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. 

Areas where FCDO advises against all but essential travel  

Coastal Region

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the Coastal Region provinces of:

• Esmeraldas
• Manabí
• Santa Elena
• Guayas
• El Oro
• Los Ríos
• Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas

This does not apply to airside transit within Guayaquil Airport in Guayas province, including onward or return travel to the Galapagos Islands.

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. 

State of Emergency declared

In January, the President declared a 60-day state of emergency (SOE) across Ecuador following an increase in criminal activity and security incidents.

There is a daily curfew from 11pm to 5am which you should follow, unless you need to travel to or from the airport. You will need to show your passport or ID and boarding pass or flight booking. Only passengers are allowed to enter the airport, family members and friends will not be allowed into the terminals to drop off or pick up passengers. You should leave extra time to travel to the airport, as extra security checks may be carried out on arrival. Check road conditions (in Spanish) before you travel.

Airports are open but some airlines have cancelled flights. Check your flight status with your airline or airport website (Quito Airport, Guayaquil Airport) before travelling to the airport.

There may be increased military and police presence around key public buildings, airports, bus terminals and on the streets. Some public buildings, shopping centres and key tourist destinations may close without warning.  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.

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.