Postal Mailing Costs In Ecuador

Post office practices in Ecuador are quite a bit different from what you may be used to based on experiences in the United States or Europe. For one, daily home delivery simply doesn't happen. Most locals keep a post office box at their local branch, and many expats pick up mail addressed simply to the main post office in the town where they are living.

This different way of operating extends to the mailing side of postal operations in Ecuador as well. If you have something to mail, you will do well to keep current postal rates and norms in mind as you plan your packaging! This Hub is dedicated to what it may cost you to ship something from Ecuador to other parts of the world using the national post system, Correos del Ecuador.

One norm of the Ecuadorian postal service to keep in mind is that there are no tiered systems for discounts. If you are coming from the United States, you may be used to the Priority Mail vs. First Class vs. Media Mail systems, each with their own rates and sharp discounts between them. In Ecuador, things are different. Distinctions come in the form of a simple question, "Fast or slow?"

For most letters and packages mailed from Ecuador, you can expect things to arrive in about a week. This is the standard speed, Correspondencia Ordinaria. It's about 5 - 8 business days for the US, and 8 - 15 business days for the rest of the world. A letter out will cost you a bit over $1.

If you really need something to get there fast, you have the option to use Correspondencia EMS. This mail is significantly more expensive relative to the standard system, costing around $15 for a letter to go out. The advantage is that Correspondencia EMS offers delivery in 2 - 3 business days.

Other than speed, the other main factor in mailing costs in Ecuador is weight. The general rule of thumb is that one kilo of mail weight will cost you about $10 USD to send (as of this writing). Rates are subject to change at any time -- especially as import/export laws are imposed and expire -- and they vary a bit between the regions. This Hub is based on the national standard rates, so be sure to inquire at your local post office for the going rates in your city in Ecuador.

Depending on the country you are mailing your items out to there may be some weight limits applied. The Ecuadorian Post Office notes that it imposes no weight limits on outgoing mail for Correspondencia Ordinaria or Correspondencia EMS, but due to customs, duty, and tax issues in other countries there may be weight limits on what can be sent. Cross reference with your native post office if sending something large. If you want tracking on the item, the weight limit is generally held to 2 kg for bar codes and certified mail at the international level, with regulations subject to change at any time.

While mailing packages out of Ecuador is a bit different than what you may be used to doing in your home country, it is not impossible. Plan to be lightweight with your packing and ship early to avoid rush rates (account for holiday closures!) so that you can be as cost efficient with your Ecuadorian shipping adventures as possible.