Alcohol regulations in Ecuador

Licences needed

Permiso de Funcionamiento de Establecimiento (ARCSA), Certificado de Buenas Prácticas de Manufactura (BPM), Patente Municipal / Licencia Única de Actividades Económicas (LUAE), Permiso de Bomberos, and SRI Tax Registration for Excise Goods

Authority

Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (ARCSA), municipal Decentralized Autonomous Governments (GADs), and Servicio de Rentas Internas (SRI)

Documents

RUC certificate, technical director appointment, plant layout plans, process flowcharts, sanitation and hazard control manuals, BPM audit report, municipal land-use zoning approval, and environmental registry

Fees

Variable depending on enterprise scale (approx. $100 for micro/craft producers to $700+ for large industrial plants) plus municipal and BPM audit fees

Time to obtain

1 to 3 months (can take longer if full BPM facility certification audit is pending)

Who can import

Legally incorporated businesses or registered natural persons domiciled in Ecuador with an active commercial status

Licences or registrations

Active Tax Identification Number (RUC) registered for import activities with SRI, registration in SENAE's ECUAPASS customs clearance platform, and a valid digital signature token

Authority

Servicio Nacional de Aduana del Ecuador (SENAE) and Servicio de Rentas Internas (SRI)

Documents

RUC certificate, identification and appointment of legal representative, company articles of incorporation, and valid digital security certificate (token)

Fees

Registration in ECUAPASS is free; digital token issuance costs approximately $30–$50

Time to obtain

1 to 5 business days once digital signature and RUC are active

Required

yes

Process

Mandatory Sanitary Notification (Notificación Sanitaria) for processed food and beverages submitted through the Ventanilla Única Ecuatoriana (VUE) module in ECUAPASS; requires formula analysis, laboratory testing, and prior label approval conforming to INEN standards

Authority

Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (ARCSA)

Documents and samples

Certificate of Free Sale (CLV) or Good Manufacturing Practice (BPM) certificate from origin (apostilled/legalized and translated into Spanish), complete quantitative-qualitative formula, physical-chemical and microbiological lab test reports, original and proposed local labels, and authorized power of attorney; samples are subject to post-market surveillance inspection

Fees

Approximately $700 to $900+ USD per product SKU depending on classification and enterprise scale

Renewal

Valid for 5 years; renewal must be requested prior to expiration

Time to obtain

Approximately 30 to 60 business days

All commercial shipments must be cleared by a licensed customs broker (Agente de Aduana) via ECUAPASS. Requirements include: importer of record registration, valid ARCSA Notificación Sanitaria, commercial invoice, bill of lading/air waybill, insurance policy, packing list, certificate of origin (for preferential tariff treatments), and compliance with the SRI fiscal traceability/marking regime (importers contract authorized marking and tracking providers).

Spirits under HS 2208 are subject to ad valorem duties (typically 20% to 35% depending on specific sub-tariff line) or mixed/compound tariffs, a 0.5% FODINFA surcharge on CIF value, and applicable temporary safeguard surcharges on imported liquors (up to 25%).

Impuesto a los Consumos Especiales (ICE) operates on a mixed system: a specific rate of approximately $10.15–$10.30 USD per liter of pure alcohol (LPA) adjusted annually by SRI, plus an ad valorem component (up to 75%) applied when ex-customs/ex-factory prices exceed the statutory threshold (set at $4.67/liter in 2025). Value Added Tax (IVA) is 15% (increased from 12% in April 2024).

Private distribution model. Retailers, liquor stores (licorerías), supermarkets, and hospitality venues require an annual Operating Permit (Permiso de Funcionamiento) from the Ministerio de Gobierno categorized by venue type, plus municipal licenses. Sales hours are restricted by category (e.g., dedicated liquor stores must typically close by 22:00 or 00:00; bars/clubs operate until 02:00 or 03:00 depending on days; take-away sales are restricted on Sundays).

allowed with restrictions; online sales and on-demand delivery apps are permitted provided the retailer is licensed, orders comply with statutory retail operating hours, and mandatory age verification (18+) is conducted both at purchase and upon physical handoff

Mandatory Spanish labeling conforming to NTE INEN 1933 and ARCSA rules: commercial brand, generic product name, net volume (SI units), alcohol by volume (% Alc. Vol.), lot code, manufacturer and importer name/address/RUC, country of origin, ARCSA Sanitary Notification number, and the statutory health warning: 'ADVERTENCIA: El consumo excesivo de alcohol causa daño a la salud. Su venta está prohibida a menores de 18 años'. Alcoholic beverages are exempt from the food 'traffic light' nutritional label. SRI fiscal stamps/marking are required.

Heavily restricted under the Constitution (Art. 46), Ley Orgánica de Salud, and Ley Orgánica de Comunicación. Alcohol advertising is banned on broadcast television and radio during family/daytime programming hours; marketing cannot portray alcohol as enhancing sexual success, social status, or athletic performance; advertising cannot target minors; all advertisements must prominently include statutory warning statements against excessive consumption.

Defined under NTE INEN standards (e.g., NTE INEN 338 for general definitions, NTE INEN 1837 for liqueurs, NTE INEN 366 for brandy, NTE INEN 362 for aguardiente, and specific standards for whisky, rum, and vodka). Standard distilled spirits generally require a minimum alcoholic strength between 37.5% and 40% ABV (aguardiente minimum 38% ABV; liqueurs generally 15%–55% ABV). Maximum thresholds are enforced for congeners, methanol, and heavy metals.

Nationwide dry law ('Ley Seca') is mandated under the Código de la Democracia starting 36 hours before national elections/referendums and lasting until 12 hours after voting closes. Municipal ordinances prohibit the public consumption of alcohol on streets and parks, and strictly prohibit alcohol sales within 100 to 200 meters of schools, religious sites, and healthcare facilities.

• Value Added Tax (IVA) increased to 15% effective April 1, 2024, under the Ley para Enfrentar el Conflicto Armado Interno, increasing final landed costs for imported goods.
• SRI updated ICE annual specific rates and the ex-customs reference calculation base for alcoholic beverages (Resoluciones NAC-DGERCGC23-00000038/39 and NAC-DGERCGC24-00000043/44, fixing the ex-customs reference price at $4.67 per liter for 2025).
• Transition from the former centralized state SIMAR stamp system to a declarative traceability scheme allowing taxpayers to contract authorized security marking providers for fiscal monitoring of spirits.
• Imposition of updated safeguard measures and tightened SENAE anti-contraband enforcement at maritime and airport entry points.

Consumer demand remains steady for premium foreign spirits—notably Scotch whisky, premium tequila, and craft gin—in major metropolitan hubs like Quito and Guayaquil. However, high compounding taxes (tariffs, ICE, and 15% VAT) limit volume growth to upper-middle-class demographics and high-end hospitality venues.

• Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (ARCSA)
• Servicio Nacional de Aduana del Ecuador (SENAE)
• Servicio de Rentas Internas (SRI)
• Servicio Ecuatoriano de Normalización (INEN)
• Ministerio de Gobierno

1. U.S. International Trade Administration: Ecuador Import Tariffs, Requirements, and Documentation
2. SRI Resoluciones sobre el Impuesto a los Consumos Especiales (ICE)
3. ARCSA: Normativa Técnica Sanitaria para Alimentos Procesados (Resolución ARCSA-DE-067-2015-GGG)
4. NTE INEN 1933: Bebidas Alcohólicas - Rotulado
5. Ley Orgánica Electoral y de Organizaciones Políticas - Código de la Democracia (Ley Seca)