½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Freejack wrote:

.
I have read many many of your posts. You have many neutral and often negative things to say.

Neutral to negative?Ìý Sounds about right if you're describing my thoughts about Ecuador during this past year when I've been in Colombia.Ìý Since October, I've been in the border town of Ipiales, Colombia.Ìý Before that, Medellín and the Coffee Zone.

1. Ecuador's cost-of-living allure has waned in comparison to Colombia, given the weakness of the Colombian peso (good for Expat consumers here). Everything here is on sale as a result of the cheap peso as compared to the USA dollar.Ìý The comparatively cheap Colombian tariffs are part of that story, especially for electronics and smartphones.

2.Ìý In my experience, the restaurant food is tastier here in Colombia.Ìý Not talking about two-dollar 'almuerzos'Ìý .. but chicken and pizza and the better restaurants.Ìý Just tastier in my opinion even in a smaller city such as Ipiales.Ìý The best restaurant I've found here is Da Vinci (Italian).Ìý They've been open only for dinner, but will be adding a lunch menu in two weeks.

3.Ìý After almost a year in office, Ecuador's presidente has shown practically no signs he wants to bring back casino gaming to the tourist-hotels in the biggest Ecuadorian cities.Ìý Here in this city, I'm within walking distance of two live blackjack tables, open nightly.Ìý Minimum bet is 5,000 pesos or $1.67 US.Ìý

cccmedia

Is it true that they are considering an exemption for pure electric vehicles....or, am I just dreaming?

B.Bindon wrote:

Is it true that they are considering an exemption for pure electric vehicles....or, am I just dreaming?

I suspect that Mr. Sandman brought you a dream.

However, Susan_in_Ecuador did give you hope in a post on this thread last week.Ìý She suggested you contact Sanestar or attorney Sandra Baquero.Ìý

Susan also posted a document filled with Spanish legalese in that post, which could theoretically be relevant.

You might want to re-read post #26 and see where that leads you.

cccmedia

You need to consider the availability of parts for whatever vehicle you intend to import.

What about a vintage car (1960) 3 wheel?

Dear Paul,

Cars of that vintage may be imported into Ecuador.

I say may .. because a 58-year-old car may need to meet certain standards.

What you're suggesting is a rarity.Ìý Anybody who would go to the trouble of importing a vintage vehicle to Ecuador .. should be able to afford an immigration attorney to advise on the issue.Ìý Mine is Sebastian Cordero of Quito, email at scordero(at)rcpabogados.com

Ìý -- cccmedia

Ahhhhh........I see says the blind man........now we get to the crux of the matter........hahaha........blackjack....oops.....power outage in Chiriqui......another one.......more in less than 1 week here than in 6 weeks in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru..........and more traffic accidents too........just stupid.......

I was likewise curious about the issue of importing new / used cars into Ecuador several months ago. I came across the Ecuadorian law cited earlier in the thread. But I also found this lengthy boring document from the United States Department of Commerce / International Trade Administration: that gives a bit of insight:

quoting from the section on Ecuador "The Andean Automotive Policy prohibits imports from other countries of used cars, trucks, and buses, as well as new vehicles from previous years. It also bans trade in these vehicles among the member nations" ... which includes Colombia and Ecuador.

Googling "Andean Automotive Policy" and "Andean Automotive Agreement" will provide exhaustive details to these trade policies.

I guess that means if you need a car, and you don't have diplomatic privileges, you'll have to budget an extra $20k or so to get a vehicle in Ecuador.

I plan on using the bus for a few years, and uber or taxis when it makes sense.

It's highly questionable how this ban helps citizen consumers , because the economic consequence is that it keeps automobile prices really high. I suppose the stated political goals might be to give an incentive to increase domestic production and otherwise protect domestic jobs and industries.

I also had thought of exporting my car to Peru or Colombia and driving it in, but that looks like a mission that is doomed to fail.

Yep.....nice country....with nice people.......but horrible bureauracracy and tax policies.....But it would appear on closer examination, that Moreno (who seems to be a very decent sort of hombre) is ever so slowly walking back this tax monster......gonna take some time.......but I see it movin in the right direction........Correa, who started off like gangbusters ended up sinking Ecuador into deep debt which now falls upon Moreno to dig out of.........In regards to cars, which I have had since 15 yrs old.....there is a point of view which is not unreasonable, which suggests that maybe its not sustainable for everybody over the age of 16 to have one.......Public transportation is really where its at.....And in Ecuador its excellent........

