Guatemala visa and entry requirements

Passports in Category A of the Guatemalan Institute of Migration's country classification (exempt from a visa) include those of Germany, the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and Japan; Guatemala's Migration Code says a tourist's stay may not exceed ninety days, extendable once. The UK Foreign Office says the 90-day period is shared with El Salvador and Nicaragua (the CA-4 Agreement also includes Honduras) and does not restart when you cross borders. Passports in Category B need a consular visa and those in Category C a consulted visa.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Oct 2, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

Visas & entry authorisations

Consular Visa (B)

Fee
50 USD
Processing
—
Stay per entry
90 days

IGM's tariff regulation sets USD 50 for a single visa (visa simple) and USD 150 for a multiple visa (visa múltiple) among the documents issued by Guatemalan diplomatic or consular missions abroad.

Consulted Visa (C)

Fee
25 USD
Processing
—
Stay per entry
90 days

IGM charges USD 25 per application for a Category C tourist or traveller visa, made by appointment. No official source we could read states whether a further fee is charged when the visa is issued.

Entry requirements

Passport validity

The UK Foreign Office says your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date you arrive and at least 2 blank pages.

Vaccinations

Conditional
  • Yellow fever (International Certificate of Vaccination (yellow card)) — WHO lists Guatemala as requiring proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers aged 1 year or over arriving from countries it determines to be at risk of yellow fever transmission, including travellers who transited more than 12 hours through the airport of such a country.

Travel insurance

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states a travel insurance requirement for entering Guatemala.

Onward or return ticket

Required

IGM lists a return air ticket, or other transport that guarantees your departure from the country, among the requirements for entering Guatemala, along with a hotel booking or the name of a contact in the country.

Proof of funds

Not officially stated

IGM's entry requirements say the migration officer may ask you to prove your economic solvency when they consider it appropriate. No official source we could read states an amount.

Arrival cards & declarations

Required
  • Regional Traveller Sworn Declaration (Declaración Jurada Regional de Viajero) — The tax and customs authority (SAT) portal for the Regional Sworn Traveller Declaration says every traveller or head of family entering or leaving the country must declare, and asks for the email address where you will receive the information submitted. (online before you enter or leave guatemala; terminals are also available on arrival before immigration) farm2.sat.gob.gt (opens in a new tab)

Staying past your permitted stay

Staying longer than authorized without a pending extension request is fined 15 quetzales per day of overstay. In addition to the fine, an order to leave the country within no more than 10 days may be imposed. The UK government says overstayers of the 90 days must pay the fine before leaving, at the main Institute of Migration office in Guatemala City, or at the airport or land borders, where administrative processes can cause serious delays.

Other compulsory government charges

  • Airport departure tax — 30 US dollars or the same amount in Guatemalan quetzal, according to the UK government.

    The UK government says you must pay an airport departure tax of 30 US dollars (or the same amount in Guatemalan quetzal), normally included in the ticket price. Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs gives the same amount, US$30 or the quetzal equivalent, normally included in the price of the flight ticket.

Customs & currency

Guatemala's Law against Money Laundering or Other Assets says anyone carrying more than USD 10,000, or the equivalent in national currency, in cash or documents into or out of the country must report it at the port of exit or entry.

  • The Government of Canada notes that customs authorities may enforce strict regulations on the import or export of items such as antiquities and artefacts; the UK Foreign Office says you must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Verified Oct 9, 2026 · Source: idpp.gob.gt (opens in a new tab) · Decreto 67-2001

Yellow fever certificate

WHO lists Guatemala as requiring proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers aged 1 year or over arriving from countries it determines to be at risk of yellow fever transmission, including travellers who transited more than 12 hours through the airport of such a country.

The 42 countries WHO lists as a yellow fever risk

Requirements normally count any country you have been in shortly before arrival, not only where you boarded.

