Curfews from midnight to 5am: what Ecuador's new emergency means for visitors

What happened

On 16 September 2026, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated its travel advice for Ecuador with new information about a state of emergency. Ecuador's government declared a 60-day state of emergency, effective from 15 September 2026, covering eight provinces plus three additional cantons. The stated reason is security. In practice that means an increased police and military presence, and temporary curfews. In four coastal provinces, a curfew runs from midnight to 5am between 17 and 30 September. This sits alongside advice that was already in place. The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to a number of areas: the coastal provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabi, Santa Elena, Guayas, El Oro, Los Rios and Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, and to within 20km of the Ecuador-Colombia border, with some specific exceptions. Travellers already in the country are advised to follow the instructions of local authorities and to monitor local media, since airport operations, road closures and curfew boundaries can change at short notice.

Why this matters

A state of emergency is a legal instrument, not simply a warning. It can suspend certain normal rights and expand what police and the military are allowed to do, including searches and detentions. Visitors are subject to those rules exactly as residents are. Curfews are the part that most affects ordinary travel plans. A curfew from midnight to 5am sounds easy to work around until you look at flight times. Overnight arrivals and early-morning departures are common on long-haul routes, and a taxi from the airport at 1am may simply not be possible. Being outside during curfew hours can mean detention, regardless of your reasons. There is also a serious insurance dimension. Most UK travel insurance policies contain a clause that voids cover if you travel to an area against FCDO advice. If the FCDO advises against all but essential travel to a province and you go there for a holiday, you may find you have no cover at all - not just for security incidents, but for a broken ankle or a lost bag. That matters particularly for anyone with a health condition, because medical repatriation from South America can run to tens of thousands of pounds. It is worth being proportionate too. Ecuador is a large country, and the advice is geographically specific. Quito, the Andean highlands and the Galapagos Islands are not covered by the against-all-but-essential-travel advice, and many visits continue without incident.

What the evidence actually says

Read the FCDO advice carefully rather than relying on a summary - including this one. The distinction between 'advise against all travel' and 'advise against all but essential travel' is a real one with real consequences for insurance and for consular support. Ecuador's current advice includes the second category for named provinces, not a blanket warning for the whole country. States of emergency in Ecuador are not unusual. The country has declared them repeatedly in recent years in response to organised crime and prison violence, and they are typically renewed, adjusted or allowed to lapse depending on conditions. A 60-day declaration is a snapshot, and the boundaries and curfew hours have changed at short notice before. That is precisely why the advice to monitor local media matters. The FCDO page will be updated, but local announcements often come first. One thing the advice does not say is that tourists are being targeted. The security situation relates primarily to organised crime, and the risk to a visitor is largely about being in the wrong place, particularly at night and particularly in the affected coastal provinces. If you are already booked, that nuance matters. This is a situation that calls for checking, rerouting and planning around curfews, not necessarily for cancelling.

Qurexa perspective

The part of this we would flag, because it is the part we deal with daily, is medication. Curfews, road closures and airspace disruption all have the same effect on a traveller: you may be somewhere longer than you planned. If your repeat medication is counted out to the exact day of your return flight, a two-day delay becomes a medical problem rather than an inconvenience. The simple rule is to carry more than you need. A week's extra supply, kept in your hand luggage rather than a checked bag, covers most realistic delays. Keep medicines in their original labelled packaging, and carry a copy of your prescription or a repeat slip - this also helps at customs, since some ordinary UK medicines are controlled elsewhere. If you are travelling to a country with a current FCDO warning and need a longer supply, talk to your GP practice or pharmacist well before you go. That conversation is much easier a month ahead than a week ahead.

Practical advice

If you are travelling to Ecuador soon, work through this list. Check the FCDO page for Ecuador directly before you travel, and again before internal journeys. It is updated as things change and it is the document your insurer will refer to. Subscribe to email alerts for the country on the FCDO site. It is free and it is the simplest way to know when advice changes. Check your flight times against curfew hours. If you land or depart between midnight and 5am in an affected coastal province, arrange with your accommodation in advance how you will get to and from the airport, or consider changing the booking. Ring your insurer and ask directly. Do not assume. Ask specifically whether you are covered for the provinces you are visiting given current FCDO advice, and get the answer in writing. Register your travel plans with someone at home, and leave them a copy of your passport, insurance details and itinerary. Carry extra medication and keep it in your hand luggage. Avoid travelling at night, particularly by road. This is standard advice for the region and it is more important during a security emergency. If you are already in Ecuador and unsure, contact the British Embassy in Quito. Consular staff can advise on the local situation.

What to know

Ecuador declared a 60-day state of emergency from 15 September 2026 across eight provinces and three cantons, with overnight curfews from midnight to 5am in four coastal provinces between 17 and 30 September. The FCDO updated its advice on 16 September. The FCDO already advises against all but essential travel to several coastal provinces and to within 20km of the Colombian border. Quito, the highlands and the Galapagos are not covered by that advice. The biggest practical risks for a visitor are curfews clashing with flight times, and travel insurance being void in areas the FCDO advises against. Check the FCDO page yourself, ring your insurer and get the answer in writing, carry a week's extra medication in your hand luggage, and avoid road travel at night. Sources: FCDO, 'Foreign travel advice: Ecuador', updated 16 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ecuador. GOV.UK, 'Foreign travel insurance', https://www.gov.uk/guidance/foreign-travel-insurance. British Embassy Quito, https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-quito. This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.