North and Central America and Caribbean

Visas

 

Visas are not required by British citizens to enter Guatemala and can visit freely for up to 90 days. If your stay in Guatemala is longer than 90 days you should go to the General Directorate of Migration in Guatemala to apply for an extension to the 90-day rule.  

 

If you would like to clarify any other information on entry requirements you should contact the Guatemalan Embassy in London.

 

Passport validity

 

Your passport must have at least six months’ validity before travelling to Guatemala.

Central America Border Control Agreement

Guatemala is part of the Central America Border Control Agreement (CA-4).  Under the terms of this agreement, British tourists may travel within any of the CA-4 countries (Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala) for a period of up to 90 day, without completing entry and exit formalities at border Immigration checkpoints.  This period begins at the first point of entry of any of the CA-4 countries.  Fines are applied for travellers who exceed this 90-day limit, although a request for an extension can be made for up to 30 days by paying a fee before the 90 days limit expires.  If you are expelled from any of the four countries you are also excluded from the entire CA-4 region.

 

Departure Tax

There is a US$30 (or Quetzal equivalent) airport departure tax which is normally included in the price of the ticket.  An additional security tax of US$3 is payable at the airport.  For internal flights there is a five Quetzal per person travel tax, which is also payable at airline check-in desks.

When crossing into Guatemala by land border, there have been numerous reports of customs/immigration officials charging an "entry fee".  This is illegal.  By asking for an official receipt for your money you may find that the "fee" is dropped.

 

Travelling with children

Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country.  For further information on exactly what will be required at Guatemalan immigration, please contact the Guatemalan Embassy in London.