Ecuador tourist visa enforcement has changed.

The excerpt below from our Ecuador Living Visa Update shows something important  about Ecuador visas that you should know.

Ecuador is a beautiful country and offers many benefits… such as excellent low cost housing.  Here are delegates on one of our real estate tours looking at real estate in Imbabura.

In the past… visitors could stay for 90 days on a tourist visa.  Then they could renew the tourist visa with a one day exit. This meant that tourist visas allowed stays in Ecuador up to 180 days a year.

No more.

A new type visa has been made longer stays easier but the relaxation of tourist visa enforcement has been withdrawn at the same time.

One reader discovered this in a very harsh way when leaving Ecuador after spending the Christmas holiday at their condo in Euador. This reader had been in and out of Ecuador three previous times in 2009 attending to renovations and furnishing the condo.  No one stay was longer than 30 days.  The between times on visits was a matter of months.  On the fourth trip the total time for 2009 was 104 days. None of those stays was for more then 30 days.

At Quito airport the reader was prevented from leaving the country and was told by the immigration official at the exit booth, that the maximum annual stay could be no more than 90 days.

The reader had to pay a fine of $200.

Even worse was told not to return to Ecuador for nine months and that to be allowed back would require a special visa from a Ecuadorian consulate in the US.

One of the immigration attorneys we introduce to our readers explained:

Usually non Ecuadorians have been able to stay in Ecuador as a tourist for 90 days. After they used these first 90 days, they used to get 90 days more as a tourist if they requested an extension at an immigration office prior of expiry of the first 90 days.

Several months ago immigration changed its policy. Now instead of renewing a tourist visa for 90 days they grant a 180 day Commercial Acts Visa.

In a way this new procedure makes it more convenient (though more expensive) to stay for longer periods

If a non Ecuadorian wants to stay in Ecuador in any one year for more than 90 days with a tourist visa, they can still apply to the immigration authorities for an extension.  If they leave Ecuador in their first stay of the year before reaching 90 days, BUT anticipate returning in that same year, and that return stay will take them beyond 90 days total in that year, before leaving, they should petition the immigration authorities either prior to leaving the first time, or before returning to Ecuador via a local consulate office near our overseas home (USA, Canada, England etc).

These changes in immigration policy are actually changes in strictness of enforcement of the procedures, not the procedures themselves.

The easiest approach though is for those wishing to stay more than 90 days a year in Ecuador to go to an Ecuador consul and apply for the Commercial Acts Visa, good 180 days travel in a calendar year.  This allows a total of 180 days stay in Ecuador without any extension beyond the 90 day maximum under a tourist visa.

The fee for the Commercial Act Visa is $230 per person.  Given the growing restrictions and/or increased enforcement on the tourist visa and extensions beyond 90 days, this is a good  option for those who want to maximize their time in Ecuador but who do not with to apply for a full resident visa.

There are some other immigration points to observe. These are outlined along with an explanation from our immigration attorney on how to use Ecuador visas now.   You can obtained the Ecuador Visa Update as an Ecuador Living subscriber.  See details here.

Make sure that your visas are in order and that you understand all the procedures if you plan to stay in Ecuador for more than 90 days in a year.

Gary

Join Merri and me plus nine other speakers and contacts this February  at a seminar that shares ways to invest, do business and live in Ecuador or globally February 11-14  at Quantum Wealth -International Investing & Business Made EZ, Mt. Dora, Fl.

You can also come on with us to Ecuador.

February 15-16 Travel to Quito and tour Quito

February 17     Travel Quito to Manta

February 18-19  Manta & Mid Coast Real Estate Tour

February 20 Travel Manta to Cotacachi

February 21-22 North Andes, Imbabura & Cotacachi Real Estate Tour

February 23-24  Quito & Mindo Real Estate Tour

February 25 Travel Quito Cuenca

February 26-27  Cuenca Real Estate Tour

Or join us in March 2010

March 11-14     Super Thinking + Spanish Course, Mt. Dora, Fl.

March 15    Travel to Quito

March 16 Travel Quito Cotacachi

March 17-18  North Andes, Imbabura & Cotacachi Real Estate Tour

March 19-20    Cotacachi Shamanic Tour

March 21  Travel Cotacachi to Manta

March 22-23   Manta & Mid Coast Real Estate Tour

March 24 Travel Manta to Cuenca

March 25-26 Cuenca Real Estate Tour

March 27  Travel Cuenca to Salinas

Mar. 28-29   Salinas & South Coast Real Estate Tour

The Ecuador airfare war makes it cheaper to get to Ecuador than ever before… and there is still time to enjoy great Ecuador tour savings.