Getting Documents Apostilled for Ecuador: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide

If you're applying for any type of Ecuador residency visa, you're going to need apostilled documents. No exceptions. This single requirement causes more delays, confusion, and frustration than any other part of the visa process. People start their FBI background check too late, apostille the wrong thing, or don't realize their state handles the process differently than their neighbor's state.

This guide eliminates the confusion. By the end, you'll know exactly what documents you need, who apostilles each one, how long it takes, how much it costs, and the mistakes that trip up most applicants.

What Is an Apostille?

An apostille is an international certification that a document is legitimate. Think of it as a government stamp that says, "Yes, this document is real and was issued by a proper authority."

Ecuador is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, which means it accepts apostilled documents from other member countries (including the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and most of Europe) without requiring additional embassy legalization. Before the Hague Convention, you'd need to go through a tedious multi-step legalization process involving embassies and consulates. The apostille replaces all of that with a single certification.

An apostilled document will have an additional page or stamp attached to it — either a physical certificate stapled or bound to the document, or an electronic apostille (e-Apostille) with a verification code.

What Documents Need to Be Apostilled for Ecuador Visas?

The exact requirements vary by visa type, but here are the documents most applicants need:

For Almost Every Visa Type

• FBI background check (called the Identity History Summary) — required for all adult visa applicants
• Birth certificate — required for most visa types
• Marriage certificate — if you're married and applying together, or if your spouse is a dependent

For the Pensioner/Retirement Visa

• Pension verification letter — from Social Security (SSA), your pension administrator, or the military (DFAS)
• All of the above

For the Professional Visa

• University diploma or degree certificate
• All of the above

For the Investor Visa

• Proof of funds — bank statements or investment account verification
• All of the above

For Power of Attorney

• Power of attorney document — if you're hiring a representative to file your visa application on your behalf, the POA must be apostilled
• This is commonly used when working with visa services like EcuaPass, which handles the in-country filing process for you

The US Apostille Process: Two Different Paths

Here's where most people get confused. In the United States, who apostilles your document depends on who issued it. There are two separate authorities:

Path 1: Federal Documents — US Department of State

Which documents: FBI background check, federal court records, documents notarized by a federally commissioned notary.

Where to send them: US Department of State, Office of Authentications.

Mailing address: Office of Authentications US Department of State CA/PPT/S/TO/AUT 44132 Mercure Circle, P.O. Box 1206 Sterling, Virginia 20166

How to apply:

1. Complete form DS-4194 (Application for Apostille or Authentication). Download it from the State Department website.
2. Include the original document (not a copy).
3. Include a $20 check or money order per document, payable to "US Department of State."
4. Include a prepaid return envelope (USPS Priority Mail or FedEx with a prepaid label).
5. Mail everything to the address above.

Processing time: 4–8 weeks for standard processing. This is the bottleneck in most visa applications. The State Department does not expedite. They process in the order received.

Walk-in service: As of late 2024, the Office of Authentications accepts walk-in appointments at their Sterling, Virginia location. If you're near the DC area, this can reduce your wait to a few days, but availability varies.

Critical timing note for the FBI background check: Your FBI background check is valid for only so long in Ecuador's system. The apostilled FBI check should ideally be no older than 6 months when you submit your visa application in Ecuador. Start your FBI check early, but don't apostille it too early or it may expire before you use it. The sweet spot is to start the FBI process about 4–5 months before your planned visa submission date.

Path 2: State Documents — Secretary of State

Which documents: Birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees, university diplomas, documents notarized by a state-commissioned notary.

Where to send them: The Secretary of State (or equivalent office) of the state that issued the document. Not your current state of residence — the state where the document was issued.

Born in Ohio but living in Florida? Your birth certificate gets apostilled by Ohio's Secretary of State. Married in California? California's Secretary of State handles that marriage certificate.

The challenge: Every state is different.

• Same-day or next-day states: Texas, Florida, New York, and several others can turn around apostilles in 1–3 business days if you go in person or use a walk-in service.
• Slow states: Some states take 2–4 weeks by mail.
• Costs vary: $5–25 per document depending on the state. Some charge per page.
• Methods vary: Some states offer online submission, some require mail-in only, some have walk-in offices.

