Want to Order Ecuadorian Driving License? Heres Your Quick Guide!

Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to drive here in Ecuador, but, you know, the whole driver’s license thing. It’s a bit of a process, but I finally got it sorted, so I figured I’d share my experience in case anyone else is in the same boat.

First off, I tried to see if I could just use my license from back home. Turns out, tourists can drive for like 30 days with a foreign license and your passport showing when you entered the country. But I’m staying longer, so that wasn’t going to cut it. And I heard something about an International Driving Permit, which you can get from AAA in the US, but that wasn’t really an option for me.

So, I started looking into getting an actual Ecuadorian driver’s license. Turns out you gotta be at least 18, which, yeah, I am, phew! You also need a cedula, which is like the Ecuadorian ID card. Now, I didn’t have one yet, so that was another thing I had to figure out.

Here’s what I had to do to get the license:

• Get a cedula: This was a whole other adventure. I’m not gonna get into the details of that here, but just know that you need this ID card for practically everything in Ecuador, including the driver’s license.
• Gather my documents: Once I had my cedula, I needed my passport, and the visa thing, showing I was allowed to be here. Some folks can use a visa instead of a cedula, apparently.
• Go to the license place: There are specific offices where you go to get your license. I had to find the one closest to me and make an appointment.
• Do the application: At the appointment, I filled out a bunch of forms. There’s probably some fees involved, but nothing too crazy.
• Take the tests: There is a written test. There is a driving test. I had to take both, but I think there are some exemptions if you have a foreign license.
• Wait for it to process: After all that, it took a bit of time for everything to go through. They give you a date to come back and pick up your license.
• Pick up my license: Finally, the day came when I got to go back and get my shiny new Ecuadorian driver’s license! Felt pretty good to have that in hand.

So yeah, that’s basically what I went through. It’s not exactly a walk in the park, but it’s doable. If you’re planning on driving in Ecuador, definitely start the process early because it can take a while.