VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 American Citizen Services JULY 5, 2017 Consular Mission Ecuador A Newsletter for the U.S. Community in Ecuador Welcome from the U.S. Ambassador My Fellow U.S. Citizens, I have confidence that the Did You Know? United States and Ecuador It gives me great pleasure to will be able to leverage greet you in this inaugural common interests to work issue of the American Citizen together in various topics In 2007, the Department of State Services (ACS) Newsletter. It’s including education, security, experienced an unprecedented fitting that this issue go out in health, business, English conjunction with July 4th – the language instruction, and surge in passport applications, birth of our nation. The ACS natural disaster preparedness issuing over 18 million passports Newsletter is an important in addition to other areas of tool for us to reach all of the cooperation. These as a result of the Western U.S. citizens residing in opportunities to collaborate Hemisphere Travel Initiative Ecuador. will provide important Amb. Todd Chapman opportunities for U.S. citizens (WHTI). Those passports are now On July 4th, we commemorate living and working or beginning to expire. Renew your the Independence of the traveling to Ecuador. United States and honor the passport well ahead of planned great history of our country. We look forward to serving travel to avoid possible delays! This year, we also take this you in the year to come and opportunity to celebrate a beyond. This newsletter is also available See page three for information new era in U.S.-Ecuadorian on our website at: https:// relations with the new about renewing. presidency of Lenin Moreno. ec.usembassy.gov/ Best wishes, The deepening and growing Please pass this newsletter on to ties between our two countries include new areas of Todd C. Chapman any other U.S. Citizens in Ecuador cooperation and build upon Ambassador and encourage them to enroll in Inside this issue: the diplomatic relationship STEP (https://step.state.gov/ shared between our two step/) to receive our newsletters Welcome from Consular 2 countries over the last nearly 200 years. in the future. Country Coordinator and A Word About July 4th For Your Information: 3 Passports, Photos, Taxes Upcoming Holiday Closures Zika Information Sheet 4 Independence Day (U.S.) Labor Day (U.S.) (July 4) (September 04) Travel Alerts/Warnings 5 Founding of Guayaquil A complete list of all of our (Consulate General only) holiday closings for 2017 is QTO U.S. Citizen Services 6 (July 25) available online at https:// ec.usembassy.gov/holiday- Independence Day (Ecuador) GYQ U.S. Citizen Services 7 calendar-2017/ (August 11) Page 2 AMERICAN CITIZEN SERVICES CONSULAR MISSION ECUADOR Words from the Country Consular Coordinator I am very happy to share this In an effort to provide the inaugural issue of the best customer service possible, revamped U.S. Consular the U.S. Embassy is publishing Mission Ecuador American a newsletter to provide Citizen Services Newsletter. information that we believe This newsletter is intended to U.S. citizens living and provide tips and information traveling in Ecuador will find of interest to U.S. citizens useful. either living in or traveling through Ecuador. Our hope is As the Country Consular that this resource will provide Coordinator, I hope that this timely and useful information newsletter will be just one of about services provided in the ways that we can improve both the U.S. Embassy in the customer experience for Quito and the U.S. Consulate U.S. Citizens in Ecuador. We Country Consular Coordinator General in Guayaquil as well welcome your feedback at Alexander P. Delorey as general interest [email protected]. information related to health and safety. Every year we see more U.S. Respectfully, citizens choosing to make Ecuador their new home or Alexander P. Delorey Did You Know? choosing to visit to enjoy the Country Consular Coordinator incomparable wildlife, beautiful sights, and amazing Celebrations of the Fourth of culture. Our goal is to provide you with the best July became more common as services that we can, whether you require routine services the years went on —and in such as passport renewal, 1870, almost a hundred years Consular Reports of Birth or Death Abroad, or Social after the Declaration was Security and Federal Benefits assistance, or non-routine written, Congress first declared services such as help in an July 4 to be a national holiday . emergency. Why We Celebrate July 4th? U.S. citizens around the world So what did happen on July It’s also the date that was celebrate U.S. Independence 4, 1776? printed on the Dunlap Day on the Fourth of July Broadsides, the original The Continental Congress every year. We think of July printed copies