Pay the required fee of Q40.00 GTQ at the nearby bank. Be sure to get a receipt.
The owner is issued a temporary import permit for the vehicle.
NOTE: You will encounter pushy locals offering to help you with paperwork to get across the border. See Central America Border Crossings for advice.
Cost of entry
$3.00 USD for fumigation.
Q40.00 GTQ for the vehicle entry.
NOTE: The CA-4 stamp that most nationalities get allowing entry to Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua for 90 days is supposed to be free, but some customs officials will ask for money. Politely ask for a receipt, and do not pay unless you are given a receipt for this.
Permitted length of stay
90 days.
Extension of stay
Unknown. Describe the process to extend the permitted length of entry for the vehicle, if possible.
Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country
(unknown) Describe if/how a vehicle can be stored, and for how long. Also mention if the owner / temporary importer can leave the country while the vehicle is in storage.
Exiting with a vehicle
The registered owner presents the temporary import paper to customs.
The registered owner is stamped out of Guatemala at immigration.
NOTE: As with entering Guatemala, you will definitely encounter very pushy locals offering to help you with paperwork to get across the border. See Central America Border Crossings for advice.
Overland Essentials
Vehicle Insurance
Insurance requirements
Nil.
Cost of insurance
N/A
Where to purchase insurance
N/A
Driving license
Technically an International Driving Permit is required.
In reality, showing a license from anywhere in the world seems to be good enough.
Driving side of road
Right.
Right hand drive vehicles are permitted without problem.
Mandatory items in vehicle
None.
Roads
General Road quality
Roads in Guatemala vary greatly. The Pan American is paved and good quality for the length of the country, as are most other highways. Lesser roads are gravel and can be very bumpy and rutted. Towards the center of the country, roads are extremely bumpy and slow-going. During the rainy season meany roads are impassable.
Road signs
Road signs are uncommon, and can not be relied upon.
Toll roads
None.
Bribery
Police bribery is relatively common in Guatemala, so you should expect it to happen.
See the bribery tips page for advice.
Checkpoints
Police checkpoints are common in Guatemala. You'll primarily be asked to show your Passport, Vehicle registration, drivers license, and the temporary import permit you were issued at the border.
Traveling with pets
Unknown. List the entry requirements and anything else required to travel with a pet.
Driving at night is absolutely not recommended in Guatemala, due to safety considerations.
The North of the country near the Belize border is known to be especially dangerous.
Driving all the way around Lake Atitlán (Lago de Atitlán) is not recommended - numerous Overlanders have encountered bandits along the road to the South.
Vehicle parking
Find a secure parking lot to park for any length of time. Price unknown.
Special driving considerations
Like most Central American countries, you need to expect the unexpected at all times.
Camping is not popular in Guatemala, though you will find the odd spot if you keep a lookout. Roadside camping can be OK in the smaller out-of-the-way places.
The Police in Antigua offer a free campground in the middle of the city - a popular meeting place for Overlanders. See Overland Travel Interest below
Camping guide books
Unknown.
Drinking water
Tap water in Guatemala is not safe to drink.
Navigation
Paper maps
Purchase maps before arriving, good ones are very difficult to find in Guatemala.
The [Mexico Road Atlas] also has maps of Guatemala. It can be bought at gas stations within Mexico for around $20.00 USD Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
