Hey all, just want to say hi and that its great to find this forum. I have a couple questions about my vehicle. My wife is Ecuadorian and we are looking to complete our move here, a few months ago I acquired a 2012 VW and we wish to bring it down here. My wife and I lived in Canada for the last three years but my wife spends almost as much time in Ecuador as she does in Canada. We have been told that she can bring her vehicle back as long as she is moving back to the country but she wouldn't be able to do that if she has been in Ecuador for more than 90 days in the last year which she has. As for my situation, I am not currently an Ecuadorian citizen but it will happen in 4 - 5 months from now. I was hoping to ship the car to Cartagena Colombia and drive it to Ecuador from there but I have read that my passport would be stamped as driving in with a car and I won't be able to fly out. This won't be a problem as long as the stamp goes on my wifes car if she drives across the border but as she is driving a canadian car and travelling on an Ecuadorian passport I foresee some problems there. She is a Permanent resident of Canada currently so she can legally travel in our jointly registered and insured car.
Sorry to be so long winded, thanks in advance for any help.
Chris
Bringing my 2012 vehicle from Canada to Ecuador
Hello,
I think you can bring your car to Ecuador. Your wife is a permanent resident in Canada and if she has been living out of Ecuador for more than 3 years she can bring a car and personal belongings without taxes but the rules are not very clear about visiting the country.
When is only personal belongings moving there's no problems with visiting Ecuador but is not quite clear if you include a car.
If you can wait until Monday I can find out for sure.
Regards
Vinny
Good Morning Vinny,
Yes that is the information we were also given, my only worries were with her spending so much time in Quito since receiving her permanent residency in Canada. She has resided outside Ecuador for just over three years but not if you consider he vacations.
Thanks for the quick reply
Chris
Have personal experience bringing a car in from Colombia (with Colombian plates). You can enter for 2 months, get an extension for one month more, then you must export the car. This can be done twice in any calendar year. So technically you can import your car for 180days per year, as long as you are on a visitor's visa.
They DO NOT stamp your passport for the car, they merely stamp your passport with the place of entry. you may leave the country freely by air, sea, or land in the meantime, provided your tourist visa is valid. As I say that's my personal recent experience. (I'm English, have just obtained permanent residency status.)
as far as I know, you can permanently import a car when you move here, without paying customs duty, provided it is a model from the current year. Otherwise, forget it! (This is info obtained both from the government's website, and confirmed by the head of customs in Manta.)
As you no doubt know, all of these rules can change from one day to the next - without prior notice!
Thanks for the info Mike, unfortunatley leaving it in Colombia for 6 months out of the year isn't an option. I have decided to drive it back to Canada and sell it and buy another vehicle here.
Hello,
As Ecuadorian you can bring a car to Ecuador free of taxes if you have been out of the country for 3 or more years BUT if you visit Ecuador and stay for more than 60 days a year in the last years you can't import a car.
If you have been out of Ecuador for more than 30 years you can visit Ecuador for less than 90 days a year and import a car.
Vinny
Vinnie66 the voice of the experience, knowledge and wisdom in Cuenca, I need to get hold of you... I will PM you.
Articles to help you in your expat project in Ecuador
Ecuador is famous as a retirement haven. But you might not want to wait until retirement age to move there and ...
What kind of food will you find in restaurants, cafes, and private homes in Ecuador? Many restaurants in Ecuador ...
Family is everything to an Ecuadorian. The extended family unit is the most important aspect of life in Ecuador ...
Ecuador, as a fast-developing nation, has laws that are constantly evolving, but one thing is certain: the ongoing ...
A few years back, an expat would just breeze into an Ecuadorian bank, flash their passport and a bank account ...
