Countries › Guatemala › Guide › 8. Immigration › Immigration in Guatemala: visitor stays, temporary residence for workers, investors and remote earners, permanent residence for pensioners, and the labor ministry work permit

Immigration in Guatemala: visitor stays, temporary residence for workers, investors and remote earners, permanent residence for pensioners, and the labor ministry work permit

Argentina. For full detail on Argentina, go to The Argentine Thread.

Last verified: 2026-10-28 · Status: Changing

Guatemala's Código de Migración of 2016 gives foreigners three ordinary statuses: visitor (up to 90 days, extendable once), temporary resident (one to five years, for migrant workers, investors, students, artists, scientists and clergy) and permanent resident (after five years of temporary residence, one year of marriage to a Guatemalan, one year for Central Americans, or for pensioners and rentiers with foreign income). New regulations in force since October 2025 set the investor test at US$100,000, let people paid by a foreign employer reside on US$2,000 a month of income and grant permanent residence to pensioners and rentiers with US$1,250 a month. Anyone working for a local employer also needs a one year Ministry of Labor work permit costing the employer Q3,000 (about US$392), and the IGM charges US$200 to US$500 for temporary residence and US$700 for permanent residence.

USD figures for quetzal amounts, and quetzal figures for dollar amounts, use Q7.64427 per US dollar, the Banco de Guatemala reference rate for 28 October 2026, retrieved from the Banguat exchange rate web service on the verification date. IGM fees are set in US dollars and may be paid in quetzales at a quarterly reference price set by the IGM (Acuerdo IGM-029-2023 art. 6), so the quetzal amount at the counter can differ slightly.

Key facts

Maximum visitor stay per entry	90 daysDecreto 44-2016 art. 74; IGM-015-2025 art. 14, as of 2025-10-01 · in force
Maximum visitor stay including the single extension	180 daysIGM-015-2025 (AMN 04-2025) art. 14, as of 2025-10-01 · in force
IGM fee to file a visitor extension	25 USDIGM-029-2023 art. 3 as reformed by IGM-039-2025, as of 2025-10-07 · in force
Maximum term of a temporary residence grant	5 yearsDecreto 44-2016 art. 75; IGM-016-2025 art. 7, as of 2025-10-01 · in force
Years of temporary residence before permanent residence	5 yearsDecreto 44-2016 art. 78 lit. a, as of 2016-10-12 · in force
Years of marriage or registered union with a Guatemalan before permanent residence	1 yearsDecreto 44-2016 art. 78 lit. b, as of 2016-10-12 · in force
Minimum investment for investor temporary residence	100000 USDIGM-016-2025 (AMN 05-2025) art. 17, as of 2025-10-01 · in force
Minimum monthly foreign income for rentier or pensioner permanent residence, per person	1250 USDIGM-016-2025 (AMN 05-2025) art. 33, as of 2025-10-01 · in force
Additional monthly income per dependent for rentier or pensioner residence	300 USDIGM-016-2025 (AMN 05-2025) art. 33, as of 2025-10-01 · in force
Minimum monthly pay from a foreign employer for migrant worker temporary residence, without dependents	2000 USDIGM-016-2025 (AMN 05-2025) art. 11 num. 2, as of 2025-10-01 · in force
Minimum monthly pay from a foreign employer with dependents	3000 USDIGM-016-2025 (AMN 05-2025) art. 11 num. 2, as of 2025-10-01 · in force
IGM fee to file a residence application	25 USDIGM-029-2023 art. 3 num. 3.1 as reformed by IGM-039-2025, as of 2025-10-07 · in force
IGM fee for a one year temporary residence	200 USDIGM-029-2023 art. 3 num. 3.3.1 as reformed by IGM-039-2025, as of 2025-10-07 · in force
IGM fee for a three to five year temporary residence	500 USDIGM-029-2023 art. 3 num. 3.3.3 as reformed by IGM-039-2025, as of 2025-10-07 · in force
IGM fee for permanent residence (general)	700 USDIGM-029-2023 art. 3 num. 3.6 as reformed by IGM-039-2025, as of 2025-10-07 · in force
IGM fee for rentier or pensioner permanent residence	400 USDIGM-029-2023 art. 3 num. 3.8 as reformed by IGM-039-2025, as of 2025-10-07 · in force
Annual alien fee for permanent residents	40 USDIGM-029-2023 as reformed by IGM-039-2025, num. 4.1.3, as of 2025-10-07 · in force
Ministry of Labor fee to issue a work permit for a foreign employee	3000 GTQAcuerdo Gubernativo 178-2025 art. 18, as of 2025-09-29 · in force
Ministry of Labor fee to renew a work permit	2000 GTQAcuerdo Gubernativo 178-2025 art. 18, as of 2025-09-29 · in force
Validity of a work permit, renewable for equal periods	1 yearsAcuerdo Gubernativo 178-2025 art. 12, as of 2025-09-29 · in force
Maximum time for the Ministry of Labor to decide a work permit	20 business daysAcuerdo Gubernativo 178-2025 art. 13, as of 2025-09-29 · in force
Fine per day of overstay	15 GTQDecreto 44-2016 art. 194 num. 2, as of 2016-10-12 · in force
Unauthorized absence after which residence can be cancelled	1 yearsIGM-016-2025 (AMN 05-2025) art. 37 num. 3, as of 2025-10-01 · in force

