Ecuador temporarily suspends visa exemption for Chinese citizens

The Ecuadorian government announced that it would suspend visa exemptions for Chinese citizens following an unusual increase in the number of travelers leaving the country without proper exit formalities.

Chinese nationals are believed to use Ecuador as a gateway to illegally enter the United States.

Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that it would temporarily suspend the agreement with Beijing that allows Chinese nationals to enter the country without a visa.

The ministry pointed to a significant increase in the number of Chinese who do not leave the country within the permitted 90-day stay through regular routes or who use Ecuador as a starting point to travel to other destinations.

According to the Ecuadorian government, about half of the more than 66,000 Chinese citizens who entered their territory between 2023 and 2024 did not register their departure.

The government cites various reports from international organizations and immigration authorities that show that most of these Chinese citizens arrive in the United States via Latin American countries, including Mexico.

Statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Protection show that there were nearly 13,000 encounters with Chinese nationals at the U.S. southwest land border between January and April of this year.