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

A nationwide 60-day state of emergency (SOE) was declared on 2219 MayApril due to armedthe violenceenergy crisis in Ecuador. It will end on 18 June. This may see increased military and extendedpolice forpresence aaround furtherpublic 60buildings, daysincluding onkey 2energy July.infrastructure, Theto SOEavoid currentlythreats appliesor sabotage.

A separate 60-day state of emergency (SOE) was declared on 22 May due to thearmed followingviolence. This covers 7 provinces:

• Guayas
• El Oro
• Santa Elena
• Manabí
• Sucumbíos
• Orellana
• Los Ríos
• and the district Camilo Ponce Enríquez in the province of Azuay

It will end on 21 July. There is no curfew in place, but the SOE allows the military and police to seize assets, conduct inspections and enter private properties without permission. There are additional restrictions on the freedoms of association and assembly and the police and armed forces are permitted to break up gatherings in public spaces.

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.