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How to Pay the U.S. Visa Fee in Ecuador

The DS-160 itself has no submission fee. Applicants in Ecuador pay the separate nonimmigrant visa application (MRV) fee through the official appointment service before an interview can be scheduled.

Payment methods in Ecuador

The official appointment service currently offers two ways to pay:

  • Cash: generate the cash payment instruction sheet from your profile and pay at the indicated location. The slip is valid for one transaction only.
  • Credit card: paid online through your applicant profile.

Official reference: the Ecuador visa fee page lists cash and credit card, states cash payments can take up to 2 business days to register, and confirms fees are valid for 365 days, non-refundable, and non-transferable. Check the live page before paying.

Step-by-step payment process

  1. Submit the DS-160 and save the confirmation page.
  2. Create an account on the official Ecuador visa service.
  3. Add each applicant and continue until the payment page shows the amount for your visa class.
  4. Pay by card online, or print the cash instruction sheet and pay once at the indicated location.
  5. Wait for the payment to register — up to 2 business days for cash; card payments are generally faster.
  6. Schedule the consular appointment from the same account once the payment shows as available.

Ecuador-specific payment rules

  • The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, whether or not a visa is issued, and is good for one application.
  • It is valid for scheduling for 365 days from the date of purchase — after that it expires.
  • The cash slip works for one transaction only.
  • Pay only through the flow generated inside your AIS profile — never through a link sent by email, WhatsApp, or an agent.
  • Each applicant normally needs their own fee, including children.
  • F, M, and J students and exchange visitors also owe a separate SEVIS fee paid on fmjfee.com — the MRV payment does not cover it.

Where to pay cash

Unlike several other countries in the region, the official service publishes no list of cash payment locations for Ecuador on its fee page. The instructions, and the place you actually pay, come on the payment slip your own profile generates when you choose the cash option.

So there is no general list to hunt for online — print the slip and follow it. The receipt is valid for a single transaction, so each applicant needs their own.

Where the interview is held

Interviews take place at the U.S. Embassy in Quito.

E12-170 Avigiras Ave. and Eloy Alfaro Ave., Quito, Ecuador

The fee is tied to the country where you apply, so confirm the post before paying.

A national of Venezuela, Cuba, Nigeria, Togo or Malawi? The bond of up to $15,000 applies regardless of where you apply — what that means.

Questions commonly searched in Ecuador

How much is the U.S. visa fee locally?

The fee is set in U.S. dollars — $185 for B visitor and F/M/J student visas, higher for petition-based work visas — and collected at the rate shown in your profile at checkout. Confirm the current amount on the Department of State fee schedule.

I paid cash but can't schedule yet. Is something wrong?

Cash payments can take up to 2 business days to register. Wait for your profile to show the payment before trying again, and use the support channels in your profile if it still doesn't appear.

Does paying the fee guarantee an interview date?

No. Payment unlocks scheduling; appointment availability at the Quito/Guayaquil post varies with demand and season.

Can I use a fee paid in Ecuador for an interview in another country?

No. A fee paid through this system is tied to applying in Ecuador. If you switch countries, expect to create a profile in that country's system and pay again.

Paying from a nearby country

The bank, currency and appointment service differ by country — if you are applying somewhere else in Latin America, use that country's guide:

Paid already: now the appointment

Paying is not booking. Ecuador uses AIS and has two posts with separate calendars, Quito and Guayaquil — see booking a U.S. visa appointment in Ecuador.

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