Threat level: Medium - High
COVID-19 Situation in Ecuador
Due to the sanitary situation around the world, a national public health emergency is in place in Ecuador. To curb the spread of the virus and avoid a second wave, Ecuador has implemented a series of measures: the closure of land borders with Peru and Colombia is still in effect, the use of face masks in public places has been made compulsory, people must maintain social distancing and public gatherings are banned. Commercial flights have resumed with limited operations, with international travellers being allowed entry to Ecuador on the condition that they fill in a self-declaration form with their itinerary and local contact details and they must provide a negative COVID-19 test result issued up to 10 days prior their arrival. For travel to the Galapagos, travellers may be requested to take another PCR test at their own expense and will be required to present a return flight ticket, as well as a Transit Control Card, the "salvoconducto" document, which must be completed 24 hours prior to flying to avoid having to quarantine for 10 days. To avoid contracting the disease, apply good hygiene practices, maintain social distancing, avoid public gatherings and unnecessary travel.
The current travel advice for Ecuador is to be extra vigilant when travelling; there is a high rate of armed robbery, natural disasters and current issues with infrastructure due to recent earthquakes. Following cuts to fuel subsidies, protests had taken place throughout the country with some turning violent and roads being blocked. On the 14th of October, the government has agreed to restore subsidies to end protests. Be extra vigilant, check local news and avoid any large gatherings.
Tourists have been attacked in the areas of Pichincha, Guayas, Azuay, Manabi, Imbabura, Tungurahua and Loja. There are travel advisories in place which include: a 20km exclusion zone along the border with Colombia, El Angel Ecological Reserve inside the 20 km exclusion zone in the province of Carchi, Tarapoa, and the Cuyabeno. Please avoid these areas for your own safety.
There is a moderate to high risk of petty crime and theft, especially in the areas of La Carolina, El Ejido parks, La Mariscal, La Floresta, La Marin. Do not travel within El Panecillo hill area in the evening hours, especially by yourself.
Intelligent Protection International Limited provides Executive Protection services in South and Latin America. If you are interested in these services, please visit: Bodyguards in Latin America.
On the 26th of March 2018, a driver and two journalists from El Comercio, the local newspaper, were kidnapped and killed by the FARC (a guerrilla movement) near the southern border between Ecuador and Colombia.
On the 20th of March 2018, a bomb attack near the Colombian border, targeted soldiers who were patrolling the Mataje region in Esmeraldas Province. Three soldiers died in the attack and seven were injured.
On the 27th of January 2018, there was a car bombing near a police station in San Lorenzo, resulting in 28 people injured. Further to this, the Ecuadorean Government declared a state of emergency in Esmeraldas Province.
The travel advice for Ecuador is to be aware of criminals attempting to drug victims using ‘scopolamine’, leaving them in a sedated, compliant state, which can also cause amnesia. Express kidnappings, where victims are taken to ATMs and banks to empty their accounts have been known to occur in Quito and Guayaquil recently. Carry only limited cards and cash.
In 2012, 2 British couples were attacked by taxi drivers in the old town and in La Mariscal in Quito, the taxi drivers had accomplices who boarded the taxis to assist in the robbery. The passengers were pepper sprayed and tasered before being robbed of their money, mobile phones and other valuables. The victims were later released in an isolated area of Quito.
There has been some terrorist activity in Ecuador and there are three small but active terrorist groups in the country; The Popular Combatants Group (PCG), The Guerrilla Army of the People N-15 and the Revolutionary Insurgent Armed Forces of Ecuador. All three have claimed responsibility for bombings over the past decade. None of these groups pose any real threat to tourists at present. There are a few other domestic terrorist groups but these are very small and have not yet carried out any bombings or shootings.
As with other countries in the region, general crime is a concern. Mugging and pick-pocketing is common in the cities and care needs to be taken when out walking in the evening. Please be aware of techniques often used such as distraction theft.
A number of violent robberies have taken place at or after cash withdrawal from ATM machines. Visitors need to be aware of their surroundings at all times and avoid withdrawing large amounts of money where possible.
Ecuador has had a tempered past relationship with its neighbours Colombia, Peru and Venezuela. There have been many disputes which led to the 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis.
Ecuador has developed strong trade ties with China, Iran, Malaysia and many developed and developing countries such as Pakistan. Recent relations with the UK have been strained as Ecuador granted WikiLeaks founder - Julian Assange - asylum in 2012 after exhausting all other legal options. Assange remains at their Embassy in London, unable to leave without being arrested.
