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I daresay if 4 immigration lawyers were unable to provide good advice, I doubt any of us would have better insight.

It very well could be that you will need to go to the country of origin for the apostille. Or perhaps your original country's embassy in the US could help you?

However if we're going to discuss this it would be nice to know which original country this is. Putting a name to the face is helpful, at the very least for typing convenience so we won't repeatedly have to refer to it as 'original country of birth'. Much easier to type 'Germany' for example.

The advice you received makes sense to me.  An apostille is an authentication by a government official of the genuineness of an official record.  How could an Ecuadorian official attest to the authenticity of a another country's records?  So, for a Tennessee birth certificate, the Tennessee Secretary of State would issue the apostille.  For others, well, go to elsewhere.

More importantly, might I suggest you put aside the residency requirements and just focus on a wonderful exploratory trip to Ecuador - keep those blinders off.

Maybe a visit to an EC immigration lawyer might be helpful while you are in Cuenca

SawMan wrote:

An apostille is an authentication by a government official of the genuineness of an official record.  How could an Ecuadorian official attest to the authenticity of a another country's records?  So, for a Tennessee birth certificate, the Tennessee Secretary of State would issue the apostille.  For others, well, go to elsewhere.

More importantly, might I suggest you put aside the residency requirements and just focus on a wonderful exploratory trip to Ecuador - keep those blinders off.

SawMan's logic and advice are impeccable.

In the matter of the important FBI criminal background check, that normally gets apostilled by the U.S. State Department in Washington.

If you arrive in Ecuador, potentially permanently, with required documents that have not been certified, you can try to do overseas mailings yourself to the apostilling parties back in the States.  Sometimes this is frustrating, especially since the overseas mail is not 100 percent dependable.

Alternately, you can pay one of the U.S.-based apostille companies, which are easily googled, to do the job for you.

Two takeaways...

Get all apostilling done before leaving the U.S.  If there is any possibility of driving in Ecuador, it is important to have your States driving record certified by your state DMV and then apostilled by your state government, probably by the secretary of state for your state.

Follow SawMan's advice to make an exploratory trip.  Many of us love Ecuador, but it is not for everyone.

cccmedia in Quito

Thanks  to everyone who took the time to respond to my post. My Trinidad Embassy will obtain apostile documents for me as needed. The FBI and local background checks certainly will not be an issue.
Again i appreciate your response.
Antonio

toniop wrote:

My Trinidad Embassy will obtain apostille documents for me as needed. The FBI and local background checks certainly will not be an issue.

If that's Trinidad as in Trinidad and Tobago, two things to keep in mind.

Figure out well in advance how you are going to get your fingerprints done.

Also, use an FBI channeler -- google that if you need to -- to speed up the process of obtaining the background check.  Aside from getting prints, mine was basically done over the Internet.

cccmedia in Quito

Hello

I am a foreign born US citizen and just received residency here in EC
I didnt not need my birth certificate, just US passport

In cedula office they just asked me for the statement to fill out on their form ($10)

Hello Antonio,

My wife was born in Japan.  Her birth certificate must be apostilled in Japan.
I am guessing that you have to do the same.  good luck, maybe I see you in Cuenca next month, Jan, and Feb, 2016
Ken Yasui from Indiana, USA

Hi guys..and gals:
My name is Charlie.  I too am thinking of relocating to Ecuador either Cuenca, or nearby not sure yet.
I have an American passport, so if I understand this correctly, I would need an FIB criminal background record and that it, right?
Anyone knows how much they go for?
Since am here, I wonder if someone could give me a true idea of costs.
Bare in mind  I am a 60 yrs old on a super tight budget.  But I don't need luxuries or fancy digs, what I would appreciate is safety.  Being interested in photography, ...well you get the picture (pardon the pun)
Please the rv life while fun and liberating is eating my few savings faster than I expected.
Lastly I know am asking alot...work pt,  as translator perhaps? I speak Spanish fluently.
Any help would be appreciated.

Hello there
I am a U.S. pensioner living in Philippines at this time, thinking of moving to Ecuador to stay as permanent resident, can someone feed me with some information about the rules and regulations of that type of visa, I really appreciated any help, lastly do you suggest me to hire an attorney or not the process is pretty much simple to do, thanks again.

Fred G.

Dear Fred,

If you'll be in the USA for a while en route to Ecuador, I recommend you obtain the relevant USA documents before coming to Ecuador.  It's more expensive and a slower process to obtain them in Ecuador.

Over 90 percent of non-Spanish-fluent arrivals require the assistance of an Ecuadorian immigration attorney or visa specialist, unless they arrive in Cuenca.  The Cuenca-area office is known to have enough English-speaking staff that you can obtain a visa there with their assistance.

If your plan is to move from Cebu, P.I., to Cuenca, you'll find a wonderful weather change from the extreme heat in Cebu.

If you need an immigration attorney, email Sebastian Cordero (offices in Quito and the coast), who successfully guided me to an Ecuador visa in 2014.
scordero(at)rcpabogados.com

  -- cccmedia

Hello cccmedia

Thanks for the information and yes I live in Cebu City and sounds like you have been here also, you are right one of the reasons I am trying to get out of here is the hot weather and at this time typhoon typhoon and typhoon, they are lined up in the ocean waiting to land soon.
I was thinking maybe I can do everything while I am in Philippine through the Ecuador Embassy and get my residency then come to Ecuador, I am living here on tourist visa since 2015 and just extend my visa  every 6 months, so I don't know what documents do I have to provide ??

Thanks again ...........Fred

Oh by the way I have sent an email to Sebastian already, thanks .

RUBICON 4 EVER wrote:

Hello cccmedia....

I was thinking maybe I can do everything while I am in Philippine through the Ecuador Embassy and get my residency then come to Ecuador, I am living here on tourist visa since 2015 and just extend my visa  every 6 months, so I don't know what documents do I have to provide ??

Since you have already emailed attorney Sebastian Cordero, Fred, perhaps you have asked him the documents question.  That would be the correct move.

He can advise you on questions about the logistics regarding what to do in the P.I. and what to do after arrival in Ecuador to facilitate your visa.

cccmedia