Just Landed in Ecuador? Your First 7 Days

Ecuador has three mobile networks: Claro (largest coverage), CNT (state-owned, strong in cities and fixed-line broadband) and Movistar, which Millicom is rebranding to Tigo. Claro has the best rural and Amazon coverage, 4G is widespread nationally, and 5G is expanding in Quito and Guayaquil. Prepaid SIMs must be registered against your passport at the point of sale.

Typical cost: SIM chip USD 3-4; prepaid data around USD 8-10 for 10-14GB for 30 days; home fibre from CNT or Netlife runs roughly USD 25-40/month

Ecuador has used the US dollar as its sole currency since 2000, so there is no exchange-rate risk for dollar-holders and no need to change money on arrival. Locally minted centavo coins circulate alongside US coins. ATMs are common but often cap withdrawals around USD 200-400 per transaction and charge fees of USD 2-5, so plan larger withdrawals to minimise fees.

Opening an account: Opening a bank account as a foreigner generally requires your cedula, so most newcomers cannot open one until residency is granted. Banco Pichincha, Banco Guayaquil, Produbanco and cooperatives such as JEP and Jardin Azuayo are the mainstream options; expect to provide your cedula, proof of address and proof of income. Until then, use a low-fee foreign card and cash.

Cash: Cash is king outside malls and chain shops. Many restaurants, taxis, markets, buses and rural businesses take only cash, and card payments sometimes add a surcharge. Digital wallets like Deuna (Banco Pichincha) and PeiGO are growing among locals but are not yet universal, so always carry notes and coins.

Tipping: A 10% service charge ('servicio') is usually added at sit-down restaurants; an extra 5-10% for good service is appreciated but not obligatory. Round up for taxis, tip USD 1-2 per bag for porters, and a small tip for supermarket baggers who work for tips only is customary.

Tourists on a 90-day stamp do not register anything. Holders of a temporary or permanent residence visa must register the visa and obtain a cedula (national ID) at the Registro Civil after the visa is approved by the Cancilleria (foreign ministry). The Registro Civil is a separate agency with its own document requirements, and you must show valid health insurance before the cedula is issued. There is no general foreigner address-registration police check as exists in some countries; the cedula process is the key legal step.

Deadline: Apply for the cedula at the Registro Civil within about 15 days of your visa being approved. Confirm your exact window with your immigration lawyer or the Cancilleria, as overstaying the step can create problems later.

Where: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana (Cancilleria) issues the visa; Registro Civil issues the cedula for roughly USD 5

Cities rely on cheap buses and, in the capital, the Quito Metro (Line 1 runs north-south under the city for a flat USD 0.45). Taxis and ride-hailing are the safest way for newcomers to move around, especially after dark. Always use registered yellow taxis with a visible taxi number and a working meter, or an app; avoid unmarked cars entirely due to express-kidnapping risk.

From the airport: From Quito's Mariscal Sucre airport in Tababela, the official flat-fare taxi is roughly USD 25-30 to central Quito (about 45-60 minutes). Uber and Cabify run USD 15-25 but collect you from the car park, not arrivals. The Aeroservicios shuttle bus to the old airport terminal costs a few dollars but is slow and awkward with luggage. In Guayaquil, the airport sits near the centre and a metered or app ride is only USD 5-10.

Most foreigners rent long-term through Facebook groups, local agents ('corredores'), building doormen and word of mouth; portals like Plusvalia and OLX list properties, and many good flats never appear online at all. Furnished flats are common in Quito's La Carolina and La Floresta, Cuenca's centre and Gringolandia, and Guayaquil's Urdesa and Samborondon. Viewing in person and negotiating in Spanish gets far better prices than the first quoted 'gringo rate'.

Typical rent: A furnished one-bed runs roughly USD 400-750/month in Quito or Cuenca, and USD 500-1,000 in prime Guayaquil; unfurnished long-term rentals are noticeably cheaper and often what locals take.

Deposit norm: Expect one to two months' rent as a deposit ('garantia') plus the first month upfront. Ask for a written contract ('contrato de arrendamiento'); landlords sometimes want a local guarantor or extra months in lieu of one, and utilities are usually billed on top of rent.

Ecuador has a public system (the Ministry of Health, MSP, plus the IESS social-security network) and private hospitals that foreigners generally prefer. Private clinics in Quito, Cuenca and Guayaquil are modern and inexpensive by Western standards, many doctors trained abroad and speak some English, and a routine private consultation often costs only USD 30-60 out of pocket.

How to access it: You can walk into a private hospital such as Hospital Metropolitano or Axxis (Quito), Hospital Universitario del Rio or Monte Sinai (Cuenca) or Clinica Kennedy (Guayaquil) and pay directly or via insurance, no referral needed. Pharmacies (Fybeca, Sana Sana, Cruz Azul) are everywhere and dispense many drugs without a prescription. Residents with a cedula can affiliate to IESS for low-cost public cover.

Insurance: Arrive with travel or expat health insurance, and note that residency applicants must show valid health cover before the cedula is issued. Local private plans such as BMI, Salud SA, Ecuasanitas and Humana are affordable once you have a cedula, and many expats keep an international policy for serious care abroad.

• Greet with a handshake, or a single cheek kiss between women and between men and women; use 'usted' with people you have just met and reserve 'tu' for friends.
• Punctuality is relaxed socially ('hora ecuatoriana') but expected for business, medical and official appointments, so arrive on time even if others do not.
• Dress modestly and neatly, especially in the highlands and around churches; Ecuadorians present themselves smartly and scruffy dress reads as disrespectful.
• Learn basic Spanish courtesies such as 'buenos dias', 'por favor' and 'gracias'; English is limited outside tourist zones and even small effort is genuinely appreciated.
• Accept offered food or drink graciously when visiting a home, and bring a small gift such as pastries or fruit if invited to eat.
• Address older people and officials with respect and titles ('senor', 'senora', 'don', 'dona'); politeness opens doors that bluntness closes.
• Keep your voice down and stay patient in queues and offices; getting visibly angry with staff rarely speeds anything up and loses you goodwill.

• Do not flash phones, jewellery or cash in public, particularly in Guayaquil, Quito's Centro Historico and the Mariscal area, and on buses.
• Avoid telling strangers exactly where you live or that you have just arrived; opportunistic robbery targets obvious newcomers.
• Respect indigenous communities' wishes on photography; always ask before photographing someone at a market, and expect a small tip to be appropriate.
• Do not walk alone in unfamiliar areas after dark, and treat empty streets, bus stations and ATMs at night as the higher-risk moments they are.
• Be cautious discussing politics, especially anything about crime, security policy or specific regions, until you know the room.