Yes a car is not necessary, If someone wants to import a vintage then it's probably a hobby thing, and good for them, I respect people with a passion. The public transport here is top notch. I'm going to visit Guayaquil, and R/T is about $100. And going to the airport in Quito is a short bus ride $0.25 and then $2.00 on the airport express bus from Rio Coca station which takes less than an hour, a taxi gets you there in 30-45 minutes from where I live.

We also have express taxis that go door to door between Ecuadorian cities.Ìý Ìý

And of course Ecuador is truly a beautiful country and with friendly people. I love Ecuadorians.Ìý

I've met numerous Venezuelans, numerous Colombians, and Cubans too. None of them are as genuine IMO as Ecuadorians, and perhaps it's not their country, and they are different in their own countries, I don't know. But Ecuadorians, are good people.

You are a wise person. Ecuador, Columbia and Peru are signatories to an International Automobile Accord that permits the duty free importation of 35+ year classic cars. In Ecuador, see your local EMOV.

Hey , so I could bring to EcuadorÌý my 1981 Delorean with no problem ? What would be the process? Do I bring it driving from Colombia or can I send it by boat from USA ?
I’ve lived there more than 6 years and wanna move back to Ecuador
@cccmedia

Hello Josseecu,

If you are Ecuadorian living abroad for more than 2 years, you can bring a car as part of your household goods move BUT the car can't be older than 4 years old.

In your case is not possible unless it can be declare as an antique car or something similar but I don't know for sure this kind of imports are allowed here in Ecuador and if this car model can be declare as an "antique"


Vinny

The delorean is an antique car , 1981 there are aproximately 6000 cars of this , its rare to find them on sale. Have you seen back to the future? Thats the one
What would be the process to bring it as an antique ?

Yes, I know. Is like the one in the movie.

Let me find out with customs what are the options you can have.

Vinny

josseecu wrote:

Hey , so I could bring to EcuadorÌý my 1981 Delorean with no problem ? What would be the process? Do I bring it driving from Colombia or can I send it by boat from USA ?
I’ve lived there more than 6 years and wanna move back to Ecuador
@cccmedia

i think there's an excellent chance you can bring in this classic car.

You apparently have a lot of options -- it's your call, for instance, whether to drive it in from Colombia.

If you drive in, depending on the current ANT rules, you could probably bring it in for 90-180 days under a tourist visa if that suits you .. and deal with the long-term paperwork during your 90-plus day stay.

I'd have a lawyer -- mine is Sebastian Cordero, scordero(at)rcpabogados.com with offices in Quito and on the coast -- supervise the process and guide you through any pitfalls.

Where is the car now?Ìý You're post is unclear whether you have lived in Colombia or the USA for the past six years.

cccmedia in Quito

This space deliberately left open for future expat.com upgrades.

Its in Miami, i wanna bring it permanently here . That lawyer said its not possible

josseecu wrote:

Its in Miami, i wanna bring it permanently here . That lawyer said its not possible.

Tell any lawyers you consult that you are aware there are classic-car permission rules for Ecuador and have him or her tell you -- or research for you -- whether your car fits the guidelines and/or what the guidelines require.

cccmedia in Quito

Hello,

I asked our customs agent about the car and he said is not possible to import any old car. It has to be no more than 4 years old.

The only option is for temporary imports for shows or exhibitions, this permit is onlyÌý valid for a couple of months.


Sorry

According to this official Aduana del Ecuador SENAE page the car or motorcycle can be no more than 5 years old:



Click on the question in blue that asks
¿Se puede traer un vehículo automotor o motocicleta como parte del menaje de casa?

Colombia permits the importation of carros clásicos o antiguos but apparently Ecuador does not.

I'm still so confused as to whether or not I can bring my truck from the U.S. into Ecuador as I relocate there with a permanent visa.
The shipper is telling us that we CANNOT bring the truck.
The embassy is telling us that we CAN bring the truck.
We are U.S. citizens that have lived in the U.S. for the past 30 years.Ìý We are relocating and bringing our household goods.Ìý Would the truck be considered household goods?
The truck is a 2015 Toyota Tundra with a 5.8L engine.
Can someone please kindly shed some light on this?
Thank you

I don't think you as a foreigner can bring your 2015 Toyota Tundra 5.8L vehicle, for several reasons.