How to find your state's process: Google "[your state] Secretary of State apostille" — every state has a page dedicated to apostille services with specific instructions, fees, and mailing addresses.

Quick Reference: Common State Apostille Offices

State	Office	Typical Time	Cost
California	Secretary of State, Sacramento or LA	5–10 business days	$20
Texas	Secretary of State, Austin	1–3 business days	$15
Florida	Secretary of State, Tallahassee	1–3 business days	$10
New York	Department of State, Albany	3–5 business days	$10
Ohio	Secretary of State, Columbus	3–7 business days	$5
Illinois	Secretary of State, Springfield	5–10 business days	$2
Pennsylvania	Department of State, Harrisburg	5–10 business days	$15

These times and costs change. Always verify with your state's office directly.

Expediting the Process: Third-Party Apostille Services

If your timeline is tight or you don't want to deal with the bureaucracy yourself, third-party apostille services will handle everything for you.

How they work: You mail your documents to the service, they hand-deliver them to the appropriate office (State Department or Secretary of State), wait for processing, and ship the apostilled documents back to you.

Typical turnaround: 1–5 business days for state documents, 5–10 business days for federal documents (depending on State Department backlog).

Cost: $100–300 per document, including the government fee plus the service's handling fee and shipping.

Reputable services:

• One Source Process — well-known among expats, handles both federal and state apostilles
• Apostille.net — nationwide service with expedited options
• Monument Visa Services — DC-based, specializes in federal apostilles ($75 for FBI apostille service)
• DC Mobile Notary & Apostille — another DC-based option with online ordering

Are they worth it? If you're already in Ecuador or on a tight timeline, absolutely. The $150–250 premium for a 5-day turnaround versus an 8-week wait is money well spent. If you have plenty of time and enjoy filling out government forms, save the money and do it yourself.

The FBI Background Check: Start Here

The FBI background check is the document that requires the most planning. Here's the process from start to finish:

Step 1: Get Your FBI Identity History Summary

Option A — Online through the FBI's website (fastest):

1. Go to the FBI's Identity History Summary Checks page.
2. Create an account.
3. Submit your fingerprints electronically. You'll need to visit an approved fingerprint collection site (UPS Store locations, local police stations, or private fingerprinting services). Search for "FBI fingerprinting near me." Cost: $15–50 for fingerprinting.
4. Pay the FBI's $18 processing fee online.
5. Results arrive electronically in 3–5 business days.
6. Print the results — you'll need the physical document for apostille.

Option B — By mail:

1. Get fingerprinted on an FBI FD-258 fingerprint card (available at law enforcement offices).
2. Mail the card with a $18 money order to the FBI's CJIS Division.
3. Results arrive by mail in 12–16 weeks.

Always use Option A. Option B takes too long.

Step 2: Apostille the FBI Check

Follow the federal apostille process described above — form DS-4194, $20, mail to the State Department's Office of Authentications.

Step 3: Translate the Apostilled Document

After the apostille is attached, the entire document (including the apostille certificate) must be translated to Spanish by a certified translator. More on this below.

The Translation Step: Don't Skip This

Ecuador requires all foreign documents to be submitted in Spanish. After your documents are apostilled, they must be translated by a certified translator.

What "Certified Translation" Means

In the context of Ecuador immigration, the translation must be done by a translator who is certified or authorized to produce official translations. This can be:

• A certified translator in Ecuador (perito traductor) — most common and most accepted
• A certified translator in the US whose translation is then notarized and apostilled

The recommended approach: Get your documents apostilled in the US, bring or ship them to Ecuador, and have them translated in Ecuador by a local perito traductor. This is cheaper, faster, and avoids the additional complication of apostilling the translation itself.

Translation Costs

• In Ecuador: $20–40 per page for certified translation. A typical FBI background check with apostille is 3–4 pages, so $60–160 total.
• In the US: $30–60 per page, plus notarization and potentially apostille of the translation.

