Guayaquil - Which versions of birth/marriage certificates are accepted now?

[leenkath 7]

If you visit the GYE consulate website, in the part called "What to Bring to Your Interview," they indicate that they do not accept computerized birth or marriage certificates, they only take the hand written copies from the Registro. But when my husband went to obtain these documents in Quito (where he was born and where we were married) he was told they no longer issue the hand written ones, only the digital ones.

Has anyone been through the interview/NVC process recently that can tell me what is acceptable nowadays? If you were married in GYE, the rules are different and the embassy is OK with the computerized versions.. so I'm looking for a Quiteño couple to respond... thanks!

[TBoneTX 43,069]

There was a thread about this quite recently (within the last couple of weeks), started by an Ecu filer, that very well may have answered this -- in fact, I responded to it -- but I can't immediately remember which forum it was in. If you can't find it, your default action is to e-mail IVGuayaquil@state.gov and wait 48 hours or so for the answer. Important: Print their answer and carry it with you to the interview. The consulate plays evil games.

fdddop0----------------------------

Thought I'd leave some "cat-typing" here, for fun.

[amyjohans 4]

If you were married recently in Ecuador you will receive a typed version of your marriage certificate with the signatures from the ceremony. It is called the "Inscripcion de Matrimonio" or at the Registro Civil you can also ask for "La partida integra del matrimonio" or something like that.

If the birth certificate was originally issued as handwritten, you need to get a copy of that. In Quito you might be required to go to the Registro Civil in the south of the city since that is where they store all the original records.

If you go to the registro civil in the north (NNUU y Amazonas) you ask for these records downstairs.

Make sure you get "copias legalizadas" which costs an extra $2 per document and they put a stamp on the back.

If you have any other specific questions let me know as I have done all of these things recently.

[leenkath 7]

Thanks for the responses, guys. My husband did everything he could to get the handwritten versions that the Guayaquil consulate requests, but the Registro Civil in Quito told him that they no longer issue those because they have digitized everything. It would be nice if the consulate website would reflect this update, but alas.

I emailed the consulate about the discrepancy, and this was their reply:

Thank you for your message. We suggest your husband try to obtain the required document. If that is not possible, we will accept any original from the Civil Registry in Ecuador.

If you need to contact us again, please include this message in your new inquiry. This way we will be able to serve you better.

Sincerely,

Immigrant Visa Unit

American Consulate General

Guayaquil

I took that to mean that what we had was fine, because it is in fact legit, and we ended up sending the legalized copies, with apostilles and that is what we will take to the interview as well. I will be taking a print-out of that email too.

Edited October 15, 2012 by fishfons

[leenkath 7]

If you were married recently in Ecuador you will receive a typed version of your marriage certificate with the signatures from the ceremony. It is called the "Inscripcion de Matrimonio" or at the Registro Civil you can also ask for "La partida integra del matrimonio" or something like that.

If the birth certificate was originally issued as handwritten, you need to get a copy of that. In Quito you might be required to go to the Registro Civil in the south of the city since that is where they store all the original records.

If you go to the registro civil in the north (NNUU y Amazonas) you ask for these records downstairs.

Make sure you get "copias legalizadas" which costs an extra $2 per document and they put a stamp on the back.

If you have any other specific questions let me know as I have done all of these things recently.

Amyjohans,

Were you able to obtain your husband's handwritten birth certificate? If so, did you get it at the Reg. Civil in Quito? They told my husband that they are digitizing everything (or have digitized everything) so it's unavailable. But maybe I can cross-check what you did with what he tried to make sure we didn't go to the wrong place.

This is the part that has me the most nervous, since the instructions from the consulate website are so explicit about what they will and will not accept... sigh...

[TBoneTX 43,069]

Good information and good plan, si man.

Advice for every Guayaquil filer: It's prudent to bring to the interview copies of every e-mail between you and the consulate, no matter how innocuous-seeming they are. The place plays games.