Before traveling
Visa
The students who are coming for a one or two semester exchange must request a temporary resident Visa: Student Visa. This process is done through the Virtual Consulate. Which is a web portal designated for foreign citizens to request their respective visas to legally remain in Ecuador.
The validity of this visa is for one calendar year from the date of issuance or as provided by the Ecuadorian authorities, based on the start and end dates of the academic period you will be studying at UDLA.
Information about the emission process of this visa category can be found in the procedure web portal of the Republic of Ecuador.
Read our Quick Guide to request this type of visa
Review the list of Ecuadorian embassies / consulates.
Costs
- Visa application: 50 USD
- Visa emission: 400 USD
Accommodation
International Programs has direct coordination with the St. Gallen Haus provider in Quito for the accommodation of international students. The provider has different options for the students ranging from host families, university accommodations, and shared or individual apartments.
If you require accommodation which is different to the one given by the provider, different families offer rooms, independent areas of houses, or apartments for students. In every case, the accommodation negotiation is carried out directly between the student and provider or family.
If the student has his own accommodation, we will ask for the address upon arrival at Quito. It is recommended that the accommodation is located close to UDLA campus in the center of Quito. It should be a 10-to-15-minute walk from campus, or a few bus stops away from the Ecovía public transport station.
Check our International Student Guide for more details about this topic.
Budget
| MONTHLY COSTS FOR LONG STAYS | ||||
| ACCOMMODATION | UTILITIES | COMMUNICATION | FOOD | |
| USD200-USD300 / month in a shared apartment. | USD24 / day in the room of a Host Family | USD100 / month | USD10– USD20 / month | USD300 / month |
| Natural gas, electricity, internet, potable water | Cellular phone plan | SPECIFIC COSTS: | ||
| TRANSPORTATION | CLOTHES | DRINKS | •Basic lunch (appetizer, main course, juice, and dessert): USD3 – USD4 per person | |
| •Urban Public Transport: USD0.25 per journey. | Varies depending on the brand and place of purchase, generally imported items are expensive. | •Bottled water 500 ml: USD0.50 | •Dinner at a restaurant: USD20-USD30 per person | |
| •Taxi fare: minimum fair USD1.50 during the day and USD1.75 at night. | •National beer at a store: USD1.50 | |||
| •Imported beer at a store: USD3.50 | ||||
Additional expenses during the exchange:
It is important for you to consider that due to the nature of the activities of some faculties/schools, it is likely that students will have to cover additional expenses during their exchange period. Some subjects have academic tours or special events that require their attendance or participation. In other cases, uniforms, clothes, instruments, tools, or utensils are required for the practical element of certain courses.
Check our International Student Guide for more details about the topic related to additional-UDLA-expenses.
Activate your email and Library account
At the time of your enrollment- as an exchange student- an e-mail account will be created at UDLA with the domain name.lastname@udla.edu.ec. and an account to access the online library system.
When you arrive at UDLA
UDLA Buddies is a friend program that seeks to promote a cultural exchange and integrate international students to the daily life of the country in Quito and at UDLA.
We will assign one of our university students to be an UDLA Buddy for each of our international students. UDLA Buddy will help you in your adaptation process to get familiarized with Ecuadorian culture and your transition to UDLA. We will try to partner each international student with an UDLA Buddy from their same Faculty/School.
Before you arrive to Ecuador, we will send you the contact information of your UDLA Buddy so you can ask him any question before your trip. During your first day at UDLA, we will organize a meeting between the international students and UDLA Buddies so they can meet in person. Your UDLA Buddy will be your first student contact in the university.
We recommend that you arrive at least one week before the start of your exchange semester. You must notify the International Programs department and the international office of your home university of your arrival.
When you arrive in Ecuador, it is important that you register with the embassy or consulate of your country. This has certain advantages such as being able to exercise your right to vote in elections and for them to keep in touch with you in case of natural disasters, political and social unrest, among others.
Consult the list of accredited embassies / consulates in Ecuador.
The International Programs department organizes an orientation week for international students, which includes integration activities with local students, a Spanish course, induction days and visits to university grounds.
Students must report one week before the beginning of each semester to attend these activities. The agenda of the orientation week will be sent to students via e-mail.
We offer our international students a 20-hour course of Spanish as a foreign language before the beginning of their exchange semester so that they can better adapt to the Ecuadorian language and culture. This course is available during the orientation week for international students. If you need to reinforce your Spanish level, we suggest you take additional classes at our Spanish School before, during or after your exchange semester.
International students can take subjects from different majors and at different levels. However, it is recommended that you take at least three subjects from the College/School to which you will be attached. Upon arrival, the International Programs department will provide you with your class schedule and assist you with locating your classrooms on each campus of the university.
International students are restricted from taking graduation courses and pre-professional internships.
Academic load and modifications:
You will be able to modify your academic load (add or drop subjects) until the end of the second week of classes. To withdraw from a course during your semester at UDLA, you must do so before the end of the first progress evaluation period. After this time it will not be possible to make more modifications.
Clubs are extracurricular activities that students have access to as a way to complement their academic development, as well as build discipline and perseverance for their academic and professional life. Clubs develop their activities in the spaces assigned for this at the Granados and UDLAPark campuses. There are more than 40 options students can choose from, including cultural, artistic, sports and social responsibility clubs.
Learn more about the options that UDLA Clubs offers you during your exchange semester
When you arrive in Ecuador, you are introduced to a different culture. There are many new elements: climate, food, among other things that can make you experience cultural shock. If a situation arises in which you do not feel well emotionally or psychologically, you can contact us so we can support you and put you in touch with our Student Welfare team.