Ecuador Tourist Visa Extension Application Information 2019

The Ecuador Tourist Visa Extension Application, or Prórroga, is for any of you tourists out there who have made it to Ecuador, fallen in love with the country, and you want to stay longer than your free 90 day tourist visa.

There are a few options, but the “easiest” one is the Tourist Visa Extension, which gives you an additional 90 days in the beautiful land.

There are a couple of blog posts out there that describe the Ecuadorian Tourist Visa Extension process, but there is a decent amount of conflicting information, which can cause many problems.

Another major problem is that the government website offers very little information about the visa extensions, and has not been properly updated since the changes to the policy were made back in 2017. Visitors are left at the hands of bloggers, or needing to go into a Migración office just to find out, what should be simple, information.

We know that not everyone has the time to head to an office, especially if you’re traveling rurally. And some of you may not speak enough Spanish to get the information even if you do make it in to ask. We want to help you as best as we can!

As of posting, this is the most recent and updated information on Google, and we have been living the experience for the past 3 weeks. Needless to say, you can trust this information to be tried and true.

Below you will find some basic information, the step by step guide, an overview of some of the misinformation out there, and some important links. We’ve done our research and lived this all.

If you have any questions, please contact us! We are here to help you stay legally in our favorite country in the world.

Keep in mind that this is general information for the full country, but specific to the Quito office. We have spoken first hand to multiple Migración agents at the Quito office, other tourists and residents, and can confirm the information here has worked for us.

Basic Information on the Ecuador Tourist Visa Extension

If you are from the following countries, this information does not apply to you, and you have a 180 day tourist visa for free, as you are a part of UNASUR: Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Paraguay, Perú, Suriname, Uruguay, y Venezuela.

If you are from the following countries, this information does not apply to you as you need a special visa to enter the country initially: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cuba, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Senegal and Somalia.

All other countries, the information below applies to you.

Within 12 months from your first entry into Ecuador, you have a 90 Day tourist visa. This visa can be used for multiple entries, so long as you’re not overstaying the 90 days.

The visa extension we describe here is for an additional 90 days, but they are in succession. This is different to your first visa which is 90 days within 12 months. You can leave and enter again on your Prórroga extension, so long as you are gone by the exit date listed, and cannot return for 12 months from that date.

Step by Step Guide to Getting your Ecuador Tourist Visa Extension

1. Print out the Extension Application Form and fill it out.
2. Go to the Migración office nearest you, on your 90th day in the country, to confirm you have all of the correct information and that they will accept your application. (To count your days, start count on the calendar from the day after you arrived. Example: we arrived on 10 March, so we counted 11 March as day 1). You will have to come back the next day, because they cannot approve your application until day 91, but it is still in your best interest to see them a day or early to confirm (possibly 2 days if you’re a worry wart like me).
3. On Day 91, find your nearest Banco de Pacifico and head to the teller to make a deposit. Fill out the deposit slip with:
   • Passport number, name, code 4.6 and value $131.33 USD
4. The bank teller will take your deposit slip, passport and application form, and fill out all the information on the computer to print you out a new deposit receipt. There is a $0.57 USD deposit fee.
5. Take the deposit slip receipt, your filled out application form, and your smiling self, back to the Migración office. Your Migración officer will send you to the cashier office, where they will enter your deposit information and provide you with an invoice to take back to your officer.
6. Give all the paperwork to your officer, and they will print you out a paper copy of your new 90 day visa extension, which shows you your new date of exit.
7. Celebrate!

Misinformation on the Ecuador Visa Extension Application

• The most misguided information we received was: the visa extends directly from the day you apply for it, so to not apply too early as you will miss out on days.

We found out the hard way that this was not in fact true. You may only have 1 visa at a time, and your first visa must expire before you can be awarded a new one. Different to many countries, but this is their newest system here.

We turned up on the 88th day, hoping to push it close, because we had a flight out to Peru on our 90th day, thinking our extended visa would be ticking while we toured Peru.

The immigration officer told us that he ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT process our visa until day 91, because of a new system, but as we were flying out on day 90, we would not be allowed back into the country. Our only option was to leave on day 89, so we had 1 day left to enter.

That was one hell of a day, as we panicked to change our flights, the LATAM online and over the phone payment services were down, so we had to rush around Quito to get to a LATAM office, by then the prices had gone up, but finally we advanced our flights and left with 1 day to spare.

Most tourists would be staying in the country during the overlap period, so we were a bit of a special case, but we had orchestrated it that way due to the misinformation we received online.

Upon returning into the country, the Migración officer at the airport urged us to apply for the visa that day, day 90. We had been told day 91, but we went into the office just to make sure. It is on Day 91 that they will extend your visa. We have read on other blogs that say there is a 20 day leeway period, but I would not trust that. Go into the office on day 90 to have your paperwork checked, and complete the process on day 91.

• The most updated Migración news page on the government website offers very little information, and states that the fee is $125USD. As of 27 June, 2019, the fee is $131.33USD per person applying for extension. This correct fee is listed on the application form. There is a $0.57 deposit fee per applicant from Banco del Pacifico.

• We did not need copies of our passport or entrance stamp. Many blog posts state you do need this, but we did not. If you go to the Quito Migración office, there are 3 Internet cafe’s with printing available, within a stones throw, so you do not need to fret.

Important Links for Ecuador Immigration

Official visa extension application form/Formulario de Solicitud de Prórroga: https://www.ministeriointerior.gob.ec/formulario-de-prorrroga-para-el-permiso-de-permanencia-autorizada-en-ecuador/ or https://www.ministeriointerior.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/nuevo-formulario.pdf

List of Migración offices in Ecuador: https://www.ministeriointerior.gob.ec/directorio-de-servicios-de-apoyo-migratorio/

Official website of Ecuador’s Ministry of Interior and Immigration: https://www.ministeriointerior.gob.ec/

Place to celebrate with cheap beer and food and great atmosphere nearby in Quito, La Pradera Food Garden: https://m.facebook.com/praderamega/

Congratulations on getting your extension! We would love to hear your experience with all of this, and within Ecuador! Drop us a line below or send us a message on Instagram or email. Buen Viajes and Happy Ecuador-ing!