Resource Guide Ecuador www.larmgroup.com © Copyright LARM Group TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Welcome to Ecuador Ecuador History & Culture 4 Country Details Taxes and Tips Obtaining your Driver’s License 6 Home Finding Hotels Repair and Maintenance Service 7 Education Maternal and Pre-School Colleges Universities 9 Banking Opening a Bank Account 10 Medical System Pharmacies Hospitals 11 Transportation Transportation & Commuting 12 Embassy Embassy 13 National Holidays 14 The Local Flavor Food Traditional Recipe Eating out in Ecuador 18 Landmarks & Tourist Spots Sierra Costa Oriente Galapagos Islands 20 Entertainment Arts & Culture Nightlife Shopping Rest and Recreations Sports 22 Helpful Tips Safety Dialing In/Out of Country 23 Notes © Copyright LARM Group As part of our Latin American Relocation Management (LARM) family, you can rest assured that we have your relocation needs covered. Our focus is making sure you experience a smooth transition, from start to finish. We have put together this guide with important information and resources that will help ease your relocation process as much as possible. We want to remind you that we stand by, ready to support and guide you whenever you might need it. If you have any questions or feed- back, please feel free to contact us directly. LARM Ecuador LARM USA Headquarters Av. Shyris N35-71 y Suecia, Edificio Argentum, 1961 NW 150th Avenue, Suite 103 Oficina 701, P.O. Box 17-17-250, Quito, Ecuador Pembroke Pines, FL 33028 Office: + (954) 98-760-0700 Phone: + (954) 239-4081 Fax: + (593) 2333-1676 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] LARM - ECUADOR RESOURCE GUIDE 1 © Copyright LARM Group Welcome to Ecuador Ecuador is a multiethnic and multicultural country, located in South America. Ecuador is divided into four natural regions with very different climates: the coast with a hot and humid climate; highlands with a rainy and dry climate; forest is warm and humid; while in the insular region are the Galapagos Islands with a mild climate. 2 © Copyright LARM Group History & Culture History In Ecuador there are 14 indigenous nationalities that Before colonization, Ecuadorian territory was ruled by the coexist. Each has different traditions and their own Inca Empire. In 1830, Ecuador was colonized by Spain. We worldview. In cities and towns there are primarily mesti- had several Spanish governments for nearly 300 years. zos, whites and Afro-Ecuadorians, although there’s also The Spanish introduced Roman Catholicism, colonial a significant amount of migrants, the majority from the architecture and today’s natural language. May 24, 1822 is countryside. the historic date when independence was finally achieved when Simon Bolivar, South American liberator, defeated Traditions and Festivities the Spanish army in the Battle of Pichincha. When Ecuador Besides global festivities such as Christmas, New Year’s, became independent and was established as the Republic Mother’s Day etc., Ecuadorians celebrate special national of Ecuador, the firs president was the General Juan Jose dates in the different cities such as the Feast of Montubio Flores. First governments were dictatorships by the military, in the coastal region and the Black Mama in Cotopaxi. and in 1979 Ecuador became a democratic country. We also have Pass the Child in Cuenca which is a major In 1941, Ecuador confronted Peru in a brief border dispute. festival of the Catholic community. All celebrations are cha- In 1995, during the presidency of Sixto Duran Ballen, the racterized by several essential events such as characters border dispute with ended; all confrontations were settled in disguises, participation in parades, processions, pilgri- by an agreement ratified by both countries in 1998 and mages and other manifestations of social folklore. It’s also 1999. very common to have bands that play traditional music, which is very diverse depending on both the festivity and In 1999, Ecuador became the first Latin American country the region were its celebrated. The differences in music are to eliminate its national currency and took the dollar as the not only in the melody and rhythms, but in the instruments official currency. that are used. Culture Including fireworks and traditional foods such as leg mote, Ecuador’s culture is a blend of various influences, the Spa- mote pillo, roasted cuy, ocelot, hornado, watery, Locro, lla- nish conquerors and the ancestral traditions of pre-Colum- pingachos bun chugchucaras, chicha, and encocado, among bian people. Ecuador’s population belongs to many different hundreds of other famous plates, each celebration consti- ethnic groups, so its culture is very diverse. tutes an important part of our culture that, individually or in groups, make us realize what we’re made of and what It’s difficult to establish exact percentages of these diffe- makes us special, despite the acculturation caused by the rent groups since the definition is not equivalent to race. influence of foreign