Ecuador
Regulations on entry, stay, residence, and treatment access for people living with HIV
The categories of restriction are:
- No restrictions on entry or staying.
Restrictions on entry to Ecuador
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on entry to Ecuador based on HIV status.
According to the US Department of State and UNAIDS, there is no evidence that Ecuador has entry restrictions based on HIV status.
The official website for governmental procedures of Ecuador has a list of supporting documents that should be included with the visa application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.
The visa application form published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not contain questions or fields in relation to any health condition or status.
Restrictions on short-term stay in Ecuador
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on short-term stay in Ecuador based on HIV status.
Specific requirements for each visa type for temporary stay are available on the government official website here
Restrictions on long-term stay in Ecuador
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on long-term stay in Ecuador based on HIV status.
The official website for governmental procedures of Ecuador has a list of supporting documents that should be included with the application for a permanent residence permit and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.
Anecdotal information shared by a user supports the information that we have on the restrictions in Ecuador. See the case studies section below.
Treatment access in Ecuador
The following summarises available information on access to healthcare for people living with HIV in Ecuador. There is no evidence that non-nationals are restricted from accessing treatment in the same way as nationals.
According to the information available on the website of the UNHCR country office in Ecuador: “you can access free HIV treatment in the public health system, regardless of your nationality or whether or not you have documents. If you have a certificate with your HIV diagnosis, issued in any country, you can go to a Comprehensive HIV Care Unit (UAI) and request treatment. To find out which are the HIV care units, see this document. If you don’t have a certificate or if you suspect you are living with HIV, go to your nearest health facility and ask for an HIV test.”
According to IOM, as of 2018, the Ministry of Public Health began allocating budget funds specifically to meet the growing demand for health services of the migrant population. For example, health posts were set up in the Rumichaca region (border with Colombia) to provide preventive medical attention, vaccination services, and general medical and psychological care for Venezuelan migrants. Care is provided without discrimination, and no identity documents are required. Irregular migrants are not registered; and when the nationality of the person being treated is recorded, this information is handled confidentially. In the absence of a personal identification number, the Health‐care Registration Platform (Plataforma de Registro de Atención en Salud, PRAS) assigns the patient a universal code in order to avoid any limitation of access to health services.
According to user feedback, there is access to free medical care paid by the government, including HIV treatment, for temporary or permanent residents. See the case studies section below.
Case Studies
I'm an expat living in Ecuador for 7 years, and I have gone through all the processes to become a legal resident. Never have I been asked to submit any medical test results, let alone an HIV test, to change migratory categories (from temporary to permanent resident status, for instance). There are no restrictions whatsoever for people living with HIV here. Actually, once you're a resident (temporary or permanent) you can access free medical care paid by the government and HIV treatment is part of that.
Sources
The HIV Justice Network's Global HIV Criminalisation Database
Visit the Ecuador page on the Global HIV Criminalisation Database to see more information about known HIV criminalisation laws in this country, an overview of how the laws are used, and any significant advocacy developments.
UNAIDS Global AIDS monitoring data
This information about access to HIV services comes from UNAIDS https://lawsandpolicies.unaids.org/, a platform to view data on HIV-related laws and policies. This is information provided by national authorities and civil society and may contradict other sources.
Migrant populations
| Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | Yes |
| Migrants are able to access HIV services | Yes |
Refugees and asylum seekers
| Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | Yes |
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This site focuses on information about HIV travel. Please also consult your own Foreign Office/Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, or the local consulate of the country you are visiting, to see what restrictions there are specifically for you as a citizen of your country, regardless of your HIV status.
