Ecuador Forum

hopeinYah
Joined 2009
Posts: 6

10 years ago

Obtaining Passports, National I.D. cards

10 years ago

We would like to know if there are other expats out there who would be supportive of our predicament in trying to get our SEAL on our new passports that we had to get because the old ones expired, and the National I.D. card as well. It has been such a runaround and never-ending game it seems that is being played with us. At the start it was a lot of paperwork which we expected, and several times to stop in bringing everything to satisfy our attorney, but since then the story has become more sinister. There has always been some new document to get and have signed after we have been told we were "good" and could be done with it. Extra travel that gets costly when they made us travel to Cuenca after our attorney made an appointment for us and then my husband was turned down, and had to go to Machala instead after being told he had absolutely everything he needed to finish. Upon arrival he was told he needed two more documents I believe. But that isn't all, we were able to handle that, but a second trip to Machala with all the required documents ended up the same ... We were told that would be it. But no, he has to wait to get his National I.D. now and then return again to Machala. WHAT KIND OF PLANNING AND ORGANIZING IS THAT? So now the next thing he is told, after he was supposed to be done months ago, is that he has to go back again, pay $100 for traveling again and translator because he needed another document. And guess what! He doesn't have a SEAL in his passport book YET! From the start it all seemed reasonable but it has become just about outrageous, with the feel of game-playing going on. Have any of you had any kind of experience like this? We are at the point of getting the laws in our own hands that will tell us how much more of this we have to go through! Even to the point of going to MEDIA. Is there someone in Cuenca that might be able to help us? I have e-mails that document that this has taken six months so far and are not sure how much longer, because now he is going to start on mine. It is next to impossible to keep faith and respect for the system and our lawyer in this situation which is beginning to seem like something not really legal is going on somewhere. We were told so many things that have turned out to be nothing more than fabrications, have followed instructions but have to wonder why so much what seems like harrassment and change from what was told us from the start? We need to get this resolved and not have to go bankrupt and become ill trying to finish. We are 72 and 70. Anyone know how to put the pressure on to get this over and done with?

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