Ecuador: Various travel information
How do you get to Ecuador?
From Europe you will certainly only travel to Ecuador by plane.
SAN (WB) and TAME (EQ) are Ecuador’s national airlines. Ecuatoriana (EU) connects Ecuador with North and South America. Iberia, KLM, Air Europa, Air France and others offer connections to Quito.
Travel in the country
Railway
There are the railway lines Riobamba – Sibambe (100 km), Ibarra – Primer Paso/Tulicn (52 km) and. Before starting your journey, you should find out exactly whether there are trains running.
Bus
The bus connections are good and mostly faster than in the other Andean countries, as more asphalt roads are available. Reservations are required on the routes between Quito and Guayaquil and from Quito to the other major cities in the highlands.
Roads
The road network is extensive, but driving conditions vary widely. Some roads are being renovated, but many roads have large potholes and cracks due to earthquakes and floods (in the south). The roads between Quito and Guayaquil and between Quito and Latacunga, Ambato and Riobamba are completely paved.
Car rental
There are international car rental companies in Ecuador (Hertz, Avis, Budget, Ecuacar, National CarRental).
The driver must be at least 21 years old. A valid international driver’s license is also required. The renter must present an international credit card when collecting the vehicle.
International license plate
According to Abbreviationfinder, the international license plate of Ecuador is:
| EC |
Embassies, consulates and tourist office
Visit Countryaah for a full list of Ecuador embassies and consulates in each country around the world.
Representations of Ecuador in Germany
The building of the Embassy of Ecuador is located in a 13-story high-rise building on Joachimstaler Strasse at the corner of Kurfürstendamm. Since there are hardly any free parking spaces in the vicinity of the embassy, it is advisable to use public transport or take a taxi. Directly in front of the embassy is one of the entrances to the “Kurfürstendamm” underground station on the U1 and U9 lines, and the “Zoologischer Bahnhnhof” station is approx. 500 m away.
Embassy of the Republic of Ecuador in Berlin
Joachimstaler Straße 10-12
10719 Berlin
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 800 96 95
Fax: 0049 – (0) 30 – 800 96 96 99
Consulate General of the Republic of Ecuador in Hamburg
Rothenbaumchaussee 221
20149 Hamburg
Tel: 0049 – (0) 40 – 44 31 35
Fax: 0049 – (0) 40 – 410 31 35
Email: Consulado-hamburgo@embajada-ecuador.org
Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Ecuador in Bremen
Breitenweg
29/33 28195 Bremen
Tel: 0049 – (0) 421 – 30 92 32 02 95
Fax: 0049 – (0) 421 – 30 92 43 2
Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Ecuador in Frankfurt
Berliner Strasse 60
60311 Frankfurt am Main
Tel: 0049 – (0) 69 – 13 32 295
Fax: 0049 – (0) 69 – 13 32 726
Email: Konsulat.Frankfurt@consuldor.de
Further honorary consulates can be found in: Dresden, Munich, Stolberg
German representations in Ecuador
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Quito
Edificio Citiplaza, piso 14
Avenida Naciones Unidades & Republica de El Salvador
Casilla 17-17-536
Quito
Tel: 00593 – (0) 2 – 297 08 20
Fax: 00593 – (0) 2 – 297 08 15
Email: info@quito.diplo.de
Web: www.quito.diplo.de
Consulates
Honorary Consulate in Cuenca
c/o Transoceánica Cia. Ltda., Bolivar 9 – 18 y Benigno Malo
Cuenca
Tel: 00593 – (0) 7 – 283 88 36
Fax: 00593 – (0) 7 – 283 14 79
Email: eklinkicht@transoceanica.com.ec
Honorary Consulate in Guayaquil
Avenida Las Monjas No. 10, Edificio Berlin, 1 er piso
Guayaquil
Tel: 00593 – (0) 4 – 220 68 67
00593 – (0) 4 – 220 68 68
Fax: 00593 – (0) 4 – 220 68 69
Email: consulado.aleman@grupoberlin.com
Honorary Consulate in Manta
Industrias Ales, Av. 113 y Calle 110
Manta
Tel: 00593 – (0) 5 – 292 35 77
Fax: 00593 – (0) 5 – 292 04 70
Email: wharten@ales.com.ec
Austrian representations in Ecuador
Embassy
The responsible embassy is the embassy in Colombia in Bogota.
