We’ve known for three months that the day would come when we had to request our extended tourist visa in Ecuador. The process has been a little confusing if only because the online information does not always match up with the real-life reality. Here are the basic steps, with a few of the most common mishaps.
This article was updated on July 4, 2019 to include a reader’s experience with the Quito office and the lateste PDF link for the application.
Corona Virus Update Below (click here)
What You Need to Enter Ecuador
For those of you who don’t know, tourists from most countries (including the US) are allowed in the country for three months without needing anything more formal than a return ticket (if anyone asks), proof of health insurance (if anyone asks) and an entry stamp on your passport. Before you arrive, make sure your passport will be valid for at least 6 months after entry and has two blank pages for stamps. If it expires before then or is looking a little full, better go get it renewed before traveling.
But if you want to stay in Ecuador longer than 90 days, you need to request an extension, called a prórroga. The process, while simple, can become quickly complicated if you don’t follow the steps in the right order. Here is that order.
90 Days from Date of Entry
When you pass through immigration on your way into the country, your passport will be stamped with the date of entry. The first day that you can possibly request an extension is exactly 90 days from that date. NOT BEFORE. This sounds strange to many of us as we know that without that extension, we are technically in the country illegally. Not quite. According to the Migration Office in Cuenca, a tourist has 20 days leeway to request their extension. If you try to leave the country during those twenty days without having paid for your extension, then there may be trouble.
Update: One of our readers left a comment that the Migration Office in Quito does not allow for a 20-day leeway. You must present yourself the first business day after the 90th day.
Before Visiting the Servicio de Apoyo Migratorio (Migration Office)
Before visiting the migration office, you will need to do these three things:
- Download the form that you will need to fill out. Here is the direct link to the form: https://www.ministeriodegobierno.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/nuevo-formulario-ciudadano-prorrogas-2020.pdf (if you happen to find a more up-to-date form, please let us know! this is up-to-date as of March 17, 2020)
- Make a photocopy of your passport.
- Make a photocopy of your entrance stamp to Ecuador.
Visiting the Migration Office
There are migration offices all over Ecuador. And there are immigration offices all over Ecuador. We’ve heard that some tourists have tried to go to immigration offices to request the extension. That won’t work. Make sure you look for the offices called Servicio de Apoyo Migratorio and not any others.
We completed our extension in Zamora with no problems. In fact, some of the smaller offices might be more efficient as fewer people are requesting services. Check out the list of offices where they can complete extensions here:
All of these offices are open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday thru Friday. If your 90th day falls on the weekend, go in the following Monday. They won’t be able to help you the Friday before. If it happens to fall on an Ecuadorian holiday, ditto. These offices are all closed on Ecuadorian holidays.
Once At The Servicio de Apoyo Migratorio
Take in the form and the photocopies. When you enter the office, let them know that you want to request an extension. They will ask for your form, the photocopies, and your original passport. They may also ask if you have already been to the bank. Don’t panic. Just say that you wanted to confirm how much to pay. If you have read differently on the Ecuadorian government website or if the friend of a friend tells you otherwise, you may want to skip to the end of this article to read about our experience. Don’t visit the bank first!
Have the government clerk write down exactly what how much they require to be deposited into their account, down to the exact penny. On March 17, 2020, that amount was $133.33. Also ask him to write down the name and address of the closest bank that will accept this payment for you (usually Banco Pacifico but in smaller towns like Zamora, they may have an alternate bank to visit). Then ask him to write down his name and phone number just in case the bank needs to call him.
Visiting the Bank
Enter the bank and wait in line. When you get to the teller, let them know that you are paying for a an extension (prórroga) for the migration office (servicio de apoyo migratorio). They will tell you an amount. Please make sure that it matches the amount that the government clerk wrote down. If it does not, tell the bank teller that the government clerk said that the amount had changed. If they don’t believe you, ask them to call the clerk in question and handover that slip of paper with his name and number.
