Ecuador & Galapagos Entry Requirements and Tourist Visa

Updated: 24th July 2020

Everyone must go through Ecuador to get to the Galapagos Islands. Please check with your local Ecuadorian embassy regarding entry and visa requirements for Ecuador if you are unsure. As a general rule, your passport should have at least six months’ validity for your entry to Ecuador.

According to art. 131 of the Law of Human Mobility, visitors from the following countries are required to apply for a visa before entering Ecuador. Recently added countries are in bold.

Entry to the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Provincial Council (Consejo de Gobierno de Regimen Especial de Galápagos, CGREG) tightened the entry requirements for visitors to the Galapagos Islands on July 1, 2020: Visitors must now register their travel program in advance with the Ministry of Tourism through a local travel agency or hotel based in the Galapagos Islands and have it approved. All services must be verifiably booked and paid for. The confirmation (a so-called Salvoconducto, SC) must be presented at the airport when purchasing the Transit Control Card (TCC). The itinerary should only include providers (hotels, excursions, and transport) that are registered and certified by the health authorities, as well as the outward and return flights to the islands.

To enter the Galapagos Islands, travelers must present the following documents:

– Passport

– Return Flight ticket to and from the Galapagos

–  The negative result of an RT-PCR test, valid for up to 96 hours before entering the province. Tests carried out in Ecuador must come from a laboratory approved by ACESS. Tests are not compulsory for minors.

–  Salvoconducto (travel plan registration). As of July 1, 2020, all travelers must present their itinerary to the Ministry of Tourism through a travel company or hotel with a registered office in the Galapagos Islands. They will then receive a confirmation which they must present at the airport before departure when applying for the Transit Control Card (TCC). The travel program must be fully pre-booked and paid for. It may only include providers who are certified for compliance with hygiene standards.

– Transit Control Card – available at the airport

– Health Declaration, which is filled out upon entry into Ecuador and contains the whereabouts of travelers while traveling in mainland Ecuador

– Private travel health insurance

At airports in the Galapagos Islands, travelers must purchase/present the following:

– Presentation of Health declaration form

– Payment of the national park fee

*Entry is possible without quarantine.