Overview
Ecuador reads by altitude and by slope. The Amazon basin below 2,000 m, Yasuní National Park included, carries a moderate malaria risk in places, the highest documented for the country; the rest of the country below 2,000 m is low-risk, and Quito, Guayaquil and the Galápagos are malaria-free. Yellow fever is recommended for the at-risk regions east of the Andes; it does not apply to the Galápagos. On an Andean itinerary, altitude sickness weighs as much as the mosquitoes.
Recommended vaccines
Malaria by region
Bite protection is the baseline everywhere below 2,000 m; preventive tablets are only considered for higher-risk travellers in the Amazon. If you develop a fever during or after the trip, get tested for malaria as soon as possible.
Malaria risk is limited to certain regions, shown below.
Some areas of the Amazon basin below 2,000 m, including Yasuní National Park: a moderate risk, the highest documented for the country. Bite protection, sometimes with preventive tablets for higher-risk travellers.
The rest of the country below 2,000 m: a lower risk, where bite protection is enough.
Quito, Guayaquil and the Galápagos Islands.
Other health risks
Risks by region
The Amazon (Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Sucumbíos, Zamora-Chinchipe)
The only zone where yellow fever is recommended and where malaria reaches its highest level in the country below 2,000 m.
The Andes and the coast (Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Baños)
Quito and Guayaquil are malaria-free; above 2,300 m yellow fever is no longer recommended, but altitude sickness becomes the real subject.
The Galápagos Islands
Malaria-free and outside the yellow-fever zone; the requirement tied to a recent stay in certain countries does not apply there.
Prepare your trip
Leaving in under 2 weeks? Still book a clinic: a first hepatitis A dose already protects, and yellow fever needs at least 10 days. A travel clinic will prioritise what fits your timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Is any vaccine required for Ecuador?
No vaccine is required for entry from Belgium, but yellow fever is strongly recommended for risk regions.
Is there a malaria risk?
Malaria: risk limited to certain regions. Bite protection is the baseline everywhere below 2,000 m; preventive tablets are only considered for higher-risk travellers in the Amazon. If you develop a fever during or after the trip, get tested for malaria as soon as possible.
How far ahead of departure should I start?
Ideally 6 to 8 weeks before departure, to complete multi-dose schedules. Yellow fever, where it applies, must be given at least 10 days before arrival.
Our sources
Indicative information for a typical traveller, not medical advice. What you need depends on your itinerary, region, season and duration. See an approved travel clinic 6–8 weeks before departure: only they can give yellow fever and issue the certificate.
Entry requirements: Yellow fever is recommended for travellers going to an at-risk region east of the Andes: Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Sucumbíos and Zamora-Chinchipe. The risk is very low or absent above 2,300 m, west of the Andes, in Guayaquil, in Quito and on the Galápagos. The vaccine also becomes compulsory if you have recently been in certain countries, which does not apply to the Galápagos; it must be given at least ten days before arrival by an approved centre.