After you show your passport and pay the correct fee, the bank teller will give you a receipt with the amount you paid plus a small bank commission of about 70 cents. Guard that paper with your life.
Return to the Servicio de Apoyo Migratorio
Take that small piece of paper back to the migration office. Hand it and your passport to the government clerk and wait for him to enter all the information into the computer. He will then hand you a small piece of paper that grants your extension. He will offer to staple it to your passport or to just place it between a couple of pages. He may or may not offer you the receipt from the bank. If you need it, please make sure to ask for it if it is not offered.
Voila, you are now legally able to travel throughout Ecuador for 90 more days!
For Those Who Say Go To The Bank First
For those of you who read the Ecuadorian government website or had a friend who told you that it’s best to go to the bank first, here’s our rebuttal. While going to the bank first can save you making two trips to the Servicio de Apoyo Migratorio, you can get stuck paying twice if the Ecuadorian government has changed rates. Yes, this has happened to someone we know and it almost happened to us. Read on.
A member of the Ecuador Expats Facebook Group shared a recent horror story. He had paid the bank the required amount listed on the form he had printed from the website. He had inadvertently found an old form. This is easy to do as a Google Search generally lists the most visited pages higher on its search results. He took that proof of payment to the Servicio de Apoyo Migratorio and they told him it was incorrect and they could not accept it.
He then returned to the bank and they refused to refund the money. Nor would they allow him to just pay the difference between the two amounts. He felt his only choice at the time was to pay again. Last we heard, he was working with a lawyer to get the first payment refunded.
We went in fully knowing the experience of this gentleman and were ready to pay the new amount on the new form, listed at 128.67. However, the new form is already outdated. The fee went up on January 1, 2019 and is $131.33. Furthermore, the bank where we paid our fee clearly had the old fee written on their reference document. The bank had no idea of the change. Fortunately, we went to the bank with an immigration police officer who was able to explain that the amount had changed and that the teller needed to charge us a different amount. Without him, I hate to think of how long we might have spent at the bank. This is why we suggest taking the phone number of the government clerk you are working with.
No matter what you read elsewhere, DO NOT PAY THE BANK before visiting the Servicio de Apoyo Migratorio.
And that’s it, our advice for getting your tourist visa extension. Easy, right?
Corona Virus Update
“I just received word about visa extension for those on a 90-day visa (and anyone that needs to deal with migración). Basically, the migración offices are closed because a lot of people were exposed or would be exposed [to the Corona Virus] if the offices were to remain open.
My visa is due to end on the 28/3/2020 and when I asked about getting an extension, she said that there will be options available as they work everything out, but for the moment there is nothing for me to do.
So moral of the story; don’t stress, options for dealing with migración will become available, look after yourself.”
Thanks for your help.
We followed your instructions to the letter, and everything went very well.
It did take almost all day. However, that was because I had to get the cash and the lines at the Banco automático was Very long.
It is Monday. Then the gaurd told us to get in the line which was one transaction only, so I had to do it twice, for my wife and I.
Thanks again for your great advice.
You are very welcome! I’m glad it all worked out.
Hello. I went to Cuenca airport 2 weeks prior to my 90 days to find out when exactly I had to apply for my additional 90. Office was very helpful and told me exact date to return. I was not able to get a form but was told where to find it online. Here is a link with updated correct fee of 131.33 https://www.ministeriodegobierno.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Formulario-migracio%CC%81n1.pdf. My family and I will be apply in Jan 30. Officer told me that I must bring a copy of my passport and entry stamp along with the original passport. They will then give me a hand written note to take to the bank. I must bring back that note along with the Banco Pacifico receipt and all “should” go well We will see.
