Stay authorization extensions and certificates of migratory movements

To apply for a stay authorization for tourists extension or to apply for a certificate of migratory movements you can visit Migration Office Quito without an appointment.

Visas and ID-card orders

To apply for a visa in Ecuador, you'll need to visit a regional office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility. The Zone 9 office in Quito is the regional office for the Quito and Around region. You can make an appointment for a visa application on this website: Gestión de citas.

To obtain an ID-card order (orden de cedulación) as part of the application process for an Ecuadorian ID-card (cédula), you'll also need to visit this regional office. You can make an appointment on the website Gestión de citas.

• At the The English Lending Library you can lend English books but some books are also for sale.
• Confederate Bookstore
• The English Bookshop
• The Mr. Books stores have English sections. You can find these stores in the shopping malls Mall El Jardín and Scala Shopping (Cumbayá).

The Day of the Foundation of Quito (Spanish: Día de la Fundación de Quito) is an annual regional public holiday observed in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, on December 6th.

This holiday commemorates the founding of Quito in 1534, a pivotal moment in the Spanish colonization of Ecuador. On December 6th of that year, 204 settlers, led by Sebastián de Benalcázar, established the city.

Quito experienced rapid growth, earning the status of a city in 1541. By 1563, it became an administrative region of Spain and an integral part of the Viceroyalty of Peru.

Despite its enduring ties to Spain, Quito played a pioneering role in Latin American history. In August 1809, it became the first location in the region to rebel against colonial rule and declare independence, an event commemorated on Ecuador's Independence Day.

Renowned for its well-preserved and minimally altered historic center, Quito earned the distinction of being one of the first cities worldwide to be inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1978.

While December 6th is the official public holiday, the citizens of Quito, known as Quitenos, engage in nearly ten days of festivities leading up to the occasion. The peak of celebrations occurs on December 5th and 6th, creating a vibrant and joyous atmosphere in the city.

Primicias has published an article with crime statistics for the first half of 2024 for the Quito metropolitan area. In this article, the first half of 2024 is compared to the first half of 2023. It appears that most crime numbers have increased compared to last year. Note that most crime is not reported and therefore isn't included in the statistics.

Some statistics

• The three most dangerous districts are Eloy Alfaro, Eugenio Espejo, and La Delicia. These three districts account for 59% of the 6,746 crimes that were reported in the Quito metropolitan area in the first six months of 2024.

• Car theft skyrockets. Between January 1 and June 23, 2024, the police counted 1,232 stolen vehicles, compared to 675 in 2023. These numbers show an increase of 573 incidents, equivalent to 83%.

• Motorcycle theft also skyrockets. So far in 2024, the police have recorded an increase of 27% compared to the same period in 2023.

• Fewer robberies of commercial premises and homes. In the first case, the drop was 32%, and in the second, 30%.

• Fewer detainees. Despite the increase in crimes committed in Quito, the number of detainees by the National Police shows a drop. The official report of the entity indicates that the 95,388 operations carried out between January 1 and June 24, 2024, resulted in 5,097 detainees. This is fewer than the 5,184 apprehended in the same period of 2023.

• Fewer recovered motorcycles. The number of recovered motorcycles went from 216 to 196.

• Fewer seized firearms. The number of confiscated firearms was reduced from 294 to 286.

• More recovered cars. So far this year, the police have recovered 304 vehicles, compared to 223 in the same period of 2023.

Scopolamine robberies in the La Pradera neighborhood

The article mentions the La Pradera neighborhood for scopolamine robberies. This neighborhood is located directly south of Parque La Carolina and is popular for its nightlife. It has a high number of robbery victims. In this neighborhood, criminals operate around the bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. After identifying their victims, they steal their belongings using scopolamine.

An Example of violent cellphone robbery

The article gives an example of a violent cellphone robbery in the La Villaflora neighborhood, which is part of the Eloy Alfaro district, one of the three most dangerous districts of Quito:

The cellphone theft almost cost the life of Andrés S., who, on the night of June 15, 2024, was stabbed by two subjects in the La Villaflora sector, in the south of Quito. The help he received from the residents of the sector prevented him from bleeding to death and allowed him to reach a clinic to receive urgent medical attention. His mother Esthela A. says that her son was returning from a party when he was intercepted by two men, who threatened to kill him if he did not give them his cellphone. "My son objected and was stabbed without any qualms. They almost killed him," she recalls.

Since July 2024, it's not allowed to ride with two people on motorcycles in the Quito Metropolitan Area. When you fail to comply with this rule you can receive a fine that is 15% of the unified basic salary. 

The  exceptions to this rule are: 

• Spouse or common-law partner of the driver, registered in the Civil Registry.

• Children or siblings of the driver.

• People with disabilities.

• Older adults (65+).

• Women.

• Children under 12 years of age.

• Public servants who, in the performance of their duties, ride institutional motorcycles.