The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help British nationals make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice. 

State of Emergency declared

On 8 January 2024, the President declared a 60-day state of emergency (SOE) following various prison riots and the escape of gang leaders, foreseeing increased crime activity nationwide.

The ThisEcuadorean newMinistry of Tourism has recommended tourists stay inside their hotels/accommodation until further notice and only move for essential travel.

This SOE includes a daily curfew from 11pm to 5am.5am which British nationals are advised to observe. Exceptions to the curfew include passengers travelling to/from airports who will need to show their passports or ID and their relevant boarding pass or flight booking. For all airports, only passengers will be allowed to enter the airport, family members and friends will not be allowed into the terminals to drop off or pick up passengers. You may wish to leave extra time to travel to the airport, as extra security checks may be carried out on arrival. All airports are currently open but some airlines have cancelled flights. Please check your flight status with your airline or airport website (Quito Airport, Guayaquil Airport) before proceeding to the airport.

Following the SOE announcement, variousthere incidentshas havebeen escalatedan increase in the reporting of security incidents throughout the country.country, especially in Guayaquil and Quito. There have been reports of a series of explosions, shooting, vehicles set on fire and the abduction of police officials and prison security guards. This now includes an incident involving a state TV channel.

Travellers are likely to see increased military and police presence around key public buildings, airports and on the streets. This may also include closure of the public buildings, shopping centres and key tourist destinations. You should monitor local media and stay away from areas involving increased security activity.

If an incident occurs near you, follow the instructions of police and other security officials at all times.

Areas where FCDO advises against all but essential travel  

Within 20km of the Ecuador-Colombia border 

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to areas within 20km of the Ecuador-Colombia border, except for these areas in Carchi province: 

• El Ángel Ecological Reserve 
• Rumichaca border crossing 
• the town of Tulcán 
• the Pan-American Highway  

Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel. 

Before you travel 

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide and see support for British nationals abroad for information about specific travel topics. 

Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also sign up to get email notifications when this advice is updated. 

Travel insurance 

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.