Galápagos Entry Requirements: Passport, TCT and Park Fee

By David Brito, Galapagos Dana Tours · Mindo, Ecuador · Updated 7 October 2026

Entry to Galápagos has two layers, and confusing them is the classic first mistake. Layer one is Ecuador immigration: passport, and a visa if your nationality needs one. Layer two is Galápagos-specific: the TCT transit card, bought before your flight, and the park entry fee, paid in cash when you land. Here is exactly what to have ready.

First layer: entering Ecuador

Galápagos is a province of Ecuador, so the entry question is answered at the mainland airport, not the islands. Many nationalities enter Ecuador visa-free for tourism, but the list and the allowed stay length depend on your passport, so check the current rules with your nearest Ecuadorian consulate or the Ecuadorian foreign ministry before you book anything. Your passport should be valid for travel and in good condition; confirm its required validity window for your nationality as part of the same check.

Have your return or onward ticket organized, too, because the Galápagos registration below asks for it. The airport arrival sequence is described in full on our airports page.

Second layer, part one: the TCT transit card

Every foreign visitor needs the Tarjeta de Control de Tránsito, issued by the Galápagos government council. It costs US $20, and it is separate from the park fee. Two ways to get it:

• Online in advance: the official registration portal went live in May 2025, and the government recommends registering 24 to 48 hours before your flight. You register with your passport and round-trip flight details, pay by card, and download the digital TCT with its QR code.
• In person at the CGREG counter in the Quito or Guayaquil airport, before airline check-in.

Keep the TCT safe for your whole trip: you present it again when leaving the islands. It covers up to 60 days of tourism per calendar year and cannot be extended.

Second layer, part two: the park entry fee

The Galápagos National Park entry fee is collected in cash at the park counters when you arrive at Baltra or San Cristóbal airport (Isabela has a counter too). Current foreign-visitor rates:

• Adult foreign visitors (12 and over): US $200.
• Foreign children under 12: US $100.
• Citizens of CAN and Mercosur countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay), non-resident: US $100 adult, US $50 under 12.
• Visitors under 2: exempt.

Bring this in cash, in bills, because counting on a card machine at the arrival counter is the kind of gamble that starts a trip badly. The fee went into force in its current amount in August 2024, and the full rate table is in our guide to entry fees.

The luggage inspection nobody warns you about

Before you board the flight to the islands, your bags pass a biosecurity inspection looking for fresh food, plants, seeds and animal products. It happens again when you land, and once more if you take a ferry between islands. The rules against introducing plants, seeds and animals are official park regulations, and the inspections are how they are enforced. Pack snacks in original packaging, declare what needs declaring, and leave the apple from the mainland lounge behind; the island-hopping details are in our ferry guide.

The full sequence, start to finish

A typical arrival looks like this: passport control into Ecuador on the mainland; the digital goods declaration completed online (siabg.abgalapagos.gob.ec, since 2024 it replaced the paper form); TCT issued at the airport counter or shown as a QR from the online registration; biosecurity bag check before the Galápagos flight; the domestic flight to Baltra or San Cristóbal; park fee paid in cash at the counter on arrival; luggage re-inspected; then the transfer to town or boat. Departure reverses the TCT step: the card is checked when you leave the province.

Family notes

Children pay the half-rate park fee until their twelfth birthday, and infants under 2 are exempt from the park fee. Bring passports for everyone, since the age brackets are checked against documents at the counter. For the $20 TCT the government’s own questions page lists no infant exemption, so budget it for every child on the booking and treat a portal that charges nothing for a baby as a bonus rather than a plan.

One final habit: requirements change without much fanfare, so re-check the TCT portal and the fee table the week you fly, not the month you start dreaming.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Galápagos?

Galápagos is a province of Ecuador, so the question is whether you need a visa for Ecuador. Many nationalities enter visa-free for tourism; check the current rules for your passport with an Ecuadorian consulate before booking.

What is the TCT and how do I get it?

The Tarjeta de Control de Tránsito is a mandatory US$20 transit card for every non-resident visitor. Register online 24 to 48 hours before your flight with your passport and return ticket, or buy it at the CGREG counter in the Quito or Guayaquil airport before check-in.

How much is the Galápagos park fee and where do I pay it?

US$200 for foreign adults and US$100 for foreign children under 12, paid in cash at the park counter when you land at Baltra or San Cristóbal. CAN and Mercosur citizens pay US$100 and US$50; under-2s are exempt.

Sources

• Arrival information (fees, TCT, biosecurity), Galápagos National Park Directorate
• TCT questions and answers, Galápagos Government Council
• Ecuador traveler health notices, CDC
• Ecuador country information, TravelHealthPro (UK NaTHNaC)

Last verified: October 2026