Thanks so much for the update! We will be sure to get the new link and pricing into the article later this week.
really nice explanation I hope it will help me to get extension
Dear Angie Drake
My family and I arrived Quito on 6th October 2109 and decided to apply for professional Visa, but before that we can stay here and enjoy our trips with 90 day tourist visa that we entrant with this to Ecuador. I read your post and other comment and replay bellow that and now I have a question that maybe you can help me ! If we want to apply for visa extension, due to our process take a long more that 90 days, when exactly we can start this process ? are you recommended us for example 20 days before the 90 days our visa will be expire we start or early than it or we stay and enjoy our 90 days and after that on the first working day after our legal 90 days we going for apply 180 days visa ?
I am a bit confusing about this, Can I ask you about your experience or similar learning of your friends
Best Regards,
30 October 2019
Alireza
Hi Alireza,
The soonest you can apply for the extension is 90 days after arriving in Ecuador. There is debate about waiting for an additional 20 days. It seems that even if you wait, the additional days will be added from the expiration date of your first entry stamp. Therefore, there is no benefit to postponing. Remember to count 90 days (not 3 months) or ask at one of the Immigration Offices which is the first day you can come in to ask for the extension.
Hey Angie!
Thanks for the helpful article. I just have one question to hopefully calm my nerves a little bit. I’m traveling to Ecuador (from the US) in mid-November and I have a return flight 6 months later. My plan is to enter Ecuador with the 90-day tourist stamp and then get a 90-day extension so that I can stay for the 6 months that I’ve planned for. I’m just wondering if you think there will be any issue with me entering the country on the 90-day tourist stamp when my return ticket will require me to stay for 180 days. Do you think the officers at the airport will have an issue with that and will want me to have already acquired a 6 month visa in the states? I’ve tried to apply online for a visa but I got to a step that required me to upload a picture of my passport but there was no “upload” button and I’m pretty confused. I would love to just be able to get the 90-day extension while I am in Ecuador. Thanks for your time!
Hi Michal! We have not heard of anyone being refused the 90-day extension. I have to admit, we were worried ourselves but it does seem to be standard procedure to approve the extensions. The most worrisome is that the approval comes only on the exact day that a person would have officially overstayed their visa. For many of us, this is the part that makes us fearful. We hope that one day, the Ecuadorian government will allow for an earlier application process so that we can worry a little less! In the meantime, I will tell you to try not to worry and enjoy yourself for the first 90-days. Put the date on the calendar for the extension and plan on a full day to take care of it (that back and forth to the bank, etc.). Don’t worry about sticking to big cities for the day. Our own renewal in Zamora went fairly smoothly. In fact, I think some of the smaller migration offices are easier to deal with. Good luck and enjoy! Please share a picture or two of your trip on our Facebook page!
Thanks for the quick response! That’s a relief. The whole extension thing sounds almost too good to be true haha. And will do on the pictures. Cheers!
Enjoy your trip!!
Hey Angie. I’m in Ecuador now and (in regard to my original post about there being an issue with me flying to Ecuador on a 6 month ticket with only a 90 day visa) I did encounter an issue but it was at the airport when I was leaving Ecuador. I was told that I couldn’t go because my ticket was for 6 months and I didn’t have a visa for 6 months. I explained the 90 visa extension but was told that I would still need to change my flight. I did change the flight to a return flight in 90 days (for $380) and once I landed I cancelled that flight and was told that I could use that credit to book a flight in May (when I originally had a return flight). Now I called American Airlines to schedule the return flight in May and was told that for this I would be charged $300. This makes no sense to me and is really frustrating because they’re not asking for any documentation (visa) now they just want $300 to change my flight back to the original date that I had already booked. The issue originally was that I don’t have a visa but now they’re not asking for a visa they just want $300 more. I don’t expect you to be able to solve this or anything but I was just wondering if you have any experience with anything like this and if you have any advice. I was worried about this happening initially but to my understanding this is how everyone does it. If you have to get the visa extension in Ecuador on the 91st day of your stay how are you supposed to have a return flight booked for the 90th day without losing your money? I thought that booking a 6 month flight was the correct thing. Thanks.
