Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in Ecuador, you are subject to Ecuadorian laws. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own. Persons violating Ecuadorean laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Ecuador are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Never agree to carry a suitcase or package through customs for someone you met on the internet! If you are caught with drugs in your possession, even unknowingly, you will be sent to jail. If you break local laws in Ecuador, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution.

There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States. You can be prosecuted in the United States for engaging in sexual conduct with children or for using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country regardless of the legality of these activities under that country’s laws. Counterfeit and pirated goods are illegal in the United States and if you purchase them in a foreign country, you may be breaking local law as well.

If you are arrested in Ecuador, under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and customary international law, you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Outside of Quito and Guayaquil, awareness of international protocols is uneven. If you are arrested in Ecuador, request that the Ecuadorian authorities do this on your behalf. Please note, however, that the U.S. government has no authority to intervene in Ecuadorian legal matters. 

Drug Trafficking: Each year, U.S. citizens are arrested by Ecuadorian authorities for attempting to traffic drugs between Ecuador and the United States, or between mainland Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands. Many of those arrested claim not to have known they were transporting drugs. Again, as noted above, never accept gifts, packages, or suitcases from anyone you do not know well, or from someone you met on the internet. If you are arrested for drug trafficking, you can expect to serve a lengthy period in pre-trial detention, and if convicted you will likely be sentenced to a long prison term and fined heavily. In nearly all cases, U.S. citizens convicted of drug trafficking in Ecuador must serve their sentences in Ecuador, where conditions of confinement are harsh, and far below U.S. standards.

Ayahuasca: Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychotropic plant, generally brewed as a tea, which has traditionally been used for religious, ritual, and medicinal purposes by the indigenous peoples of the region. It is said to elicit intense modifications in thought processes, perception, and emotion. The psychoactive ingredient is Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a drug classified as Schedule I in the United States under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, “substances in this schedule have no currently accepted medical use in the United States, a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and a high potential for abuse.”

Ayahuasca tourism, in which shamans “guide” visitors through psychedelic rituals, is a burgeoning industry in the jungle regions of Ecuador and Peru. There is no way to vet ayahuasca tourism operators, and there are many risks involved. Some participants have reported adverse experiences during the rituals, including being seriously assaulted and robbed. Victims report a range of scenarios, from being alert but unable to maintain control of their surroundings, to total amnesia.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:

Seismic Activity: Ecuador has many active and potentially active volcanoes, including around the capital of Quito and near popular tourist destinations. Other potential environmental threats include flooding, mudslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis. In the event of a natural disaster, transportation, water, communications, and power systems may fail due to damaged infrastructure or heavy ash fall. Roads may close and flights in or out of Ecuadorian airports might be cancelled due to adverse conditions.

Numerous active volcanoes, including Guagua Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Cayambe, and Reventador are within 100 kilometers of Quito, and threaten the city primarily with ash fall. Baños, a popular tourist destination, is located at the base of the Tungurahua volcano. Tungurahua has erupted explosively several times in the last decade, including eruptions over the past five years, some of which produced significant ash fall. Travelers to Baños, especially on the western side of town, should be aware that mud or lava flows could pose a significant and immediate threat. If you are in Baños when a volcanic eruption occurs, stay alert to the sirens and instructions from local authorities, and follow the arrows on the street to reach the evacuation shelters in the Santa Ana neighborhood on the main road on the east side of town, towards Puyo.

The Cotopaxi volcano began experiencing a rise in unusual activity in mid-2015. The town of Latacunga is directly in the path of potential mud or lava flow from the Cotopaxi volcano, and climbers on Cotopaxi should be aware that even small emissions from the volcano are dangerous and can trigger avalanches and landslides. Low lying areas in the greater Quito area could also be affected if Cotopaxi erupts.Earthquakes sometimes trigger deadly tsunamis, which could strike coastal areas of Ecuador or the Galapagos Islands. Ecuadorian national authorities put out warnings of potential tsunamis, but the response on the local level is uneven, and on one recent occasion in the Galapagos Islands, there was no coordinated evacuation when a tsunami struck. 

