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  

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

On 8 January 2024, the President declared a 60-day state of emergency (SOE) across Ecuador following various prisonsecurity riotsincidents and thean escapeincrease ofin gangcriminal leaders, foreseeing increased crime activity nationwide.activity.

The Ecuadorean Ministry of Tourism hasis recommendedno touristslonger stayadvising insidetourists theirto hotels/accommodationremain untilin furthertheir noticeaccommodation. andThere onlyis move for essential travel.

This SOE includes a daily curfew from 11pm to 5am which Britishyou nationalsshould 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. Check road conditions (in Spanish).

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.

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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.