The rule

1. Foreigners in Guatemala hold one of three ordinary statuses: visitor (turista o viajero), temporary resident or permanent resident. A visitor enters lawfully for lawful purposes without seeking residence and may stay up to 90 days, extendable once; the visitor status also covers technical, professional, scientific, cultural, sports or religious experts hired by public or private institutions for paid consulting or advisory work of up to 180 days. Under the 2025 visa regulation the stay may not exceed 90 days and the single extension may not take total time beyond 180 days from entry; the extension must be requested from the IGM before the authorized stay expires, showing an exit ticket, an international credit card or a Guatemalan guarantor.
Cost to do it: Extension request intake US$25 (about Q191.11). A visa, where the nationality needs one, costs US$25 single entry or US$100 multiple entry (about Q764.43).
Example: A visitor who arrives on 1 March and files the extension before 30 May can stay to late August; filing costs about Q191.11. / US$25 to extend a 90 day visitor stay to at most 180 days.Decreto Nº 44-2016 del Congreso, Código de Migración (approved 20 September 2016, sanctioned 12 October 2016), text published by the Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración; Acuerdo IGM-015-2025, Reglamento de Visas Guatemaltecas (21 May 2025), approved by Acuerdo de Autoridad Migratoria Nacional AMN 04-2025 of 23 May 2025, in force three months after its publication in the Diario de Centro América on 8 July 2025, Código de Migración art. 72, 73 and 74; Reglamento de Visas art. 9, 14 and 15, 2016-10-12 official text · verified 2026-10-28 · changed: The Reglamento de Visas Guatemaltecas (IGM-015-2025, approved by AMN 04-2025) replaced the 2023 visa regulation approved by AMN-008-2023; it was published on 8 July 2025 and took effect three months later, in October 2025.

2. Nationals are classified for visa purposes in Category A (visa exempt), Category B (consular visa issued by a Guatemalan mission abroad) and Category C (consulted visa, which the IGM must authorize before the consulate issues it). The IGM list of Category A countries includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, the EU states, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay and Paraguay. A Category C national holding a valid US, Mexican, Canadian or Schengen visa is treated as Category B, and a Category B or C national with three continuous years of documented residence in a Category A country is treated as Category A.
Cost to do it: No visa fee for Category A nationals; US$25 single or US$100 multiple entry visa for others.
Example: A Colombian manager flies in visa free for a site visit; an executive from a Category C country with a valid US visa applies at a consulate as Category B. / US$0 for Category A; US$25 to US$100 otherwise.Acuerdo IGM-015-2025, Reglamento de Visas Guatemaltecas (21 May 2025), approved by Acuerdo de Autoridad Migratoria Nacional AMN 04-2025 of 23 May 2025, in force three months after its publication in the Diario de Centro América on 8 July 2025, Art. 9 and 29, 2025-05-23 official text · verified 2026-10-28

