Birth certificates for residency visa application

Hi Neil, thanks a lot for your quick response. Does your family have minors? Your reasoning may be right for adults, but I figure maybe for a minor it's necessary to establish the parentage? I'm asking because it'd be too much hassle for us to get everyone's birth certificate authenticated by a local EC embassy as our birth country is different from our country of residence and my kid's is a third country! So if we do "over-preparation" by legalizing or authenticating all three certificates, it means we'll have to fly to two countries to get them done at the Ecuadorean embassies in those two countries.

Does my family have any minors? Not for about 20 years. I'm an old timer.
I don't have the answer to your question though, as these things are so convoluted, and of course, I didn't have to deal with it. Maybe someone on here will see your query that has more experience than I.
The safest thing I would suggest is to contact by email a practicing attorney in Ecuador.
Things are very fluid here as far as regulations. My gut feeling is that the birth certificate won't be required, as the passports will suffice. I just can't give a definitive answer.
Best of  Luck!
Neil

Thanks Neil. Just learned from someone that the birth certificates will be required for issuing the cedula, so I guess I might as well gather all the documents beforehand. Since you just completed the process, do you know when one must apply for the cedula after obtaining the visa?

I believe that once you have your visa, there isn't a time limit on the cedula. I applied for mine immediately, and had my cedula in 5 working days. I have a gringo friend that I think let 9 months pass before he applied for his cedula.
Good Luck,
Neil

Great, Neil. Now here comes the crucial question : Were you required to submit your notarized and legalized birth certificates for the cedula? 

Also, do you happen to know where is the official web page that lists requirements for the cedula?

By the way, did you use a lawyer for the visa application?

I had to have the birth certificate for my cedula; however, I just had a friend go get hers and they didn't need it. They may have recently changed the requirements (which is very common).

amyf -- Thanks for the info. I wish they'd waive this requirement to save me the trouble of flying to two countries :-)

Any lawyers or legal advisers reading this post, please confirm if notarized/legalized birth certificates are still required for visa and/or cedula application, please.

I have just been through the process. Because of Presidente Correa's initiative to cut red tape, the Ministerio no longer ask for birth certificate or marriage certificate, instead they will ask you to pay $4.00 during the final stage of receiving your 9-I visa.
However, it is best to be prepared.

carlmiller1944 -- Thanks for the great info. I guess this will be the same for 9-II visa as well? Were you required to submit the birth and marriage certificates for the cedula application?

Your Visa trumps all. Once you have it, all documentation for the cedula will be accepted from the visa application process. It also stop the " 90 day clock " on expiration of docs. < the Visa >
Good Luck  Troop
Neil

What is not mentioned on their site is the requirements for obtaining the 2nd portion of the Visa you seek. To drive, work and most any other thing Ecuadorian including utility set up, phones etc you'll need a Cedula which identifies you. You'll carry this with you as a form of identity.
The Cedula process right now absolutely requires an original Birth Certificate which must be apostilled and certified. I saw the $4.00 comment someone said was now in place and I frowned when I saw that. I've been chatting with immigration and my attorney, this $4.00 thing has not come up and no one volunteered this alternative charge in place of the Birth Certificate either.
Don't wrestle with getting this on your own. You'll get crazy. Run a search for Vital check. You can also find the link for them on our state departments website. Right there on the Federal State dept link! They specialize in ferreting out all certificates from state or federal agencies and they work magic.
Open the link and pull down the birth certificate link. Do a dry walk through using the links process it is very well explained including time to get these and their prices.
At one point you'll be asked what purpose this request serves. You need to select from their menu the apostilled and certified version. It is the only one they will accept to obtain the Cedula. I am using Carlos Heredia who was recommended to me from another ex pat to obtain our visas and Cedula's, If you'd like, I have his e mail to me telling me exactly what is needed for our visas and cedula's.If you'd like I can forward it to you. FYI, Carlos is the lead attorney representing many of the folks not yet paid on the recent banking defaults. He is well versed and very respected by Ecuadorian officials.
Adios, questions? Write back using my e mail address

Now I know we in our house hold have a running joke that the laws and rules here change in Ecuador daily it is funny.  But do not come here with out your

Original Birth Certificate for each member of your family.
Marriage Certificate original

You must look closely at the birth Certificate that it has a seal on it, it is the original of both, your mothers name must be on the birth certificate and your fathers name...you must know where both are from...

Your name must be the same on all documents
so go for Passport name on Visa...then Cedula Card...everyone must have a Cedula Card  it is like a Social Security card.

Now you have 90 days to file paper work...and the dates on these documents only last so long...
Seal, Notarized, aposteled
Do not bothered to have it translated into Spanish because 1/2 the Americans have been told they don't like the Spanish from America have the paper work redone.  So why pay twice have it done here.

They are very detailed oriented and you must be very detailed also...one person will say this one person will say that but you are just better off taking someone that speaks Spanish with you so you can communicate....start taking Spanish lessons now.

Don't believe people that you will not need these papers believe me you will regret not bring them.  The moto here is be prepared with everything.

In my research have understood that authentication or "apostille" of document is done by state issuing birth certificate (or marriage license) (I am US born)and that it could be done by mail with written request and proper fee. and am advised to have many copies of each. Am also advised that Ecuadorian Consulates are a waste of time and whatever they say or do will have no bearing on anything once you get to Ecuador.

Interesting what was posted about translation I will still probably have it done anyway just in case it is asked for and might be cheaper here. Most of Spanish speakers here speak Latin-American Spanish.

