Practical info for Ecuador
Emergencies, embassy, entry requirements, money: the essentials before you go, with the official source and the date each piece of information was checked.
Embassy and entry requirements shown for travellers from: United Kingdom.
Emergency numbers
Official sources give different numbers for some services: each number is shown with its source.
- Single emergency numberaccording to GOV.UK, 02/10/2026911
- Policeaccording to Poland's foreign ministry, 19/10/2026122
- Medical emergenciesaccording to Poland's foreign ministry, 19/10/2026123
- Medical emergenciesaccording to the French embassy, 13/10/2026911
- Fire brigadeaccording to Poland's foreign ministry, 19/10/2026911
Source: GOV.UK, French embassy, Portal das Comunidades Portuguesas, Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych RP · verified on 26/10/2026
Embassy and consulates
- British Embassy QuitoEmbassy
- Address
- Citiplaza Building,Naciones Unidas Avenue and República de El Salvador,14th FloorPO Box 17-17-830, Quito, Ecuador
- Consular emergency line
- To call us in an emergency or send us an online enquiry use our contact form: https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/posts/ecuador/british-embassy-quito
Consular emergency numbers (emergencies only): FCDO, London (24 hours): +44 20 7008 5000.
Entry requirements
The rules depend on your passport: check them here before you book, for every traveller, children included.
Official page: GOV.UK (FCDO), updated 02/10/2026 ›
Source: GOV.UK · verified on 26/10/2026
Safety and travel advice
Highest level according to GOV.UK (FCDO): FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country.
Areas where FCDO advises against all but essential travel
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the Coastal Region provinces of:
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to areas within 20km of the Ecuador-Colombia border, except for these areas in Carchi province:
Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel.
Source: GOV.UK · verified on 26/10/2026
Currency and payments
Currency: US dollar (USD).
ECB reference rate on 26/10/2026: €1 = 1.1188 USD.
Source: SIX Group (ISO 4217), European Central Bank, EU Publications Office · verified on 26/10/2026
Time difference
Several time zones: −6 h to −5 h compared with London (calculated on 26/10/2026).
The clocks change in London on 28/03/2027: the difference may change that day.
Source: IANA (time zones) · verified on 26/10/2026
Driving
Driving licence, according to GOV.UK (FCDO): “You can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in Ecuador for the first 6 months after you arrive. If you still have a paper UK driving licence, you may need to update it to a photocard licence or get the correct version of the international driving permit (IDP) as well. After 6 months, you need to take an Ecuadorean driving test to get an Ecuadorean driving licence or carry out the driving licence exchange process.”
Source: GOV.UK · verified on 26/10/2026
Mobile networks
Networks listed by the eSIMs we checked: Claro (Sirocco); Claro/Porta (Sirocco); Movistar (Sirocco); MOVISTAR/OteCel (Sirocco); Otecel (Airalo).
eSIM prices for Ecuador
7 days, 5 GB · prices checked on 26/10/2026
3 brands compared, not an exhaustive listWhy this ranking?
Ranked by price: for each brand, the cheapest plan that covers 7 days and 5 GB.
Not an exhaustive comparison: 3 brands out of the dozens that sell eSIMs. The list of brands compared is in our Methodology.
eSIMeter is published by Mocom SAS, which sells Sirocco: the site is funded by those sales. No other brand pays us.
Frequently asked questions
What are the emergency numbers in Ecuador?
Single emergency number: 911 (according to GOV.UK, 02/10/2026) ; Police: 122 (according to Poland's foreign ministry, 19/10/2026) ; Medical emergencies: 123 (according to Poland's foreign ministry, 19/10/2026) ; Medical emergencies: 911 (according to the French embassy, 13/10/2026) ; Fire brigade: 911 (according to Poland's foreign ministry, 19/10/2026). Official sources give different numbers for some services: each number is shown with its source.
How do I contact the embassy or consulate in Ecuador?
British Embassy Quito, Citiplaza Building,Naciones Unidas Avenue and República de El Salvador,14th FloorPO Box 17-17-830, Quito, Ecuador. Consular emergency numbers (emergencies only): FCDO, London (24 hours): +44 20 7008 5000.
What are the entry requirements for Ecuador?
The rules depend on your passport: check them here before you book, for every traveller, children included. Official page: GOV.UK (FCDO), updated 02/10/2026.
What is the travel advice for Ecuador?
Highest level according to GOV.UK (FCDO): FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country. Areas where FCDO advises against all but essential travel FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the Coastal Region provinces of: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to areas within 20km of the Ecuador-Colombia border, except for these areas in Carchi province: Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel.
What currency is used in Ecuador?
Currency: US dollar (USD). ECB reference rate on 26/10/2026: €1 = 1.1188 USD.
What is the time difference in Ecuador?
Several time zones: −6 h to −5 h compared with London (calculated on 26/10/2026). The clocks change in London on 28/03/2027: the difference may change that day.
What should I know about driving in Ecuador?
Driving licence, according to GOV.UK (FCDO): “You can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in Ecuador for the first 6 months after you arrive. If you still have a paper UK driving licence, you may need to update it to a photocard licence or get the correct version of the international driving permit (IDP) as well. After 6 months, you need to take an Ecuadorean driving test to get an Ecuadorean driving licence or carry out the driving licence exchange process.”
Which mobile networks operate in Ecuador?
Networks listed by the eSIMs we checked: Claro (Sirocco); Claro/Porta (Sirocco); Movistar (Sirocco); MOVISTAR/OteCel (Sirocco); Otecel (Airalo).