Navigating Damaged or Full Passports: A Guide to Visa Transfers in Ecuador

As a foreign resident in Ecuador, your passport and the visa sticker within it are your most critical documents. When a passport is filled with stamps or a visa sticker becomes damaged, it can cause significant anxiety. However, this is a common administrative issue with a clear solution. This expert guide details the precise, legally-compliant steps to transfer your valid Ecuadorian visa to a new passport, ensuring your residency status remains secure.

Distinguishing the Core Issue: Damaged Sticker vs. Full Passport

While the outcome is the same—a new visa sticker in a valid passport—the administrative approach can differ slightly.

• Damaged Visa Sticker: This refers to a visa that is torn, peeling, or has become illegible due to water damage or wear. The underlying visa grant is still perfectly valid, but its physical representation is compromised. The process is essentially a request for a duplicate issuance.
• Full Passport: This occurs when you have no more blank pages for entry and exit stamps. You must obtain a new passport from your home country's embassy or consulate and then formally transfer your existing visa to the new travel document. This process is officially known as a Transferencia de Visa.

The Governing Law: Your Obligations Under the LOMH

Ecuadorian immigration is governed by the Ley Orgánica de Movilidad Humana (LOMH) and its corresponding Reglamento (Regulations). The primary authority is the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana (MREMH).

Your responsibility as a resident is clearly defined. Artículo 62 of the LOMH mandates that foreign persons must maintain the validity of the documents that accredit their regular migratory condition. A damaged or full passport obstructs this, necessitating action. The procedures for visa modifications and transfers are further detailed in regulations like the Acuerdo Ministerial No. 0000179, which outlines specific requirements and fees.

Scenario 1: Replacing a Damaged Visa Sticker

If your visa sticker is damaged but your passport is otherwise fine, you must request a re-issuance. This is not a visa renewal; you are simply obtaining a new copy of your existing, valid visa.

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Schedule an Appointment: Obtain a turno (appointment) online through the official government portal for the appropriate MREMH Zonal Coordination Office (e.g., Coordinación Zonal 6 in Cuenca).
2. Prepare Your Documentation:
   • Passport: The original passport containing the damaged sticker. It must be valid for at least six more months.
   • Color Copies: Clear color copies of your passport's biographical page and the page with the damaged visa sticker.
   • Cédula: Your original Ecuadorian identification card and a color copy.
   • Formulario de Solicitud de Visa: The standard visa application form, filled out to request the transfer/re-issuance.
   • Passport-Sized Photo: One digital photo (foto tipo visa) with a white background, uploaded during the online application process.
   • Written Request (Solicitud): A formal, signed letter addressed to the Director of the Zonal Coordination Office, explaining the situation and formally requesting the re-issuance of the visa sticker due to damage.
3. Attend Your Appointment & Pay the Fee: At the MREMH office, an official will review your documents. If approved, they will generate a payment order (orden de pago).
   • Hyper-Specific Detail #1: You typically cannot pay the fee directly at the Ministry office. The official will provide the orden de pago, which you must take to a designated bank (usually a local Banco del Pacífico branch) to pay the fee. You must then return to the Ministry with the bank receipt to complete the process. Failure to understand this two-step payment process can waste an entire afternoon.
4. Receive the New Sticker: Once you present the proof of payment, the official will print and affix a new visa sticker into your passport with the same validity dates as the original. The approximate government fee for this service is currently $50 USD.

Scenario 2: Transferring a Visa to a New Passport (Transferencia de Visa)

This is the required process when you renew your passport because it was full, expired, or lost. You are transferring your legal residency status from the old passport to the new one.

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Obtain a New Passport: Secure a new passport from your home country's embassy or consulate. Crucially, ensure your old passport is returned to you, as you will need it for the transfer.
2. Gather Essential Documents:
   • New Passport: Your original, new passport.
   • Old Passport: The original old passport that contains your valid Ecuadorian visa sticker.
   • Color Copies: Clear color copies of the biographical pages of both your old and new passports, as well as a copy of the visa page from your old passport.
   • Cédula: Your original Ecuadorian identification card and a color copy.
   • Formulario de Solicitud de Visa: The standard application form.
   • Passport-Sized Photo: One digital photo (foto tipo visa) with a white background.
   • Movimiento Migratorio: This is a certified record of your entries and exits from Ecuador.
     • Hyper-Specific Detail #2: While not listed on every checklist, officials frequently request a Movimiento Migratorio for a visa transfer to verify you haven't violated the time-outside-the-country limits for your residency category. You can obtain this for a fee of approximately $5 at a Servicio de Apoyo Migratorio (SAM) office, often located at airports. Proactively getting this document can prevent a second trip to the Ministry.
3. Submit the Application: Follow the same appointment and submission process as described in Scenario 1, including the two-step payment process at a designated bank. The fee for a Transferencia de Visa is also approximately $50 USD.
4. Finalize the Transfer: An official will verify the visa in your old passport, invalidate it (often with a stamp stating "TRANSFERIDO" or "ANULADO"), and affix a brand-new visa sticker into your new passport. This new sticker will reflect the original issuance date and the original expiration date of your residency.

Hyper-Specific Detail #3: When you receive your new passport from your embassy, they may punch a hole through the old one to invalidate it. Insist that they do not punch the hole through your Ecuadorian visa page. A hole through the visa sticker can be interpreted as intentional tampering and may complicate your transfer application, potentially forcing you into a more complex and expensive full visa application process.

⚠️ Legal Alert: When to Consult an Immigration Attorney

While these processes are manageable, seek professional legal help immediately if:

• Your original visa is expired or within 90 days of expiring. In this case, you should be applying for a visa renewal (renovación), not a transfer.
• You have lost the passport containing your valid visa. The process becomes significantly more complicated and requires filing a police report (denuncia) and providing additional proof of your legal status.
• Your old passport was invalidated in a way that damaged the visa sticker (e.g., a hole punched through it).
• Immigration officials are questioning your eligibility or requesting documents beyond the standard requirements.
• You have any prior immigration infractions, such as overstaying a previous visa.

An experienced Ecuadorian immigration lawyer can navigate these complexities, prevent critical errors, and save you considerable time and stress.

Conclusion: Maintain Compliance Through Proactive Action

Managing your immigration documents is a fundamental part of life as a resident in Ecuador. Addressing a damaged visa or a full passport promptly is not just good practice—it's a legal requirement. By following these specific steps and preparing meticulously, you can resolve the issue efficiently, ensuring your ability to travel and reside in Ecuador without interruption.