Asylum and refugee status in Ecuador

Refugee status is recognised for foreigners in Ecuadorian territory who cannot return to their country of origin or habitual residence because of a well-founded fear of persecution under the 1951 Convention, or because their life, safety or liberty is threatened by the situations covered by the 1984 Cartagena Declaration, such as generalised violence. Stateless status is recognised for people whom no state considers a national. The applicant must be physically in Ecuador.

Use the 'Trámite en línea' option on the gob.ec procedure page, complete the form and give a personal email address that you check often, because all notifications are sent there. The competent Zonal Directorate then contacts you by email to continue the procedure. Zonal Directorates 1, 6, 8 and 9 attend in person from Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 17:00.

MREMH material on gob.ec indicates that claims should be filed as soon as possible and within 90 days of entering Ecuador; a separate procedure exists for late (extemporaneous) claims, which the authority can accept exceptionally for duly proven unforeseeable circumstances or force majeure. Review and decision follow the time limits of the Organic Law on Human Mobility, counted from the filing, and vary with the complexity of the case.

Once the claim is admitted for processing, the authority grants a humanitarian visa as a refugee applicant, which keeps the person in regular status until the decision. It must be renewed until the authority responds: the renewal is requested online, is free, and the page gives a validity of 180 days (six months). Family members can be added to an admitted claim through the family inclusion procedure, which also leads to a humanitarian visa. Recognised refugees later renew their refugee identification document through a separate procedure.

A claim that was declared inadmissible or refused by a final decision, withdrawn, renounced or closed as abandoned can be reopened through a separate procedure when there are new elements. Questions go to the MREMH Directorate of International Protection at dpin@cancilleria.gob.ec or +593 2 299 3200, extensions 23035 and 23036.