South America and South Atlantic Islands

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

Travel Summary

• We advise against all travel to the areas bordering Colombia in the province of Sucumbios, due to the risks of guerrilla activity in these areas. Visitors to southern parts of Sucumbios should exercise caution due to the risks of criminal activity.  See the Local Travel section of this advice for more details.

• We advise against all travel to the areas immediately bordering Colombia in the Carchi province (except Tulcan city) and the town of San Lorenzo located in the north of the province of Esmeraldas.  See the Local Travel section for further details.
  

• We advise caution if you plan on travelling to Baños city or close to the Tungurahua volcano. See the Natural Disasters (Tungurahua) section of this advice for more details.
  

• In November 2009, a series of power cuts were ordered by the Ecuadorian Government.  Please see the Natural Disasters (El Niño) section of this advice for further details.
  

• Increased criminal activity around the country has prompted the government to take emergency measures.  On 30 September 2009, the Ecuadorian Government announced a 60 day ‘state of exception’ for the cities of Guayaquil, Quito and Manta in response to the current crime wave.  This will enable Ecuadorian military forces to be used in conjunction with police units.  See the Crime section of this advice for more details.  
  

• Road travel can be dangerous due to bad driving, poor condition of roads and ill-maintained vehicles.  In April 2008 five British Citizens were killed and others injured in a collision between a bus and a lorry in Manabi.  See the Road Travel section of this advice for more details on road and driving conditions.

• Around 27,600 British nationals visited Ecuador in 2008 (Source: Ecuadorian Immigration Records). Most visits were trouble-free.  33 British nationals required consular assistance in Ecuador in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (14 cases); hospitalisations (8 cases); and arrests, for a variety of offences (2 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (92 cases).  The bulk of our work is related to helping British nationals who have been robbed and assaulted, including replacing stolen passports.  See the Crime section of this advice for more details.
  

• There is a low threat from terrorism, but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be in public areas, including places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  

• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should ensure that your policy covers you for all the activities you plan to undertake. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel Insurance for more details.

• With effect from 4 June 2009, the Ecuadorian Registry Office announced that foreigners wishing to marry to an Ecuadorian citizen in Ecuador must have resided in Ecuador for at least 75 continuous days before being eligible. See the Entry Requirements section for more details.