I know this site is about Ecuador real estate, life and investing but many who visit have never been to Ecuador, so I thought I’d take a moment and answer a few of the basic entry requirements questions once and for all.
Visa Entry Requirements:
Citizens of a developed country of North America, Europe or Australia only need to carry a passport from their home country with at least 6 months validity remaining in order to enter Ecuador.
Upon entry, you will be stamped an automatic, free, 3 month tourist visa. Migration will tell you you can’t renew this visa straight up, you will need to apply for a more formal 6 month tourist visa extension as I explained here.
Return Air Ticket:
Although you may read different on governmental sites. NO roundtrip air ticket is required or asked for upon entry to Ecuador. I have never been asked to show this ever when I have entered Ecuador as a tourist by land or by air.
Immunizations:
No immunizations are required nor needed to enter Ecuador. I have lived here for years with none. Brazil requires you have your yellow fever shot, Ecuador does not.
If you plan on traveling to the Amazon region of Ecuador in the east, it is prudent to take Malaria precautions with pills or shots.
Mosquitos are not problematic in Ecuador.
What to Bring:
No heavy winter clothes are necessary but Ecuador does have many micro climates so bringing several layers and long underwear you can strip off as needed is helpful. Also, a poncho to protect against sudden rain storms is useful.
The sun in Ecuador on the equator can also be quite strong, especially in the Andes region and the cities of Quito and Cuenca, a hat and sunscreen are recommended items.
What to see or do:
I recommend coming to Ecuador before you consider investing here.
I really think you have to like the place before you invest thousands.
Ecuador has 3 main regions, the coast, the Andes, and the Amazon, and ALL THREE should be visited! I made the mistake of going years in Ecuador before visiting the Amazon. Big mistake. In few places in the world is the jungle so easily accessible.
For example, from Banos, you can hop a 45 minute bus ride to Puyo and witness the entry point into the Amazon. In other countries, you have to journey for days and days just to enter the jungle areas.
I will highlight other cool things to do in Ecuador in upcoming posts. Stay tuned!
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I would like a definitive answer on problems with mosquito spread deseases in Ecuador. I notice you said they are not problematic and I have contacted a real estate agent who says they are not a probem in Manta. A hotel manager in Salinas told me you might use some repellent and they have mosquito nets on the beds. But various sites on the internet always warn that dengue, malaria,
leahamonious and chagas are defintely very prevalent on the coast and a serious problem for travelers. I don’t trust an answer from those who profit from tourism and real estate sales because they don’t want to scare off potential customers. On the other hand I have found Consular Sheets usually exaggerate health and safety problems far beyond the reality. So I would like an unvarnished answer to the actual situation. Maybe figures from the Ministry of Health or an interview with a doctor along the coast. I am very interested in traveling to Ecuador and possibly purchasing a winter get-away but I don’t need serious health problems at my age. Please pass on some empirical data if you can find some. Thanks.
hello Darrell,
Mosquitos and mosquito spread diseases are not a problem in Ecuador….I agree the consular sites greatly exaggerate…only in the eastern third of the country , in the AMazon, I would have my yellow fever shot and Malaria medicine just in case….THATS it…for more please read what i wrote here … https://63s.e69.myftpupload.com/mosquitos-in-ecuador/