The tower San Lorenzo

The tower San Lorenzo

There could be one coming your way

The tower San Lorenzo

Spring tides San Lorenzo

Spring tides San Lorenzo

Here are some questions and answers that my be of help to you if 

you are thinking of living in Ecuador

Answers provided by the Cuenca immigration office

Q. Police report requirements - If a US state has a state police entity, will a report issued by that entity for the past 5 years duly executed, notarized and apostilled be acceptable, or is the requirement now a standard FBI Criminal background check?

A: If you have a state criminal background check, apostilled, it's completely acceptable.
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Q. Applying for visa and residency - I am considering applying for a visa and residency in Ecuador. However, my wife, whom I'm separated from, has no interest in moving with me. I have not started any divorce proceedings and don't plan to in the short term. My question is: are there any problems with applying and receiving a visa and residency without any involvement with my estranged wife?

A: There is not a problem to apply for a residency if you are separated from your wife, but you have to still bring your marriage certificate for the cedula:
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Q. Proof of income - My husband is deceased and my 15 year old son and I are now in Ecuador. We receive survivor social security benefits and I, being the legal guardian of my son, am responsible for overseeing the benefits he receives. The total of the benefits we both receive is more than the required amount for a pensioner's visa and we have the legalized document from the Ecuadorian Consulate in the US that verifies our combined income. Will this be accepted by the Ministry here in Cuenca?

A: The pension has to be for a lifetime, so when your son will be 18 years old, unless he will receive his own minimum required pension and you will still receive the minimum required income (presently $800 per month), it won't be acceptable. Please be aware that if your personal lifetime income presently exceeds $900 per month ($800 for yourself and $100 for your son) you may qualify for a pensioner's visa and your son may qualify as your dependent.
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Q. I understand that during the first two years of a residency visa we can leave Ecuador for 90 days each year. I want to confirm that the time starts the day we get our cedula. Or, does the time start the day we receive our residency visa? Also, if we use 60 days the first year, does the extra 30 days roll over into the second year?

A: The time starts once you get the visa, not the cedula, and the remaining days don't roll over for the second year.
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Q. I would like clarification regarding how long a resident visa holder may be gone from Ecuador in the third and subsequent years; 18 months, but over what time period? Can I travel for 18 months, return for a month and leave again? Or is there a limit on the 18 months?

A: Beginning the third year you can leave the country for 18 months, you may travel for 18 months, return for a month and leave again without a problem.
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Q. I heard that the CD that is used to obtain a residency visa is no longer needed to remain on deposit after 2 years. I heard that after 2 years we could cash in the CD. Is this true, or must the CD remain for the entire time we have the visa?

A: The CD always has to be in the custody of Banco Central for the entire time that you have the visa: It's not true what you heard.
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Q: If I have a CD based visa and change banks. Is there a simple procedure to use the new CD in place of the original one, or do I have to start the entire visa process over again with new, apostilled paperwork?

A: If you have an investor's visa based on a CD, and you decide to change the bank, you have to start again, the whole process, for getting a visa, and bring all apostilled papers from the US again.
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Q: Criminal background check: How long is it good for and does the time run from the date of the report or the date of the apostille?

A: The criminal background check is valid for a period of 180 days and starts to count from the date of the report, not the apostle.

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Q: Can the financial institution for the $25K CD in Guayaquil now be changed? They wouldn't let me change it last time, unlike in Cuenca:

A: You can change for another financial institution. If you decide to change, you have to start the whole process again.
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Q: Can visa based on a CD and obtained in Guayaquil and all the administration involved upon renewal, be transferred to Cuenca? I'd prefer not to make repeated trips to Guayaquil to renew the CD.

A: You cannot transfer your visa to Cuenca: You must go to Guayaquil to renew your CD. Unfortunately you must remain with the office where you started your visa process. However, if the applicant does move the CD to another bank, and therefore starts the process over, he may then start the new process in Cuenca.