GranuaileOMalley wrote:Does a person have to apply for and obtain the Visa prior to moving to Ecuador, or can it be done after arriving there? Also, what documents are required in order to qualify for a Visa? How often do you have to renew your visa...?
A residency-visa application must be submitted in Ecuador, by you or by your attorney/representative.
For a U.S. citizen, your Ecuadorian consulate in the U.S. will not take your visa application directly.
You've expressed interest in avoiding optional fees, so I won't go into detail about how you can obtain the residency visa while still in the U.S. Go to www.gringovisas.com for more information if desired.
I'm not qualified to give you a complete list of visa documents you'll need. The official website with English option (green language-'button') is:
www.cancilleria.gob.ec/visas-inmigrante/?lang=en
Probably the documents you will need include your passport, your birth certificate, FBI and local criminal-background checks, marriage and divorce certificates, and apostilles. Those are international certifications that will have to be attached to most of your documents. Presuming that you move to Ecuador after the death of your husband, an apostilled death certificate may be required.
Most documents will have to be translated in Ecuador.
A few days after you obtain residency, you may obtain the national ID card.
The visa is a permanent residency visa, so, under current law, does not need to be renewed. When it comes time to renew your U.S. passport, there may be some paperwork, since the visa will have to be transferred to the new passport. My passport is up for renewal next year, but for now I do not know how that transfer is accomplished and properly registered.
cccmedia in Quito