International moves require preparation and planning to relocate from one country to another. In addition to securing the services of an international moving company, packing your belongings and planning your moving budget, you must also consider the customs regulations, as they often vary and are subject to change.
Whatever your reasons for relocating to Ecuador, you'll need to be properly prepared when entering the country through customs. Here's what you need to know when preparing to travel to Ecuador from the United States:
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ENTRY
Before your arrival in Ecuador, make sure you gather the following documents and keep them in a safe place, as you're going to need to present them to the Customs officials in order to make your transition into the country go as smoothly as possible.
Here is what you'll need:
- Passport (must be notarized for all members of your family and notary's address must also be included for verification)
- Migration Certificate (this certificate will be issued once the customer arrives at the destination by Migration Police)
- Work visa or temporary work visa (only valid for six months)
- Notarized work contract, approved by the Public Ministry of Labor
- Original Bill of Lading or Air Waybill (Passport number included)
- Complete list of inventory and packing list in Spanish, containing the contents of all boxes included in the shipment and notarized in the customer's country of origin
- Transportation Insurance Policy
SHIPPING AND CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
Before you begin unpacking and settling in, you'll have to make sure your shipment fits all of the regulations to clear customs. Each country has its own unique set of shipping guidelines that must be followed, so here are what to expect when moving to Ecuador:
- All customers must be present in Ecuador at the time of Customs clearance in order to sign all necessary documents
- All shipments are subject to inspection upon arrival
- Customer should already be in Ecuador for at least two weeks prior to the arrival of the shipment; shipments must arrive within 60 days after the customer's arrival in Ecuador
- All shipments arriving prior to the arrival of the customer will be subject to duties and taxes
- All shipments being imported by foreigners or immigrants may be imported duty free as long as the customer also has a Non-Immigrant Work Visa valid for over one year or an Immigrant Visa
- Only one shipment per customer will be imported duty free, all other shipments will be subject to import taxes and duties
- Only one of each item is allowed to be imported, including appliances, all other items will be subject to import taxes and duties
- All non-declared items found during inspection are illegal and the customer will be subject to arrest for a punishable felony
- All household goods and personal effects must be inspected in the customer's country of origin prior to departing for Ecuador; all shipments that fail to be verified and inspected before arrival in Ecuador are subject to re-embarkation of the shipment and it will be returned to the country of origin
PROHIBITED ITEMS
The following items are prohibited from being imported into Ecuador through customs and may be seized by customs and border authorities upon arrival:
- Narcotics/controlled substances
- Alcohol, cigarettes and cigars
- Explosives, ammunitions, swords, air guns, firearms and weapons of any kind
- Pornographic materials, videos and software
- All food products and spices
- Rugs
- All appliances that use refrigerants and any cleaning products
- Live plants
- All creams, perfumes, colognes and other cosmetic products
RESTRICTED ITEMS
Restricted items are items which may be limited to certain quantities or require additional duties, taxes or fees before they can be cleared by customs officials. Here are the items that are restricted and dutiable by the government of Ecuador:
- Each member of the family entering Ecuador is allowed to import up to 200 kilos of clothing, shoes and personal accessories; importing more than 200 kilos will incur import taxes and duties
- All new items will be subject to import taxes and duties, as well as any items in excess of a certain valuation
- All electrical items and appliances may be subject to import taxes and duties
- Art, antiques and religious materials may be subject to import taxes and are restricted
MOTOR VEHICLE REGULATIONS
Each country has different rules and regulations when it comes to the importation of motor vehicles. If you're hoping to take your vehicle with you when you relocate to Ecuador, take some time to familiarize yourself with these regulations so that you can be prepared when it's time to relocate overseas with your vehicle:
- Foreign citizens with non-immigrant visas may not import used vehicles into Ecuador
- Only returning Ecuadorian citizens may import vehicles and are limited to only one vehicle duty free; the vehicle must be no older than four years old, must be shipped in the household goods container and the citizen must have resided abroad for at least three years before returning to Ecuador
- When importing a vehicle, you must present the following documents at Customs clearance:
- Passport
- Original vehicle title and vehicle registration
- Import Permit approved in Ecuador prior to shipping
- Original purchase invoice, notarized by an Ecuadorian Consulate in the customer's country of origin prior to arrival
- Original Bill of Lading
- Circulation Permit
PETS AND ANIMAL REGULATIONS
Pets are always welcome when moving overseas. However, many destinations have their own laws pertaining to bringing animals into the country:
- Customers may import up to three pets, including cats, dogs and birds
- If pets are traveling with the customer, they may be cleared at Customs as baggage, permitted that the owner can present an International Health Certificate to the Customs authority
- All pets arriving at Customs as baggage must spend at least one night in Customs before being cleared
- All pets and animals must be accompanied by a certificate of vaccination stating that the animal has received its required vaccinations, including rabies, at least 30 days prior to arrival