of the approved the final wording 4, 1776 as a day that Declaration that were of the Declaration of represents the Declaration of circulated throughout the new Independence on July 4, Independence and the birth of nation. As a result, July 4, 1776. The date the final the United States of America 1776 became the date changes were approved, as an independent nation. ingrained in people’s minds as therefore, became the date However the Continental U.S. Independence Day. that was included on the Congress actually declared Declaration of Independence, independence from the British and the formal handwritten monarchy on July 2, 1776. copy that was signed in August (the copy now displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.) Page 3 AMERICAN CITIZEN SERVICES CONSULAR MISSION ECUADOR Eyeglasses Are No Longer Permitted in Photos Please remove your face in view Taken in the last 6 months eyeglasses when you take You must have a neutral Use either a plain white your next passport or visa facial expression or a or off-white background photo. Did you know that the natural smile, with both Be sized correctly (2 x 2 eyes open majority of passport inches or 51 x 51 mm) Example of Acceptable Photo You cannot wear a hat or Printed in color That Follows the New Photo applications that had delays head covering (unless for Guidance in processing last year were medical or religious For more information about due to issues stemming from reasons) passport photo requirements, eyeglasses? As of November You cannot wear visit the U.S. State 1, 2016, eyeglasses are no eyeglasses (unless for Department website, at longer allowed in U.S. visa medical reasons) https://travel.state.gov/ and passport photos. content/passports/en/ The photo should be: passports/photos.html A Few Reminders: Taken in clothing normally worn on a daily Your head must face the basis camera directly with full Did You Know? Important IRS ITIN and Tax Updates Forbes Magazine and As of January 1, 2017, the Did You Know? For a calendar year return, IRS mandates that all the automatic two month International Living have ranked If you are a U .S . Individual Taxpayer extension is to June 15. Ecuador as one of the top five c i t i z e n or r e s i d e n t Identification Numbers (ITINs) alien residing overseas, or Note that you must pay any retirement destinations for the will no longer be valid for use are in the military on duty tax due by April 15 or last several years. on a tax return if they have outside the United States, you interest will be charged not been used at least once in may be allowed an automatic starting from April 15. the last three years. two month extension to file Please check IRS.gov to see if To find out more information, your return without requesting this extension applies to you. please visit IRS.gov. an extension. Passports — Apply Now to Avoid Delays In 2007, we experienced an delays! advance of your passport unprecedented surge in expiration date and travel The U.S. Embassy and passport applications as a plans. result of the Western Consulate General accept Hemisphere Travel Initiative. U.S. passport applications Please visit the U.S. Embassy Nearly ten years later, those and forward them to the and U.S. Consulate General’s passports are beginning to United States for processing. web page at A passport, once approved, https://ec.usembassy.gov/ for expire. normally arrives at the information about applying We are expecting an Embassy or Consulate for a first time passport or increase in passport General and is typically renewal. applications through 2018. ready for pick-up in about 10 Submit your passport to 15 working days. Some application well ahead of more complicated cases may your planned travel dates in require additional processing order to avoid possible time, so please apply well in VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 Page 4 Zika Information Sheet The Center for Disease Zika Virus in Pregnancy NOTE: Mosquitoes that Control (CDC) updated its spread Zika usually do not A pregnant woman can pass assessment regarding the Zika live at elevations about 6,500 Zika virus to her fetus. virus in Ecuador on March 10, feet (2,000 meters) because Infection during pregnancy 2017. Public health officials of environmental conditions. can cause serious birth have reported that defects. CDC recommends Check out the CDC’s website mosquitoes in Ecuador are Mosquitoes Transmit special precautions for the (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/trave the Zika Virus infected with Zika virus, which following groups: l/notices/alert/zika-virus- is spreading to people. The ecuador) for more information CDC recommends that •Women who are pregnant and tips on how to protect travelers to Ecuador use a •Women who are trying to yourself.