Entry Requirements and Visa for Guatemala

People

For French Citizens

For tourist travel, no visa is required for stays of less than 3 months. A passport valid for 6 months after the planned return date is sufficient.

Additionally, a customs declaration (or "DJRV") must be completed online on the official authorities' site. This step is mandatory and must be done within 15 days before arrival to obtain a QR code, which will be requested both upon entry and exit from the country.

Warning: The 90-day visa-free stay effectively applies in principle to the four countries of the "C4," a "common area" including Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. This means the total duration of a continuous stay in these four countries cannot exceed 90 days in total.

Other Nationalities

The same applies to Canadians, Swiss citizens, nationals of the European Union, and a few other nationalities.

Long Stays

For stays longer than three months, an extension of 90 additional days can be requested on-site from Guatemalan immigration authorities. Beyond 6 months, a residency process must be initiated, which is generally lengthy and costly.

Alternatively, a long-standing option used by many foreigners is the "visa run," which involves leaving the country every 90 days, typically to Belize or Mexico (but not another C4 country, as it won’t work), and then returning to have your passport stamped for an additional 3 months in Guatemala. However, while this practice is tolerated, it is not a guaranteed right. This means each time, you risk refusal by the authorities with no recourse.

In Case of Violation

If you exceed the 90-day visa-free period without requesting an extension, you may encounter issues when leaving the country. A fine must be paid immediately in US dollars, calculated proportionally based on the number of days overstayed.

Vehicles

More than residents, it is primarily travelers crossing Central America—or even coming from North America—with their own vehicle who are affected.

That said, entry procedures for vehicles in Guatemala are well-established, though they require careful administrative steps with all the usual documents needed for such occasions. In the end, you will obtain a Temporary Import Permit and specific vehicle insurance, typically valid for 90 days.

Consulates

In France

Consulate General: 2 rue Villebois-Mareuil, 75017 Paris. Tel.: 01 42 27 78 63.

Consulates in the Provinces

• Bordeaux: 5 rue du Docteur Dupeux, BP 67, 33402 Talence Cedex. Tel.: 05 56 37 51 87.

• Lyon: 33 rue François Garcin, 69442 Lyon Cedex 03. Tel.: 04 72 61 24 01.

• Marseille: 66 rue Grignan, 13001 Marseille. Tel.: 04 88 66 30 12.

• Strasbourg: 12 rue de l'Industrie, 67720 Hoerdt. Tel.: 03 88 68 16 66.

Other Countries

• Belgium: Avenue W. Churchill 185, 1180 Uccle. Tel.: +32 2 345 90 47.

• Canada:

-- Consulate General: 130 rue Albert, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5G4. Tel.: (613) 233 71 88.

-- Consulate in Montreal: 1255 rue Université, suite 512, Montréal, QC H3B 3B6. Tel.: (514) 397 23 48.

• Switzerland: Consulate General, Case postale 3194, Rue du Vieux-Collège 10 Bis, 1211 Geneva 3. Tel.: 022 311 99 45.