countries, globalization and technologi- Statistics on the ethno-racial composition of the country cal advances. according to different sources vary for this reason. LARM - ECUADOR RESOURCE GUIDE 3 © Copyright LARM Group Country Details Full country name: República del Ecuador Taxes and Tips Capital: San Francisco de Quito, Quito VAT is the value added tax paid for the transfer of goods Area: 283,561 km2 and provision of services. It’s a levy on all stages of Population: 15.49 millions marketing. The rate of tax is 12% and it’s charged to every Official Language: Spanish business transaction. Paid on the taxable amount consists of the total price at which goods are sold or services, Currency: U.S. Dollar price at which taxes, fees or other attributable expenses Area Code: 593 included are provided. Also load imports on CIF value plus Location: Located in the northwestern region of South taxes, fees and other expenses attributable to the price. All America. Bordered in the north by Colombia, Costa Rica to purchasers of goods or services must pay the taxed rate of the northwest and south and east with Peru. 12%. Payment is made to the merchant or service provider, who in return, after perceiving the tribute by the State, Main Cities: Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Ambato. delivers a statement. In the case of import businesses, Main Beaches and Islands: Isla de la Plata, Mompiche, the taxes are paid by the importer when the goods clear Montañita, Salinas, Atacames, Tonsupa and Galápagos. customs. The ICE is the Special Consumption Tax, which applies to goods and services of domestic origin or imported, detai- led in Article 82 of the Law on Internal Taxation such as: Cigarettes, beer, soft drinks, alcohol, perfumes, video , firearms and ammunition, incandescent bulbs; also certain vehicles and aircraft; pay TV services, gaming rooms and casinos; memberships and affiliations to social clubs. It’s a tax that is usually included in the retail price and VAT levied anyway. 4 © Copyright LARM Group The ISC is the Departure Tax and Capital charge on the Obtaining your Driver’s License value of all monetary transactions and transactions carried out abroad, with or without the intervention of the institu- A foreigner can obtain a driver’s license in Ecuador with tions of the financial system. It corresponds to 1% of the full documentation. The process can take about 1 day. transaction value. In Ecuador the authorities responsible for monitoring and controlling traffic are civil traffic agents. The IVM is the Tax on Motor Vehicles and must pay all owners of motorized land transport vehicle. Payment does annually, according to the percentage established for each What do you need to know about driving in type of vehicle according to the same assessment. This Ecuador? payment consists in values of vehicle registration. • The minimum driving age is 18 years old. Additionally, you must pay a 10% tip to the waiter when • Prohibited drunk driving. you’re eating in restaurants. Tipping is generally given to waiters, porters at airports and hotels, car washes, parking • Is prohibited to use cell phones when you drive. caregivers, the boy carrying the shopping, the taxi driver • Hire a constitutional accident insurance (SOAT). assists you with your luggage, etc. The amount of money varies between U.S. $ 0.25 and U.S. $ 2.00. Have the vehicle documentation up to date: registration, license and SOAT LARM - ECUADOR RESOURCE GUIDE 5 © Copyright LARM Group Home Finding The costs in renting of houses or apartments depend on the Hotels area you want to live. Ecuador offer hotels of 3, 4 and 5 stars, which are fully Considering that Quito has a lot of people, most of the equipped with 1-2 bedroom suites. Restaurants, pubs, bars, housing solutions are the apartments near the offices and shopping, spas, gyms and other amenities around these business centers. Departments can be from 1-3 bedrooms, neighborhoods and are generally available 10 to 20 minute very comfortable and with good communal areas, close and drive distance, depending on traffic. central to all activities that the city has to offer. There’s also the option of living in the nearby valleys such Repair and Maintenance Service as Cumbayá and San Rafael. In these places it’s easier to find a house instead of an apartment; however you should LARM Ecuador offers Property Administration and Mainte- consider the extra time to get back in city traffic. The hou- nance services listed below: ses in the valleys are wider and have beautiful communal areas. • Repair and maintenance of rails and curtains • Carpet Cleaning To rent a house in Ecuador the law states that you must pay the rent for the first two months as security for the owner, • Housekeeping plus a month’s rent. The average rent varies between $850 • Carpentry and $4,500 a month depending on the type of property you are looking for, where it’s located, the size and other • Painting, Gardens and disinfection characteristics such as the year it was built.