You No Longer Need to Ship Your Documents to Ecuador to Apply for a Visa

The Short Version

We can now accept digital scans of your apostilled documents — FBI background checks, birth certificates, marriage certificates, all of it — and perform the certified translation, notarization, and e-visa preparation entirely from the scan. Your original documents never need to enter Ecuador. Your application can be submitted within 72 hours of receiving the digital file.

No DHL. No FedEx. No $80+ international shipping fees. No two-week wait while a package crosses borders and clears customs.

This changes everything about how fast we can get your visa application in.

What Changed

Ecuador's e-visa system (sistema de visa electrónica) accepts certified digital documentation for submission. We've built our process around this: when you send us a high-resolution scan of your apostilled document, we can handle the entire chain — certified Spanish translation, notarial certification, and formatting for the Cancillería's e-visa portal — without ever touching the physical paper.

Previously, our clients had two options:

1. Ship originals via DHL/FedEx — $80–$150 per shipment, 5–14 business days transit time, risk of loss or customs delays
2. Carry documents personally — only works if you're already in Ecuador, and you still had to physically deliver them to us or a translator

Both options added weeks to the timeline. And if a document needed to be re-done — say the apostille was rejected or the wrong form was notarized — the entire shipping cycle started over.

Now there's a third option that eliminates all of that.

How It Works

Here's the new process, step by step:

Step 1: You get your document apostilled in your home country

This part hasn't changed. Your FBI background check, birth certificate, marriage certificate, or other required document still needs to be apostilled by the appropriate authority (U.S. Department of State for federal documents, Secretary of State for state-level documents).

Step 2: You scan the apostilled document

Once your document has the apostille attached, scan or photograph the complete document including the apostille in high resolution. We need:

• Minimum 300 DPI or a clear, well-lit phone photo
• All pages — front, back, apostille certificate
• PDF format preferred, but high-resolution JPEG/PNG works
• No cropping — we need the full page including margins

Step 3: You send us the digital file

Email, WhatsApp, or our secure upload portal. The moment we receive it, the clock starts.

Step 4: We handle everything from here

Within 72 hours, we complete:

• ✅ Certified Spanish translation by an authorized translator registered with the Cancillería
• ✅ Notarial certification of the translation
• ✅ Document preparation formatted to the e-visa portal's specifications
• ✅ Upload-ready file packaged for your specific visa category

Step 5: Your document is submitted with your e-visa application

No shipping. No waiting. No customs. No risk of lost originals.

Why This Is a Game Changer

Let's put real numbers on what this saves:

	Old Process (DHL)	New Process (Digital)
Shipping cost	$80–$150 per package	$0
Transit time	5–14 business days	Instant
Risk of loss	Real (customs, misdelivery)	None
Total doc prep time	2–4 weeks	72 hours

For a typical visa application with 3–4 documents requiring translation, clients were spending $240–$600 on shipping alone and waiting 3–6 weeks just for documents to arrive and be processed. That entire phase now collapses to 72 hours and $0 in shipping costs.

Who This Helps Most

Applying from abroad: If you're in the U.S., Canada, or anywhere outside Ecuador and want to start your visa process before you arrive — this is built for you. Get your FBI background check, have it apostilled, scan it, and send it to us. Your application can be in the system before you ever board a plane.

Already in Ecuador: Even if you're here, you may have documents back home that a family member needs to send. Instead of coordinating an international shipment, they can walk to a FedEx Office, scan the document, and email it to you. Done.

Time-sensitive applications: Some documents have expiration clocks. An FBI background check is valid for a limited period from the date of issuance. Every day spent in transit is a day off that clock. Digital processing means you use those days for processing, not shipping.

Multiple documents: Visa applications typically require 3–5 apostilled documents. Under the old system, clients would sometimes ship documents one at a time as they received them — each shipment costing $80+ and taking a week. Now you can send each document the moment it's ready, and we start processing immediately.

What You Still Need to Do on Your End

This isn't fully remote yet — you still have responsibilities:

1. Obtain the original documents (FBI background check, birth certificate, etc.)
2. Get them apostilled in your home country
3. Scan them properly (high-res, complete, including apostille)
4. Send us the digital files

We handle everything after step 4. The apostille process itself hasn't changed — that still requires dealing with your home country's authorities. But the moment that apostille stamp is on the paper, you can have it in our hands within minutes instead of weeks.

Common Questions

Do I still need to keep the physical originals?

Yes. Keep your originals in a safe place. While the e-visa system accepts certified digital documentation for the application, you may need originals for other purposes (opening bank accounts, registering with IESS, etc.) once you're in Ecuador.

What about the FBI background check specifically?

The FBI channeler (like Fieldprint or National Background Investigations) sends you the completed background check. Take it to the U.S. Department of State for apostille (or use an apostille service). Once the apostille is attached, scan the entire document — background check + apostille — and send it to us. We can have it translated, notarized, and submission-ready within 72 hours.

Is there any quality loss from using a scan instead of the original?

No. The e-visa system is designed to accept digital uploads. As long as the scan is high-resolution and legible, it meets the Cancillería's requirements. We quality-check every file before processing.

What file formats do you accept?

PDF is preferred. High-resolution JPEG or PNG also works. No Word documents or low-resolution phone screenshots.

Does this work for all visa types?

Yes — professional, pensioner/retirement, investor, rentista, digital nomad, marriage, dependent, and all other visa categories that require apostilled foreign documents.

Ready to Start?

If you have apostilled documents ready — or you're about to start the apostille process — reach out now and we'll tell you exactly what to scan and how to send it.

• Email: info@ecuapass.com
• Web: ecuapass.com/visas

Your visa application could be submitted this week. Not next month. This week.