Obtaining a 180 day 12 IX Visa

[PETER KAHL]

Hi, My partner and I (Australian and French citizens) are trying to get 12 IX tourist visas for 180 days from this August 2014 but we need invitation letters from either an Ecuadorian citizen or resident. How does anyone get such a letter to obtain this type of visa when we don’t yet know anyone in Ecuador? Also, as we are coming from Peru by buses and plan on going on to Columbia by bus six months later how do you buy a bus ticket from Ecuador 9 months in advance? No problems with any of the other visa requirements. Hoping to hear from someone who knows how to solve this problem. Cheers Peter

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Hi Peter,

I’ve never heard of anyone needing an invitation to come to Ecuador to apply for the 12-IX visa. I just reviewed the requirements on the Ecuadorian Embassy’s website and there is no mention of needing invitations. You can find the requirements here.

As for the bus – I don’t think you’ll be able to purchase bus tickets in advance. I would speak with someone at your nearest Ecuadorian embassy and ask what they suggest. I do know people who were able to book airline tickets through certain websites that allow a refund if you cancel within a day or two. Once they booked, they printed their flight confirmation, then cancelled the flight and received a refund. It’s not the best method, but one that might work if you can’t find any other options.

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