We would like to bring to your attention that a new USD 10 transit card will be a requirement for all travelers to the Galapagos Islands as of October 29, 2007.
This new Immigration Control Card is required as authorities are implementing a new system for controlling immigration to the Islands. There are about five thousand illegal immigrants living permanently on the islands and the number continues to rise each year.
The aims of the immigration plan focus on:

1. Stopping illegal immigrants entrance to the islands
2. Improving the procedures for authorizing permanent residencies
3. Improving the quality of logistics for immigration control
4. Regulating illegal residents under legal bases

All visitors that travel to Galapagos will be required to buy a USD 10 transit control card (Tarjeta de Control de Tránsito) TCT. The new ID will hold the general information of the traveler, a chip, and a bar code. The value of the card will be in addition to the USD 100 fee for entrance to the Galapagos National Park.
Control officers will use a tracking device to monitor the arrival and departure of passengers to/from Galapagos. This information will be kept on records which will include the overall length of stay on the Islands.

For all new bookings, we will require that these USD 10 be prepaid.