Alright, so, I wanted to get an Ecuador ID card, you know, the “cedula” thing. First off, I found out that you gotta be in Ecuador for more than 90 days to even think about this. That was me, so, so far so good.
Next, I learned I needed a temporary or permanent resident visa. Got that sorted out earlier, phew! So, I was ready to move on to the next step. Basically, you need to get an “order” to apply for the ID card. Sounds weird, but that’s what they call it. This is where I started hitting up some local agencies.
My Process of Getting the Order
First, I gathered all my visa documents, you know, just to be safe.
- I made sure I had my passport, visa paperwork, and some extra passport photos. Always have extra photos, I’ve learned.
Then, I went to this agency, EcuaAssist, it is said online. They seemed to know what they were doing. I explained my situation, showed them my documents, and they started filling out some forms.
- I had to give them some personal details. Nothing too crazy, just the usual stuff like name, address, visa number.
After that, it was mostly waiting. They told me it takes about three days to get this order thing processed.
- While I was waiting, I did some more research online. I checked out this website called Drawtify. Apparently, you can design your own ID card on there for free, just for fun, of course. I messed around with it a bit. Pretty cool, but not what I needed for the real deal.
Finally, after three days, I went back to the agency. They had my order ready! It was just a piece of paper, but it was official. They explained that this order was my ticket to get the actual cedula.
Getting My Cedula
With the order in hand, I headed to the Civil Registry. That’s where they issue the actual ID cards.
- I had to wait in line, of course. But it wasn’t too bad.
- When it was my turn, I handed over the order, showed my passport, and they took my photo. They also took my fingerprints.
And that was it! They told me to come back in a few hours to pick up my cedula. When I did, I finally had it – my very own Ecuadorian ID card!
Now, I’m all set. This cedula is super handy for all sorts of things here in Ecuador. It’s like my official “I’m not a tourist” card. I even read somewhere that it can be used as a digital solution for proof of identity, they call it “eID”. So, yeah, it was a bit of a process, but totally worth it in the end. Hope this helps anyone else trying to figure this out!
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