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US passport · Ecuador

Do US citizens need a visa for Ecuador?

By the Visa Almanac editorial teamChange logUpdated 6 Nov 2026

In brief

No. US passport holders can visit Ecuador visa-free (90 days in a year, extendable once by 90).

Ecuador visa-free stay for US citizens: 90 days in a year, extendable once by 90. Official rule. Source: MREMH, checked .

Ecuador visa fee for US citizens: none for visa-free entry.

Art. 56 El plazo de permanencia para los turistas será de hasta noventa días en el período de un año contado a partir de su primer ingreso, prorrogable por una sola vez hasta por noventa días adicionalesIn English: Art. 56: tourists may stay up to ninety days in a one-year period from their first entry, extendable once by up to ninety more daysMinistry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador (MREMH)

Checked 6 Nov 2026Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador (MREMH)Visas only at serviciosdigitales.cancilleria.gob.ecReport a change

Independent reference, not a government website. We don't issue visas or sell visa services.

ContentsIn brief
  1. In brief
  2. At a glance
  3. Do US citizens need a visa?
  4. How to apply
  5. Fee
  6. Processing time
  7. Documents
  8. What changed
  9. FAQ
  10. Sources

At a glance

AccessVisa-free · 90 days in a year, extendable once by 90
Stay90 days in a year, extendable once by 90
Validity and entriesNot stated by the official source
Official feeNone for visa-free entryVisiting the Galápagos, foreign tourists over 12 pay a USD 200 entry tribute for the protected areas (USD 100 under 12; children under 2 exempt), collected by park rangers at Baltra and San Cristóbal airports.3
Official processingNothing to apply for
Where to applyNothing to apply for to visit visa-freeOfficial site: serviciosdigitales.cancilleria.gob.ec

Do US citizens need a visa for Ecuador?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador (MREMH) lists the US among the countries whose nationals can visit without a visa. Stay: 90 days in a year, extendable once by 90.

“Art. 56 El plazo de permanencia para los turistas será de hasta noventa días en el período de un año contado a partir de su primer ingreso, prorrogable por una sola vez hasta por noventa días adicionales”

In English: “Art. 56: tourists may stay up to ninety days in a one-year period from their first entry, extendable once by up to ninety more days”

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador (MREMH) · checked

Conditions and exceptions

  • As a tourist you can stay up to 90 days in a one-year period counted from your first entry, extendable once by up to 90 more days on request and payment of the fee.

    El plazo de permanencia para los turistas será de hasta noventa días en el período de un año contado a partir de su primer ingreso, prorrogable por una sola vez hasta por noventa días adicionales, previa solicitud y pago de la tarifa respectivaIn English: The length of stay for tourists will be up to ninety days in a one-year period counted from their first entry, extendable once by up to ninety additional days, upon request and payment of the respective feeMinistry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador (MREMH), gob.ec official procedures guide · checked

  • Tourists may not work, and the law requires every foreigner in Ecuador to have public or private health insurance for the length of the stay.

    Art. 53.- Obligaciones de las personas extranjeras. Son obligaciones de las personas extranjeras en el Ecuador: ... 7. Contar con un seguro de salud público o privado por el tiempo de su estadía en el Ecuador, excepto para el caso de las personas en necesidad de protección internacional; ... Art. 56.- Turista. Los turistas son todas las personas que llegan al Ecuador con el ánimo de realizar actividades turísticas y están prohibidas de realizar actividades laborales.In English: Art. 53. Obligations of foreign persons. The obligations of foreign persons in Ecuador are: ... 7. To have public or private health insurance for the duration of their stay in Ecuador, except for persons in need of international protection; ... Art. 56. Tourist. Tourists are all persons who arrive in Ecuador intending to carry out tourist activities, and they are prohibited from working.Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador · checked

How to apply

To visit visa-free (90 days in a year, extendable once by 90) there is nothing to apply for: check the documents and entry checks below. For a longer stay or another purpose:

  1. Any Ecuadorian visa, for example to stay longer or to live in Ecuador, is applied for only online on the Foreign Ministry's e-VISAS platform; applying from inside Ecuador requires a valid tourist stay authorisation from the Ministry of the Interior.

    Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador (MREMH), gob.ec official procedures guide · checked

Fee

Visa-free entry costs nothing.

These are government fees as the official sources state them. Agencies add their own service fees; those are not visa fees, and we don't list them.

Processing time

Nothing to apply for to visit visa-free (90 days in a year, extendable once by 90). For visas, the official sources we read state no processing time.

Documents and entry checks

What changed

  1. Checked against the official sources on this page: the rule above still holds.

FAQ

Is Ecuador visa-free for US citizens now?

Yes: visa-free (90 days in a year, extendable once by 90). Checked on 6 Nov 2026 against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador (MREMH).

How much does an Ecuador visa cost for US citizens?

Visa-free entry costs nothing. Visiting the Galápagos, foreign tourists over 12 pay a USD 200 entry tribute for the protected areas (USD 100 under 12; children under 2 exempt), collected by park rangers at Baltra and San Cristóbal airports.

Can I get an Ecuador visa in 7 days?

There is nothing to apply for to visit visa-free (90 days in a year, extendable once by 90). The official sources we read state no processing time.

Sources

Official sources only. Each was checked on the date shown.

  1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador (MREMH): entry rule, entry conditions and how to applygob.ec · checked
  2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador (text of the Ley Orgánica de Movilidad Humana hosted on cancilleria.gob.ec): entry conditionscancilleria.gob.ec · checked
  3. Dirección del Parque Nacional Galápagos (Ministry of Environment of Ecuador); fee set by Ordenanza Provincial No. 001-CGREG-30-06-2025: feesgalapagos.gob.ec · checked
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Rules change without notice. Always confirm with the official source linked on each page before you travel.