What about my Canadian pension

You cannot have resifpdency in both countries, so you have to decide if you spend six  months in Ecuador and six in Canada. If you decide to stay in Ecuador longer you will need to apply for residency over there.
You will get your CPP, how much tax you pay depends on your pension  go to Service Canada site,they have agreement with Ecuador for 15% and you will receive that if your income is just CPP and old age Security.
We are moving to Ecuadr as well, however, we are going to get residency, therefore, we have to stay in Ecuador 9 months for the first and second year.
We are going soon for 3 months to buy property and come  back to Canada sell everything and move to Ecuador in September.

As an expat you will not be eligible for the GIS as it is a supplement for Canadian residents, but your CPP and OAS should not be affected. The CRA has some very good information on what the requirements are for receiving both benefits and they also have a call line where you can talk to a representative that can review your case specifically to give you details about how early withdrawal can affect your CPP. They are actually quite helpful.

The Canadian government has a form that helps them decide what your residency status will be. There are basically three options possible for an expat: factual residency, deemed residency or non-resident. Each status has benefits and draw backs. Canada (as mentioned in another post) has a tax treaty with Ecuador for Canadian non-residents. You must submit a form (annually, I believe) to benefit from the 15% treaty.

Your health coverage is based on Provincial Residency, so if you decide to reside in Ecuador you will not be eligible for Canadian medical benefits. That being said, depending on your province the health coverage in Ecuador may be as affordable as what you currently pay. (Some provinces have coverage costs based on income while others include it in their tax base.)

Thank you, EvaCanada. The information you provided helps. Mike

Thank you PEI Red. The information you have provided will be very helpful. Mike

What about mail from Canada? What is the best way to receive it? we are trying to go as paperless as possible, but some things are impossible to stop the paper trail.
Thanks for any input!!!!

Chris

If your building receives mail deliveries, small envelopes can be received by your security guard or at your mail slot.

Otherwise, pick it up weekly at your Correos del Ecuador post office.

cccmedia in Quito

Thanks for the help. I guess we will have to wait until we get there to get a mail box. didn't want the stuff to pile up at home, but I think we can put a hold on it until we have an Ecuadorian address!!

Chris

LiZeke wrote:

Thanks for the help. I guess we will have to wait until we get there to get a mail box. didn't want the stuff to pile up at home, but I think we can put a hold on it until we have an Ecuadorian address!!

Better check with your current post office well beforehand.  They may not forward internationally.  If they don't, possibly arrange with a friend, relative or neighbor to put together a bundle of future mail for forwarding to EC.

cccmedia in Quito

triple c do you ever sleep?

Not when there are international mail-forwarding issues to 'address.'

triple c in quito

in Quito june 2 to 4 have to track you down and have a cocktail on me, as mail forwarding is dry dangerous work!

You're on.  Send me a PM around the time of arrival.

triple c in quito

Done. Booking this week, so let you know soon.

LiZeke and I continued our conversation via email, and he is permitting me to answer some of his questions on the forum, starting with:

Q:  We're arriving at the Quito airport at 11 p.m. and then taking a plane to Manta the next day at 6:45.  What hotel near the airport do you recommend for a one-night stay?

A:  The hotel advertising that it is closest to the new Quito airport is at:
     www.airporthotelquito.com

    For a choice of hotels near the airport, starting in the $40 range, visit:
    www.expedia.com ... and enter UIO in the hotels search box.

I hope that your next-day flight is at 6:45 p.m, because I would never schedule an international arrival into Quito for late-night and then fly out on a 6:45 a.m. departure the next day.

Best-case scenario:  Your flight arrives on time at 11 p.m.  You go through customs rapidly and clear the terminal by around midnight, stepping into your cab.  You check into your hotel and heads hit the pillows between 1:15 and 1:30 a.m.

For your 6:45 a.m. flight out you need to be back at the airport 90 minutes beforehand, which is 5:15.  Your wake-up time should not be later than 4:00 a.m. to re-pack, have some cereal and dress, etc. 

This gives you about 2-1/2 hours of sleep -- and that's best-case scenario!

More likely scenario:  there will be some delay along the way.  The plane may arrive at UIO half an hour late.  Customs make take an extra half hour.  Passengers from other flights may have beaten you here by minutes, and so you have to wait for a taxi.  The
driver may not know your hotel and loses extra minutes figuring out how to get there.

Personally, I'd forget about scheduling a 6:45 a.m. flight, sleep in and take a bus to the coast instead if a later flight was not available.

But that's me.  Maybe y'all would prefer to crash at a hotel in Manta on Day 2 and would be fine after getting some mid-day sleep there.

cccmedia in Quito

LiZeke wrote:

Booking this week, so let you know soon.