3. Temporary residence is granted for one to five years and is extendable, but anyone wanting to stay as a resident beyond five years must apply for permanent residence (students excepted). The categories are migrant workers employed under the direction of an employer, students, athletes and artists, investors, intellectuals, researchers and scientists, and ministers of religion. Holders may leave and re-enter without limit. The application can be filed at a Guatemalan consulate or, while in regular status in Guatemala, with the IGM, and filing the application authorizes the applicant to remain while it is processed. Extensions must be filed 30 days before expiry. General requirements are the application form, a valid passport with the last entry stamp and a full legalized copy, a criminal record certificate from the country of origin or of residence in the last two years, the migration movement certificate and proof of payment; foreign documents must be apostilled or legalized, translated into Spanish and issued no more than six months earlier.
Cost to do it: US$25 application intake plus US$200 for one year, US$300 for two years or US$500 for three to five years (about Q191.11, Q1,528.85, Q2,293.28 and Q3,822.13); students US$100 per year, ministers of religion US$50.
Example: A three year residence costs US$25 plus US$500, about Q4,013.24, before notary, apostille and translation costs. / US$525 for a three year temporary residence; US$225 for one year.Decreto Nº 44-2016 del Congreso, Código de Migración (approved 20 September 2016, sanctioned 12 October 2016), text published by the Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración; Acuerdo IGM-016-2025, Reglamento de Residencias Guatemaltecas (21 May 2025), approved by Acuerdo de Autoridad Migratoria Nacional AMN 05-2025, published in the Diario de Centro América on 8 July 2025 and in force three months later, Código de Migración art. 75 and 76; Reglamento de Residencias art. 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 52, 2025-05-21 official text · verified 2026-10-28 · changed: The Reglamento de Residencias Guatemaltecas (IGM-016-2025, approved by AMN 05-2025) repealed Acuerdo IGM-092-2022 of 25 October 2022; it was published on 8 July 2025 and took effect three months later, in October 2025.

4. A migrant worker with a Guatemalan employer applies with an original job offer letter stating the position, hours, term, pay, start date and place of work, plus a Guatemalan guarantor (garante), and the residence is granted for up to five years in line with the offer. A migrant worker paid by a foreign employer must show bank statements proving remuneration from abroad of at least US$2,000 a month over the last year, or US$3,000 a month if accompanied by dependents, or an accountant's certificate that is legalized or apostilled; staff of international organizations and international NGOs need only proof of employment and health insurance. Self employed applicants file a sworn notarial statement of their planned activity and income, their tax registration (RTU) and their business authorization. Family members apply for the same term and status as the main applicant. A migrant worker with a local employer must file a valid Ministry of Labor work permit within three months of being notified of the residence and update it every year.
Cost to do it: Same IGM fees as any temporary residence; for a local employer add the Ministry of Labor work permit (Q3,000, then Q2,000 per renewal).
Example: A software developer paid from abroad must show at least Q15,288.54 a month (US$2,000) of foreign pay for each of the last 12 months, or about Q22,932.81 (US$3,000) with family. / US$2,000 a month alone, US$3,000 with dependents.Acuerdo IGM-016-2025, Reglamento de Residencias Guatemaltecas (21 May 2025), approved by Acuerdo de Autoridad Migratoria Nacional AMN 05-2025, published in the Diario de Centro América on 8 July 2025 and in force three months later, Art. 6, 11, 12 and 46 lit. b, 2025-05-21 official text · verified 2026-10-28