The Center for Disease Control website contains information on emergency preparedness and response, to include information on volcano, earthquake, and tsunami safety. Ecuador’s National Risk Management Secretariat and the Ecuadorian Geophysical Institute monitor Ecuadorian volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis in Ecuador, issuing regular reports on their activity. In the event of a natural disaster, pay close attention to the news media for updates. 

Visiting the Galapagos Islands: The Galapagos archipelago is located more than 600 miles to the west of continental Ecuador. Geographic isolation and the lack of local resources may present challenges to travelers there. Dangers posed by relaxed enforcement of marine safety laws and rudimentary medical facilities are exacerbated by the difficulty of performing medical evacuations from the islands. A significant number of Ecuadorian tour vessels operating in the Galápagos do not meet international safety standards. The Government of Ecuador requires that vessels carrying more than 16 passengers comply with the International Safety Management Code established by the International Maritime Organization. However, the quality of oversight, crewmember proficiency, and other requisites for safe vessel operation may vary substantially. Travelers should inquire about safety features when boarding vessels. Be sure to look for lifeboats, flotation devices and, if possible, take a moment to inspect the life vest you would be using if there were an accident.

Medical resources in the Galapagos Islands are severely limited. Acute surgical, cardiac, and other types of specialty medicine are not available. There are two hospitals, located on the Santa Cruz and San Cristobal Islands. These facilities have limited personnel and resources, and often do not have basic medical supplies. Some cruise ships have on-board physicians available, who charge a fee for their services. Scuba divers in the Galapagos Islands should be aware of limited facilities for decompression. Serious injury or illness in the Galapagos typically requires costly medical evacuation to the Ecuadorian mainland or the United States for treatment. Medical evacuations by air ambulance can cost $60,000 or more and take significant time to arrange. For that reason, we strongly recommend that you purchase traveler’s health insurance that includes air evacuation before your trip.

Retiring In Ecuador: In recent years, Ecuador has become a top overseas destination for retiring U.S. citizens. Bear in mind that organizations promoting Ecuador or any other place as a retirement destination may have a financial incentive to attract retirees, and may not always present a balanced picture. Consider multiple sources before choosing a destination.

Remain vigilant when contracting professional services for assistance with Ecuadorian visas, real estate transactions, or customs brokering for imported household effects. U.S. citizen retirees regularly complain about unethical practices by lawyers, real estate agents, and others who have taken advantage of their lack of knowledge about local language, laws, and culture, resulting in costly losses and little hope for a remedy through the local judicial system.

As in any country, Ecuadorian rules governing visas and customs are subject to change with little notice. The Ministry of Foreign Relations and other Ecuadorian government agencies publish little information in English, increasing foreigners’ reliance on lawyers or other facilitators, some of whom have distorted the true cost or requirements for obtaining Ecuadorian visas. Staff members at the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Consulate General are not in a position to give detailed advice about Ecuadorian immigration law.

WOMEN TRAVELER INFORMATION: If you are a woman traveling abroad, please review our travel tips for Women Travelers.

LGBT RIGHTS: There are no legal restrictions on same-sex sexual relations or the organization of LGBT events in Ecuador. Same-sex marriage is prohibited, but civil unions are allowed in Ecuador. Although Ecuador’s constitution includes the principle of nondiscrimination and endorses the right to decide one’s sexuality, LGBT persons nonetheless may face censure and discrimination based on sexual orientation. For more detailed information about LGBT rights in Ecuador, you may review the State Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. For further information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) travel, please read our LGBT Travel Information page.

ACCESSIBILITY: While in Ecuador, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from U.S. standards. Although Ecuador’s constitution prohibits discrimination against the disabled, travelers with disabilities may have great difficulty traversing public walkways and accessing buildings.

We are not aware of any special currency or customs circumstances for this country.