Who Doesn’t Need A Visa?

Any national from another country in South America, bar Venezuela. Nationals from other South American nations, bar Guyana, Suriname, and French Suriname, can enter Ecuador with an ID card.

Citizens from the USA, Canada, China, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and European nationals from the Schengen region do not need to apply for a visa before traveling to Ecuador.

Who Does Need A Visa?

As of April 2023, nationals from the following countries will need to apply for a visa if planning to travel to Ecuador:

Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Cuba, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, North Korea, Senegal, Syria, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Egypt, Fillipines, Iran, Vietnam, Yemen.

In the image above:

• Red = Ecuador

• Blue = ID card for entry

• Green = No visa required

• Grey = Visa required

How To Apply For A Ecuadorian Visa

If you require a visa to enter Ecuador, begin your visa application at least a month before you travel. This will allow sufficient time for your visa to be approved.

The easiest way to apply for an Ecuadorian visa is by completing the online application form, which you can find here.

How Much Does A Ecuadorian Visa Cost?

Obtaining an Ecuadorian tourist visa comes with a cost for those who need one.

First, you must pay an application fee before submitting your application. This application fee is approximately $50.

If and when your visa application is approved, you'll need to pay a second fee to obtain it. This second fee generally costs between $100-150.

Passport

Before being granted entry to Ecuador, border control will check your passport. Your passport must be valid for at least six months before beginning your adventure in Ecuador.

Proof Of COVID Vaccination

All foreign travelers entering Ecuador must be able to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.

The Ecuadorian government also requires that the final dose of your COVID-19 vaccination be administered at least 14 days before arrival.

The Ecuadorian government will accept vaccination cards or digital certificates for vaccines recognized by the WHO to prove your vaccination status.

Either of these will need to include:

• Your full name

• Records of when you were vaccinated

• Which vaccine you were administered

• The number of doses administered

You must also be able to provide a negative PCR test taken at most 72 hours before entering the country.

Whether you're for vaccination or against it, this is the reality we now live in.

The bottom line is this: Unvaccinated foreign nationals without permanent resident visas will not be allowed to enter Ecuador.

Health Declaration Form

A mandatory requirement for foreign nationals and Ecuadorian citizens alike. The Health Declaration Form is there to help Ecuador's government keep track of infectious diseases, including COVID.

You can complete the health declaration form online or on paper en route to Ecuador. We recommend completing the form online, which can be found here, to save time and hassle.

Failure to complete the form or providing false details will result in hefty fines. Be sure to provide accurate information to the best of your knowledge.

proof On Onwards Travel

Being able to show proof of onward travel beyond Ecuador is a requisite before being granted entry to the country. However, authorities don't always enforce this.

Proof Of Travel Insurance

Supplying proof of an active travel insurance policy is required to enter Ecuador, specifically travel insurance that covers you against medical emergencies. Even if this wasn't required, getting travel insurance is utterly essential for your backpacking adventures. Learn more about travel insurance, including what it costs, what is covered, and who to buy a policy with here.

Proof Of Adequate Funds For your trip

Like proof of onward travel, showing you have adequate funds for your trip to Ecuador is legally required. Though it is a law that isn't always enforced by authorities. Generally speaking, a recent bank statement showing upwards of $1500 will be enough to satisfy authorities.

What Is Proof Of Onwards Travel?

Officially, South American nations demand that you have a pre-booked onward flight out of the country you intend to travel in. They'll also expect that your pre-booked flight is at some point before the expiration of your tourist visa. That's the letter of the law.

In reality, border control won't always ask you to supply proof of onward travel. It depends on who stamps you into Ecuador and what kind of day they're having.

On some occasions, you'll need to provide proof of onward travel. On other occasions, you won't. Generally speaking, you're a lot less likely to be asked to supply proof of onward travel if:

• Taking a domestic flight within Ecuador

• Entering Ecuador via a land border

In any case, you should have proof of onward travel to hand.

What Do You Need?

When discussing onward travel, we refer to a flight out of the country.

But many won't leave Ecuador by plane, instead opting to catch a bus into neighboring Colombia or Peru.

In some cases, border control accepts a bus or coach ticket as proof of onward travel, but rarely. As we've already established, it depends on who's stamping you in.

In any case, the very last thing you want is to be rushing to book a flight out of Ecuador to get into the country in the first place. It isn't worth the stress.

So, what are your options?

Showing Proof Of Onwards Travel

Wing it and Hope for the Best

Don’t do this.

Buy the cheapest Onward Flight you can find Before Arriving in Ecuador

The best option for those who want to do things prim and proper. Actually buying an onward flight is the least stressful option.

Head to Skyscanner and find the cheapest flight out of Ecuador.

Bonus points if you can find a refundable ticket to cancel as soon as you enter the country.

The only reason not to do this is the cost. In most cases, backpackers live on a shoestring budget, and booking a flight out of the country may be uncomfortable – especially if the ticket is not refundable. Luckily, there is a more wallet-friendly solution.

use an Onward Flight Website

In recent years, there has been a growing trend toward using websites that allow you to 'rent' a flight ticket with a 48-hour cancellation window.

Expect to be charged around $10 for the privilege, but do your homework on the company to ensure they're legit.

In our opinion, some of the best companies offering these services are:

• Onwardticket.com

• Best Onward Ticket

• Onward Flights

Renting a flight ticket is the best option for the wallet-conscious. However, it is no substitute for the peace of mind afforded by booking a proper flight.

Fake it to Make it

Good Photoshop skills? Perhaps you're dipping your toes into the digital nomad lifestyle as a freelance designer.

In that case, editing a document to look like—wait. Just no. This is an awful idea.

Renewing Your Visa

Many travelers have fallen head over heels for Ecuador, and who can blame them? It is a breathtaking country.

You may want to stay longer than your 90-day tourist visa permits.

Extending your tourist visa by up to 90 days is possible.

To extend your stay in Ecuador, head to the nearest Migraciones office and apply for what is known as a Visitante Temporal visa. Applying for a Visitante Temporal visa will grant you an extra 90 days in Ecuador for a cost of about $100

If you are renewing your visa, we recommend doing so two weeks before your current tourist visa expires, just to be safe.

You need to provide the authorities with a couple of things to renew your visa:

• Your passport

• A copy of your passport

• A copy of your Ecuadorian tourist stamp

• Proof of onward travel

• Proof of having the financial means to support your stay

Border Runs

Don't want the faff, or the fee, of extending your tourist visa? There is another way! Border Hopping.

Border hopping is as simple as it sounds. Or rather, as simple as crossing borders allows it to be.

Step 1: Leave Ecuador

Step 2: Wait a day

Step 3: Re-enter Ecuador

Voila! Your 90-day tourist stamp has been renewed. Remember, you can only stay in Ecuador for 180 days per calendar year.

Overstay Penalties

Staying in Ecuador longer than your tourist visa allows can result in hefty penalties.

Unofficially, there is a 30-day grace period to get yourself down to the nearest Migraciones office once your initial 90 days are up. If you apply for the Visitante Temporal visa within the first 30 days of overstaying, you won't be fined - other than for the cost of applying for a Visitante Temporal visa.

If you overstay for more than 30 days, you will be fined a fee equal to two months worth of Ecuador's basic wage. Currently, the fine is just north of $750.

If you overstay by 90 days, the repercussions are much more serious. You'll still be slapped with the same $750ish fine, but you'll also be banned from entering Ecuador for the next two years.