The official word in Ecuador is that having and carrying guns is illegal.
I know Americans take pride in buying guns from the gun source and carry them but actually after living in other Latin countries like the Dominican Republic where it seems EVERY MALE member of society carries a handgun tucked in their jeans or in their glove compartment, Ecuador, where guns are prohibited, is a BIG sigh of relief.
Guns are NOT a common sight in Ecuador, and most robberies are unarmed or by using knifes.
Ecuador has the strictest gun laws worldwide. The 8 Best .45 ACP Pistols For Every Budget Reviewed ( 2018 Buyer Guide ) – outdoorempire.com even warns of travelling to Ecuador with handguns and pistols, as they are not permitted (only police). And sport guns like shotguns are permitted if registered with the Military Command Post (Comando Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas).
I also would recommend you get the necessary permit mentioned above BEFORE you buy a AK 47 Rifle or a Glock to bring it down with you, just to be on the safe side. Permit applications are available at Steelo’s Guns & Outdoors. Some customs agents I talked to said it was prohibited to bring guns while others told me you could with that permit…Welcome to Ecuador!
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Domenick,
Good to know! Do you know anyone who has gotten the permit for a shotgun in Ecuador? I’m from the mountains in NC and now reside in Denver, CO.
We are in the process of buying a property in the Andes about 30 miles, as the crow flys, from Cotacaci.
It would be great to have the chance of hunting with more than rocks.
Thanks,
Mike
Hey Mike, Even though i do hunt, I have not tried to do so in Ecuador…I am not positive it is possible to register and legally own guns in Ecuador, but a customs agent here in Ecuador told me I could if I visit that Military Command Post mentioned in the article…so my final answer is “maybe”…haven’t proven it myself…Domenick
You need a permit, and you have to explain the military the reason why you want to carry a gun.If It is for personal protection, if yout job demands transpoting a lot of money, depends the area where you live. Very tedious to get it, they will check you passport, your “redord policial”, etc.
Don’t bring your gun with you, even if you have a permit from the U.S, it will be retained at the airport and you will be checked more thoroughly. I have a friend that brought one disarmed, he ended up hiring a lawyer and spending money he could have used for something else.
You don’t need guns in Ecuador,you need to set you thoughts in a more relax state of mind.
I’d check your facts. Your information is at odds with all the other info I have got so far.
You can own and carry a 9mm pistol (10 Round magazine max) or a 38SP Cal revolver with the appropriate Ecuadorian permits. As a legal resident you have pretty much the same rights as a citizen as firearms are concerned.
There are similar criminal background checks and psychological checks to what you would expect to have to go through in most jurisdictions in order to own or carry a firearm.
These are apparently currently handled by the Ecuadorian Army but may be being transferred to the national police in some areas of the country at this time.
Purchasing firearms and ammunition is apparently prohibitively expensive in Ecuador. You can apparently own only two firearms (pity)
I’m still trying to sort out their laws with respect to center-fire rifles.