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Galapagos Trip Planning: Documents and Fees
When planning your budget for your Galapagos vacation, make sure you factor in all of the fees and documents that accompany a trip to this unique and wonderful destination.
Do I need a visa?
You do not need a visa to travel to Ecuador, however your passport must have at least 6 months validity before expiration or you will be denied entry into the country.
Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee & Transit Control Card
You will need to pay $120 per person in order to travel to the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos National Park entrance fee ($100) must be paid in cash upon arrival to the Galapagos Islands at the airport. The Transit Control Card ($20) must be filed in advance online and picked up at the Governing Council of Galapagos counter at the airport in Guayaquil or Quito prior to your departure to the Galapagos Islands.
The transit control card is a necessary measure the National Park uses to monitor and regulate tourist activity in the Galapagos Islands in order to determine the best conservation efforts and how to manage the increasing number of annual visitors.
Reserve your Transit Control Card ($20/ person)
- Book your trip.
- Once you have your itinerary, go to http://www.gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec/pre-registro-tct-turistas/ .
- Select your language as English, choose “Passport” as the form of identification, and enter your passport number.
- On the next three pages, enter the information to the best of your ability about yourself, your airfare & lodging plans, and the purpose of travel.
- Confirm that all of the information is correct. Click “Accept.”
- Go to the Governing Council of the Galapagos counter in the airport in Quito or Guayaquil before departing for the Galapagos Islands and pay the $20 fee per card to pick up each TCC.
Paying the National Park Entrance Fee ($100/ person)
When you arrive to the Galapagos Islands, you will follow the line of people to the counter, where you will pay $100/ adult and $50/ child for entrance into the National Park. This fee helps the National Park maintain its conservation efforts and keep the Park as pristine as it was when Darwin first visited.
According to the Galapagos National Park, “Funds from the entry tax for tourists are used to finance the conservation of biodiversity of flora and fauna, terrestrial and marine, and benefits the local community by improving basic services, education projects, sports, health, environmental sanitation, environmental services and services directly related to tourists.”