Category: Expat Lifestyle

Last week I wrote you about a few things you should have warned me about BEFORE I came to Ecuador!

Turns out I forgot a few more…

16. That Ecuadorian men, especially taxi drivers, think of the streets as their private urinal.

17. That Ecuadorian drivers, especially taxi drivers, will make left hand turns from the third right-hand lane.

18. That Ecuadorians don’t line up, they swarm.

19. That Ecuadorians aren’t big “joggers”, meaning if you see a few people running in the streets in the middle of the day you know it means someone just got robbed.

20. That Ecuadorians probably won’t have change… even for your $5 bill!

21. That Ecuadorians in small towns on the coast love to put hidden speed bumps along the main coastal road just for kicks as outsiders lose their suspensions and shatter their teeth.

22. That mañana does NOT mean “tomorrow”, it means “NOT today”.

23. That on Sundays the small towns turn literally into “ghost towns” with everything closing meaning if you didn’t prepare beforehand you’ll have to rumage through the garbage to survive (or live off Doritos).

24. That once the food is served the waiters job is considered finished and will disappear out the back for a smoke.

25. That you will need to have important matters explained through translators who speak worse English than you speak Spanish.

26. That even though Ecuador is a coffee producing country, all that will be offered to you is NesCafe. (Unless you’re in Loja.)

27. That Ecuadorian drivers don’t care what happens behind them, they will turn on their emergency blinkers and stop anywhere and block traffic without a care in the world.

28. That Ecuadorian government employees will give you the wrong information, then take no responsibility for it.

And once again, despite all these setbacks I’ll still be glad I came!

Oh yea, and that signing up for my weekly newsletter on Ecuador living was the best decision you’ve made in your whole life! You can unsubscribe at any time:

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Here’s a list of the current visa requirements (updated for OCT 2012) and translated to English, if you have a tip to add please do so in the comments, thanks!

9-II Investor’s Visa (Real Estate) Requirements

9-1 Pensioners Visa Requirements

VISA 12 – IV Refugee Visa Requirements Ecuador

12-VIII Volunteer Visa Requirements Ecuador

12-VI Work Visa Requirements Ecuador

12-V Student Visa Requirements Ecuador

12-X Tourist Visa Requirements Ecuador

12-IX Tourist Visa Requirements Ecuador

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Why didn’t you tell me about these things BEFORE I came to Ecuador!

After being here a full year, here are 15 things you should have told me before I came here…

15. That I’ll blow out my knee while doing a power squat with my pack on while taking an emergency dump in a gas station bathroom because the floor hasn’t been cleaned for months and there’s no where to set the bag down. Then there’ll be NO toilet paper causing me to sacrifice a sock!

14. That even if immigration makes a mistake with your paperwork it can cause you to miss your departure flight from Ecuador, even if it’s totally not your fault and you’re already checked in.

13. That throwing trash out bus windows is not frowned upon and locals will get TICK*D if you say something.

12. There’s a reason people throw the toilet paper in a small bin next to the toilet! Ecuadorian toilets really can’t handle even a few squares without turning into an active volcano. The hard part is not sneaking a peak at the skid mark after you wipe.

11. That all women in Ecuador are after 3 things and 3 things only, marriage, marriage and … marriage. If you’re not up to it you better inform so in writing on the first date before the first round of drinks.

10. Not to look up and admire architecture and birds in the trees as you walk in the streets… because you will fall in a hole!

9. That the police are not on your side and if you call them, even in time of need, they probably won’t show or they’ll ask for a bribe.

8. That sure, I can buy a lot of land in the middle of no where on the coast for CHEAP, but water and electricity services will be spotty at BEST and internet is simply un-available.

7. That roosters or barking dogs will probably wake me up at the a$$ crack of dawn every day for my entire stay.

6. That drivers are “lane-challenged” and that meshing and going with the flow is the only way to make it.

5. That Cuenca is NOT the land of the “eternal spring”… more like the land of the eternal ” late fall”, its cold! Bring an extra jacket.

4. That hot, powerful showers as we know them don’t really exist in Ecuador, the Ecuador “hot” is our “slightly luke warm”.

3. That rice is served with EVERY meal, and that locals consider a mountain of plain, white rice “tasty” and I’m wierd not to do so, too.

2. That even the people in tourist information offices and airline check-in points don’t speak English.

1. That no matter if someone in the street has no clue where something is, they’ll still point you in a random direction, again, and again, and again.

And that despite all these setbacks I’ll still be glad I came!