I suppose it might be a frustrating process but it is hard not to laugh. American bureaucrats can be very unpleasant and I guess we are used to responding in kind which I'm sure is a huge mistake in Ecuador or anywhere else in the world for that matter.

Thanks to everyone above who has responded to my questions. I'm thinking that, just to be safe, it's best to go to all the trouble to collect the documents just in case, for I figure it may turn out to be even costlier if I had to be asked to fly back for additional documents after arriving in EC.

One related question: I've seen many forums saying that the first requirement for the residency visa (9-II for me) is a written request in Spanish addressed to EC government stating the rationale for the visa. However, the official website apparently says this is only required for 9–IV and 9-VI visas. Does anyone have any comment on this discrepancy?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

One more question. Since I can come to EC visa-free for 90 days, should I just do that or is it advisable to apply for a 180-day visa beforehand? Is the 180-day visa even required by EC authorities? If not applying for a 180-day visa, is it likely that I can obtain the residency visa within the visa-free 90 days? For the visa application I plan to come alone. Are my wife and child required to be present in EC for visa application?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

No I did not have to submit either. I tried giving both to my attorney who said I didn't need them. Still I am cautious and was prepared to give both upon request, which never happened.

Carl

I am not suggesting anyone show up without an apostille attached to a birth certificate and marriage certificate and as a matter of fact, I suggested everyone be prepared just in case.
I am only relating my experience as well as those who went through the process with me.
Instead of asking for either document, you are ask to pay $4.00 to the cashier. I was more than happy to do so.
FYI, Carlos is also my attorney.

Carl

Thanks Carl for your good advice.

Carlos Heredia has been very good at answering questions for me. I'm arriving on next Monday and am using Dr. Heredia as my attorney. His contact information is shown at seclem.com/index.php/contacts.

symo

Yes you must submit birth Certificates  notarized and apostilled

For those needing good information about residency and visa requirements in Ecuador, go here:

yourescapetoecuador.com/relocation/visas-and-immigration/

guitarj wrote:

Yes you must submit birth Certificates  notarized and apostilled

Submit them for what? They were not required, nor submitted when I turned in my paperwork for my 9-II last month (10/14). They are required for the cedula.

As Neil stated above it doesn't hurt to be over prepared. No big deal when I handed everything to my attorney and he handed my birth certificate and marriage certificate back to me.

Everything went fine at Imigration and the total wait was probably 15 minutes.

chuckdee wrote:

For those needing good information about residency and visa requirements in Ecuador, go here:

yourescapetoecuador.com/relocation/visas-and-immigration/

Welcome back Chuckdee. CanŽt wait to hear about your future link recommendations.

Nards Barley wrote:

Welcome back Chuckdee. CanŽt wait to hear about your future link recommendations.

How does one achieve the status of guest?  Is this a cameo appearance by a not so well known celebrity?

mugtech wrote:

How does one achieve the status of guest?

I guess you have to be banned first. It is sort of a spooky to see a username all in black that you canŽt click.

Hi mugtech and Nards Barley,

Please note that the term Guest status is when the account has been deleted requested by the person.

Thank you,

Priscilla
Expat.com team

(Sorry for the off topic)

Priscilla wrote:

Hi mugtech and Nards Barley,

Please note that the term Guest status is when the account has been deleted requested by the person.

Thank you,

Priscilla
Expat.com team

(Sorry for the off topic)

So he's deleted but he's still here. Committed Expat.com suicide but his ghost remains.  Thanks for the info.  Glad to be off topic.

Hi everyone, I'm the OP. Have a question about translation of the legal documents. Do I understand it correctly that you do the apostille first (which is also in English), and then do the Spanish translation, right? And that Spanish translation itself -- not the English original, which has already been notarized prior to the apostille -- has to be notarized, right? I apologize for the newbie questions -- as I'm indeed a newbie :-)

One more question: Do minors get cedulas in EC? I know many countries do not issue ID cards to minors, but I've been told that my child also needs to submit birth certificate for the purpose of cedula application. So is it true that in EC even small kids below 10 also get cedulas?

Anyone knows the answers to my questions?

Everyone needs birth certicates period with mother and fathers name and appoostiled and it can be translated to spanish overhere why because spanish here is odifferent you have so many day to get it done then your dates run out so come prepared
Marriage certicates all your i doted and t crossed appostled and dated you can get spanish done here.  be practicing spanish you will need it.  read as much as possible.  get ready for many changes many.  some good some bad.  list why you are coming we came for low cost of living we got half of that, lower health care we got that, cool but warm weatger in andes we got that so we got top three wishes...lost somethings things but thas moving.  health care was so so important to us.  spanish was veuuery ipmportant you must know it.  jobs are hard to find.

In Ecuador everyone.. EVERYONE gets cedula. Is the national ID document. Used not to be that when I was a child, but now.. everyone has cedula.

Will be better if you get translation (is cheap) and get it notarized in Ecuador. Notaries in Ecuador are not like in the States, this is why people ask for ecuadorian seal notary.

smmr -- Thanks for your comments. I'm arranging for the birth and marriage certs for all of us. Even though many people told me they are no longer needed for the visa, I took Neil's advice of being overprepared just in case, since the cost of having to get them again would be too high for me...

MariaPiaBlog -- Thanks for the info on the cedula. That's exactly what I was asking about :-) I was surprised when I was told even minors also need to apply for cedula. I've lived in many countries; they all issue ID cards for 16yo+ only. Interesting that Ecuadorian toddlers also carry cedulas :-) Perhaps a Latin American thing...

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