Customs
Americas
Ecuador Customs Regulations
Import & export rules, duty-free allowances, prohibited items, and traveler health advisory
300 cigs
Tobacco allowance
1 litre
Alcohol allowance
← ALL COUNTRIES
Import Regulations
- 300 cigarettes
- 50 cigars
- 200 grammes of tobacco
- 1 litre of alcohol
- Reasonable amount of perfume
- Firearms, Explosions and Ammunition are banned from entering the country without prior permission.
- Fresh or dry meat products are banned from entering the country without prior permission.
- Plant and vegetables are also banned from entering the country without permission
- All pets require a Health Certificate issued by a government veterinarian. An additional Rabies inoculation certificate will be required for dogs or cats entering the country.
- Illegal drugs
- Pornographic material
- Precious native artefacts
- Wild live animals
- Weapons and ammunition – without prior permission to do so
- Gold bars
Export Regulations
- No information available
- Illegal drugs
- Pornographic material
- Precious native artefacts
- Wild live animals
- Weapons and ammunition – without prior permission to do so
- Gold bars
- No information available
Health & Security
Basic health information for travelers to Ecuador
Basic security information for travelers to Ecuador
🩺 Basic Health Information for Travelers to Ecuador
- A yellow fever vaccination should be obtained if planning to visit this country.
- All water should be considered potentially dangerous to drink and should be boiled thoroughly before being drunk. Travellers are urged to stick to sealed bottled water for the first few weeks of their visit and to take care when drinking native water. Ice for drinks should be avoided and swimmers should check that the water they are swimming in has been carefully cleaned first.
- Unpasteurized milk and dairy product should be avoided along with food and drink served by vendors. Fish, meat and vegetables should all be thoroughly cooked until boiling before being eaten and fruit should be peeled to avoid risk of infection. Cases of Typhoid Fever and Hepatitis A have been reported in the country and are directly linked to contaminated food and water. Travellers are urged to obtain the necessary vaccination prior to beginning their visit and to seek medicate aid if symptoms develop.
- Travellers planning to visit the hot and humid Coastal region and Amazon jungle lowlands region of the country will have to take precautions against Mosquitoes containing the deadly Malaria disease. Travellers are advised to buy appropriate insect repellent and to wear long sleeved clothing at all times. Visitors infected should seek immediate medical assistance before symptoms develop.
- Hepatitis B is evident in this country and travellers are urged to take all necessary precautions when handling needles or engaging in sexual activity.
- Altitude sickness can become a danger if travelling in the volcanic or mountainous regions of the country. Ecuador's capital Quito is nestled in a long narrow valley and sits at 9,500 feet, (3,000m from ground level). Symptoms of altitude sickness can include headaches, nausea and insomnia. Travellers feeling unwell should rest for a short time before making their way slowly towards a lower altitude and to seek out medical assistance if symptoms continue.
- Visitors to this region are also advised to stock up on extra liquid and sunscreen to protect themselves from the intense temperatures that exist in the upper reaches of the Andes.
- Medical care in the major cities and embassies is reasonable but should be considered very poor and unreliable elsewhere in the country. The Hospital Metropolitano and the Hospital Voz Andes in Quito can provide first class medical assistance if required although medical and travel insurance should still be obtained prior to flight.
🛡 Basic Security Information for Travelers to Ecuador
- Cases of muggings, pick pocketing and armed robbery are on the increase in the country and travellers are strongly urged to keep their personnel belongings in a safe location at all times. Incidents of vicious rapes and assaults against random travellers have been reported and visitors should avoid trying to navigate the country after dark. Travellers to the country should keep a copy of their passport with them at all times throughout their stay.
- The number of cases of attacks on tourists by drivers of unregistered taxis has also risen. Travellers should only use authorised taxis (yellow cabs) that display their taxi registration sticker on the windscreen and doors, as well as the orange license plates.
- Street demonstration and protests are also quite common in Ecuador and have considerable potential to turn nasty. Travellers should avoid large crowds when visiting and take note of the current political and social climate prior to starting your visit.
- Travellers are advised to avoid going anywhere near the border with Columbia which is under army control but whose border towns are controlled by Columbian guerrilla groups and criminal gangs. British and other foreign workers have been kidnapped and killed in the region and law and medical assistance may be extremely limited if practically nonexistent.” Foreign nationals should avoid crossing the border from or to Colombia in Sucumbíos province, and should only use the Rumichaca official border point near Tulcan city”.
- Road conditions in the country are frequently poor and unreliable and can become severely disrupted due to heavy rain and mudslides. Careless driving and poorly maintained vehicles have caused several fatalities to previous visitors to the country and travellers should take all necessary precautions if driving throughout the country.
- Travellers visiting Quito and other high altitude sections of the country should take care to acclimatize to the extreme heat and altitude and to take all necessary precautions to stay healthy.
- Visitors to the country should be wary of its many Volcanoes, many of which are still active and can erupt at any given time. At present time, the volcanoes of Tungurahua, Reventador, Sangay and Cotopaxi are still active and potentially dangerous. Travellers are advised to keep a close eye on potential eruptions in the country and to plan their visit accordingly.
- Several Earthquake tremors have been recorded in the coastal, Amazon and Andean regions of the country in recent years. Although there has currently been no reported fatalities because of these tremors, would be travellers to the region are still instructed to obtain an update prior to beginning their journey.
- Coastal regions are vulnerable to intense floods and mudslides which can cause significant damage to property and loss of life. Travellers caught in adverse or dangerous weather conditions in the area are advised against crossing rivers in the Amazon region due to strong and frequently dangerous currents and take relevant precautions to prevent injury or death.
- Before undertaking a visit, travellers should make sure that they have obtained both travel and medical insurance for their upcoming journey and have familiarized themselves with the countries current political and social climate prior to their arrival.
Contact Information
For additional information about travel restrictions, security warnings, political updates, and basic travel guidelines, please contact the nearest Ecuadorian Embassy.