  • Angola
  • Argentina — Misiones and Corrientes Provinces
  • Benin
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cameroon
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Colombia
  • Côte d'Ivoire
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Ecuador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Ethiopia
  • French Guiana
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Kenya
  • Liberia
  • Mali
  • Mauritania
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Senegal
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Sudan
  • Sudan
  • Suriname
  • Togo
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Uganda
  • Venezuela
Compiled Aug 26, 2026 · Source: cdn.who.int (opens in a new tab) · International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36

International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36 and Annex 7; WHO International Travel and Health, Annex 1, 18 November 2022 (revised 3 January 2023)

Country in a nutshell

Currency
Guatemalan quetzal (GTQ, Q)
Safety — Exercise caution
The UK Foreign Office says Guatemala has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America, that carjacking and armed robbery are common, and that there have been armed attacks or robberies on most tourist routes between Guatemala City, Antigua, Tikal, Petén and Lake Atitlán. It says to avoid public buses, that radio-dispatched taxis, Uber or hotel taxis are the safest option for shorter trips within towns, and advises not travelling alone or at night, especially near borders or in areas without many people.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab) · archived copy Aug 3, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Power plugs
A, B · 120V 60Hz
Emergency numbers
Police: 110 · Ambulance: 122 / 123 · Fire: 122 / 123 · Tourist assistance: 1500
Languages
Spanish
Time zone
UTC-6
International Driving Permit

Guatemala is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). The UK government says a UK photocard driving licence can be used to drive in Guatemala for up to 3 months, and Canada's travel advice says Canadians can drive in Guatemala with a valid Canadian driver's licence and should carry an International Driving Permit. No Guatemalan official source we could read states the rule for visitors driving on a foreign licence.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: treaties.un.org (opens in a new tab) · Convention on Road Traffic Compare every country

Best time to visit

The UK Foreign Office says Guatemala's rainy season normally runs from May to November, the same time as the hurricane season in the Caribbean, and that heavy rains cause frequent flooding and landslides. The Government of Canada gives the rainy season as mid-May to mid-November and says forest fires occur between November and June, with the Petén area usually the most affected.

Tips & warnings

The UK Foreign Office says you can travel between Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador for up to 90 days without a visa (the CA-4 Agreement also includes Honduras), that the 90-day period starts when you enter any of these countries and does not restart when you cross borders, and that you can extend by up to 30 days by paying a fee before the 90 days expire.

The Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración charges USD 25 per application to extend a tourist or traveller visa, and says the application must be made before the authorised stay expires, otherwise you must pay a fine for irregular stay. The UK government says that if you overstay the 90 days you will have to pay a fine before leaving the country.

The UK Foreign Office says PROATUR, the tourist assistance and emergency service of INGUAT, provides 24-hour emergency assistance and routine guidance to tourists, with call centre staff who speak English and Spanish: call +502 2290 2810, or 1500 from inside Guatemala.

The UK Foreign Office says some volcanoes are at high altitude with freezing temperatures at night, that local tour organisers tend to underestimate the risks and deaths have occurred, and that there is no mountain rescue service. It says to check the websites of the Guatemalan Meteorological Office and CONRED for access, restrictions and recommendations before you climb.

