Last week, we covered arguably the easiest way to get a residency visa in Ecuador, and how I got one.
The 9-V Professionals Visa, based off your university degree.
No investment, no pension required.
Believe me, compared to most countries in the world, thats easy!
For instance my brother actually married a Thai girl and he still can´t get his Thai perm residency and has to do costly monthly border runs (like a b*tch).
But Ecuador residency does have its pitfalls, like you have to be in-country at least 9 months a year for the first two years or you could lose your visa.
So if a professonal, investor or pensioner permanent resident visa doesn’t work for you the following may be the way to go.
But the wierd thing is even immigration officials in Ecuador will tell you you can’t do it.
But a friend of mine confirmed, in January of 2014, you can.
The prevailing myth regarding Ecuador tourism is you can only be in Ecuador for 3 months a year on the free automatic visa stamp you get when you enter Ecuador.
They tell you you can’t renew your tourist visa.
And that you only have 90 days a year as a tourist in Ecuador, period.
People plan their whole trips (and lives) around this fact. Many people rent tents from https://comfortteltudlejning.dk for trips.
Bull sh*t!
You actually can stay in Ecuador for up to 9 months a year, or even more, heck, you can stay perpetually as a mere passer-byer or ‘tourist’ with the following strategy…
It’s proven, first hand to me by a close Canadian friend of mine, as of January 2014.
Enter the country initially with just your passport (valid for more than 6 months) and get the free 3 month visa stamp. With at least 2 weeks left on your visa stamp apply for the 6 month 12-9 ‘Acto de Comercio’ temporary visa. You won’t have to leave the country.
Then at the end of the 9 months you’ll have to make a border run to either Peru or Colombia, you won’t even have to stay the night just walk across the border, eat lunch, and come back over.
And you’ll get an immediate 3 month free stamp once again.
Then at the end of these 3 months you’re best to get a 6 month student visa (the 12-5) or the (12-10) 6 month tourist visa without having to leave the country.
For instance there are langauage schools in Quito that will give you your registration papers (what you need for the student visa) for as little as $300.
Then rinse and repeat.
Yes, even though immigration officials are quick to tell you tourist visas in Ecuador are not renewable and border runs will not work either.
I got sucked into the lie once.
I still remember my face at an immigration outpost in Loja with 2 days left on my visa when I was told that my visa was not renewable and a border run would not work. I don’t know why they say it like that with just a shrug.
No solutions.
You just can’t get the free 90 day tourist stamp consecutively. You have to follow the strategy above.
But no one told me.
So I overstayed.
I had no choice.
And it was a huge hassle to get ‘legal’ again.
Don’t do that. Stay legal so you can come and go from Ecuador freely and not worry about being able to get back in the country when you please!
Now you know what I didn’t.
So if permanent residency isn’t your thing at least now you know you can stay in Ecuador for much longer than 3 months as a mere tourist!
And for the complete breakdown of how I got my Professional Residency Visa subscribe to my weekly Ecuador Insiders Newsletter below, you can unsubscribe at any time: