We finally succeeded in obtaining new three month multi-entry Ecuadorian visa in Tumbes.
We are leaving now to catch the bus.
More to follow upon arrival in Cuenca, Ecuador.
On the road again…
Chris, Mai & Megan currently experiencing Ecuador
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Posts Tagged ‘visa’
Got Three Month Ecuadorian Visas
Monday, February 1st, 2010Leaving Ecuador before Jan 21st for Peru
Friday, January 15th, 2010
About the time for us to be “On the Road Again….” Our Ecuadorian 3-month visa expires on Jan 21, 2010 (as seen on the right).
While visa options exist, I definitely want to visit Peru and probably Machu Pechu (correct spelling is Machu Picchu). We may stay in Peru for approx 2 months and then return to Cuenca for some weeks before continuing on to Quito and flying back to Portland on April 18, 2010.
Because the Ecuadorian government is fining people $200USD who leave Ecuador after their visa expires, we will be leaving Cuenca on Tuesday, Jan 19th (one week from today) and then have two days for our journey south to the border. It is a 4-5 hours bus ride from Cuenca to Machala. We may stay the overnight. Depends upon when we arrive.
We will then take the… (now this is when the internet in the local area was unavailable during the late afternoon and evening). Between internet outages (which are fairly rare) and power outages, it is sometimes hard to compose new posts.
I started this post Tuesday evening and am finishing it Friday around noon.
Ecuadorian Visa Gotchas
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009When we entered Ecuador on October 24th, 2009, I requested only 90 days. I don’t know what would have happened if I had requested 180 days, but I didn’t. I was under the impression that we could easily renew the visa for another 90 days. Ecuador supposedly allows a tourist to stay 180 days/year in Ecuador, but the problem is in the details.
So now we have a 3 month Ecuadorian visa – one month gone, two more months to go.
Imagine my surprise when I found out it was approx $250/person for the extra 3 months, i.e. a 6 month visa issued while you are in Ecuador — that gets expensive for the 3 of us.
Then I find out that if we go to Peru over the Christmas Holidays, when we return, we MAY or MAY NOT be able to obtain another 90 day Ecuadorian visa upon returning to the Ecuadorian border. It’s a matter of legal interpretation — and we won’t know until we are at the Ecuadorian border. How’s that for being screwed by the Ecuadorian government?
12% I.V.A. Tax
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
In the prior post, I wrote “All non-food products are charged an additional 12% tax at the checkout.” — This is not quite true.
Yes, as a consumer, you are charged a 12% tax on imported items — food or not. On receipts, it’s labeled: “12% I.V.A.“. NOTE the “I” to the right of the price.
It also seems that there is an additional IMPORT TARIFF FEE paid to Ecuadorian customs when imported goods enter Ecuador because the price for many items here is MORE EXPENSIVE than in the USA.
Locally grown fruit and vegetables are generally LESS EXPENSIVE than in the USA. Of course, that depends upon which part of the USA you live in.
Interestingly, I don’t remember reading about a 12% import tax in any of the guide books with I read before coming to Ecuador. Please correct me with a comment, if I am wrong.
