If you want to stay longer than the free 90-days you receive upon entering Ecuador, know that it will be a frustrating, time-consuming, and expensive process. But!-- it can be done.
As far as I know, they are no longer offering "tourist visa extensions" as they used to in the past, and you CANNOT leave the country (like border hopping to Peru or Columbia) and get another 90 days. The current law states that you can only get 90 days within 365 days. [This is important because if you were in Ecuador 8 months ago, when you return, you will only have 90 days minus the time you spent here 8 months ago!]
Okay, so here was our process:
-Went to the Ministrio de Relaciones Exteriores in Quito. [Address: Carrión E1-76 y Av. 10 de Agosto, near the trolley stop 'Santa Clara']. Their hours are 8:00a-4:00p but you really should get there at about 7:30a-- a line forms out front just to get in. You have to sit and wait when you first get in (if you arrive before 9 am). Then you go upstairs where they give you a number and you sit & wait more.
-On your first visit, you tell them what you want to do, and they tell you what papers you need. For the 12-IX visa you will need:
-Written request to stay in Ecuador longer, addressed to the Ecuadorian Foreign Service Officer and signed by the applicant (you)**
-Visa Application Form (filled out; you can get this at the office or from their website)
-(2) Passport-sized, color, photographs
-Passport valid for at least six months; copy of the front page & copy of the entry stamp page
-Copy of your flight itinerary or ticket (out of Ecuador)
-Copy of your bank statement demonstrating sufficient funds to stay in the country (we were told that at least $1,000 was 'sufficient')
** The written request must be in Spanish and should look something like this:
"Yo, (your full name), (nationality), passaporte no. _______ solicito una visa 12-IX por ___ dias. Quisiera quedar en Ecaudor porque...."
HINT!! If you walk out of the Quito visa office and go right, there is a big internet/copy place down just a bit on the right. They have a template letters on their computers and will help you put in your name & passport number, etc. and print it out.
AND!! If you can get all of this in order before you go on the first day, it will save you a trip.
-2nd trip, turn in paperwork. Pay $30 application processing fee (this is the same for every type of visa). They tell you when to come back.
-3rd trip, get your processed paperwork back (hopefully.. but if you have all your paperwork in order it should be fine) and pay the $200 for the 12-IX Actos de Comercio Visa (different visas cost different amounts). You are then told to come back in 2 or 3 days to pick up your passport with the new visa.
-Last trip. Pick up passport with new visa.
Expect at least 5 days from start to finish. Expect to spend anywhere from 2 to 5 hours on each return, as you have to get a number and wait each time. It is an awful process, and very expensive!
Here is the link to the office: http://www.mmrree.gob.ec/servicios/indice.asp
(site is all in Spanish, so if your Spanish isn't very good, there is always Google translate to help you get an idea..)
IMPORTANT! Please see my post about getting a CENSO. This is the current problem we are going through.... *sigh*
Good luck!