LiZeke:  If we arrive with residency visas, are we able to bring some possessions with us and have a small crate shipped ASAP?

A: Are you sure that what you have or will have are residency visas?  If so, you can have your ASAP crate shipped without the normal tariffs.  It it's anything less than a permanent-residency visa, you will pay your freight company their charges for the crate, and then the dogs of SENAE (EC customs) will have their way with you.  As for bringing personal possessions with you on the plane, by all means do it.  It's probably worth paying the airline a fee for excess-baggage if necessary.

LiZeke:  Do we need a return airfare ticket?

A:  If you arrive here with actual residency visas, you have the right to live in Ecuador, so the answer to this question is no.

If what you have is less than a residency visa, technically you should have onward passage.  But I have never -- and I mean never -- heard of any well-dressed arriving passenger being hassled by Ecuadorian authorities or an airline over this issue.  One strategy some have devised (although probably did not need to use) is to buy an onward bus ticket into Colombia or Peru, or have the excuse that they will buy such.

cccmedia in Quito

LiZeke:  We're stressed over liquidation and the visa process.

A:  Sell your car via CarMax for minimal hassle.  In my case, I'd say it was no hassle.

Please post in the forum any questions you have about visas, and we'll do the best we can to assist you.

cccmedia in Quito

I have lived in Ecuador 6 years. As someone said, your CPP and OAS will not be affected; however, I recently had to fill in another document for OAS proving that I was a resident of Ecuador, despite our government knowing and dealing with it for the past 6 years. The Canadian Embassy certified the declaration at no cost.

As for hard copy, mail, I don't get any. I have it sent to my sister-in-law and she screens it, scans what may be important and sends it to me. She is an accountant and I have signed authorizations for the pension authorities to deal directly with her instead of through hard copy to me here in Ecuador where it may get lost.

You will have to deal with the conversion of the Canadian dollar to USD.  I have a great solution.  My pensions go into my Canadian bank account. If I draw money from a bank machine here in Ecuador, my Canadian bank charges me $ 5 withdrawl, not counting exchange rate. If I have an electronic bank to bank transfer, Canada / Ecuador, it will cost me at least $ 30 per month plus exchange rate.  My solution - I have a bank account in the USA. Instead of paying high exchange rates plus $ 30 money transfer from Canada to my USA account, I joined the Canadian Snowbirds Association for $ 2 per month.  That includes the transfer of money to my USA account - saving 30 - 2 = $ 28 per month. As well, the Association moves enormous amounts to the USA each month and, hence, gets the very best dollar exchange rate, giving me more savings.  While my Canadian bank charges me $ 5 for each machine withdrawl from Ecuador, my American bank charges me 50 cents.

I have an Ecuador bank account, my second. The first bank collapsed so I now have an account a Banco Pacifico which is owned by the government and should not die. I take money from my USA account in bulk to save repeated 50 cent charges.

Hope that this is helpful.
My website is  andrehugosplace.com

Hi Hugh,

How did you get your US bank account?  Do you have to go to US in person to get one?  (I have no car now.)

HelenPivoine

I was once married to a lady from the USA. I never lived there but opened an account when i visited her bank. I sugges. Communicating wit the Canadian Snowbirds Association as they will know how thousands of Canadians do it

Thanks, Hugh

Helen P

|Hi,

I am Canadian and my research says that you must reside in Canada for 6 months plus a few days per year in order to retain your provincial health care status.  As for CPP and Old Age Security pension, you still get that if you live in Ecuador, but there is a tax treaty with Ecuador and Canada takes 15% off the top.  I believe that at the end of each year when doing Canadian taxes you can claim your money back, if your income was low enough.  You will not, however, qualify for the Guaranteed supplement if you do not live in Canada.

I do not know about residency rules.

HelenPivoine

You have to have a Canadian address and an Canadian bank account and have to show up in Canada every 180 days to keep your Canadian Residence. Also keep your drivers licence active. You can withdraw your money with a Canadian debit card from the bank machines in Ecuador. The Banco de Austro and the Bank de Pichincha are the best and they don't charge fees for the withdrawals.
To get the Ecuadorian retirement Visa see an Ecuadorian lawyer. For the first 2 years you can not leave Ecuador for more than 3 month in a year,  or you won't qualify for the Ecuadorian Seniors Visa. After 2 years you can be out of the country for longer. But since laws and rules and regulations change very frequently in Ecuador get a good lawyer. One good one is: Joseph Guznay in Quito.  I can't find his phone number right now but his address is:  Portugal y 6 de diciembre   edificio Martiniqa, officina 62, Quito Ecuador.

Have fun and enjoy Ecuador

The Gemini Lady