The link I provided above for the government page for the Aduana del Ecuador SENAE, states that the new cost of the vehicle to be brought in along with your household goods cannot exceed 60 SBUs (Salario Básico Unificado).Ìý For 2018 the SBU is 386 USD so the price of the vehicle cannot be over 23,160 USD, when new.Ìý But if it is only up to 5 SBUs more, you just have to pay more.Ìý And you will pay as import tax, as much as 49% of the value of the vehicle when new.

But your vehicle's price when new was not even close to 23,160 USD.

In addition this shipper:


...states that the size of the motor is limited to 3000 cc.Ìý 5.8L is 5800 cc so it's too big.

That shipper above has a "Contacto" link, you could ask them to clarify:


Finally, Ecuador's Resolución No.0976-2009 spells out that only returning Ecuadorian citizens may bring in a vehicle along with their household goods, and the vehicle still must meet the requirements above.

Just a point on taxes. The total can far exceed 49% and actually more than 100% for some vehicles. The Chevy Tahoe for instance starts at .

Anything over 4000 cc is exorbitantly taxed, one tariff is an environmental tax. But even with smaller engines some vehicles are heavily taxed also. One simply needs to look at prices for ordinary citizens compared to vehículos exonerados, for diplomats and disabled persons, which are exempt from taxes to understand how significant the taxes are.

If one wants the least amount of taxes the idea is to purchase a vehicle with less than a 1600 cc engine, and preferably one that is assembled in Ecuador.

Please let me know more about retiring to Ecuador and bringing my car.Ìý ***

The only people that can currently bring a vehicle from outside the country are native Ecuadorians that have been out of the country at least 2 years. Up till 2016 you could bring your car if it was less than 3 years old but that stopped.

Godofpie wrote:

The only people that can currently bring a vehicle from outside the country are native Ecuadorians that have been out of the country at least 2 years. Up till 2016 you could bring your car if it was less than 3 years old but that stopped.

Also accredited diplomats from foreign countries assigned to Ecuador are allowed to bring a vehicle.

In summary, if you want to bring a vehicle to Ecuador, become a native Ecuadorian or a foreign diplomat assigned to Ecuador.

OsageArcher wrote:

In summary, if you want to bring a vehicle to Ecuador, become a native Ecuadorian or a foreign diplomat assigned to Ecuador.

This sort of tongue-in-cheek humor is one of the reasons Brother Archer has been a favorite poster of ours for years. Ìý

cccmedia

OsageArcher wrote:

Godofpie wrote:

The only people that can currently bring a vehicle from outside the country are native Ecuadorians that have been out of the country at least 2 years. Up till 2016 you could bring your car if it was less than 3 years old but that stopped.

Also accredited diplomats from foreign countries assigned to Ecuador are allowed to bring a vehicle.

In summary, if you want to bring a vehicle to Ecuador, become a native Ecuadorian or a foreign diplomat assigned to Ecuador.

Are they hiring?

vsimple wrote:

Just a point on taxes. The total can far exceed 49% and actually more than 100% for some vehicles. The Chevy Tahoe for instance starts at .

Anything over 4000 cc is exorbitantly taxed, one tariff is an environmental tax. But even with smaller engines some vehicles are heavily taxed also. One simply needs to look at prices for ordinary citizens compared to vehículos exonerados, for diplomats and disabled persons, which are exempt from taxes to understand how significant the taxes are.

If one wants the least amount of taxes the idea is to purchase a vehicle with less than a 1600 cc engine, and preferably one that is assembled in Ecuador.

Tell me more about this disability car importation

You can find out more about vehículos exonerados for discapacitados from each car manufacturer that has a presence in Ecuador (Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen, etc.), here for Hyundai, for instance:



I would suggest getting in touch with a local dealer in Ecuador for the make and model of car you'd wish to buy and get help from them for the exoneration of taxes.

This newspaper article briefly outlines what the ³Ù°ùá³¾¾±³Ù±ð²õ are:



Here, the Ecuador customs agency SENAE in a bulletin from April 2018 outlines the procedure which has apparently been recently simplified:

Thanks, sent to my lawyer in Ecuador. My understanding is that you need talk to local dealer, then designated as disabled by an Ecuador Dr., Get SENEA to review and approve, then with the help of a local car dealer get it set up buy it new in us and ship? I also assume you would not even need to go to us as us dealers would love to make a sale and charge you a fee for delivery to roll on roll off ship.

I have a famous 35+ year old collector car which I want to bring it to Ecuador. We are residents here.

