Register US-born child for Ecuador dual nationality

Children born in the United States to an Ecuadorian parent can be registered as Ecuadorian nationals at an Ecuadorian consulate. Ecuador’s official procedures guide (gob.ec) publishes two routes with different prices: the inscripción de nacimiento, which is free, and the registro de nacimiento of a birth already recorded by a foreign authority, which costs USD 50.00 plus a USD 5.00 DIGERCIC service charge (gob.ec, checked October 3, 2026). Both require the foreign birth document to be apostilled or legalized and translated where applicable.

What registration does

  • Nationality by descent. Ecuador’s Constitution, Art. 7: “Son ecuatorianas y ecuatorianos por nacimiento: … 2. Las personas nacidas en el extranjero de madre o padre nacidos en el Ecuador; y sus descendientes hasta el tercer grado de consanguinidad.”
  • What the consulate does. gob.ec says the consul records the birth in the Civil Registry (DIGERCIC) system “para que tenga derecho a la nacionalidad ecuatoriana y surta efectos en el país donde se otorga el documento y en el Ecuador.”
  • What you receive. An electronic birth record in the DIGERCIC system and the birth registration record (acta de inscripción de nacimiento). gob.ec lists its validity as “Indefinida.”
  • Recognition of the child. gob.ec’s summary of Ecuador’s identity law says the registration made by the parents or an authorized person serves as legal recognition of the son or daughter.

Dual nationality — both countries

The United States permits dual nationality. Per the US Department of State: “Dual nationality means you are a national of 2 countries. A dual national generally has legal rights and obligations in both countries.”

Ecuador’s Constitution, Art. 6: “La nacionalidad ecuatoriana se obtendrá por nacimiento o por naturalización y no se perderá por el matrimonio o su disolución, ni por la adquisición de otra nacionalidad” (Ecuadorian nationality is not lost by acquiring another nationality).

The two official routes

Disability documentation for the registro route: the national procedure lists the disability card under its special requirements (checked October 17, 2026).

Inscripción de nacimientoRegistro de nacimiento (birth already recorded by a foreign authority)
What the consul doesInscribes the birth in the DIGERCIC systemRegisters a birth “nacida e inscrita en el exterior”
Fee (checked October 3, 2026)Free — tariff item “6.1.1 … GRATIS”USD 50.00 (tariff item 6.1.16) + USD 5.00 “Prestación de Servicio de DIGERCIC”
Key document“Certificado de nacimiento o su equivalente otorgado por el profesional de la salud que atendió el parto en el extranjero,” apostilled or legalized and translated if applicable“Certificado o acta de nacimiento emitido por autoridad competente del país de origen,” apostilled or legalized and translated if applicable, plus a certified copy of the foreign birth registration
Parent IDValid cédula (physical or digital) or national or foreign passport of the parents or applicants; a foreign parent presents a valid passport or IDCédula (physical or digital) or national or foreign passport of the Ecuadorian parent
Age0–90 days (ordinaria); 91 days to before 18 (extraordinaria); over 18 only through the courtsLists the registered person’s own ID “en caso de ser mayor de edad” (if an adult)
Third partySpecial power of attorneySpecial power of attorney
Disability exemption(free route)100% exemption with a disability of 30% or more
gob.ec page updatedMarch 6, 2025June 17, 2024

Which route applies to a US birth? A US state birth certificate is a record issued by a foreign authority, which on its face fits the USD 50 registro; the free inscripción is described around the certificate from the health professional who attended the birth. gob.ec does not say which route a US consulate applies when you bring a US birth certificate. Ask the consulate before your appointment, and do not assume the free route.

Other official statements of the fee. Ecuador’s Civil Registry FAQ (undated), answering “¿Qué requisitos necesito para inscribir a mi hijo con doble nacionalidad? Yo soy ecuatoriano,” lists the cost as “50 dólares” (that answer names Civil Registry agencies in Quito, Cuenca and Guayaquil). The Civil Registry’s own gob.ec page for registering a birth that occurred abroad lists “$ 50,00 … En Oficinas Consulares del Ecuador — Tarifa fijada en Arancel Consular” (updated January 13, 2024).

Apostille is a listed requirement

For the certified foreign birth-registration copy, the national registro procedure distinguishes a translation made in Ecuador: it must have acknowledgment of signatures before a Notary Public (checked October 17, 2026).

Both gob.ec lists require the foreign birth document to be “debidamente apostillado o legalizado y traducido de ser el caso.” The Ecuadorian Consulate in New York (undated page) adds that any US document presented for a consular procedure must be “traducidos al Español, notarizados y apostillados,” and that “la apostilla deberá realizarse tanto en el documento original como en la traducción notarizada” — on both the original and the notarized translation. See the apostille process for US documents and US vital records by state to order the birth certificate.

Step-by-step process (gob.ec)

  1. Request an appointment at the consular office. The central booking system is citas.cancilleria.gob.ec.
  2. Hand the documents to the consular agent to start the procedure.
  3. Pay according to the consular and diplomatic tariff (free on the inscripción route; USD 50.00 + USD 5.00 on the registro route).
  4. Review and confirm the registration data.
  5. Sign the registration records.

gob.ec does not publish a processing time for either route.

Registering in Ecuador instead

gob.ec’s summary of Ecuador’s identity law says that if the birth was not registered at a consulate abroad, it can be registered at the Civil Registry in Ecuador with the required documents, translated and legalized where applicable. The Civil Registry FAQ lists the documents for that case: proof of payment, the foreign birth certificate apostilled or legalized and translated if applicable, a valid cédula of one or both parents or of the applicant, and a special power of attorney if a third party files.

After registration

  • Passport: the child’s Ecuadorian passport is a separate consular procedure. gob.ec asks for both parents to be present for a minor’s passport, or a special power of attorney from the parent who does not attend. See passport for a minor.
  • Voting later: Ecuador’s electoral authority (CNE) says Ecuadorians over 16 living abroad can register an overseas electoral address at a consulate. See voting from the US.

Authoritative sources

Last verified: 2026-10-17. General procedural information for educational purposes. Citizenship-by-descent rules vary by country and change. Verify directly with the Ecuador consulate before traveling. Not legal advice.