A Note on EcuadorTranslations.com

If you need certified translations for your Ecuador visa documents, EcuadorTranslations.com specializes in exactly this — translating apostilled documents for immigration purposes.

The Canadian Process: Different Rules

If you're Canadian, the process is different because Canada historically did not use the apostille system. However, Canada officially joined the Hague Apostille Convention in January 2024.

Current process for Canadians:

• Canadian documents can now be apostilled through Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
• The process is still relatively new, so expect some growing pains.
• Federal documents (RCMP background check, etc.) are apostilled by GAC.
• Provincial documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates) — check with your province, as the process may vary.
• The RCMP criminal background check is the Canadian equivalent of the FBI check.

If you're Canadian and finding the new apostille process confusing, work with a visa service that can guide you through it.

Common Mistakes That Delay Your Visa Application

Mistake 1: Getting the FBI Check Too Early

Your FBI background check has a limited shelf life for immigration purposes. If you get it apostilled 10 months before your visa application, it may be considered expired. Start the FBI process 4–5 months before you plan to submit your visa application in Ecuador. That gives you time to receive it, get it apostilled, get it translated, and still be within the validity window.

Mistake 2: Apostilling a Photocopy

Apostilles are placed on original documents. If you send a photocopy of your birth certificate to the Secretary of State, they'll send it back. You need the certified original issued by the vital records office. If you don't have your original birth certificate, order a new certified copy from the vital records office of the state (or country) where you were born.

Mistake 3: Sending Documents to the Wrong Authority

Your FBI check goes to the US Department of State (federal). Your birth certificate goes to the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Mixing these up is the single most common mistake — you'll get your documents returned after weeks of waiting.

Mistake 4: Forgetting That Each State Is Different

Born in one state, married in another, divorced in a third? Each document goes to a different Secretary of State. You might be dealing with three separate state offices plus the federal State Department. Map out which documents go where before you start.

Mistake 5: Not Getting Enough Copies

Some visa facilitators and Ecuadorian government offices want multiple copies of apostilled documents. It's much cheaper to get 2–3 certified copies of your birth certificate apostilled now than to go through the process again later. Ask your visa facilitator how many copies they need.

Mistake 6: Skipping the Translation

You can't submit English-language documents to Ecuador's immigration authority, no matter how perfectly apostilled they are. Every single document — including the apostille certificates themselves — must be translated to Spanish.

The Timeline: Putting It All Together

Here's a realistic timeline for a US citizen preparing documents for an Ecuador visa:

Week	Action
Week 1	Order certified copies of birth/marriage certificates from vital records offices
Week 1	Get fingerprinted and submit FBI background check request online
Week 2	FBI results arrive (3–5 business days)
Weeks 2–3	Mail state documents to respective Secretary of State offices for apostille
Week 2	Mail FBI check to US Department of State for apostille (or use expediting service)
Weeks 3–5	State apostilles return (1–4 weeks depending on state)
Weeks 6–10	Federal apostille returns (4–8 weeks standard)
Weeks 10–11	Get all documents translated to Spanish by certified translator
Week 12	Submit visa application in Ecuador

If you use expediting services, you can compress this to 4–6 weeks total. The FBI check (1 week) + expedited federal apostille (1–2 weeks) + expedited state apostilles (1 week, parallel) + translation (a few days) = about 4 weeks with some overlap.

Let Someone Else Handle It

If this guide made your eyes glaze over, you're not alone. The apostille process is the most bureaucratic and confusing part of moving to Ecuador, and it's why many people hire professionals.

EcuaPass manages the entire document preparation and visa application process for Ecuador. They'll tell you exactly which documents you need, guide you through the apostille process, handle the in-country filing, and deal with Ecuador's immigration office on your behalf. If you'd rather spend your time planning your new life instead of filling out DS-4194 forms, that's what they're there for.

Whatever route you choose — DIY or professional help — start early. The number one regret of Ecuador visa applicants is not starting the document preparation process soon enough. Give yourself at least 3–4 months of lead time, and you'll avoid the panic that comes from an expired FBI check or a slow state office.