Apostille Document for Ecuador

[NWT Cruiser]

Fouremco, I'm hoping you can help with this.  We have a cruise booked to travel from Buenos Aires with a port stop in Ecuador.  I have read that Canada has recently joined the Apostille Convention on January 11, 2024 and on the Gov't of Canada site I seen that Ecuador requires a Criminal Record check that needs to be apostilled.  On a couple of the forums for previous cruises in South America, I asked U.S. citizens what is really required since the U.S. was part of the Convention since October 1981.  The answers I rec'd from U.S. citizens stated that when they travelled to Ecuador the last few years, they did not apply or need any such document.  Hoping you can clarify (in simple English) what this all means. Thank you.

 

Frances (NWT Cruiser) 

 

https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/ecuador#entryexit

Entry restrictions at land and river borders with Peru and Colombia

On January 11, 2024, the Government of Ecuador announced new entry restrictions as part of the ongoing state of internal armed conflict.

 

All foreigners entering Ecuador at crossing points with land or river borders with Peru and Colombia will need to present a criminal records check from their country of origin or residence. Both the original criminal record check and the Spanish translation must be apostilled and cover the past five years. Minors travelling with their family members will generally be exempt.

 

The Apostille Convention took effect in Canada on January 11, 2024. An apostille is a standard certificate allowing documents to be accepted in all countries where the convention is in effect.

 

About the Canadian Apostille Process

If you have Canadian documents for use in Ecuador, your documents will first need to be apostilled by the relevant Canadian authority. The Canadian apostille process is often a multi-step process. Click below for more information on these steps.

 

 

Document Apostille forEcuador

Canadian documents that need to be officially recognized in Ecuador will need to obtain an apostille from the relevant Canadian authority. Contact us to get started!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Depend on the date you may not be stopping 😱

NCL Sun skipped the ports in Ecuador this January , Sister in law was on the cruise 

https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/ecuador

[broberts]

36 minutes ago, NWT Cruiser said:

Fouremco, I'm hoping you can help with this.  ...

 

To notify @Fouremco, you need to type the @ followed by the first few letters of the username. When the popup list appears tap / click on the desired user. This will produce a blue bubble as seen in this post and the user will be notified that someone mentioned them in a post.

[NWT Cruiser]

6 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

To notify @Fouremco, you need to type the @ followed by the first few letters of the username. When the popup list appears tap / click on the desired user. This will produce a blue bubble as seen in this post and the user will be notified that someone mentioned them in a post.

 

I went back into my message but it must be closed off for me to "edit".  I'm sure he'll see my message that is two quotes ahead of yours now that you have him highlighted as a notification to him.

Thanks for this tidbit on using the @ before a name.

 

[NWT Cruiser]

39 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Depend on the date you may not be stopping 😱

NCL Sun skipped the ports in Ecuador this January , Sister in law was on the cruise 

https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/ecuador

 

I'm on Princess Sapphire and it has a stop in Ecuador.  I was looking forward to this port but who knows, Princess may skip it too.  Just weird that U.S. citizens belong to the Apostille Convention since 1981 and they are saying that no documents were required for them on previous cruises that stopped at this port.  Fingers crossed ... no documents required for Canadians. 

[middlehaitch]

@NWT Cruiser this "Entry restrictions at land and river borders with Peru and Colombia" is the header for the quote you posted. You are arriving via cruise ship so the restriction/need for Apostilled documents doesn't apply. Read through your link again and you will see all you need is your passport, and to make sure you have it stamped when you enter the country.

 

Cheers, h.

PS I am no expert so re read the link you posted carefully.

Edited January 28 by middlehaitch

[NWT Cruiser]

6 hours ago, middlehaitch said:

all you need is your passport, and to make sure you have it stamped when you enter the country.

 

I really hope you're right.  I read documents and I know I overthink and overanalyze a lot (with a little bit of stress and anxiety) which impedes my ability to articulate thoughts clearly and it usually materializes when I have to make a tough decision.  I was booked on a cruise (which stops in Ecuador) for later this year and cancelled it ...  thought I would be safer to book for next winter and see if any Canadians experience any type of problem regarding the Apostille.  Fingers crossed ... smooth sailing.

 

Cheers,

Frances (NWT Cruiser) 

 

[NWT Cruiser]

Accidentally copied (quote) by mistake.

Edited January 29 by NWT Cruiser
Don't require it

[Fouremco]

Hi @NWT Cruiser. Sorry for the late reply, but we've just returned from a cruise and I'm only now starting to catch up on my Cruise Critic.

 

I have to agree with @middlehaitch, this requirement only applies to foreigners entering Ecuador "at crossing points with land or river borders with Peru and Colombia", which is not the case for cruise passengers.

 

Interestingly, the US State Department's travel site similar to our Canadian one makes no mention of this requirement at all.

 

I'm a firm believer in reaching out to the embassy or consular offices of foreign countries if I have a question related to their travel requirements. You might want to do the same in this case:

 

https://embassyecuador.ca/en/contact/

[NWT Cruiser]

34 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

I have to agree with @middlehaitch, this requirement only applies to foreigners entering Ecuador "at crossing points with land or river borders with Peru and Colombia", which is not the case for cruise passengers.

 

Thank you so much for the response.  Once again, I read too much into the requirements.  I went back into the Gov't of Canada's site and in the "Ecuador Travel Advice" the Entry and Exit Requirements clearly read as only in the crossing points with land or river borders with Peru and Columbia will we need to present the crim checks from their country of residence. 

 

I should have looked at a map then I would have realized that our port stop is in Manta, Ecuador and we won't be crossing any land or river borders.  Same thing as Lima, Peru.

 

At least it clears my mind and I can continue on with my cruise plans (even though the cruise isn't until March 2024).

 

Cheers,

Frances (NWT Cruiser)