Honorary Consulate in Guayaquil (without passport authorization)
Avenida Jorge Pérez Concha 718/Circunvalación Sur 718
Urdesa, Guayaquil
Tel: 00593 – (0) 4 – 238 48 86
Fax: 00593 – (0) 4 – 238 48 86
Email: sotomay@gye.satnet.net
Honorary Consulate General in Quito (with passport authorization)
Gaspar de Villaroel No. E9-53, entre Av. de los Shyris y 6 de Diciembre
Quito
Tel: 00593 – (0) 2 – 246 97 00
Fax: 00593 – (0) 2 – 244 32 76
Email: przibra@interactive.net.ec
Representations of Ecuador in Austria
Embassy of the Republic of Ecuador in Vienna
Goldschmiedgasse 10/2/24
1010 Vienna
Tel: 0043 – (0) 1 – 535 32 08
Tel: 0043 – (0) 1 – 535 32 18
Fax: 0043 – (0) 1 – 535 08 97
Email: mecaustria@chello.at
Swiss representations in Ecuador
Embassy in Quito
Juan Pablo Sanz y Avenida Amazonas 3617, Edificio Xerox, 2do piso
Casilla 17-11-4815
Quito
Tel: 00593 – 2 – 243 41 13
Tel: 00593 – 2 – 243 49 48
Tel: 00593 – 2 – 243 49 49
Fax: 00593 – 2 – 244 93 14
Email: qui.vertretung@eda.admin.ch
Web: www.eda.admin.ch/quito
Consulate General in Guayaquil
Edificio Conauto, 5to piso, Avenida Juan Tanca Marengo, km 1.8 y Santiago Castillo (Diagonal a Dicentro)
Guayaquil
Tel: 00593 – 42 681 900
Fax: 00593 – 42 681 997
Email: guayaquil@honorarvertretung.ch
Representations of Ecuador in Switzerland
Embassy of the Republic of Ecuador in Bern
Kramgasse 54
3011 Bern
Tel: 0041 – (0) 31 – 351 62 54
Fax: 0041 – (0) 31 – 351 27 71
Email: embecusuiza@bluewin.ch
Consulate of the Republic of Ecuador
Wallstrasse 8
4051 Bâle
Tel: 0041 – (0) 61 – 272 03 03
Fax: 0041 – (0) 61 – 271 03 12
Email: urs.groeflin@bluemail.ch
Consulate of the Republic of Ecuador in Lausanne
Av. de Morges 26
1002 Lausanne
Email: ceculausanne@mmrree.gov.ec
Consulate of the Republic of Ecuador in Zollikon
Forchstrasse 452
8702 Zollikon
Tel: 0041 – (0) 44 – 396 91 91
Fax: 0041 – (0) 44 – 396 91 92
Email: consulecuador@ml-law.ch
Tourist office
Ecuador’s Tourism Promotion Fund
(Fondo Mixto de Promoción Turística del Ecuador)
Tel: 00593 – (0) 2 – 25 07 560
Fax: 00593 – (0) 2 – 25 07 565
E-mail: fmpt_europa@turismo.gov.ec
Ecuador: entry and exit regulations
Formalities, visas
Tourists are only allowed to enter the country if they have a return ticket and sufficient financial resources to finance their stay in the country themselves. For a stay of up to 90 days in Ecuador, a European tourist with a passport that is valid for at least six months can enter Ecuador without obtaining a visa. The entry stamp at the airport shows: (T-3 = 30 days, T-6 = 60 days, T-9 = 90 days). The German child ID card is not recognized, but the entry of a child in a parent’s passport is recognized. Please make sure that your visa is valid until you leave the country. An extension beyond 90 days can be requested from the responsible Ecuadorian authority.