Visa requirements by nationality

Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistanVisa required—
AlbaniaVisa required—
AlgeriaVisa required—
AndorraVisa-free90 days
AngolaVisa required—
Antigua and BarbudaVisa-free90 days
ArgentinaVisa-free90 days
ArmeniaVisa required—
AustraliaVisa-free90 days
AustriaVisa-free90 days
AzerbaijanEmbassy visa—
BahamasVisa-free90 days
BahrainVisa-free90 days
BangladeshVisa required—
BarbadosVisa-free90 days
BelarusEmbassy visa—
BelgiumVisa-free90 days
BelizeVisa-free90 days
BeninEmbassy visa—
BhutanEmbassy visa—
BoliviaEmbassy visa—
Bosnia and HerzegovinaVisa required—
BotswanaVisa required—
BrazilVisa-free90 days
BruneiVisa-free90 days
BulgariaVisa-free90 days
Burkina FasoEmbassy visa—
BurundiEmbassy visa—
Cabo VerdeEmbassy visa—
CambodiaEmbassy visa—
CameroonVisa required—
CanadaVisa-free90 days
Central African RepublicEmbassy visa—
ChadEmbassy visa—
ChileVisa-free90 days
ChinaVisa required—
ColombiaVisa-free90 days
ComorosEmbassy visa—
Costa RicaVisa-free90 days
Côte d'IvoireEmbassy visa—
CroatiaVisa-free90 days
CubaVisa required—
CyprusVisa-free90 days
CzechiaVisa-free90 days
Democratic Republic of the CongoVisa required—
DenmarkVisa-free90 days
DjiboutiEmbassy visa—
DominicaEmbassy visa—
Dominican RepublicEmbassy visa—
EcuadorEmbassy visa—
EgyptEmbassy visa—
El SalvadorVisa-free90 days
Equatorial GuineaEmbassy visa—
EritreaVisa required—
EstoniaVisa-free90 days
EswatiniEmbassy visa—
EthiopiaVisa required—
FijiVisa-free90 days
FinlandVisa-free90 days
FranceVisa-free90 days
GabonEmbassy visa—
GambiaEmbassy visa—
GeorgiaEmbassy visa—
GermanyVisa-free90 days
GhanaVisa required—
GreeceVisa-free90 days
GrenadaEmbassy visa—
GuatemalaFree movement—
GuineaEmbassy visa—
Guinea-BissauEmbassy visa—
GuyanaEmbassy visa—
HaitiVisa required—
HondurasVisa-free90 days
Hong KongVisa-free90 days
HungaryVisa-free90 days
IcelandVisa-free90 days
IndiaEmbassy visa—
IndonesiaVisa required—
IranVisa required—
IraqVisa required—
IrelandVisa-free90 days
IsraelVisa-free90 days
ItalyVisa-free90 days
JamaicaEmbassy visa—
JapanVisa-free90 days
JordanVisa required—
KazakhstanEmbassy visa—
KenyaVisa required—
KiribatiEmbassy visa—
KuwaitVisa-free90 days
KyrgyzstanEmbassy visa—
LaosVisa required—
LatviaVisa-free90 days
LebanonVisa required—
LesothoEmbassy visa—
LiberiaVisa required—
LibyaVisa required—
LiechtensteinVisa-free90 days
LithuaniaVisa-free90 days
LuxembourgVisa-free90 days
MadagascarVisa-free90 days
MalawiEmbassy visa—
MalaysiaVisa-free90 days
MaldivesEmbassy visa—
MaliVisa required—
MaltaVisa-free90 days
Marshall IslandsVisa-free90 days
MauritaniaEmbassy visa—
MauritiusEmbassy visa—
MexicoVisa-free90 days
MicronesiaEmbassy visa—
MoldovaEmbassy visa—
MonacoVisa-free90 days
MongoliaVisa required—
MontenegroEmbassy visa—
MoroccoEmbassy visa—
MozambiqueVisa required—
MyanmarEmbassy visa—
NamibiaEmbassy visa—
NauruEmbassy visa—
NepalVisa required—
NetherlandsVisa-free90 days
New ZealandVisa-free90 days
NicaraguaVisa-free90 days
NigerEmbassy visa—
NigeriaVisa required—
North KoreaVisa required—
North MacedoniaVisa-free90 days
NorwayVisa-free90 days
OmanVisa required—
PakistanVisa required—
PalauEmbassy visa—
PalestineVisa required—
PanamaVisa-free90 days
Papua New GuineaEmbassy visa—
ParaguayVisa-free90 days
PeruVisa-free90 days
PhilippinesEmbassy visa—
PolandVisa-free90 days
PortugalVisa-free90 days
QatarVisa-free90 days
Republic of the CongoVisa required—
RomaniaVisa-free90 days
RussiaVisa-free90 days
RwandaEmbassy visa—
Saint Kitts and NevisVisa-free90 days
Saint LuciaVisa-free90 days
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesVisa-free90 days
SamoaEmbassy visa—
San MarinoVisa-free90 days
São Tomé and PríncipeVisa-free90 days
Saudi ArabiaVisa-free90 days
SenegalEmbassy visa—
SerbiaEmbassy visa—
SeychellesEmbassy visa—
Sierra LeoneVisa required—
SingaporeVisa-free90 days
SlovakiaVisa-free90 days
SloveniaVisa-free90 days
Solomon IslandsVisa-free90 days
SomaliaVisa required—
South AfricaVisa-free90 days
South KoreaVisa-free90 days
SpainVisa-free90 days
Sri LankaVisa required—
SudanVisa required—
SurinameEmbassy visa—
SwedenVisa-free90 days
SwitzerlandVisa-free90 days
SyriaVisa required—
TaiwanVisa-free90 days
TajikistanEmbassy visa—
TanzaniaEmbassy visa—
ThailandEmbassy visa—
Timor-LesteVisa required—
TogoEmbassy visa—
TongaEmbassy visa—
Trinidad and TobagoVisa-free90 days
TunisiaEmbassy visa—
TurkeyVisa-free90 days
TurkmenistanEmbassy visa—
TuvaluVisa-free90 days
UgandaEmbassy visa—
UkraineVisa-free90 days
United Arab EmiratesVisa-free90 days
United KingdomVisa-free90 days
United StatesVisa-free90 days
UruguayVisa-free90 days
UzbekistanEmbassy visa—
VanuatuVisa-free90 days
Vatican CityVisa-free90 days
VenezuelaVisa required—
VietnamVisa required—
YemenVisa required—
ZambiaEmbassy visa—
ZimbabweEmbassy visa—

