Do not travel to Ecuador due to COVID-19. Exercise increased caution in Ecuador due to crime.

Read the Department of State’s COVID-19 page before you plan any international travel.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Ecuador due to COVID-19, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country. Ecuador has lifted some stay at home orders, and resumed some transportation options and business operations. Visit the Embassy’s COVID-19 page for more information on COVID-19 in Ecuador.

Do not travel to:

• Carchi, Sucumbíos, and the northern part of Esmeraldas provinces, including Esmeraldas city, due to crime.

Read the country information page.

If you decide to travel to Ecuador:

• See the U.S. Embassy's web page regarding COVID-19.
• Visit the CDC’s webpage on Travel and COVID-19.
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
• Review the Crime and Safety Reports for Ecuador.
• U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.

Carchi, Sucumbíos, and northern Esmeraldas Provinces – Do Not Travel

Transnational crime groups operating in Esmeraldas province have engaged in violent crime and killed local citizens in addition to carrying out bombings targeting Ecuadorian military and law enforcement.

The U.S. government is limited in its ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in the Colombian border area, as U.S. government personnel cannot travel to the provinces of Esmeraldas, Carchi, and Sucumbíos without permission from the Embassy’s security office. However, U.S. government personnel are permitted to travel to the northern bank of the Napo River in Sucumbíos, an area approximately four miles wide, and the portion of Esmeraldas province that is south of Esmeraldas city.

Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.

Last Update: Reissued with updates to COVID-19 information.