Galápagos entry requirements, fees and permits
Short answer
Two mandatory charges sit on top of any Galápagos tour price and no operator can include them: the Galápagos National Park entrance fee of US$200 per adult (US$100 per child under 12), paid in cash on arrival, and the Transit Control Card (TCT/INGALA) at US$20, registered online before your flight. Budget US$220 per adult, in addition to the mainland–islands flight. You also need a passport, a return flight to the mainland, accommodation proof, and you will pass two biosecurity luggage inspections.
On this page — 7 sections
The two charges no tour price includes
This is the most common unpleasant surprise in Galápagos travel, and it is entirely avoidable. When you compare quotes from operators, you are comparing numbers that all exclude the same US$220 per adult. Not because anyone is hiding it, but because the park fee is legally collected from the visitor in person, on arrival, in cash.
If a quote you are looking at seems to include it, read the inclusions again. It almost certainly does not.
The transit control card (TCT/INGALA)
The Transit Control Card is the permit that authorises a non-resident to travel to the islands. It exists because Galápagos restricts who may enter and settle there — the province controls migration in a way no other part of Ecuador does.
- Cost: US$20 per person.
- Where: since May 2025, registered through the official online portal in advance, paid by card. Historically it was bought at a counter in Quito or Guayaquil airport.
- What you register: passport details, your return flight to the mainland, and where you are staying.
- When: before your island flight. You will not be allowed to check in without it.
The move online in 2025 removed the airport queue but added a failure mode: travellers who assumed they could still buy it at the counter. Do it days ahead, and save the confirmation offline.
The National Park entrance fee
| Visitor | Fee | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign adult (12 and over) | US$200 | Cash, on arrival in the islands |
| Foreign child (under 12) | US$100 | Cash, on arrival |
| Ecuadorian nationals and residents | Reduced | Cash, on arrival |
The fee is collected at a dedicated desk in the arrivals hall, after passport control and baggage claim, before you can leave the terminal. It funds the National Park Directorate and the municipalities — it is not an operator margin, and it is not negotiable.
Torn, taped or heavily marked US notes get refused across Ecuador, and the park desk is stricter than most. Bring the exact amount per traveller in good condition, and do not rely on the card reader working.
Is travel insurance mandatory? Sources disagree
We will give you the honest state of this, because everyone else picks a side and states it as fact.
- The UK FCDO's Ecuador entry-requirements guidance lists travel health insurance among the conditions for tourists visiting Galápagos, described as mandatory.
- Several operators and recent traveller reports say it is not requested at the desk in practice.
Our position, and the one we give clients: carry it, and make sure it covers medical evacuation. This is not about compliance. The islands have limited medical infrastructure; the nearest hyperbaric chamber and the nearest major hospital are both a flight away. An evacuation from Isabela to Guayaquil is not a cost you want to discover uninsured.
Biosecurity: what you cannot bring
Your luggage is inspected and sealed at the mainland airport before you board, and inspected again on arrival in the islands. Prohibited: fresh fruit and vegetables, seeds, plants, soil, meat, dairy products, and live animals of any kind.
An invasive species arriving in a suitcase is a genuine existential risk to an ecosystem where 97 % of the land area is protected and much of the wildlife exists nowhere else. Take the inspection seriously; the inspectors do.
What arrival day actually looks like
- At the mainland airport — separate Galápagos check-in area. Transit card verified, luggage inspected and sealed. Arrive earlier than you would for a normal domestic flight.
- On landing (Baltra or San Cristóbal) — immigration-style passport control for the islands.
- Park fee desk — cash, per person. This is the queue people are not expecting.
- Second biosecurity check on your bags.
- Then the transfer — from Baltra, that means a bus, the Itabaca Channel ferry and a road crossing of Santa Cruz. It takes the best part of two hours to reach Puerto Ayora. Budget for it; do not plan an activity for that afternoon.
The true cost of getting there
| Line item | Typical cost per adult | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland–islands return flight | US$400–600 | Varies by season and booking lead time. Not a fixed price. |
| National Park entrance fee | US$200 | Fixed. Cash on arrival. |
| Transit control card | US$20 | Fixed. Online, in advance. |
| Your tour or cruise | Varies widely | This is the only line an operator quotes. |
The two fixed charges — US$220 — are the same whether you are on a budget island-hopping trip or a luxury expedition yacht. Which is worth knowing when you are comparing the two: cruise vs island hopping, honestly compared →
Questions people also ask
How much is the Galápagos National Park entrance fee in 2026?
US$200 per adult foreign visitor and US$100 per child under 12. It is paid in cash, in US dollars, at a desk in the arrivals hall after you land in the islands. Citizens of Ecuador and certain neighbouring countries pay reduced rates.
What is the INGALA transit control card and how much does it cost?
The Transit Control Card (TCT), often called the INGALA card, is the permit that authorises your travel to the islands. It costs US$20 and, since May 2025, is registered online through the official portal before your domestic flight, paid by card. You will not be allowed to board without it.
How much should I budget on top of my tour price for Galápagos?
US$220 per adult in mandatory charges — the US$200 park fee plus the US$20 transit card — and that is before the flight from the mainland, which is typically US$400–600 return depending on season and how far ahead you book. No operator can bundle the park fee: it is collected from you personally on arrival.
Do I need travel insurance for the Galápagos?
The UK FCDO’s Ecuador entry-requirements guidance states that travel health insurance is mandatory for foreign tourists visiting the Galápagos. Several operators report that it is not checked at the desk in practice. We tell clients to carry it regardless: the nearest hyperbaric chamber and the nearest major hospital are both a flight away, and medical evacuation from the islands is expensive.
Can I pay the Galápagos park fee by card?
Do not plan on it. Card readers at the entry desk are unreliable and the queue does not wait for you. Bring US$200 per adult in clean, untorn US notes. Damaged bills are refused.
How long can I stay in the Galápagos as a tourist?
Up to 60 days. You will be asked to show a return flight to the mainland and a hotel booking or invitation letter when you register for the transit card.
What is confiscated at the Galápagos biosecurity check?
Fresh fruit, vegetables, seeds, plants, meat, dairy and live animals. Your luggage is inspected and sealed before you board on the mainland, and inspected again on arrival. This is not a formality — the islands’ entire ecological case rests on it.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these. If one of them changes and we have not caught up, tell us and we will fix it the same day.
- UK FCDO — Ecuador entry requirements — Galápagos conditions: 60-day stay, transit card, hotel booking, insurance.
- Galápagos National Park Directorate — Official park authority — fees and visitor rules.
- Galápagos Conservation Trust — tourism and overtourism — Independent visitor-number data.
Planning this trip yourself?
Send us the dates and what you actually want to see. A planner in Cuenca reads it and replies within one business day — not a template, and not a bot.
Plan your trip