Articles

Great news if you've been procrastinating on renewing your cédula or getting a passport: Registro Civil has extended walk-in service (no online appointment needed) through July 31, 2026. Just show up, pay, and get it done — including at Cuenca's San Blas agency, where passports are ready in about 30 minutes.

Your cédula is your Ecuadorian ID card — you need it for everything from opening a bank account to enrolling in IESS. Here's exactly how to get it after your visa is approved.

Opening a bank account in Ecuador isn't hard — but the requirements vary wildly between banks. Here's what Banco Pichincha, Banco del Austro, JEP, and other institutions actually ask for, and which ones are easiest for expats.

The CREA cooperative collapse rattled confidence in Ecuador's savings institutions. But regulators say most large cooperatives entered 2026 with healthy balance sheets. Here's how to verify your cooperative is solid and protect your deposits.

Seven months after the CREA cooperative shut down, 281 members — including retirees and migrant workers — still can't recover their deposits. The government says 99% of people got paid. The remaining 1% says that's not good enough when $31 million is still missing.

If you've been trying to register a new vehicle in Cuenca, you've been stuck since January 30. Good news: plate assignment and transfer services just resumed as part of a phased national reopening.

Two separate complaints have been filed against a veterinary clinic in Cuenca's Otorongo sector — one alleging fraudulent cremation services, the other involving a dog that vanished during a grooming appointment. Here's what pet owners need to know.

On Valentine's Day, Plaza de San Francisco will host the world's largest motepata — a traditional Cuencan corn-and-pork stew — with Guinness officials on hand to certify the record. Plates are just $2.