I did encounter an issue but it was at the airport when I was leaving for* Ecuador. The issue I encountered was in the United States when I was trying to leave for Ecuador. Sorry for the typo
Hi Michal,
It is common for airlines to run the enforcement of visas for the countries to which they travel. In your situation, most people would not have pre-booked the return flight six months out.
Many tourists book a return ticket the day before entering Ecuador and then cancel that reservation within the 24-hour cancelation period. Some just take their chances and don’t make a reservation at all as some airlines don’t check for that return flight.
In our case, we entered the country by land on this last trip and were never asked for our return trip details. If asked, we would have told them we planned to leave the country via bus to Peru. In fact, we ended up booking a last-minute flight from Cuenca to Quito to Lima.
Truth is, that 90-day visa extension makes for a gut-wrenching experience for those of us who are planners and want firm commitments in advance. That’s just not how South American travel works.
Furthermore, you have been caught in American Airlines’ web of fees for changing flights. I am sorry it cost so much. It was like you were hit with a double whammy!
Help!
I am a US citizen on a temporary tourist visa in Ecuador. Since November, my elderly parents have been living in Cumbaya with my aunt and uncle, who have lived in Ecuador for 45 years. I must live with them to help take care of my parents, who are infirm and under the care of doctors.
I entered Ecuador on June 11, which would make my 90-day tourist visa expiration date Sept 9.
However, I must return to the US on Aug. 27 (before my 90-day visa expires) to help my daughter move to college. I already purchased a ticket to return to Ecuador on Sept. 12.
My challenge is figuring out what visa I need to obtain to be able to return on Sept. 12 and be let into the country. I have to be return to help care for my parents.
What are the requirements for another 90-day visa?
What are the requirements for a 180-day visa?
Can I get either of them while in the US for 2 weeks?
I found this website; is it the correct one to be looking at? https://www.consuladovirtual.gob.ec/servicios/2017_req_vis2_temTrabaj_ing.html
I appreciate any help you can offer.
Hi Roya, I wish I had an easy answer for you! Without looking at the website link, I noticed that it has the date 2017 on it. Requirements for many visas have changed since them so I would assume that link is outdated. You will likely need to work with the Ecuadorian Consulate closest to you in the United States. And I will tell you that they will likely want you to apply in person. However, you can write the consulate beforehand and ask about requirements.
Alternatively, you could hire an Ecuadorian lawyer familiar with immigration law and ask for their assistance. If you are spending a lot of money in the country anyway, it may behoove you to work towards an investor’s visa. It was recommended to us on our last visit to the consulate in Los Angeles. We did not realize that it is possible to submit a plan for investment than includes the total necessary but not place that complete total in the bank before receiving the visa. It is a projection of money that will eventually be invested in Ecuador.
Hello!
I had a bit of a similar question.
So from January 15th, 2019 – July 11, 2019 I stayed in Ecuador. The first 90 days were just with my passport and the last 90 with the extension. My question though is will I be able to re enter the country in January of next year or July of next year? I’ve gotten both answers from the consulates here in the States and I wasn’t sure if anyone had any thoughts as to when I could go back or if anyone has any sites I could go to to find the information.
I’m afraid that this is a big part of the problem with immigration issues and Ecuador. How different people interpret the law is a large part of how the law gets enforced.
Unfortunately, the website is often outdated. You would need to read the current Ecuadorian law and argue your point based on that. Here is a link to a PDF called Ley de Extranjeria. It gives specific references to the law. It may be worth asking an immigration lawyer to help.
Finding a specific answer that will be universally accepted is going to be tough. A lot will depend on who is working immigration the day you arrive – and how confident you are in presenting your case in Spanish when you arrive.
Does anyone know where the office is in Cuenca? It does not appear on google maps and I don’t see a list of offices on the government website that you have linked. Nor does google return any results that I can see either. Thanks.