Oh yea, and that signing up for my weekly newsletter on Ecuador living was the best decision you’ve made in your whole life! You can unsubscribe at any time:

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9-II Investor’s Visa in Real Estate Requirements (Visa de Inversionista en Bien Raiz):

Before coming to Ecuador:

1. Get your original birth certificate from the Municipality of your birth, then get the document apostilled or certified by the nearest Ecuador Consulate.

Tip: The verification of notary is a document verifying that the notary is really licensed to notarize in the area in question. It can be attained quickly in the locally located County Clerk’s office.

2. Go to the local sheriff’s office of the county you have resided the last 5 years and request a criminal record check (here is the process of issuing pardon applications, if required). Get notarized plus get the verification of notary from the County Clerk’s office. Then get this document apostilled.

Tip: An Apostille is different from a “State Seal” and is the ONLY internationally recognized way to legalize documents. To get a document apostilled in the USA, the least expensive way is to write directly to your local Statewide Secretary of State with $10 per apostille and an envelope so they can mail it back. Go here and download the latest version of pdf software from sodapdf.com and start managing your files easily.

Once in Ecuador…

3. Write petition letter stating request and sign it (can use example included wherein). And then post the letter from the nearest Post Office Locations.

4. Fill out forms included with this guide, the application form (solicitud de visa) and the order for ID Card (orden de cedulacion).

5. Get 3 notarized color copies of your passport and 4 passport photos. Tip: Learn from my mistake and wait until Ecuador to notarize copies of your passport, it is only $1 and can be done in minutes compared to what you have to do in the US! In order to get a notarized copy of your passport while still in the US you will need to write the National Secretary of State in Washington DC by mail and pay $50 because you will find local notary’s in the US won’t be able to notarize a copy of a Nationally issued document like your passport. Just applying this fact alone can pay for the price of this guide!

6 Get the documents you attained in the USA officially translated by one of the many translators that lobby their services just outside the immigration offices in Quito, Cuenca or Guayaquil. They normally charge around $30 per officially translated document. Allow 24 hours to process. One translator in Guayaquil is Ing. Ricardo Montalvo with offices in Kenedy Norte Mz 401 solar 6, Calles Neptali Zuniga y Justino Cornejo Tel: 2683901 / 097107481.

7. Gather notarized copy of the title or “Escritura” of the property you own as registered in the Registro de la Propiedad (Property Registry) wherever the property is located.

8. Get the “Certificado original del historia del dominio y gravamenes” (Official Domain History Certificate) of the property in the applicant’s name.

9. Get the payment receipt of the last yearly property tax of the property which also states the official Municipal value of the property which should be no less than $25,000 USD and must increase $500 USD in value for each dependent of the applicant that is also coming to Ecuador. This document is locally referred to as the “carta original del pago del impuesto predial” which is attained from the Municipality Office (Municipio) where your property is located.

10. Go to the “Direccion de Extranjeria” (immigration office) in your city of choice for the application: Quito, Cuenca or Guayaquil. In Guayaquil the “Direccion de Extranjeria” is in the golden colored building locally known as the GOBIERNO LITORAL where you will officially submit your residency application.

Before submitting, your first step once in their offices will be to request a certificate (Certificado de Movimiento Migratorio) which certifies your migratory movements in and out of Ecuador. In Guayaquil, this certificate can be attained right in the same offices where you’ll be applying and can be given immediately.

Once you have this certificate you can officially submit your application, if you have all the other necessary documents you will be told to pay the cashier the application fee of $30, and upon acceptance of the visa you will be required to pay the remaining $320 visa fee.

11. Once you have the APPROVED VISA in your passport you will still need to get a “cedula” which serves as your local ID card and is a must get within 30 days of your visa approval.

Just take the paper “Certificado de Visacion” they return back to you along with your visa as well as the approved “Orden de Cedulacion” (order for ID card) to the Civil Registry (Registro Civil).

Tip: You should also bring a notarized copy of a water or electric bill of your residence (even if it isn’t in your name), a notarized copy of your proof of pension and a notarized copy of your birth certificate. You also may be asked by the officials to get a sworn statement done in a notary (declaracion juramentada) that states the following information (your full name, date and place of birth, nationality, civil status, education level, profession, names and nationalities of mother and father, name and nationality of spouse if applicable, your local Ecuador address and telephone.

Tip: Most cedulas are given 24 hours after submitting your application but if you insist politely that you need it back immediately due to a medical issue I have had success getting my cedula the same day. The cedula is valid for 10 years.

And to stay up to date on the latest developments throughout Ecuador sign up for my weekly newsletter on Ecuador living and investing, you can unsubscribe at any time:

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