Daniel P. Says:
What’s the mail service like in Ecuador?
IL Executive Editor Jennifer Stevens Says:
Hi Daniel,
You will find post offices in larger cities and towns in Ecuador but few in the rural areas.
Since very few Ecuadorians use the post office, there is no routine mail delivery or pickup. When a letter or package for you arrives at the post office, it will be hand-delivered to your house. Public mailboxes are rare.
If you plan to receive mail on a regular basis, we suggest renting a post office box if you live in a good-sized town. The average annual cost to rent a standard size box is about $25 to $30.
For delivery of mail and small packages within Ecuador, there is a reliable company called Servientrega that operates much like UPS.
Due to the possibility of theft, we don’t recommend the international mailing of valuables via the postal system. Use a courier service like FedEx, UPS, or DHL—all of which have offices in the major Ecuadorian cities.
A word of caution: If you receive forwarded mail or other printed material by regular mail or courier, make sure the sender does not put a value on it since it will be subject to duty.
Two mail forwarding services popular with expats are Executive Mail Drop and Earth Class Mail. Earth Class scans selected mail and sends it to your email account.
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