Before you fly · Galápagos
Ecuador entry permission, the Galápagos Transit Control Card, the conservation entry charge and biosecurity are separate requirements. Prepare each one and keep the confirmations accessible before leaving the mainland.
Prepare for island entryFind your bearings
A flight booking gets you a seat; it does not by itself establish permission to enter Ecuador or satisfy the Galápagos admission process. Begin with the mainland entry guide, then work through the island-specific steps below. Nationality, Ecuador residency, age and travel category can affect the paperwork or fee.
The amounts on this page are the published official rates reviewed on October 3, 2026, not a guarantee that a future trip will use the same tariff. Follow the linked authorities for changes, eligibility and the documents needed to claim a category. Do not pay a third-party website simply because it appears above the official service in a search result.
Use the passport, visa and admission rules applicable to you. The Galápagos TCT does not replace Ecuador immigration permission or extend the time you may remain in the country.
Use the Consejo de Gobierno de Galápagos service linked from its official website. Enter the correct personal and journey details and keep the resulting confirmation available.
Review the ABG rules for baggage and goods, complete the required declaration, and budget the conservation fee separately from the TCT and flight.
Tortuga Bay · Santa CruzConsejo de Gobierno · Transit Control Card
The Consejo de Gobierno de Galápagos publishes a US$20 Transit Control Card fee and provides an online process through its official services. Its digital TCT announcement describes entering personal and travel details, paying and receiving a QR confirmation. Start from the authority’s current website because service addresses and interfaces can change.
The TCT concerns the provincial entry process. It is not the conservation charge collected for entry to Galápagos protected areas, an airline ticket, a boat reservation or a tour permit. Label the two official charges separately in your trip budget so a package quote can be checked clearly.
Enter details as they appear on the document used for travel. Check names, document number, nationality and travel dates before payment. If the system or your travel category requires supporting information, use the authority’s instructions rather than a general travel-blog checklist.
Keep the QR and receipt accessible without relying entirely on a new mobile-data connection at the airport. Each traveler’s required documents should be identifiable. A screenshot can be useful backup, but retain the original confirmation and follow the validation instructions.
The authority’s TCT questions and answers describes a tourist limit of 60 days in the year under its stated counting rules. If multiple visits or a non-tourist category are involved, ask the authority about your case before booking.
Galápagos · Giant tortoisePublished conservation tariff
The official conservation-fee table lists US$200 for the standard foreign-tourist category over 12 years and US$100 for foreign children under 12. It lists different rates for qualifying CAN/Mercosur nationals and Ecuadorian nationals or foreign residents of Ecuador. Do not assume that the standard foreign rate applies to every person in a group.
The official wording uses ‘over 12’ and ‘under 12’ categories. For a traveler exactly 12 years old, obtain the authority’s confirmation rather than interpreting that boundary from this page. The same principle applies to residency, student or other concession eligibility: carry the evidence the authority accepts.
The published table gives US$100 for qualifying visitors over 12 and US$50 for children under 12. Use the countries and conditions in the official table, not a general assumption that every South American passport receives the same rate.
The published general rates are US$30 over 12 and US$15 under 12, with additional concession categories listed by the authority. A foreign visitor staying temporarily in Ecuador is not automatically an Ecuador resident for this tariff.
The park authority’s published tariff lists children under two as exempt and describes other special categories. Read the complete table and confirm documentation. Ask about current payment arrangements before arrival rather than assuming any particular card will be accepted.
Galápagos · Marine iguanaABG · Baggage and goods
Galápagos biosecurity is a separate process designed to reduce the introduction of organisms and materials that can affect the islands. The ABG visitor rules direct travelers to check permitted products, allow baggage inspection and provide the required declaration. An item being allowed on the aircraft does not establish that it is allowed into Galápagos.
The agency’s digital declaration notice describes a free online goods declaration, available within 48 hours before travel, with a QR delivered by email. Use the current official form and instructions, including the age and family arrangements shown there.
Consult the current product list before packing fruit, seeds, plants, animal products or other regulated goods. Do not rely on a souvenir seller’s assurance. Declare accurately and let the responsible inspector decide whether an item can enter.
Inspect and clean footwear and equipment used on mainland farms, trails or camping trips. Soil, seeds and organic debris can travel unnoticed in soles and bag seams. The declaration asks relevant questions about goods and prior exposure; answer them truthfully.
Follow the designated inspection sequence and keep the declaration available for the destination inspection. Allow staff access to the baggage they need to examine. A prepaid tour does not remove the passenger’s responsibility to cooperate with biosecurity requirements.
Galápagos · Coastal wildlifeMainland departure → Island arrival
For departure from Quito, use the airport’s Galápagos information alongside the airline’s reporting time. Island-specific checks occur in addition to the normal flight process. Arrive with documents organized and enough time to resolve a spelling error, payment question or baggage inspection without racing the boarding cutoff.
After landing, complete the required entry and inspection steps before treating the arrival as sightseeing time. Baltra and San Cristóbal lead to different onward journeys. The inter-island transfer guide explains why a Baltra flight arrival is not the same thing as arrival at a Puerto Ayora hotel.
For one adult in the standard foreign-tourist category, the published TCT and conservation charges total US$220: US$20 plus US$200. That example excludes flights, accommodation, transfers, port charges and activities. It is a calculation from the rates above, not an all-inclusive island-entry package.
Ask the operator to identify each official charge by name and say whether it is included, prepaid or payable by you. ‘All transfers included’ does not answer whether the TCT or conservation fee is covered. Keep the written breakdown with the booking.
Calculate each person separately before adding the total. Ages, passports and residency documents may produce different categories. If a concession cannot be established from the official instructions, obtain clarification before relying on the lower amount.
Make the visit work
The aim is to arrive with accurate information and a clear budget, while leaving the final eligibility and inspection decisions with the relevant authorities.
Identity
Match airline, TCT and other booking details to the passport or accepted identity document used for the journey. Keep supporting residency or concession evidence accessible if relevant. Ask the authority or airline how to correct an error before the departure day.
Accommodation
Retain hotel or cruise confirmations and the dates of your island stay. Use authorized accommodation information supplied through the official provincial resources when checking requirements. A proposed itinerary in a notes app is not the same as a confirmed booking.
Payments
A travel agent may charge for assistance in addition to official amounts. Ask for the distinction in writing. The ABG declaration described above is free; do not confuse a paid intermediary’s service with a mandatory government charge.
Connections
Choose the arrival island and accommodation before scheduling a boat or tour. Entry formalities, baggage and ground transport consume time. Read the guides to Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal for the different arrival settings.
Changes
If dates, traveler details or the route change, review the associated TCT and booking information. Use the official service’s correction procedure where needed. Do not assume a confirmation for the original journey automatically covers the new one.
Wider planning
A cruise or land-based stay creates different transfer and packing needs. Resolve that choice before buying a chain of independent services. Official entry charges are only one part of the trip cost.
Sources and further reading
Official entry, fee and biosecurity pages reviewed October 3, 2026. Amounts shown are the published tariff on the reviewed sources. Eligibility, age boundaries, acceptable documents and future changes must be confirmed with the responsible authority.
Last editorial review: October 3, 2026
After the arrival formalities
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