What to do if someone dies in Ecuador

Ecuador is a country of geographic extremes. Deaths occur in the Andean highlands around Quito, on the Pacific coast near Guayaquil, in the Amazon basin, and on the Galapagos Islands 1,000 kilometres offshore. Location is the first variable that determines complexity.

Step 1: Notify the British Embassy Quito

The British Embassy must be notified on the day of death. Address: Naciones Unidas Avenida y Republica del Salvador, Edificio Citiplaza, Piso 14, Quito. Phone: +593 2 397 2200. FCDO 24-hour emergency: +44 1908 516666.

For deaths in Guayaquil, the Embassy in Quito still handles UK consular matters. There is no separate consulate in Guayaquil.

Step 2: Registro Civil death registration

Deaths are registered at the Registro Civil in the canton where the death occurred. The Acta de Defuncion is the official death certificate. Hospital deaths in Quito or Guayaquil are typically registered within 24 hours. For deaths in remote areas, registration follows once the body reaches a city with a Registro Civil office.

Step 3: Galapagos evacuation (if applicable)

For deaths on the Galapagos Islands, this is the first priority. Local police on San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, or Isabela island notify the Fiscalia on the mainland. The body must be evacuated to Guayaquil by commercial or charter flight before any mainland official process can begin. TAME and Avianca operate inter-island and mainland routes. Allow two to four days for evacuation.

Step 4: Fiscalia investigation and INML post-mortem

For all unnatural deaths, the Fiscalia General del Estado (Prosecutor’s Office) takes jurisdiction. A post-mortem is ordered at the Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal (INML) in Quito or Guayaquil. The body cannot be released for repatriation until the Fiscalia issues its release order.

In clear accident cases, the Fiscalia can process within 10 to 14 days. In cases with criminal elements, timelines extend significantly.

Step 5: Ministry of Health export permit

The Ministerio de Salud Publica issues the export permit. Required documents: Acta de Defuncion, Fiscalia release order, INML post-mortem report, embalming certificate, freedom from contagious disease certificate. Allow three to seven days for the permit once all documents are complete.

Step 6: Embalming

Embalming is required. Licensed mortuaries in Quito and Guayaquil carry out the procedure. Embalming cannot proceed until the Fiscalia has released the body.

Step 7: Routing to the UK

Ecuador has two main cargo airports: Quito UIO (highlands and northern Ecuador) and Guayaquil GYE (coast, Amazon approach, and Galapagos cases). American Airlines via Miami to Heathrow is the standard cargo route. Avianca via Bogota is an alternative. Allow one to two additional days for multi-leg cargo. Source: FCDO guidance on death in Ecuador; Ecuadorian Code of Criminal Procedure (COIP); Ministry of Health export regulations; British Embassy Quito guidance (2023).