Ecuador centralises visa system
Ecuador has introduced a centralised online visa platform that travel reporting says could push processing times to about 60 days for travellers from Brazil, Colombia and other Mercosur countries. The change was described as a digitisation that may create new bottlenecks rather than immediate speed gains (travelandtourworld.com).
Ecuador is shifting visa applications onto a single online system, and immigration advisers say processing times are stretching toward 60 business days. (fragomen.com) Fragomen said on April 10 that consular visa processing is trending toward the government’s maximum of 60 business days, up from a previous average of about 30 business days. The firm said delays are likely to continue for the next few months while the platform stabilizes. (fragomen.com) Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry has been building this system for more than a year. In a July 16, 2024 notice, the ministry said the eVisas portal would let people apply “100% online,” without appointments, from anywhere. (cancilleria.gob.ec) The ministry restated that pitch on April 26, 2025, calling eVisas a digital tool for visa requests that is “completely digital” and designed to make case handling more orderly, transparent and controlled. (cancilleria.gob.ec) For applicants from Brazil, Colombia and other South American countries, the change touches visa routes Ecuador already offers under regional migration agreements. Ecuador’s official services guide lists temporary residence visas for Mercosur nationals and separate temporary residence visas under the Andean Migration Statute. (gob.ec, gob.ec) Those categories matter because they cover people moving for work, family or longer-term residence, not just short tourist trips. Ecuador’s Mercosur visa page says the permit is for nationals of Mercosur states who intend to settle in the country for lawful activities, and the Andean page says the Andean temporary residence visa lasts two years with multiple entries. (gob.ec, gob.ec) The bottleneck is not that Ecuador created a new visa class this month. The change is administrative: applications that were handled through consulates or local offices are being funneled through one digital platform, which can make filing easier while slowing review if backlogs build. (fragomen.com, cancilleria.gob.ec) Ecuador has already seen that pattern with earlier online shifts. In a 2024 alert on in-country immigration filings, Fragomen said online applications were generally taking about 30 business days, while in-person applications had often been completed in fewer than 10 days in practice. (fragomen.com) The government’s public message is that eVisas should improve access, security and oversight. The immediate message from immigration practitioners is narrower: people who need an Ecuador visa in 2026 should plan for a process that may now take closer to two months than one. (cancilleria.gob.ec, fragomen.com)
