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Ecuador Welcome Forum: Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Insel Air:

United States Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Insel Air February 3, 2017 This message is to inform U.S. citizens that U.S. Consulate General Curaçao has temporarily prohibited U.S. Consulate Curacao personnel from flying on Insel Air. The Consulate adopted this policy following an internal review of safety-related considerations. You are receiving this message because Insel Air also flies to Ecuador. On December 27, 2016, an Insel Air flight bound for Curaçao was forced to land in Colombia due to an inability to pressurize the cabin. On January 13, 2017, an Insel Air flight bound for Miami lost cabin pressure and was forced to make an emergency landing. The Consulate understands that, in the last six months, four other Insel Air flights have returned to Curaçao after takeoff due to pressurization or electrical problems. Other safety considerations have led Aruban and Curaçao authorities to ground a number of aircraft for further inspection. This policy applies only to the official travel of U.S. Consulate Curacao personnel and will be reevaluated as Insel Air’s safety condition improves. For further information about security in Ecuador: • See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Ecuador Country Specific Information. • Enroll in the Smart Traveler-Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. • Contact the U.S. Embassy in Quito located at Ave. Avigiras E12-170 y Ave. Eloy Alfaro, at +(593)(2) 398-5000. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +(593)(2) 398-5000. • Contact the U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil located at Santa Ana St. and Jose Rodriguez Bonin Ave., San Eduardo at +(593)(4) 371-7000. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +(593)(4) 371-7000. • Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Dialing instructions within Ecuador: • Within the same city and from a land line use the last seven digits. • For calls from a mobile phone and for intercity telephone calls add the city code preceded by a 0. Dialing instructions from the United States: • Add the 011 prefix for an international long distance line.

Ecuador Welcome Forum: UC San Diego Health - International Clinical Program:

The U.S. Embassy in Quito and the University of California-San Diego Health System invite you to attend a presentation on “UC San Diego Health - International Clinical Program” on Friday, December 16, 2016 at 9:00am. Venue: Hotel Oro Verde-Cuenca (Salón Tomebamba) RSVP until Dec.10: info@amchamc.com For more information: http://health.ucsd.edu/international Breakfast will be served.

Ecuador Welcome Forum: U.S. Passport Tips:

With the holidays right around the corner, the American Citizens Services Units in Quito and Guayaquil remind U.S. citizens to check the validity of their U.S. passports in order to minimize any travel delays. Effective November 1, 2016, photographs submitted with applications for U.S. passports (and U.S. visas) must be taken without eyeglasses, except in rare medical circumstances. If you need to renew your passport, or even if you are applying for the first time, we recommend you take a few extra moments to verify the accuracy of the biographical information (including the Social Security number) on your application form. Full instructions for applying for a passport are on the U.S. Mission website: https://ec.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/.

Ecuador Welcome Forum: Message for U.S. Citizens: DHL Passback Service for U.S. Passports:

The U.S. Embassy in Quito and the U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil are pleased to announce the implementation of a passback service for U.S. passports and Consular Reports of Births Abroad (CRBAs) beginning August 26, 2016, in conjunction with DHL. This customer service initiative will enable you to pick-up your U.S. passports and/or CRBAs at a DHL office of your choice instead of at the Embassy or Consulate General. After your U.S. passport and/or CRBA application is approved, payment for the DHL passback service may be made at any of DHL’s three main offices in Guayaquil, Quito, and Cuenca; addresses will be provided to customers at the time of application. DHL has agreed to provide this service for $15, plus IVA, per passport and/or CRBA. Payment may not be made at the Embassy/Consulate General. The Embassy/Consulate General will notify you via email once your documents have arrived, and you will be able to track them via DHL’s website two working days after receipt of the notification email. DHL will deliver to all locations in mainland Ecuador within three working days and within five working days to the Galapagos Islands. DHL will hold the passports and CRBAs for 30 days. Documents not claimed within 30 days in DHL’s possession will be returned to the post at which you submitted your application. This service is voluntary, and applicants may elect to return to the Embassy or Consulate General to pick up their citizenship documents. Additional information regarding this passback service can be found on https://ec.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/.

