Galápagos Entry: Transit Control Card, National Park Fee & Rules

The essentials at a glance

Citizens of most European, North American, and Australian countries travel visa-free to Ecuador and Galápagos. Required: a valid passport (we recommend at least 6 months remaining), an online-registered Galápagos Transit Control Card (TCC, USD 20), and the National Park fee (USD 200, paid in USD cash on arrival in Galápagos). The key steps:

Ecuador entry for international travelers

Visa-free entry — 90 days, no application

Citizens of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, and most EU countries automatically receive a 90-day tourist permit on arrival in Ecuador — no advance application, no fee. An extension by another 90 days is possible, but only with an application to the immigration authority inside Ecuador. Important: since 2024, Galápagos itself has an additional 60-day-per-island-group stay limit — irrelevant for most travelers, but worth noting for longer Galápagos stays.

Passport requirements

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months on entry to Ecuador — even though strictly speaking, validity through the date of departure is enough. Most airlines enforce the 6-month rule unilaterally at check-in and will deny boarding otherwise. National ID cards or temporary passports are not accepted.

Return ticket and accommodation proof

At passport control, a confirmed return ticket (or onward flight out of Ecuador) is routinely requested. Proof of accommodation is officially required as well — in practice the officer rarely asks, but it's worth having a booking confirmation handy. For a Galápagos cruise, the cruise line voucher is sufficient.

Step by step: the full entry process

1. International flight to Quito (UIO) or Guayaquil (GYE). Most Galápagos travelers route through Quito. Watch your arrival time — some yachts expect you the day before.
2. Ecuador passport control. Show your passport and return ticket. You'll receive a stamp with a 90-day tourist permit. No fee.
3. Register the TCC online. By this point at the latest — ideally already from home before departure. Portal: gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec. Cost: USD 20 per person, paid by credit card. You'll receive a QR code.
4. INGALA counter at the mainland airport. Before your domestic flight to Galápagos, you must show the TCC QR code (smartphone or printout) at the INGALA counter. Operating hours: Quito 5:00 am–12:00 pm, Guayaquil 6:30 am–1:30 pm. Allow 60–90 minutes of buffer.
5. Domestic flight to Baltra (GPS) or San Cristóbal (SCY). With LATAM, Avianca, or Equair. Flight time approx. 2 hours. Your yacht or hotel will have communicated the arrival airport in advance.
6. Biosecurity check and National Park fee. On arrival in Galápagos, you'll pass the biosecurity check (luggage scan for prohibited foods and plants) and pay the entrance fee of USD 200 per person at the Galápagos National Park counter — exclusively in USD cash. Keep the receipt safe; it's checked when you leave individual islands.

Required documents

Transit Control Card (TCC) — required since May 2025

What is the TCC?

The Galápagos Transit Control Card (TCC, formerly TCT) is a mandatory document issued by the Ecuadorian agency INGALA for every Galápagos visitor. It's used to control visitor numbers and is checked at the mainland airports and when leaving the islands. The card costs USD 20 per person and is reserved for tourist stays on Galápagos.

Online registration — required since May 29, 2025

Since May 29, 2025, the TCC must be registered online in advance. The official portal is gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec. The process takes 10–15 minutes and requires: passport details, arrival date, domestic flight number, hotel proof or yacht voucher, an Ecuadorian mainland address if applicable, and a credit card for the USD 20 payment. You receive a QR code by email, which you present at the mainland airport.

INGALA counter at the mainland airport

Even after online registration, you must pass through the INGALA counter at the mainland airport — the QR code is scanned there and final clearance is issued. Operating hours: Quito 5:00 am–12:00 pm, Guayaquil 6:30 am–1:30 pm. For later domestic flights the counter may be closed — plan your connection forward-looking.

National Park fee — USD 200 since August 2024

Who pays how much?

The Galápagos National Park entrance fee was doubled from USD 100 to USD 200 on August 1, 2024 — the first increase since 1998 (Resolution No. 002-CGREG-24-02-2024). The fee applies per person, regardless of trip type (cruise or island hopping):

40% of the revenue goes directly to the National Park; the rest is distributed across local government, the marine reserve, and the communities.

