This week on the Ecuador Q&A forum one member asked how to get a corporation work visa for Ecuador… click here to read the answers.
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Let’s cut the crap.
There are 3 main reasons people move to Ecuador, or any third world country for that matter…
Women (or men). More freedom. Lower costs.
Did I mention, the gas costs $1.60 a gallon?
Oh yeah, and at least for the next year or two, real estate is a pretty good buy, too.
Not sold yet? Well, here are 7 things I bet you didn’t know you could do in Ecuador…
7. Rent a bike for $5 high in the Andes, in Baños, then be amazed as you casually descend through the foothills of the Andes into the Amazon Jungle Basin (60 km). Then catch the bus with your bike back up. Can be done in 1 day, only a moderate level of fitness is needed.
6. Deep-sea fish for Marlin for a fraction of what it costs in Mexico or Oyster dive with locals near Salinas. More info.
5. Gamble in the Casinos (online at https://clubvip777.com/)of Guayaquil, or take an all-you-can-drink 2-hour river-boat cruise similar in style to what I’ve seen in San Diego, Toronto and London. (This is how I met my last ex-girlfriend.) Leaves almost every night in Guayaquil. More info. You can try play pgslot where you can enjoy casino online. Many players also loves to play on idn poker.
4. Eat strawberries the size of your fist in Ibarra, cheese made in a leaf (Hoja de Queso) in Ambato, and entire fish cooked on a grill along the coast (pescado asado)…all delicious! More info.
3. Get certified as a glider pilot near Otavalo for a little over $1000… they say if you can fly a glider plane (it looks like a small airplane, but with no engine) flying a plane with an engine is even easier. More info.
2. Help harvest cocoa on a plantation in Machala then visit an active gold mine later that day. More info.
1. Eat Filet Mignon for $6 then get 5-10 years taken off your face –not exaggerating– with the treatments of locally-famous Dermatologist Janeth Arevalo in Loja for a fraction of what you’d pay in the States. And she’s much better than the Dermatologists that treated me in the US! Tell her Dom sent you. Dentistry and other medical treatments are also world-class and at a low cost in Loja, since now a days dentist is a service you can even go online, and you can learn more here about this.
Alone, cheap cost of living is a bad reason to move to another country, that could change overnight! But as you can see, Ecuador offers a lot more than that, in fact, I’d live here even if it were more expensive than the States (but not a lot more).
And to get notified of all the latest property deals in Ecuador NO ONE else knows about, as soon as they become available, sign up for the weekly Ecuador Insider’s Newsletter below (you can unsubscribe at ANY time):
This week on the Ecuador Q&A Forum, one wise forum member asked “How to Get Your US Mail Forwarded to Ecuador” click here to read how.
And to get notified of all the latest property deals in Ecuador NO ONE else knows about, as soon as they become available, sign up for the weekly Ecuador Insider’s Newsletter below (you can unsubscribe at ANY time):
3 months. Non-extendable.
That’s how much time you get when you enter Ecuador as a tourist these days. You can enter by just showing your passport upon arrival, no prior visas needed.
A few short years ago, at the end of the 3 months you could go to the immigration office, pay a few bucks, and get a 3 month extension. Now, you can’t.
Plus, I heard rumors that we can no longer exit Ecuador and re-enter to get a fresh 3 months.
So how can you stay in Ecuador longer than 3 months without having to apply for a permanent residency visa?
As my initial entry stamp expired this past week, I opted for the 12-IX “Acto de Comercio Visa” (Act of Commerce Visa). It’s the easiest option I found without having to leave the country.
Here’s what you need to do to get it (follow these instructions exactly or you’ll be making several trips, like I did):
1. Write brief letter in Spanish made out to the regional coordinator of immigration affairs, in Guayaquil right now it’s Ab. Eliana Larrea Marriot stating WHY you want to extend your stay in the country. Your reason can be simply “tourism”.
2. Fill out visa application form and include two passport-sized photos. Download here.
3. Make NOTARIZED copies of your exit air ticket, your passport photo page with at least 6 months of validity, and a bank statement proving you have sufficient funds to stay in the country ($1000 USD should do). Translate the bank statement to Spanish with translator, you can find many outside the Ministry of Foreign Relations (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores) offices.
4. Take documents in manila folder to the nearest “Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores” and there you will pay the visa fee, $230.
The extension is good for 3 more months. No lawyer needed. I recommend applying 2 weeks before your visa stamp expires, just to be safe.
Also, if you’d like more tips regarding visas in Ecuador you can ask questions on the Q&A forum, or if you stay in my new B&B next to the airport in Guayaquil I can give you personalized pointers through the process, free…
And to get notified of all the latest property deals in Ecuador NO ONE else knows about, as soon as they become available, sign up for the weekly Ecuador Insider’s Newsletter below (you can unsubscribe at ANY time):
I know what everyone else is saying on the net…
Cuenca? Now? Buy, buy, buy, buy, buy!
Yeah, whatever… I’ll let the other guys hype the place up, they’re doing a great job, I’ll just call it like I see it…
This week I was in Cuenca, talking to a few contacts, having a look around…
Here’s what I dug up…
No doubt about it, over the last 2 years, since Cuenca was put on the world retirement destination map, prices have jumped. In fact, there’s rumored to be over 3000 expats living in Cuenca already.
Also, favorable local government policies for new Ecuadorian home owners have also pushed prices up a bit, cash for homes is an easy way to get money for your home.
For instance, in the area of San Joaquin, land was going for around $40 per square meter in 2009, now in October of 2011 the same land can be sold quickly for around $80-100 per square meter… a 100% increase.
Land around the city center of Cuenca is going for around $300-350 per square meter. And to build you’re looking at around $400 per square meter of construction, just like elsewhere in Ecuador.
In the center of nearby, highly promoted, Yunguilla valley lots are going for around $25 per square meter. You can find cheaper lots on the outskirts of the valley. A few short years back before the international promotion lots were quite a bit cheaper.
But Yunguilla is still an interesting buy because that’s where everyone wants to have their hacienda, the locals included.
The good news is you can still find one bedroom suites near the center of town for $35-40k, two bedroom condos for $50k, and desirable three bedroom condos starting around $65k just like you could two years back, but the options are less at those prices and you’ll have to look harder.
Also, I did eat a delicious full course lunch with chicken and vegetable soup for $2, just like I did 2 years ago.
Buying a property to rent is also a good idea, I’ve noticed a strong surplus in demand over rental supply. You can rent 1 bedroom high-end furnished suites in a relatively new building for around $300-400/month, 2 bedroom furnished condos for $450-500/month, and 3 bedroom furnished condos for $700/month.
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