Ecuador: General Election Coming Up--Don't Forget to Vote!:

The American Citizens Services Unit of the U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil reminds you that no matter where you are, you can vote. If you’re a U.S. citizen living abroad, you can have your absentee ballot sent to you this election year. Here’s how: 1. Register to vote and request your ballot with one form. It’s called the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). You can get it at FVAP.gov. At FVAP.gov, select your State for all the info and materials you need. You can use FVAP’s online assistant to help fill out your FPCA. Or print it and fill it out by hand. Then send it to your local election official. Find the address at FVAP.gov to mail it. Or check if your State allows you to send it in by email or fax if that’s easier. For the General Election on November 8, plan to mail your FPCA by August 1, 2016. Check FVAP.gov for your State’s specific deadline. You have to send in a new FPCA every year to receive your absentee ballots for all 2016 elections — even if you’ve done it before. 2. Fill out and send in your ballot when it arrives. Once you receive your ballot, fill it out and send it back to your local election official. Like the FPCA, you may be able to return your ballot by email or fax, so check what your State allows. For the General Election, you should receive your ballot by early October. And you should send it back by October 15, 2016. If you don’t get your ballot by October 8, that’s no problem. Get a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) from FVAP.gov. Fill it out and send it like your regular ballot. After you send in your ballot, you can even check if it was received. Select your State at FVAP.gov to check the status of your ballot. The Federal Voting Assistance Program makes it that simple. Visit FVAP.gov; call 1-800-438-VOTE; or email vote@fvap.gov to make sure you can vote from anywhere. Sign up for voting alerts at FVAP.gov and check out FVAP’s Facebook and Twitter.

Ecuador: IRS hosting webinar on overseas tax filing:

A message from the U.S. Consulate in Guayaquil: the IRS is hosting a webinar, this Wednesday, May 25 on overseas tax filing. Please see the link below for more information. https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/490/14725

Ecuador: Federal Voting Assistance Program Outreach in Cuenca - April 11:

The U.S. Consulate General is pleased to announce that a representative from the Federal Voting Assistance Program will be in Cuenca to conduct an information session on how U.S. citizens living overseas can register for and vote in U.S. elections. Where: Cuenca Chamber of Commerce (Cámara de Comercio de Cuenca), Federico Malo 1-90 y 12 de Abril When: Monday, April 11 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM RSVP: Please register for the workshop via the following link: http://bit.ly/1puLUba. Learn more about overseas voting on the website of the Federal Voting Assistance Program: www.FVAP.gov. For any questions about the voting workshop or overseas voting in general, please contact the American Citizen Services Unit at the U.S. Consulate General by email at acsguayaquil@state.gov .

Ecuador: Security Message for U.S. Citizens - Updated CDC Zika Virus Guidance:

The U.S. Embassy in Ecuador informs U.S. citizens that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a revised travel notice for Ecuador regarding the Zika virus. Travel to elevations higher than 2,000 m (6,500 ft) above sea level is considered to have minimal likelihood for mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission, even within countries reporting active transmission. CDC recommends that women who are pregnant should not travel to areas that are at elevations less than 2,000 m above sea level in countries with ongoing Zika virus transmission. For general information about Zika, please visit the CDC website. We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Ecuador enroll in the Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest U.S. consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you do not have Internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Regularly monitor the State Department's website, where you can find current Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and the Worldwide Caution. Read the Country Specific Information for Ecuador. For additional information, please refer to our “Traveler’s Checklist” page. Updated information on travel and security in Ecuador may also be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 within the United States or by calling 1-202-501-4444 outside the United States. Contact information: U.S. Embassy Quito Avigiras E12-170 y Eloy Alfaro. Phone (593-2) 398-5000 ACSQuito@state.gov http://ecuador.usembassy.gov/ U.S. Consulate General Guayaquil Avenida Jose Rodriguez Bonin and Calle Santa Ana, San Eduardo Phone (593-4) 371-7000 ACSGuayaquil@state.gov http://guayaquil.usconsulate.gov/ Dialing instructions within Ecuador: • Within the same city and from a land line use the last seven digits. • For calls from a mobile phone and for intercity telephone calls add the city code preceded by a 0. Dialing instructions from the United States: • Add the 011 prefix for an international long distance line. For after-hours emergencies, call the phone numbers listed above for assistance.