5. Investors receive temporary residence for up to five years. They must show that they take part in one or more commercial entities or invest in movable or immovable property for an amount of one hundred thousand dollars, with a sworn notarial statement describing the economic activity and the expected length of stay, and supporting evidence such as registry certificates, title to securities, invoices for property, plant and equipment, or proof of the origin of funds. Renewal requires a sworn statement and evidence that the activity continues. Dependents follow the migrant worker rules.
Cost to do it: Investment of US$100,000 (about Q764,427) plus US$25 intake and US$200 to US$500 residence fee.
Example: A foreign shareholder who capitalizes a Guatemalan sociedad anónima with Q764,427 and buys equipment can apply for up to five years of investor residence. / US$100,000 investment, then US$525 in IGM fees for a three to five year residence.Decreto Nº 44-2016 del Congreso, Código de Migración (approved 20 September 2016, sanctioned 12 October 2016), text published by the Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración; Acuerdo IGM-016-2025, Reglamento de Residencias Guatemaltecas (21 May 2025), approved by Acuerdo de Autoridad Migratoria Nacional AMN 05-2025, published in the Diario de Centro América on 8 July 2025 and in force three months later, Código de Migración art. 75 lit. d; Reglamento de Residencias art. 17 and 18, 2025-05-21 official text · verified 2026-10-28

6. Permanent residence gives an indefinite stay and is available to those who have been temporary residents for five years or more; to spouses or registered de facto partners of Guatemalans after one year of marriage or union; to relatives of Guatemalans within the legal degrees; to nationals of other Central American countries after one year of temporary residence; and to rentiers and pensioners with lawful permanent income from abroad. The regulation sets the income test for rentiers and pensioners at US$1,250 a month per person plus US$300 a month for each dependent (spouse, unmarried children and minors), and rentiers and pensioners may not take paid work. Permanent residents may obtain the Documento Personal de Identificación as domiciled foreigners, open bank accounts and acquire property, must update their data and pay an annual alien fee each year, and pensioners and rentiers must prove continued income every five years.
Cost to do it: US$25 intake plus US$700 permanent residence (about Q5,350.99), or US$400 for rentiers and pensioners and US$500 for Central Americans; annual alien fee US$40 (about Q305.77).
Example: A retired couple needs at least US$1,550 a month (about Q11,848.62) of pension income from abroad. / Pensioner residence fee US$425 including intake; US$40 a year after that.Decreto Nº 44-2016 del Congreso, Código de Migración (approved 20 September 2016, sanctioned 12 October 2016), text published by the Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración; Acuerdo IGM-016-2025, Reglamento de Residencias Guatemaltecas (21 May 2025), approved by Acuerdo de Autoridad Migratoria Nacional AMN 05-2025, published in the Diario de Centro América on 8 July 2025 and in force three months later, Código de Migración art. 78; Reglamento de Residencias art. 24, 27, 28, 30, 31, 33, 45 and 46, 2025-05-21 official text · verified 2026-10-28

7. A foreigner working for a private employer under an employment relationship needs a work permit from the Departamento de Permisos a Extranjeros of the Ministry of Labor. The employer files online, showing that the foreigner holds permanent or temporary residence (or an IGM certificate that a residence application is pending), a job offer describing the main duties, and an accountant's certificate of the national and foreign headcount and payroll proving compliance with the 90 percent and 85 percent rule of Código de Trabajo art. 13 (new entities file a sworn statement instead, once). The ministry reviews the file within 10 business days, inconsistencies must be cured within 5 business days, the fee must be paid within 5 business days of the payment order, and the whole procedure may not exceed 20 business days. The permit lasts one year and is renewable for equal periods; renewal must be requested 15 business days before expiry, and the employer must cancel the permit within 15 business days after the job ends. Spouses and relatives of Guatemalans, spouses of migrant worker residents and refugees are exempt from the fee.
Cost to do it: Q3,000 to issue (about US$392.45) and Q2,000 per annual renewal (about US$261.63), paid by the employer.
Example: Three years of work permit for one expatriate manager cost Q3,000 + Q2,000 + Q2,000 = Q7,000. / About US$915.72 over three years.Acuerdo Gubernativo Número 178-2025, Reglamento de Autorización de Permiso de Trabajo a Personas Extranjeras en Relación de Dependencia (29 September 2025), in force eight days after publication in the Diario de Centro América; repeals Acuerdo Gubernativo 528-2003, Art. 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 18, 2025-09-29 official text · verified 2026-10-28 · changed: Acuerdo Gubernativo 178-2025 of 29 September 2025 repealed and replaced the work permit regulation of Acuerdo Gubernativo 528-2003 of 17 September 2003, moving the procedure online with fixed business day deadlines and a Q3,000 issue and Q2,000 renewal fee.

