Ecuador Entry Requirements

Ecuadorian immigration will detain a child at departure without proper paperwork. That's the part most travelers miss. Children with both parents need only standard entry documentation. Children with one parent or a non-parent guardian need more, a notarized authorization letter from the absent parent(s) or legal guardian, ideally authenticated (apostilled) in the issuing country. Single parents with sole legal custody should carry official documentation confirming their status (court order, death certificate, etc.). These requirements apply both for entering Ecuador and, critically, for exiting it, authorities strictly enforce child protection measures at departure and will detain a child without proper authorization. The authorization should specify the child's name, the traveling adult's name, the destination, and the dates of travel. Have the document translated into Spanish or carry a certified translation.

Bring your dog or cat to Ecuador, if you clear five AGROCALIDAD hurdles first. A licensed vet must sign the health certificate within 10 days of travel. Dogs need a rabies shot given 30 days to 12 months before arrival. Cats just need a current certificate. Implant the ISO 15-digit microchip before any jab. Treat fleas, ticks, and worms within 15 days, vet stamp required. File for the import permit at www.agrocalidad.gob.ec weeks before you fly. Airlines write their own rules, some pets ride cabin, others ride cargo. The Galápagos Islands slam the door: non-native animals stay out, and domestic pets can't enter Galápagos National Park areas.

Want to linger in Ecuador after your first 90 visa-free days? You've got three clear plays. 1) Extension: one extra 90-day stamp, issued by the Dirección de Extranjerían office. That caps your tourist time at 180 days within any rolling 12-month window. File at least 30 days before your current slot expires. A fee applies, no way around it. 2) Visa change: if your reason for staying shifts, maybe you land a job, sign up for a course, or open a business, you must swap to the correct visa category. No shortcuts. 3) Long-term residency visas: Ecuador dangles several. The Pensioner/Retirement Visa (Visa de Jubilado) demands a minimum pension income of $800/month. There is also the Investor Visa (Visa de Inversionista), Professional Visa (Visa Profesional), and the Digital Nomad Visa. Rules mutate. Speak with an Ecuadorian immigration attorney before you move.

Getting into the Galápagos Islands takes more paperwork than mainland Ecuador. Four things to know. First: the Transit Control Card (Tarjeta de Control de Tránsito, TCT). You can't board any domestic flight without it. Buy at Quito or Guayaquil airports before you fly, $20 USD, cash or card. Second: the park fee. Pay on arrival at the islands, $100 USD for most foreign adults, $50 USD for foreign children under 12. MERCOSUR and UNASUR nationals get reduced rates. Third: biosecurity inspection. They'll check your bags and personal effects for invasive species. Fresh food, live plants, seeds, soil, all prohibited on the islands. Total ban. Fourth: time limits. Foreign nationals get 60 days maximum in the Galápagos. No extensions. Plan accordingly.

Ecuador lets you keep two passports, no ban, no fuss. Still, pick one and stick with it. Enter on the US booklet, leave on the same one. The border computer tags your entry stamp to that number. Flip documents and you'll queue again while an officer untangles the mismatch. Ecuadorian nationals? They must use their Ecuadorian passport both ways.

Ecuador's airports are safe enough, until they aren't. Opportunistic theft clusters at major airports and border crossings like flies on fruit. Keep your passport, cash, and electronics zipped inside your carry-on while you wait at baggage claim. Don't zone out. Watch your back at airport ATMs. Thieves shoulder-surf PINs, then follow marks outside. Use only official taxis or pre-booked cars from the marked stands. No exceptions. Security shifts by region. Before you land, pull up your home government's travel advisory. Focus on the land border crossings near Colombia and Peru, both have seen elevated security concerns in recent years.