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

No official page we read states the rule for 3 nationalities, so the table leaves them out: Kosovo, Macau, and South Sudan.

Mexico64 of 199 passports visa-free · 3 eVisa/ETABelize106 of 199 passports visa-freeEl Salvador89 of 199 passports visa-freeHonduras26 of 199 passports visa-free

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Guatemala?

Category A of the Guatemalan Institute of Migration's country classification is exempt from a visa; it includes Germany, the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, and the UK Foreign Office says British nationals can visit for up to 90 days without a visa. Passports in Category B need a consular visa and those in Category C a consulted visa.

How does the CA-4 90-day rule work in Guatemala?

The UK Foreign Office says you can travel between Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador for up to 90 days without a visa, and that the CA-4 Agreement also includes Honduras, for which British nationals need a visa. It says the 90-day period starts when you enter any of these countries and does not restart when you cross borders, and that you can extend your stay by up to 30 days by paying a fee before the 90 days expire.

Can I do a border run to reset my 90 days?

Not by crossing between the CA-4 countries: the UK Foreign Office says the 90-day period starts when you enter Guatemala, Nicaragua or El Salvador and does not restart when you cross borders. It says you can extend your stay by up to 30 days by paying a fee before the 90 days expire.

Is Guatemala safe for tourists?

The UK Foreign Office says Guatemala has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America, and that there have been armed attacks or robberies on most tourist routes between Guatemala City, Antigua, Tikal, Petén and Lake Atitlán. It says to avoid travelling on public buses (repainted US school buses), that for shorter trips within towns the safest option is radio-dispatched taxis, Uber or hotel taxis, and that PROATUR, Guatemala's tourist assistance service, can be reached on 1500 from inside Guatemala.

What money should I use in Guatemala?

No official source we could read describes card acceptance. The UK Foreign Office says it is often not possible to exchange British pounds in Guatemala and much easier to exchange US dollars, to check ATMs for evidence of tampering, and that it is safer to change money in hotels, at banks or at foreign exchange offices.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source