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Legalization of Documents

In order for the documents issued by a competent authority of the United States to be legal in Ecuador, they need to be legalized at the Consulate of the jurisdiction. For the legalization of any document it is required that the document carries the signature of a Public Notary or County Clerk of the Consulate's jurisdiction.

Legalization of Documents

Legalizations papers have the following fees, which are established by Law for all Ecuadorian Consulates around the world:

• Birth or death certificate: US$ 10.00
• Civil status certificate, marriage or divorce certificates: US$ 10.00
• Certificates of study, diplomas and degrees: US$ 10.00
• Shipment of Households: US$ 100.00
• Shipment of pets: US$ 50.00
• Driver's License translation: US$ 20.00
• Other documents: US$ 50.00 (see below)

Legalization is applied to translations into Spanish of the original documents in English or other foreign languages, prepared by a Public Notary. The fee is US$ 10.00.

Steps to legalize documents that fall under the category of "Other Documents"

1. Sign document before a Public Notary
2. Send document to county clerk in State
3. Send document to the Secretary of State in your State
4. Send document to the U.S. State Department Authentication Office
   Address: 518 23rd. St. NW
   SA-1 Columbia Plaza
   Washington DC., 20520
   Phone: 1800-6889889 option 6
5. Send document to a Ecuadorian Consulate depending on your jurisdiction:
   Address: 2535 15th. St. NW
   Washington DC., 20009
   Phone: 202-234 7166
6. Consular Fee: $50.00 (per document)
7. Enclose prepaid self-addressed envelope to return the document.

Entrance in use of the convention on the apostille

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that on April 4th will enter use for Ecuador the Hague Convention To suppress the Legalization of Foreign Public Documents (Convention on the Apostille), that was originally subscribed in the capital of the Netherlands, in the month of October of 1961.

This way it concludes a long process that begins in the middle of last year in which the Ecuadorian Government decides to adhere to this Convention, by means of Decree 1700-A, that in essence pursues the suppression of the requirement of legalization of foreign public documents, which without a doubt mainly constitutes a great contribution in benefit of the thousands of Ecuadorian users, especially to the relatives of the migrants that, for diverse reasons, they need to legalize some type of document.

It is important to stand out that, in accordance with the spirit and the letter of the same Convention, public documents must be understood as, susceptible to be Apostille, the following ones: notarized deeds, administrative documents, certificates, officials and all those documents coming from tie authority with courts, courts of State, judicial agents, etc.

It should be noted that the instrument of adhesion of Ecuador to the Convention was officially deposited on July 2nd 2004 and published in the Official Registry No. 357, of June 16th of the same year.

On another hand, it is important to stand out the fact that the Convention to suppress the legalization of foreign public document counts, until the moment, with near 87 member States, between that the United States of North America is included, Spain and Italy which they are characterized to have a high concentration of Ecuadorian immigrants, that no longer they will require of the requirement of the document legalization but solely that of the denominated "Apostille" that is a pre-printed format established by the own Convention.

In addition to the 3 countries mentioned in the preceding paragraph that, as it is indicated, register the highest concentration of compatriots, they are also members of this Convention countries like Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Colombia, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Holland, Sweden, United Kingdom, Venezuela, etc.

That is to say, any document issued by a country member of the Convention, that it has been properly Apostille, it will have to be recognized in anyone of the other countries members of this Convention without the necessity of another type of authentication.

In order to consult the authorities of the Apostille in all and each one of the countries members of the Convention, as well as further information on the content and reach on the same one, we suggest to contact the: Hague Conference on the International Private Law: www.hcch.net