Dear Travelers,
The Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador has issued a new law regarding all visitors to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Starting August 2017, an Ecuador Health Insurance Requirement is compulsory for the length of stay in the country. This is compulsory for all foreigners entering Ecuador as tourists. Below you may find the official communique issued by the Ministry of Tourism.
OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER MINISTRY OF TOURISM OF ECUADOR
The Ministry of Tourism informs the tourism industry that the Health Insurance for tourists entering the country, will be valid and applied as of its enactment in Official Registry No. 938, dated February 6th, 2017, and specifically , Articles 53 and 56 of the referred Law, related to “Obligations of foreigners who enter the country as tourists, who must have public or private health insurance for the duration of their stay in Ecuador in all the migratory categories, with the exception of the people that mobilize in the zones of border integration … “. The same that will be applied starting on February 2018.
In this sense, we would like to emphasize that according to Decree No. 111 of August 3th., 2017, and based on the transitional N ° 4: “The health insurance requirement for length of stay for foreigners entering Ecuador, shall be payable within one hundred and eighty (180) days after application of these Regulations “(starting August 3, 2017). As this period elapses, the Organic Mobility Law will be applied in the most favorable sense to the people.
Additionally we inform that a technical team of the Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador is working in these legal instruments.
This communication is issued to respond to queries made to this Secretariat of State to detract from any unofficial communication that is being socialized among unions, associations, tourism service providers and local communities, on the modifications made to the Organic Law of Human Mobility.