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.

After a subsidence knocked out the Sulupali bridge over the Río Rircay on February 23, seven communities south of Cuenca decided they couldn't wait for the government's $2.1 million estimate. So they're building their own bridge with cement, river rock, and iron salvaged from a 2012 collapse. Cost: $35,000. Raised so far: $962.