When and where to pay

The fee is paid on arrival at the Galápagos airport, at the National Park counter — not in advance, not online. You first pass through biosecurity, then the park counter. You'll get a paper receipt — keep it safe; it's checked when you leave individual islands. Yachts and island-hopping operators cannot pay the fee on your behalf.

USD cash only — where to withdraw?

The National Park fee is officially accepted only in USD cash. Some sources report credit card options with a surcharge, but don't rely on it. Withdraw the USD 200 per person on the mainland — Quito and Guayaquil have plenty of ATMs (Banco Pichincha, Produbanco, Banco del Pacífico), with daily limits often around USD 200–400 per card. On Galápagos itself, ATMs are available on Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal, but limited — emergency reserve, not Plan A.

Total cost table

What happens at the airport

Baltra (GPS) — main gateway for Santa Cruz

Baltra sits on a small island just north of Santa Cruz and is the main entry airport for Galápagos. The arrival process:

1. Disembark, take the bus transfer to the terminal
2. Biosecurity check (luggage scan)
3. National Park counter — pay USD 200
4. Baggage claim
5. Your yacht crew or hotel representative usually waits in the arrivals area (or you take the public bus + Itabaca ferry + second bus to Puerto Ayora — about 90 minutes)

San Cristóbal (SCY) — alternative airport

SCY sits right at the harbor of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. The process is identical to Baltra (biosecurity → park counter), but no bus transfer is needed — you're at the harbor in 5 minutes on foot. Some yachts begin their route here.

Cruise vs. island hopping — entry differences

A common question: do cruise travelers face different entry rules than island-hopping travelers? No. The TCC (USD 20) and the National Park fee (USD 200) are identical for both styles. The airport process is the same as well — you pay the park fee on arrival, then you're routed to either the yacht crew meeting point or your island-hopping hotel. More on the differences between travel styles in the cruise guide.

Biosecurity — prohibited goods and luggage check

Galápagos has one of the strictest biosecurity regimes in the world. The SICGAL program (Sistema de Inspección y Cuarentena para Galápagos) checks every piece of luggage on arrival and partially also between islands. From February 2026, the mandatory biosecurity declaration goes fully digital — the paper form is being phased out.

Strictly prohibited goods:

• Fresh foods (fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts)
• Plants, cuttings, seeds of any kind
• Animal products (except industrially processed and vacuum-sealed)
• Soil, sand, stones from the mainland
• Drones without prior National Park authorization

Violations result in confiscation and in some cases fines (up to USD 100). Pure cosmetics, sweets in original packaging, and dry products are unproblematic.

Yellow fever and vaccination recommendations

Galápagos itself is yellow-fever-free — vaccination is not required for entry to the islands. The topic becomes relevant on a mainland stop in the Ecuadorian Amazon (Tena, Coca, Lago Agrio, Yasuní): there, the WHO and most national health authorities recommend yellow fever vaccination. If you continue to Galápagos after an Amazon stay, your vaccination certificate may be checked on a spot-check basis — earlier temporary requirements (May–August 2025) were lifted again in fall 2025, and you should check the current status with your country's foreign office before traveling. Standard travel vaccinations for Ecuador (hepatitis A, typhoid, tetanus/diphtheria) remain recommended.

Currency and official sources

Galápagos entry rules changed multiple times in 2024/2025: the National Park fee doubled, the TCC went online in May 2025, and the biosecurity declaration goes digital in February 2026. We update this guide every six months. Status: May 2026.

Official sources:

• Ministerio del Ambiente Ecuador: ambiente.gob.ec
• Galápagos Transit Control Card portal: gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec
• German Federal Foreign Office — Ecuador travel advisories
• US State Department — Ecuador travel advisory
• BMEIA Austria, EDA Switzerland, FCDO UK

Plan your Galápagos trip individually

We handle TCC pre-registration, domestic flights, and yacht or island-hopping bookings — and make sure you arrive at the Galápagos airport without surprises. Get in touch.

More Galápagos guides

• Best time to visit Galápagos — wildlife calendar, climate
• Galápagos cruise guide — classes, routes, operators
• Galápagos giant tortoises — 12 species, viewing spots
• Region: Santa Cruz · San Cristóbal