8. Administrative fines apply to foreigners: Q200 for not presenting the passport or travel document, Q15 for each day of overstay without a pending extension, Q2,000 for a temporary resident who does not file the annual tax solvency certificate (solvencia tributaria) with the IGM, and Q5,000 plus an order to stop for carrying on commercial activity without authorization. Fines may be paid in US dollars at the Banguat reference rate of the day of payment. Residence is lost on an unauthorized absence of more than one year, on false socioeconomic information or on breach of the resident's obligations; a resident who needs to be away for a year or more must ask the IGM for authorization in advance.
Cost to do it: Q15 a day of overstay (about US$1.96); Q2,000 (about US$261.63) for a missing tax solvency certificate; Q5,000 (about US$654.08) for unauthorized business activity. Authorization to be absent costs US$25.
Example: Thirty days of overstay: 30 x Q15 = Q450. / About US$58.87 for 30 days of overstay.Decreto Nº 44-2016 del Congreso, Código de Migración (approved 20 September 2016, sanctioned 12 October 2016), text published by the Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración; Acuerdo IGM-016-2025, Reglamento de Residencias Guatemaltecas (21 May 2025), approved by Acuerdo de Autoridad Migratoria Nacional AMN 05-2025, published in the Diario de Centro América on 8 July 2025 and in force three months later, Código de Migración art. 193 and 194; Reglamento de Residencias art. 37, 46 and 51, 2016-10-12 official text · verified 2026-10-28

Route	Who it fits	Key test	Term	IGM fee	Work permit needed
Visitor	Business trips, short paid consulting up to 180 days	Category A, B or C visa rules	90 days, one extension, 180 days maximum	US$25 to extend	No
Temporary residence, migrant worker (local employer)	Expatriate staff of a Guatemalan company	Job offer and Guatemalan guarantor	1 to 5 years	US$25 + US$200 to US$500	Yes, Q3,000 then Q2,000 a year
Temporary residence, migrant worker (foreign employer)	Remote employees paid from abroad	US$2,000 a month (US$3,000 with dependents) for the last year	1 to 5 years	US$25 + US$200 to US$500	The residence file requires only proof of foreign pay (Reglamento de Residencias art. 11 num. 2)
Temporary residence, investor	Shareholders and asset buyers	US$100,000 in companies or property	Up to 5 years	US$25 + US$200 to US$500	Not as investor
Permanent residence, rentier or pensioner	Retirees and passive income earners	US$1,250 a month plus US$300 per dependent, no paid work	Indefinite	US$25 + US$400, then US$40 a year	Not allowed to work
Permanent residence, general	After 5 years temporary, 1 year married to a Guatemalan, 1 year for Central Americans	Status history or family tie	Indefinite	US$25 + US$700 (US$500 Central Americans), then US$40 a year	Yes for spouses and relatives, fee exempt

Main routes to live and work in Guatemala. Sources: Código de Migración art. 74, 75 and 78; Reglamento de Residencias IGM-016-2025; IGM fee regulation IGM-029-2023 as reformed by IGM-039-2025; Acuerdo Gubernativo 178-2025. USD to GTQ at Q7.64427.