Ecuador: American Citizen Services in Cuenca – April 12:

The U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil is pleased to announce that representatives from the Consulate will offer notarials, accept passport applications, and deliver received passports in the City of Cuenca on Tuesday, April 12, 2016. Where: Abraham Lincoln Center Calle Borrero 5-18 y Honorato Vásquez When: Tuesday, April 12, 2016, 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM Forms: Please bring applications correctly filled out, along with originals and copies of citizenship documents (passport and birth certificate for children under the age of 16 and IDs of parents). Visit our website for forms and step-by-step instructions: http://guayaquil.usconsulate.gov/service.html IMPORTANT: Payment for notarial and passport applications can only be accepted in the form of a cashier’s check ("un cheque de gerencia”) from any Ecuadorian bank. The cashier’s check should be written out to “U.S. Disbursing Officer” and may be obtained from any Ecuadorian bank if one has an account at that bank. We regret that we are not able to accept any other type of payment during our outreach visits. If your bank requires the Embassy’s RUC, it is 1791845986001. For information on the fees for each type of service, please visit http://guayaquil.usconsulate.gov/acs-fees.html. Passports: If you believe that your passport is ready for pick-up, please send an email to acsguayaquil@state.gov by noon on Friday, April 8. You will receive an email confirming if we are able to bring it to Cuenca. Appointments: Please schedule your appointment using the following link: http://bit.ly/1pMk7Tw.

Ecuador: Emergency & Natural Disaster Preparedness:

The destruction and disruption of services caused by a major natural disaster make it important to plan ahead of time. It is imperative that your entire family is involved in the planning, and aware of what to do in the case of an emergency. Because emergency and weather-related conditions can change rapidly, it is important to take steps now to improve your preparedness. The key to surviving a natural disaster is planning. Volcanic Activity: Recent activity at the Cotopaxi and Tungurahua volcanoes has emphasized how vital it is that you and your family are prepared to respond if a natural disaster strikes Ecuador. Remember that the ash fall from volcanic activity can travel to areas far from the volcano itself. Ash fall poses health hazards (namely to the lungs and eyes), can lead to power cuts, contaminate water supplies, and reduce visibility and traction on roads. Be aware of these potential dangers in the event of volcanic activity, regardless of where you are in Ecuador. Earthquakes/Tsunamis: All of Ecuador experiences earthquakes; knowing what to do and what not to do if an earthquake occurs is vital. Ecuador's Geophysical Institute (http://www.igepn.edu.ec/sismos) offers maps of recent earthquakes in and near the country. A comprehensive booklet on how to protect yourself and your family from seismic activity is available on the website of the U.S. Geological Survey: http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/2007/41/index_english.html. Be aware that tsunamis can occur as a result of seismic activity; knowing your evacuation routes from a tsunami evacuation zone should one occur is key. In the event of seismic activity while you are on the beach or near the ocean, immediately move away from the ocean and estuaries/rivers that lead to the ocean and seek higher ground. El Niño: Forecasters have predicted a strong version of this weather phenomenon through the first half of 2016, with an unusually heavy volume of rainfall that has the potential to produce floods, landslides, and mudslides. These conditions can, in turn, disrupt transportation, utilities, emergency response, and medical care, as well as food, water, and fuel supplies. Water-borne and insect-borne diseases may also become a threat. Be sure to check local weather patterns wherever you live in Ecuador and before traveling far from home during this El Niño season. The International Center for Research on the El Niño Phenomenon also publishes frequent updates on its website: http://www.ciifen.org/ General Information: The webpage “What the Department of State Can and Can’t Do in a Crisis?” (http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/emergencies/crisis-support.html) contains information on the support that the U.S. Government provides and does not provide in the event of a crisis overseas. For more general preparedness information, visit http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/index.asp Stay Informed: The Department of State strongly advises all U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Ecuador to register their presence with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at https://step.state.gov/step/ so that the Embassy and Consulate General have your information in the event of an emergency or disaster. Furthermore, it is imperative that you keep your passport valid for travel in the event of a natural disaster or emergency. Passport application/renewal information is available at http://ecuador.usembassy.gov/passports.html (Quito) and at http://guayaquil.usconsulate.gov/passports.html (Guayaquil)

Date Joined:

2/10/2016

Total Posts:

15

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0.04