Issuing of visas in Germany
Jefatura de Migración
Isla Seymor y Río Coca
Quito
Tel 00593 – (0) 2 – 245 0578
Questions answered
Dirección Nacional de Migración
Av. Amazonas 3149 y República
Quito
Tel. 00593 – (0) 2 – 245 12 22
Unlimited import and export of foreign currency
Departure fee
In many countries, a fee must be paid when leaving the country. In Ecuador it is around US $ 40.
Import and export of goods The import and export of weapons, ammunition or explosives is strictly prohibited. In addition, the import and export of plants and animals protected under the Washington Species Protection Act is prohibited. Violation can result in severe penalties. The import and export of antiques, religious objects or electronic devices may also be prohibited. Therefore, it is better to consult the embassy before entering the country.
Ecuador: Travel Medicine, Vaccinations, and Warnings
Infectious diseases
In Ecuador, the following infectious diseases, which are not or less common in Germany or Central and Northern Europe, are to be expected:
- Malaria, year-round risk, with the exception of Quito, the Galapagos Islands and the country’s highlands. About 35% of the infections occur with the very dangerous malaria tropica, the rest with malaria tertiana.
- Chagas disease
- cholera
- Dengue fever disease
- Intestinal infections caused by contaminated food or water, including amoebas, lamblia, salmonella, shigella, worm infestation and all kinds of viruses and bacteria
- Filariasis, but only in some areas in the northwest of the country
- Yellow fever
- Hepatitis A and B
- Leishmaniasis Disease
- Polio, polio
- Plague, occurring in the province of Chimborazo
- tetanus
- Rabies, an infection risk only exists with travelers who can come into contact with the vector animals.
- Typhoid fever, an infection risk only exists for travelers who come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
Recommended vaccinations
when traveling to Ecuador, the following vaccinations recommended:
- Diphtheria, a vaccination against diphtheria should always exist in your home country.
- Yellow fever, absolutely !!
- Hepatitis A and B, vaccination against hepatitis B, is only required for people who may come into contact with human blood in any way.
- Polio, polio, a vaccination against polio should always exist, also in the home country.
- Meningococcal meningitis, such vaccination protection should always exist in the home country.
- Tetanus, a vaccination against tetanus should always exist in the home country.
- Rabies, but only in high-risk travelers who can come into contact with the vector animals.
- Typhoid, but only in travelers who may come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
Compulsory vaccination
There is a compulsory vaccination against a yellow fever disease for all persons older than 1 year and who come from a yellow fever infection area designated by the WHO.
Since Ecuador itself is one of the yellow fever infection areas, a vaccination against yellow fever is urgently recommended.
Malaria prophylaxis
When traveling to the country, especially when traveling to the areas mentioned above, it is strongly advised to undergo malaria prophylaxis. If the side effects seem questionable to you, you should at least have a “stand-by product” with you.
Current warnings
Foreign Office (AA) of the Federal Republic of Germany
Citizens’ Service
Phone: 0049 – (0) 30 – 5000 – 2000
Fax: 0049 – (0) 30 – 5000 – 51000
www.auswaertiges-amt.de
Ecuador: currency, shopping and exchange rate
The national currency of Ecuador was the “sucre” until 2000 , after which time it is the US dollar (USD).
Exchange rate
You can find a currency converter here:
www.forium.de
Bank opening hours
- Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Shop
Shop opening times
- Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
- Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Cheap or country-specific goods, souvenirs
Jewelry made of black coral, figures made of balsa wood or tagua (vegetable ebony), saddles and bridles, bread dough figures, straw hats, sheep’s wool carpets, mesh bags made of palm fibers, leather goods.
For the black coral see the comment at the end!
