After having been in Ecuador for almost three months I decided I wanted to stay for a while longer. I really like it here, the people are wonderful, the food is delicious, there are so many different places to see and things to do, and me novio is here and I want to spend more time with him. To stay however meant I needed to extend my visa. Having arrived on the standard three month tourist entry, not requiring anything but a valid passport as you enter the country. I needed to work out how and if I could extend my time in Ecuador.

After researching online I discovered a lot of information that unfortunately was repetitive and incorrect. So having yesterday been given my 12-IX visa here in Cuenca, allowing me to stay in Ecuador for an additional six months, I’ve documented the process I went through. Hopefully this will be of assistance to someone else looking to extend their stay in Ecuador.

Step 1 – Gather your documentation

The first step is to gather together all the documentation you need before arriving at the migration office. To apply at the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores – Zona 6 in Cuenca you will need:

Application Form

Download the non-immigrant application form available here. Complete and print in color.

Letter en Espanol (Letter in Spanish)

You will need to write and print a request letter stating your reasons for wanting to extend your stay in Ecuador. Your letter must be written in Spanish. A copy of the letter that I submitted is available here. The woman processing my application read it thoroughly and accepted it with no issues.

Color Photocopies of:

– Passport page with your photo
– Page with Ecuador entry stamp

Proof of Exit from Ecuador

This is an interesting one. I had read online that I needed to show proof of when I was leaving the country, even though I hoped it would be in 6 months time not knowing if I would get the 12-IX visa. So you have 2 options here:

  1. Book a flight out of Ecuador in 6 months time hoping you successfully receive the visa extension;
  2. Create an email confirmation that looks as though you have a flight out of the country, but actually haven’t booked anything.

I went with the second option. I used a previous flight booking email confirmation as a template and created a new one. I then printed the confirmation in color. The woman processing my application barely glanced at my airline confirmation, did not hold on to it with my other documentation and didn’t question it, perfect.

Current Bank Statement

Ecuadorian migration want to know that you have enough money to support yourself during your extended stay. They require a current bank statement showing your name and the money you have available in your account. I believe you need to show the equivalent of USD$800 per month for every month you are planning on staying, but that’s information I’ve gathered from an internet source so may not be correct.

I was able to login to my internet banking and print a color screen shot of my accounts which showed my name, the account details and total amount of money I had. Again this was accepted with no problems.

Movimiento Migratorio

In Cuenca you must provide a document from the Policia de Migracion called a Movimiento Migratorio. This is basically a printed certificate showing your movements in and out of the country as well as any criminal activity you may have been involved in. It is very easy to get. The Policia de Migracion is on Edvardo Munoz y Gran Colombia, a short taxi ride from Old Town Cuenca. Once you walk into the office you request the Movimiento Migratorio and take a seat until you’re called. You must give them your passport and pay USD$5. They will then print and give you the certificate. The whole process took me approximately half and hour.

Passport Photo

You need provide one color passport photo. There’s a print store directly outside of the Immigration Office but I didn’t use it so can’t confirm if they provide passport photographs. However there are many print and copy stores in Cuenca and you’ll have no trouble finding one for your photo, printing and copying needs.

Payment

The 12-IX visa costs USD$234. This payment is broken down into three individual payments of $200 + $30 + $4.

The Process

The first step is to gather all your paperwork and go to the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores – Zona 6, at Manuel J. Calle Av. 2-100 & Alfonso Cordero St. Located in the New Town the office is an easy walk from Millennium Shopping Centre. Some of the taxi drivers know where the office is but many don’t, so I found it easiest to just ask for Millennium and walk 5 minutes over to the next street where the office is located.

Upon arrival let reception know that you need to apply for a 12-IX visa and they will give you a ticket and ask you to wait. The security guards are in charge of the queuing system, so after sitting for a few minutes I went up to the security guard and asked in poor Spanish if I was waiting in the right place. He asked what I wanted, went into the office doorway, came back out and told me I could go straight in. I sat with the visa processing woman. She spoke fluent English and was very pleasant to deal with. She reviewed all of my paperwork, read my letter in Spanish thoroughly, barely glanced at my plane ticket confirmation, and once she was happy I had supplied everything told me I needed to make an appointment for the following week. I let her know that I was leaving Cuenca the following Friday (I was sitting in the office on Monday) and she looked at me with a frown but was able to make an appointment for me at 9:30am on Wednesday of the following week.

So a week later I arrived at the office at 9:30am and told the security guard I had an appointment. I took a seat and a couple minutes later I was called in. Again my paperwork was reviewed by the same woman (she had kept hold of everything) and I was told to pay the USD$230 at the bank, which happens to be a man sitting in a booth 5 meters down the hall. Once I returned with my receipt the woman took my photo for the visa, printed it right there at her desk and stuck it in my passport. ‘Awesome!’ I thought, ‘That was so much easier than I thought!’

But unfortunately there is a final step before applications are completed. The woman processing my visa told me I needed to go back to the reception counter and ask for a empadronamiento. I will be given a ticket and I need to wait and pay the final $4 fee. So with my passport in hand, visa stuck inside I went back to reception…..and was told that they had no more tickets today and I needed to come back tomorrow. It was 10:15am.

This was what I’d read about, people waiting hours in line from early in the morning to get this final step processed. The man at reception, who was also fluent in English, told me to come back at 7:30am tomorrow morning and wait in the line.

So the next cold Cuenca morning I arrived at the Migration Office. I was leaving the next day and had no choice but to have my visa finalised. The migration office opening hours are 8:30am – 5pm, so I was disheartened to find when I arrived at 7:30am there were already ten people in front of me. At 8:30am security opened the doors and started giving everyone tickets, I was number ten. Once I had my ticket I just needed to sit and wait. Thankfully the migration office provides free wifi for those who want to bring their laptop or smart phone, and I would definitely recommend bringing a book.

Whilst I was waiting I saw many gringos try and hustle the security guards. Some were simply questioning the process, some were a little annoyed, others were outright angry. None of them succeeded in their quest to jump the queue and get this final step completed.

In total I waited four hours and was called in at 11:30am. I sat at a desk opposite the one I had sat at twice previously with the woman who had processed my visa. Now I sat opposite a man who again spoke English fluently and did the final processing. I was asked to go back to the same bank and pay the USD$4 fee. Once paid he put final stamps and stickers on my visa, marked it with the official seal and that was it. I had waited four hours for five minutes with him and everything was done.

Why this couldn’t all happen in the one appointment is what I don’t understand. I’ve been told it’s Ecuadorian beauracracy at it’s best and this is something everyone must go through. But really, extending my visa was an easy process, and now I get to stay and explore this amazing country for an additional six months.