U.S. citizens of any age must have a valid passport to enter and depart
from Guatemala. Passports must have at least 6 months validity or risk
getting turned away by the airline or by immigration. Dual nationals
may be able to enter Guatemala on a 2nd
nationality passport, but will not be permitted to board a return
flight to the U.S. without a U.S. passport.
Alternate proof of
identification or citizenship, such as certificates of Naturalization,
birth certificates, driver's licenses, and passport photocopies are not
accepted by Guatemalan immigration authorities. U.S. citizens are
required to carry their passport or a photocopy at all times while they
remain in Guatemala.
U.S. citizens may remain in Guatemala for up to
90 days without a visa, and may apply for an additional 90 days to
Guatemala immigration, or a duplicate of whatever length of stay was
initially granted. Minors may visit Guatemala without special parental
permission as long as they have a valid passport.
If you have your passport stolen or lost in Guatemala, you must
visit the U.S. Embassy to obtain a replacement passport. You must then
present the new passport and a police report of the loss or theft to
the Direccion de Migracion (Guatemalan immigration agency),
Sub-director de Control Migratorio (Sub-director for Migratory
Control), to get permission to leave Guatemala.
The agency is located
in Guatemala City at 6a Avenida 3-11, Zone 4, Guatemala City. Office
hours are weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; telephone 2411-2411.
Guatemalan immigration does not charge for this service.
Guatemala is a part of the Central America-4
(CA-4) Border Control Agreement along with El Salvador, Honduras,
and Nicaragua. This agreement allows both citizens of the countries and
eligible foreign visitors to travel across land borders without
additional visas or tourist entry permits, and without entry/exit
formalities at immigration checkpoints.
U.S. citizens are eligible for
this agreement. A maximum of 90 days will be awarded to visitors upon
arrival, and foreign visitors who wish to stay longer need to apply for
a one-time extension of stay or leave the area. Local immigration
authorities may grant stay extensions, and visitors who leave the CA-4
countries can apply for readmission to the region.
If you are expelled
from any country in the agreement you will not be permitted to enter
any of the other three countries. Isolated incidents of confusion over
the CA-4 details have led to delays, fines, and detention for a few
travelers.
For further information regarding entry, exit and customs requirements, travelers should contact the Guatemalan Embassy
at 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-4952,
extension 102; fax (202) 745-1908; or contact the nearest Guatemalan
consulate (Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, or
San Francisco).
