If you are planning to visit Ecuador or the Galapagos, you’ve probably heard about the new health insurance requirements. Do you need to buy health insurance in Ecuador? Here is the official government announcement:

"The Technical Secretariat of the Governing Council of the Special Regime of Galápagos continues with the assessment of the documentation introduced by the insurance agencies that demand to advertise the medical coverage for Galapagos, inside the structure of the prerequisites set up in Resolutions No. 16 and transformed in Resolution No. 21 and in this way consent to Article 49 of the Migration and Residency Regulations, in consistence with the arrangements of Article 49 of the Organic Law of the Special Regime of Galapagos (LOREG). Therefore the health insurance prerequisite WILL NOT BE REQUIRED as of November 1, 2018, as one of the requirements for entering the Galapagos. Once the review process is finished The Governing Council of the Special Regime of Galapagos will inform the date of entry into force of the requirement "Private health insurance" in due time".

The requirements that must be presented through the areas of migratory control of the Galápagos Government Council as of that date are:

• Traffic control card.
• Roundtrip air ticket
• Reservation in one or more legally authorized accommodations or tourist accommodation establishments, for overnight stay; or letter of invitation signed by a permanent or temporary resident in the province of Galapagos, which must be extended in the format established for this purpose by the Technical Secretariat of the Governing Council.

But, Is Health Insurance a Good Idea Anyway?

This is a very personal decision. It relies upon what level of risk you are willing to take. If you're healthy and can take a modest financial hit should things go wrong, you may forgo insurance altogether. Just know that you will be in a remote destination, sometimes over 24 hours away from the nearest (basic) medical facility in the islands, and even further from the mainlaind hospitals. If you are worried about having to cancel for reasons out of your control (your health, family emergency), that's another type of insurance that could reimburse part or all of your costs. Check to see the reimbursement policies of your travel provider - you may find out that they would reimburse you generously (or not) and plan accordingly. In the end, the only real difference between a trip to Galapagos and a trip to Caribbean is the reduced accessibility to quality health care facilities. I would say do what you normally do, and consider "emergency evacuation" insurance (e.g. private jet etc. etc. waiting for you at the Galapagos airport) if this is a concern.