Category: Ecuador Q&A

For all the latest investor opportunities available in Ecuador, businesses for sale, project ideas, or more check here. If you have an opportunity you’d like to publish write us via the contact form.

Example Ecuador Visa Solicitation Letter

Here´s an example of the official letter immigration in Ecuador asks for when you apply for a visa, just plug in your info and where you are applying and play!
—BEGIN—

2 de junio, 2013.

Manta, Ecuador.

Estimados.

Coordinacion Zonal 4 Manta

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movimiento Humano.

Por medio del presente, yo, John Doe con número del pasaporte 111111111 de nacionalidad estadounidense solicito que se me conceda visa 9-1 de Pensionista y Visa 9-VI de amparo en mi visa 9-1 a mi conyuge Suzy Q con número del pasaporte 111111222 de nacionalidad estadounidense. Ya que hemos decidido residir tiempo completoen la costa manabita ecuatoriana por cuestiones de clima y salud.

Atentamente,

_______________________

John Doe

Número Pasaporte: XXXXXXXXXX
— END—-

And to learn how to find the unpublished property deals no one else knows about, subscribe to my weekly Ecuador Insiders Newsletter below, you can unsubscribe at any time:

First Name
* Email
* = Required Field

8 things to know before you visit Salinas, Ecuador

“It was too cloudy.”

“It was a ghost town.”

I hear things like this all the time when people describe Salinas, Ecuador.

They just don´t know.

Right now I´m checking in from Salinas, Ecuador on a bluebird sunny day.

The ocean is sapphire blue and very inviting, not a cloud in the sky, and I´m surrounded by women in bikinis (at least thats what Im noticing).

People are on their balconies drinking beer with their friends.

Whats not to like?

But you have to know a few things before you visit (or live in) Salinas to get the most out of it… and be sure to define what you want.

1. Know the weather.  From mid-December to early-May most days are sunny and warm.  From late-May to mid-December its generally overcast.  It makes a big difference!  The ocean turns from blue to grey.  All year it almost never rains on this peninsula blessing it with low humidity.  For me, April is the best month to visit.  Right now!

2. The seasons.  If you like being surrounded by people, come in the high season from late December to early April, specifically on the weekends.  If you like empty beaches come from late April to early December.

3. When to buy.  If you are looking to purchase real estate, be sure to go in low season, when the weather is bleak, and everyone has their ´for sale´ signs out.  The difference in amount of inventory available is astonishing.  The best months to property hunt are August, September, October, right in the midst of low season and when the high season still seems far off.  In high season, almost all the locals and expats take down their for sale signs to enjoy their property. As I speak here in April there is very little for sale.  Ill be back in two months.

4. Where to eat.  People who say they dont like the food here must not have known where to eat.  Try the local treat, fish fillet soup “Chupe de Pescado” at the Restaurante Herminia on the Malecon.  Try eating where the locals eat at the open-air food court Picanteria Super Fausto near the Bank of Pichincha.  Try anything on the menu labeled with ” al ajillo (garlic flavored seafood)” “encebollado”, “ceviche”, ” sancocho” all delicious choices.  For something fried you could always try the “camarones apanados (breaded shrimp)” or the cangrejo (crab).

5. Where to hang out and stay.  Do you want to hang out with other foreigners or the locals?  To find the expat-gringo crowd hang out at the Smokin BBQ next to the El Carruaje Hotel on the boardwalk or try the bar at Hostal Aqui or the restaurants at Big Ralphs or Cocos Hostal.  Go elsewhere if you prefer to hang with the locals.  For cheap places away from the gringo scene you could try any of the many smaller hotels one row back from the ocean like Marvento or Salinas Suites which usually oscillate around $20 per person depending on the season.   For a luxury place try the Barcelo.

6. What to do and where to shop.  Whale-watching is good fun and possible from late-July to early-September.  People dont realize but at the local travel agencies on the boardwalk you can also hire banana boat rides, four-wheelers and even deep-sea fishing or scuba.  For those living in the area to find any household items you may need try the big box stores at El Paseo Shopping Mall.  To get the freshest seafood at the best prices try the Mercado de Mariscos in La Libertad.  For local handycrafts try the handycraft market near the Banco Pichincha on the boardwalk.

7. What its really like.  Take it for what it is.  Salinas from the beginning was built not as a tourist destination but as a weekend retreat for the wealthy folks from Guayaquil.  Another way to store their wealth.  Its a row of high rise condo buildings along the ocean.  If you go one or two blocks back it gets bleak fast as it pretty much looks the same as it did 10 years ago with not much investment.

8. The best beach?  Chipipe vs the main malecon/ San Lorenzo area.  Chipipe, tucked away in a cove, is the nicest beach in Salinas yet most miss it and stay on the main malecon beach area and then come away unimpressed with the beach at Salinas.  Other nice beaches nearby Salinas include Playa Rosada and Ayangue.

And to learn how to find the unpublished property deals no one else knows about, subscribe to my weekly Ecuador Insiders Newsletter below, you can unsubscribe at any time:

First Name
* Email
* = Required Field

Got mine, now how to get your Ecuador Cedula

After you get your permanent residency visa to live in Ecuador, doesn’t matter which type, could be the investors visa, the pensioners visa, or even the professionals visa…

…you’ll then have 30 days to get your mandatory Ecuadorian “Cedula”, or official ID card.

The visa, or what is stamped in your passport, is the more complex part, the cedula which looks like a drivers license, is just a formality but you NEED it or they won’t let you travel out of the country.

