Ecuadorian Tourist Visa Extension

Important visa travel information for tourists who want to stay longer in Ecuador:

Since December 2017 the Ecuadorian government has adapted a new extension of the immigration law (acuerdo N° 907). According to this new agreement each regular foreign tourist who arrives in Ecuador has the right to stay 90 days for free as a tourist in Ecuador. Tourists who want to stay longer in Ecuador can apply once for an extra of 90 days extension on their tourist visa. This visa extension cost at the moment of writing exact 129.63 US$.
South American tourists with the following nationalities: Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Paraguay, Perú, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela (all countries that belong to UNASUR), do not have to pay extra. Citizens of these countries receive automatically 180 days for free.
Citizens from the following countries always first have to apply for a visa before entering Ecuador: Afganistán, Bangladesh, Cuba, Eritrea, Etiopía, Kenia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistán, República de Corea, Senegal y Somalia.

How to apply for a tourist visa extension:

1- Go to the website of the Ecuadorian Ministry of interior (address below) and look for the Visa application form called: “Formulario de Solicitud de Prórroga”. Print this form and fill it in with either a black or blue pen (sometimes you can also already fill it in online).
2- Make color copies of your passport and the Ecuadorian immigration stamp.
3- Go to Banco de Pacifico and fill in a small bank deposit form to be able to make a deposit of exact 128.67 US$ (May 2018). The information on this form should be as followed:
* Passport number;
* The code of the province where you apply for your Visa (Loja is number 11) + your last name and your first name. If you don’t know the code, or have doubts about this deposit, then it’s recommendable to first visit an immigration office in your neighborhood and ask for advice.
* Fill in the code that is associated with the service that you’re paying for. The code for this Visa extension is: 4,6 Prórrogas
* Write down the amount that you’re going to deposit, in this case: 128.67 US$
4- Make the deposit and take the bank receipt on the same day to the immigration office together with the filled in application form and copies. You will now receive a new stamp in your passport and 90 days extra to stay as a tourist in Ecuador.
Note: be careful, these 90 days extra will have to be consumed directly. You can leave the country if you want, but they will continue counting your days, so you will just lose days on your visa…

What happens when you overstay your Ecuadorian Visa:

The fine to pay when you overstay your visa in Ecuador is officially between 1x up till 15 times the minimum month salary, which can be a total between 386 US$ up till 5790 US$!

The official website of the Ecuadorian Ministry of interior and immigration: http://www.ministeriointerior.gob.ec/

Link to download the official visa application form, called: Formulario de Solicitud de Prórroga: http://www.ministeriointerior.gob.ec/formulario-de-prorrroga-para-el-permiso-de-permanencia-autorizada-en-ecuador/ and http://www.ministeriointerior.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/nuevo-formulario.pdf

Latest official news about the possibility to extend your tourist visa in Ecuador (5-12-2017): http://www.ministeriointerior.gob.ec/migracion-da-a-conocer-requisitos-para-prorrogas-a-extranjeros/

Special 6 months Tourist Visa

Everyone who is interested in applying for a special 6 months tourist visa, called: “Visa especial de turismo”, you can find more information at the following link.

The requirements for this special tourist visa are as followed:
– Make sure that your passport is still valid until at least 90 days after the last day of your visa.
– Make than an appointment online with the immigration service. Note, it seems that the slots for appointments fill up quickly. In July 2018 the first available date for an appointment in either Machala, Cuenca or even Guayaquil, was for Monday September 3!
– Fill in the online PDF Visa Application Form.
– Go to an office of the immigration police (La Jefatura de Migración) and ask them to print a list with your Ecuadorian immigration and emigration information (Movimiento migratorio). This list is valid for max. 30 days.
– Make copies of at least the following documents: Passport details; the Ecuadorian entrance stamp in your passport; your ‘Tarjeta Andina’ (if you have one) and a copy of you Prórroga 90 days visa (if you got one of these already).
– You need to find a way to make sure that you can prove the immigration service that you have enough money to be able to sustain yourself for 6 months in Ecuador. The minimum amount of money you will have to show for is 6x the minimum month salary (6×385), which is around 2310 US$. One way to do so is with a notarized screenshot of your online account.
– Officially since July 22, 2018, but still not confirmed: Make sure to have a health insurance and a way to proof that you have one… Maybe with a receipt, or a screenshot of your health insurance online.

To be able to apply for this visa you have to pay 50 US$ and when approved, the visa itself will cost 400 US$ for 180 continues days, starting from the day written in your visa.
Note: They might also ask for:
A pass photo
A Certificate of judicial, criminal or police background from your country of residence, or the country where you lived the past 5 years.