I am getting conflicting information, some saying I cannot import it at all, and others info saying it is importable.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

I too am trying to find about, "Classic Cars". I have a beautiful '95 LandRover Discovery I converted from 3.9ltr V/8 to 300TDi, in Vancouver.

On a different note, I have yet to get permanent status, can I Buy and drive here with an International Driver'sÌý Permit?

There some good used deals in QuitoÌý on Mercador Classified Adds.

You know the little Ranger 200 that looks like a Harley - they still make it. Last years Model with 0km is $1540usd on there. I got to have one.

The information in Ecuador on Classic cars is sparse and seems erroneous. Even supposed "experts" seem to be getting it wrong. I have discovered they have created a domino effect. For example, the customs pros called a used car dealer or the president of the classic car club and if they are out of date, the information comes back wrong as well. These people invariably think that the law in ECuador makes no exceptions..that non-native born Ecuadorians cannot import used cars...PERIOD.

HOWEVER, so far, as far as I can ascertain;

In the Spring of 2014, Ecuador passed a resolution reflecting their compliance with Andean Automobile acts, namely No. 027-DIR-2014-ANTÌý Ìýtranslated here I have found other sources.

It makes it clear that classics over 35 years CAN be imported if they can pass certain requirements.

B.Bindon wrote:

On a different note, I have yet to get permanent status, can I Buy and drive here with an International Driver'sÌý Permit? . . .

You can buy, but a foreign/international driver's license is only technically valid here for a limited timeÌý (if I remember correctly, 6 months, but don't quote me).Ìý However, it took a while after mine was no longer valid for me to get my Ecuadorian license (I moved here during the year they changed the immigration law and couldn't get my cédula for quite a while).Ìý During that time I went through a few checkpoints and none of the police knew or noticed the problem.Ìý Wouldn't rely on their ignorance, however.Ìý Also, if you can "trade in" your foreign license, other than getting the paperwork together and taking the psychometric test, the process was quick, easy and comparably cheap.

Alec Inglis wrote:

In the Spring of 2014, Ecuador passed a resolution reflecting their compliance with Andean Automobile acts, namely No. 027-DIR-2014-ANTÌý Ìýtranslated here I have found other sources.

It makes it clear that classics over 35 years CAN be imported if they can pass certain requirements.

Here is what your translated version says about No. 027-DIR-2014-ANT, what it's for:

"registration, circulation and qualification process, for motor vehicles considered as classic vehicles"

The original Spanish in Article 1 states the purpose of the document:

"Artículo 1 - Objeto:Ìý Establecer los requisitos generales y disposiciones administrativas para la categorización, registro, matriculación y circulación dentro del territorio ecuatoriano de los vehículos clásicos."

I looked at this document both in Spanish and English and did not see anything about importation, only the above - and then the document goes on to explain what the processes for each of the above are - how the classic vehicles are to be categorized, registered, licensed and how they may circulate in Ecuadorian territory.Ìý Nothing at all in the document about importation that I can find.Ìý Can you please cite or display the section that says something about importation, where it "makes it clear that classics over 35 years CAN be imported"?

I know what states but I thank you for repeating it Spanish.

Your answers are in the Resolution I cited and highlighted for your convenience. I mistakenly assumed that that those interested would simply search the internet using the term. It only takes a milli-second! You simply highlight the term, copy it and paste it into your browser address line as a paste-and-go or a paste and then "enter". It is really quite easy.

If/when you see a "Decarga" button (on the left), click it and it will give the option to save the law to your computer or open it immediately into Adobe Reader. Do you need help translating it into English? And if you find the Government copies low resolution, I have enhanced versions.

Two heads are better than one..and though I speak a number of languages fluently, my Spanish is rudimentary. I am also convinced that some countries and their citizenry don't know, or keep up with their own law..and that includes the bureaucracy charged with enforcing them and the specialist that must deal with them. Not uncommon.

A

OsageArcher and others,

The thought crossed my mind that, considering the the deep love of the world, and especially Ecuadorians, of real classic cars, and the accepted (possibly erroneous) position that these are denied entry and registration in Ecuador, that there is a lucrative business here helping people put together a file for their car to enter Ecuador under the rules. It will be tedious at first, but the application is less complicated than applying for a residency visa.

The biggest obstacle is that the subject vehicle has to pass its entry inspection IN Ecuador. But I imagine a system of conditional acceptance before arrival could avoid those risks.