It’s happened to me.

You’ll pass through the airline check in counter, then at immigration they’ll tell you sorry, you can’t board the plane without a cedula (if you are in Ecuador on a permanent residency visa).

Besides, having a cedula qualifies you for a lot of benefits, especially senior benefits in Ecuador if you are over 65.

Even if you are not a senior, you can still get special pricing on certain things, like for one, trips to the Galapagos.

For instance, foreigners pay $465 round trip on Tame to the Galapagos from Quito right now.  Ecuadorians or foreigners which have perm resident status with Ecuadorian cedulas pay only $250.  And foreigners pay a $100 per head park entrance fee, people with Ecuador cedulas pay only a $10 per person entry fee upon arrival.

Getting your cedula is a recently streamlined, easy process and one I just did myself this week in January of 2014.

Once you pick up your visa that same day I recommend you get the document CERTIFICADO DE EMPADRONAMIENTO which costs $5 and only takes a few minutes to retrieve from the same immigration office that gives you your visa, in Quito its the one near the 6 de Diciembre and Colon intersection.

With that document you will need to wait 48 hours and then go to the REGISTRIO CIVIL (Civil Registry) on Naciones Unidas y Amazonas (if applying in Quito).

You will need to bring the Certificado de empadronamiento, your actual passport and a color copy of your passport ID page and a copy of your current residency visa.

Upon entering the Civil Registry, you will have to take a turn and pay $5 to the bank counter that is within their offices there.

You will then go down the stairs and to the windows 24 and 25 and wait for your turn to appear on the screen.

Once you are called they will photo you, take your fingerprints and then in one hour you will receive your brand new Ecuadorian cedula!

No more need to walk around with your passport, in Ecuador your cedula is everything, you can even travel to nearby Andean countries like Colombia and Peru with just your cedula.

And of course, no reason to pay a lawyer to get a cedula for you!

Important changes since early 2013 (one year ago):  

Prefice: About a year ago in Guayaquil I helped a few friends get their cedulas.  And since then things have changed a bit, for the better!

A year ago, after applying for the cedula and getting your photo taken you had to come back in 3-5 days, not anymore, in one hour I got my cedula.

A year ago, they asked for an apostilled birth certificate, they never asked for mine although I still recommend bringing it down.

A year ago, they asked for proof of civil status, a marriage certificate or if you were single you had to do a really annoying hassle of going to a notary and doing a sworn statement saying you were single (declaracion juramentada).  Not anymore.  They didnt ask for me to prove my single status.

PS.  I highly recommend getting yiour cedula in Quito although you can get it in a few other cities in Ecuador.  Just easier.

Keep in mind.  

Unlike countries like the US, your civil status appears on your ID card, and if you are married then ANY legal transaction you want to do in Ecuador like sell a real property or a car you will have to have your wife sign off on it!

But what if your legal wife or husband is not in the picture?

In Ecuador, you are pretty much screwed if thats what appears on your ID cedula card.  Your transaction will be greatly difficulted or stopped.  So if they arent in the picture go for single if you can.

To continue reading this post and others like it, subscribe to my weekly Ecuador Insiders Newsletter below, you can unsubscribe at any time:

First Name
* Email
* = Required Field

How to Get a Car Accident Lawyer to assist Your Car Accident Compensation?

According to the research wiped out the USA, a car accident is that the leading explanation for death among people aged between 6 to 25. and therefore the figures still rise annually , not only within the USA but also in most countries within the world. So, if you or your family are involved during a car accident, it’ll be an excellent help for you if you seek legal assistance from a car accident lawyer. For most, car accident case law is complicated and confusing. You need all the help you can get. Through a lawyer, you’ll be ready to understand your legal rights and options for a successful trial.

In recent years, many law firms and lawyers became specialist lawyers in car accidents and offer legal assistance to those involved during a car accident that wasn’t their fault. there’s an excellent potential for claiming insurance for an accident that’s not your fault but led to serious injury to your person or property. A car accident lawyers can assist you easily obtain compensation for all expenses incurred due to an accident, including medical expenses, loss of income, and damage caused by the accident.

If you’re involved during a car accident, there are 2 important belongings you must do so as soon as possible –

a. To hunt medical advice and services of a professional and

b. Experienced with a car accident lawyer.

For each country having different time during which you’ll file a claim for accidents, we must act quickly. Only a lawyer experienced an accident skills much compensation you’re eligible to get . it’ll know the figure after considering all expenses incurred by you due to the accident, including bullying suffered, also as its own expense.

An increasing number of car accidents and lawsuits has been filed, many lawyers’ accident bureau now can give free initial consultation to work out whether an accident victim is eligible to form a claim. Once it’s assured that there are sufficient grounds for a complaint, the lawyers performing on contingency fees, which suggests you simply pay if you receive an allowance. this is often normally one-third of what you ought to get.

The good news, once you finally plan to hire a specialist car accident lawyers is that you simply can find easily and conveniently. you’ll either invite recommendations from friends, colleagues, or other lawyers that you simply have worked within the past.

Remember that, the lawyers usually recommend to other lawyers they trust. Also, once you hook up with the web , you’ll easily find online tons of guidance services which can suggest a licensed representative. The latter is really the foremost convenient thanks to find a lawyer car accident in your region.

The Myth about Ecuador Border Runs: How to stay longer than 90 days in Ecuador as a tourist

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:

First Name
* Email
* = Required Field