure to check yours as this is an easy option. You also may want to consider making and having color copies of your passport on you and available, as to do nearly anything here you will need to provide a copy.

​

Electricity in Ecuador:

Ecuador has both 110V and 220V. Most places currently have 110V, however through tax and regulatory policy the government is encouraging property owners to convert to 220V, at least for outlets that are utilized by major appliances such as hot water heaters and stoves. If you are arriving from the US or Canada, you will not need special plugs for your electronics to connect to the power outlets. But if you are coming from a country in Europe or other area you will. Please plan accordingly.

​

Acquiring Cellular Service:

First make sure to unlock you mobile phone before coming to Ecuador or buy one online that is “factory unlocked”. You can get it unlocked here, but it will likely be easier/less expensive in the country you currently reside in.

Most carriers, if you explain that you are moving overseas will unlock your phone for free. If not, you can pay a fee to have it unlocked through your carrier or via other means. 23 Any unlocked cellphone should work in Ecuador.

The two major mobile service providers in Ecuador are Claro and Movistar. There are several others, including CNT and Tuenti. At this point mobile signal saturation is excellent and nearly any service provider works in the vast majority of the country.

Shipping:

Shipping Your Household Items to Ecuador Ecuador offers a one-time, tax-free exemption to import personal items via shipping container for expats relocating here. If you are planning to set up your life here in Ecuador this can be a great money saving option. Due to high import taxes and limited products being produced domestically- buying things like furniture, electronics, clothes, household items, etc. can be costly even for items of subpar quality. We recommend shipping your things here after you have settled and have a good place to receive them.

Banking in Ecuador:

With Governments around the world increasing regulations on what citizens and businesses are allowed to do with their money, finding places to do banking has become increasingly difficult. With the passage of FATCA in the US- less and less options are available to Americans. While Ecuador is FATCA compliant, it is not a difficult place to do banking. There is even currently one bank in Ecuador that does not report holdings of US citizens to the IRS. Banks here however do have strict anti-money laundering laws in place that can be mildly burdensome.

Opening Bank Accounts Each bank has unique requirements for opening accounts and their regulations change regularly. However all banks share several prerequisites.

You will need:

• A copy of your Cedula or Passport. • A copy of your utility bill – such as water, electricity or telephone. • 2 personal recommendation letters.

As a non-resident you will not have a Cedula or a utility bill and may not know people who can provide recommendation letters. Therefore you will use your passport, you will get a friend or contact to provide you with a utility bill and anyone can sign your recommendation letters (for example the employees of the hotel you are staying at). We can assist in this process as well. We can help with providing you bank recommendations, providing form recommendation letters, helping to locate a utility bill/address to use, and providing you with the personal contacts sometimes necessary to smooth over any objections the bank may have. You may want to consider opening a bank account prior to your arrival in Ecuador. This allows you to wire yourself funds to access in Ecuador and to not have to worry about carrying cash and Travelers Checks. We can offer recommendations of attorneys that can handle this process for you

Air Travel:

Ecuador has 2 major international airports located in Quito and Guayaquil and several smaller airports scattered throughout the country. Aeroregional is the main domestic carrier that offers air travel between airports within Ecuador. They do not offer flights to every city, everyday of the week so make sure to check their website for schedules and purchase tickets for travel. You can find them at: https://aeroregional.net. Aeroregional does cancel flights with some degree of regularity; so keep in mind that is a slight possibility when you book domestic air travel. Note: In Quito, the airport is NOT located in Quito, if you find it necessary to sleep overnight in-between flights you should book a hotel close to the airport – in the town of Tababela. There are other cities as well, such as Loja, where the airport is located a significant distance outside the city itself – plan accordingly.

As we all understand our reliance is on The Most High, yet he has given us foresight and discernment and expects us to utilize His foresight, discernment and warnings which He has given us.