Along the entire northern-border with Colombia, there is a 20km exclusion zone that is under military control. It is very dangerous to travel to this area except the official border crossing town of Tulcan in Carchi province. The northern-border is very high risk; guerrilla groups, drug traffickers and criminal gangs are active and there is a risk of kidnapping and crime. Foreigners, including oil workers, are potential targets.
There have been previous incidents involving rouge taxi services. If possible, use a secure taxi from the smartphone application ‘Easy Taxi’, radio taxi or registered yellow taxi which should show the "municipality registration number sticker displayed on the windscreen and doors; the orange license plates or the new white plates with an orange strip on the top and video cameras inside”. When using a yellow registered taxi, make sure that the "transporte seguro" logo is displayed on the vehicle.
Road travel in rural Ecuador is very problematic. The general condition of the roads is very poor and journeys of only a few miles can and do take many hours in some locations. Ecuador has a very high death rate on the roads due to poor driving standards and badly maintained vehicles and roads. Great care should be taken when driving in the country and especially in rural areas and at night.
Ecuador is located in the “Pacific ring of fire” and therefore the likelihood of earthquakes is extremely high. Large scale earthquakes have taken place in the past. Please ensure that you are aware of “actions on” during and after an earthquake. Good advice can be found here: Earthquake advice
Consideration should be made for the active volcanoes in Ecuador, currently there are yellow and orange risk levels in effect for many of the volcanoes in the country. If you are looking at travelling in areas near volcanoes, then it is best advised to check the status of the volcanoes prior to arriving. Exposure to falling ash from volcanic eruptions can seriously harm your health, especially if you have pre-existing respiratory problems.
Ecuador does suffer from heavy rains that can cause mudslides, landslides and localised heavy flooding due to the ‘El Niño’ condition in the area.
There is also an increased risk of forest fires in the summer months.
Intelligent Protection International Limited provides companies and organisations with Commercial Travel Risk Services designed to mitigate risks of staff when they travel for business. If you are interested in these services, please see: Commercial Travel Risk Services.
Police emergency: 999 (in Quito, Guayaquil & Cuenca)
Police emergency: 101 (National Police)
Tourist Police: +593 2 254 3983 (Quito)
Fire emergency: 102
Tourist Complaints Service: denuncias@turismo.gob.ec
Medical emergency: 131
Capital: Quito
Official languages: Spanish plus other local languages
Religion: Christianity (Roman Catholic Church)
Currency: United States Dollar
U.S. Embassy Quito
Ave. Avigiras E12-170 y Ave.,
Eloy Alfaro (next to SOLCA),
Quito,
Ecuador
Telephone: +593 2 3985 000
Email: contacto.usembuio@state.gov
Email: consularquito@state.gov
Email: ACSQuito@state.gov
British Embassy Quito
Consular Section,
Citiplaza Building,
Naciones Unidas Avenue and República de El
Salvador,
14th Floor,
PO Box 17-17-830,
Quito,
Ecuador
Telephone: +593 2 2970 800
Telephone: +593 2 2970 801
Email: ecuador.consulate@fco.gov.uk
Email: britishembassy.quito@fco.gov.uk
Email: quito.consular@fco.gov.uk
Visitors to Ecuador from the UK and US do not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days. Further advice can be found here: Visa advice Ecuador
When visiting Ecuador, you must have a valid health insurance.
It is advised that visitors to Ecuador are up-to-date with primary boosters, such as MMR. It is further recommended that most travellers get Tetanus and Hepatitis A vaccinations. You may also want to consider Typhoid and Yellow Fever vaccinations, as there is a risk of infection in some parts of the country. You should check with your local health professional prior to your departure as the yellow fever vaccine is not suitable for all travellers.
There have been confirmed cases of the Zika virus, Chikungunya fever and Dengue fever in Ecuador and suitable precautions are advised. All three diseases are transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes and although there is no vaccine at present, taking precautions against bites can prevent contraction in the first place.
You can find more about the Zika virus here: Zika virus facts
More information on Dengue fever, see: Dengue Fever facts
Information about the Chikungunya Fever, see: Chikungunya Fever facts
Personal hygiene must be paramount, the local water supply avoided at all costs and bottled water inspected prior to consumption. There have been a number of cases of bottled water being refilled with tap water and re-sold.
Ensure that you have a comprehensive travel insurance to cover the cost of medical treatments and repatriation to another country.
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