Some get one for the “show”.
Some get one to feel like Bond when the cute airport clerk asks for their passport…
…so their reply can be “which one?”
Some get a second passport and dual nationality for tax, business or other personal reasons.
At least if you are an American who likes to travel you should seriously consider it.
Fact is, a quickly growing amount of countries these days charge Americans a stiff fee for entry visas when other nationalities walk in free or for pennies on the dollar.
China, India, Brazil and Bolivia all fall under this category.
As I discovered last year traveling through the middle east, other surprisingly nice countries are sadly off limits to Americans.
Many in fact.
Thankfully, Ecuador still warmly receives Americans as they do Europeans or Canadians.
And it’s relatively EASY to get dual citizenship and thus a second passport from Ecuador.
After sitting down with an immigration official this week, in December of 2012, here’s what I learned about how you can apply for Ecuadorian dual citizenship…
The main requirement is you need to be a resident of Ecuador for a minimum of 3 years from the date in which you get your first “cedula (Ecuador ID card)” or 2 years if you have an Ecuadorian kid.
You then need to gather the following documents:
1. Birth certificate apostilled (if from a country from within the apostille treaty like the US) or legalized by an Ecuadorian consulate abroad and then translated.
2. Copy of passport notarized and the original with the current resident visa.
3. Copy of cedula notarized and original.
4. Certificate from both the SRI (the Ecuadorian IRS) and the BIESS (Social Security) stating you have no outstanding debts to either. (Certificacion de no ser deudor.)
5. Your Ecuador police record and immigration movement documents. (Movimiento migratorio y record policial)
6. 4 passport photos.
The cost is $700, $200 paid up front, then $500 after being approved.
And there are no language tests, dorky Ecuadorian history tests nor required military service or further obligations upon attaining Ecuadorian citizenship.
Ecuador income is taxed by the Ecuador government, foreign income is not, regardless of if you are a citizen or not.
Currently, unless Peruvian or Colombian all foreigners need to apply for citizenship out of the Quito immigration office on Av. Carrion and 10 de Agosto.
That’s it.
Now you’ve got your Ecuadorian passport and can waltz freely through South America, the Galapagos, the Middle East and Cuba without paying a cent of visa fees or hassles.
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