Hi Ryan, when we visited a few months ago, it was on the second floor of the airport terminal. Enter the airport, use the stairs to go to the second floor, turn right and you will see a series of windows and, usually a line. There were no signs on the ground floor. Here is the Google map link for the airport: Mariscal Lamar International Airport
La Castellana, Cuenca, Ecuador
+593 7-286-2203
https://maps.app.goo.gl/5Css8LPM985AYu7V9
Thank you!
We live here in Panama but husband is in Manta, Ecuador now and will be exiting on Saturday, his 89th day there. He wishes to go back to Ecuador for another 90 days. Can he apply for an extension in the Ecuador Embassy here in Panama or can he still enter Ecuador and apply for an extension there co technically he still has 1 day left.
I can’t answer all of your questions. I do know that this visa is only good for the 90 days immediately following the initial 90-day entry into Ecuador. If you leave before using all of the 90-day extension, you forfeit those remaining days. Furthermore, they would not accept the application on the 89th day. As to how to request another entry, that question is best answered at the consulate in Panama. Each consulate seems to operate under their own interpretation of the current law.
Hi Angie,
Thanks for all the useful info, it’s really hard to get!
I still have something though that I’m not sure about. Can I leave Ecuador the 89th day of my stay here on the first free 90 days that you get and then enter again with that 1 day left? And then go to get the extension? Or do you loose your remaining days when you exit the country?
I was told by someone of the Loja office by phone that I couldn’t. But that I could go out and in again during the 90 days extension (the days would keep counting though). I’m just not sure about this..
I thought the first 90 days could be spread out through one calender year.
Do you know?? Hope you can answer soon, I’m on my 85th day so need to decide soon if I leave and come back or not..;)
Update from Quito:
The fee was the same on Jul. 3, but they did not need the photocopies of the passport and entry stamp. We ended up extending 2 days late – they just took those 2 days as part of the extension anyway, so we got 90 days from the day we were supposed to have extended, not 92.
Thanks so much for this update, Art! I think you should write the next article on this topic! I’m grateful for your help. It will hopefully make this process easier for other tourists facing this process.
Hello Angie
Does all this information apply to British citizens also? Or only American citizens? Need to know ASAP as my tourist VISA here in Ecuador expires in 11 days!
Thank you!
Sophie
Hi Sophie!
According to the ministry website, this applies to all tourists not belonging to an Andean Nation… that means Great Britain!
All the best,
Angie
Thank you so much Angie! A big worry lifted off my shoulders!
Take care,
Sophie
Finally a simple credible source of info. We are applying next Monday. Thanks for the help
Glad to be of service, Raul! Hope it’s a smooth experience for you.
Hi Angie,
Is there any official source to confirm the 20-day leeway period? Thanks.
Hi Art, I double checked the website and the most recent form and cannot find that information written down. I can only tell you that two different migration officers told us the same thing – you have twenty days leeway. If you are in any doubt, go in and ask at the office where you plan on requesting the extension.
Thank you. We will do that.
The migration office near Carolina Park in Quito does not allow any leeway.
So that means you have to arrive on day 90? Did they say you could come sooner?
They told us to come on the first working day after the 90 days, which ended on a Sunday.
Thanks, Art. We will update the article accordingly!
Hi Angie, what did you fill in for the requested ecuadorian address and the request reason? “Travelling more” might not be the best one? 😉 Thanks for all your explanations!
We gave the hotel where we were currently staying. And we said tourism. No more explanation than that!
Thank you! Will try it tomorrow.
Hi back! Good news… no one asked about onward travel. I don’t think you will have a problem. If you are still concerned, however, you could book a flight the morning of your visit using a website like Expedia or Orbitz. They allow for 24-hour cancellation without fees. Then just cancel your flight after.
Hi Angie, I am going for my 90 day extension on April 9, this Tuesday. I am wondering if they also ask for proof of “Onward” travel 90 days away.
Hi Anon… I did answer your question but it, unfortunately, did not end up as a direct reply. I hope you were able to read anyway. How did the extension go?