Worked example

Posting an expatriate country manager to a Guatemalan subsidiary for three years: IGM residence intake US$25 plus three year temporary residence US$500 = US$525 (about Q4,013.24); Ministry of Labor work permit Q3,000 in year one and Q2,000 in each of years two and three = Q7,000 (about US$915.72). Government fees total about Q11,013.24, or about US$1,440.72, before apostilles, translations, notary work and counsel.
Retiring to Antigua Guatemala as a couple on foreign pensions: the income test is US$1,250 plus US$300 = US$1,550 a month (about Q11,848.62). Each applicant pays US$25 intake plus US$400 (US$425, about Q3,248.81), then US$40 a year (about Q305.77) as the annual alien fee, and proves continued income every five years.
A remote software engineer paid by a US company: to reside as a migrant worker with a foreign employer, 12 months of bank statements must show at least US$2,000 a month (about Q15,288.54). A one year residence costs US$225 in IGM fees (about Q1,719.96).

Step by step

Check the nationality's visa category on the IGM classification page; Category A nationals, including those of the United States, Mexico, the EU, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia, enter visa free for up to 90 days.
Pick the residence route (migrant worker, investor, rentier or pensioner, family tie) and gather foreign documents in time: criminal record certificate, birth certificate where needed and income or investment evidence, apostilled or legalized, translated into Spanish and issued within six months of filing.
For a local employer, line up a Guatemalan guarantor and an original job offer letter; for an investor, document the US$100,000 investment and its source of funds and sign the sworn notarial statement.
File with the IGM Subdirección de Extranjería (or a Guatemalan consulate abroad) and pay the US$25 intake fee; the filing lets the applicant stay while it is processed, and any request for missing documents must be met within 30 days.
Once residence is granted, a local employer files the work permit online with the Ministry of Labor (decision within 20 business days) and the worker files the permit with the IGM within three months.
Obtain the DPI as a domiciled foreigner from RENAP, register with SAT for the tax ID needed for the annual tax solvency certificate, and calendar the annual obligations: data update, solvency certificate for temporary residents, work permit renewal 15 business days before expiry, residence extension 30 days before expiry and the US$40 annual fee for permanent residents.
After five years of temporary residence, or earlier if a family or Central American route applies, apply for permanent residence.

Common traps

Temporary residence cannot be extended beyond five years in total (students excepted); plan the switch to permanent residence before the fifth year ends (Reglamento de Residencias art. 5 and 7).
The work permit requires residence (or a pending application), so the residence file comes first; a refused residence as a migrant worker is a ground to refuse the first work permit renewal (AG 178-2025 art. 5 and 14).
The employer must cancel the work permit within 15 business days after the job ends; otherwise the departed foreigner keeps counting toward the foreign staff percentages under Código de Trabajo art. 13 (AG 178-2025 art. 15).
Rentier and pensioner residence excludes paid activity, and residents may not do business without authorization; the fine is Q5,000 plus an order to stop (Código de Migración art. 194 num. 4; Reglamento de Residencias art. 31).
Temporary residents must file a tax solvency certificate with the IGM every year; missing it costs Q2,000 (Código de Migración art. 194 num. 3; Reglamento de Residencias art. 46).
Spending more than a year abroad without IGM authorization can cost the residence, and a file left idle for six months is archived and overstay fines start to run (Reglamento de Residencias art. 37, 51 and 58).
The 90 day visitor stay is per entry, with one extension to at most 180 days, and the extension must be filed before the authorized stay expires; staying on without a pending extension triggers a fine of Q15 a day and possible expulsion (Reglamento de Visas art. 14 and 15; Código de Migración art. 194).
Older guides cite Acuerdo Gubernativo 528-2003 for work permits and Acuerdo IGM-092-2022 for residences; both were repealed in 2025.

Sources

← Employing people in Guatemala: contracts, minimum wage, bonuses, IGSS contributions, dismissal indemnity and the foreign staff capImporting and exporting in Guatemala: Central American customs code, tariff, importer registry, customs agents, VAT at the border, export refunds and penalties →

Get rule changes weekly

Free. One email a week from The LatAm Thread.

One more step after you press the button: we take you to Substack, where your email is already filled in. Confirm there to start. No spam, unsubscribe anytime, we never share your address. By subscribing you agree to the privacy policy.