If you live in Texas and receive a pension from Ecuador's social security institute, the IESS, you must periodically certify that you are still alive so the pension is not suspended. And if an Ecuadorian relative has passed away and you are entitled to a survivor's benefit, you may need to send a US death certificate to Ecuador in a form the IESS will accept. In both situations, a Texas document usually has to be apostilled before it carries legal weight in Ecuador.
This page explains when an apostille is required, how the Texas process works, and what Ecuador generally expects for proof-of-life and survivor claims.
What an apostille is
An apostille is a certificate that authenticates a public document — a notary's signature, a court seal, a registrar's certification — so it will be accepted by authorities in another country. For countries in the Hague Apostille Convention, the apostille is the finish line. For countries outside it, the same Texas certificate is the first step in a short legalization chain.
Does an apostille work in Ecuador?
Yes. Ecuador is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. A single apostille issued by the Texas Secretary of State is recognized throughout Ecuador without further consular legalization. The apostille certifies that the Texas notary or official who signed your document is genuine, so the IESS will accept it as authentic.
Remember that the apostille only authenticates the signature. Any document issued in English will still need a Spanish translation before the IESS acts on it.
How the Texas Secretary of State apostille works
Texas apostilles come from a single office: the Secretary of State's Authentications Unit in Austin. There is no county-clerk step — a document notarized by any Texas notary, in any of the 254 counties, goes straight to the state. Since October 2023 Texas issues one Universal Apostille (Form 2102) that works for every destination, whether or not the country belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention.
The state fee is $15 per document. Mailed requests can take up to 25 business days; in-person and appointment service in Austin is same-day for up to 10 documents, and a bulk drop-box handles larger batches in 24–48 hours. There is no online submission — every request is handled by mail or in person. Certified copies of vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce) must be less than five years old.