Guatemala - Customs

Arriving By Yacht:

Length of Stay:

Yachts can now cruise Guatemala for up to 12 months without being required to have a marina contract with an INGUAT (Istituto Guatemaltteco de Turismo) registered marina.

The rules that regulate the entry and stay of a yacht in Guatemala are as follows:

1. Boats entering Guatemala from abroad will receive a cruising permit valid for 3 months. The cost of this permit will be the US $50 to be paid at the bank located near the Customs office.
2. If you wish to stay for more than three months, ask for a nine-month extension straight away at the cost of US $150. If you do not ask for the extension straight away, the captain will have to return to Livingston to do this later.
3. If you wish to leave your boat in Guatemala for more than 12 months, ask for a 12-month extension at a cost of US $150.
4. After 2 years in Guatemala, foreign yachts must leave Guatemala for 3 months before re-entering, regardless of whether they are registered at an INGUAT marina or not.
5. At the end of the second year you have to leave Guatemala for 3 months.

The fees stated above are SAT fees and do not include fees that may be charged by immigration or an agent.

Extensions MUST be applied for at least one month before the current permit expires. Once the previous permit expires the only option is to import the vessel (at 30% of the boat's value). Customs will not issue an extension if you apply for it too close to the time of expiration.

SAT (Guatemalan Customs) in Livingston can advise on the best way to apply for extensions.

There are proposals to try to extend the Long Stay permit for sailboats to five years. See news item here (April 2022).

Other Customs Rules:

• Note that SAT does a lot of control on the Pacific side of the country as there are many sport fishing boats there that never pay the taxes, so they enforce the law to the letter. Be sure your boat papers are in proper order, in particular, if entering the country at Puerto Quetzal, Puerto Barrios and Santa Tomas.
• Firearms and Ammunition: An import license or a temporary transportation permit issued by the DIGECAM (Direccion General de Control de Armas y Municiones) must be obtained prior to arrival.  For further details visit the DIGICAM website.

Last updated:  April 2022