Guatemalan Visa Application in the U.S. — 2026 Guide

Most travellers never file a Guatemalan visa at all. U.S. citizens and nationals of a long list of countries enter visa-free for up to 90 days under the CA-4 arrangement shared by Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. Consular visa work in the United States is therefore filed mainly by third-country nationals living here, and by people whose nationality falls in the category that needs prior authorisation from Guatemala.

Quick facts

The key distinction is between a consular visa, which the consulate can grant on its own, and a consulted visa, where the file has to be approved by the migration authority in Guatemala City before the consulate may issue anything.

Fees breakdown

Fees are collected by money order at most consulates and are not refundable if the application is refused.

How to apply

1. Check your nationality against the current visa policy. Exemption depends on the passport you hold, not on where you live.
2. Establish whether your case is a consular visa or a consulted visa. For a consulted visa, a sponsor in Guatemala files the request with the migration authority first.
3. Contact the consulate covering your state to confirm documents and whether it takes walk-ins for visa work.
4. Complete the application form and attach two recent passport-size photographs, studio taken and printed on matte paper.
5. Attend in person with the original supporting documents. The consular officer may hold a short interview.
6. Collect the passport with the visa once approved and enter Guatemala within its validity.

Required documents

• Passport valid for at least six months beyond the planned stay.
• Two recent matte photographs, one attached to the form and one kept for issuance.
• Completed application form.
• Proof of lawful residence in the United States for third-country nationals.
• Evidence of funds: bank statements, pay slips or an employer letter.
• Travel itinerary or return ticket, and hotel booking or invitation letter.
• For minors: an apostilled birth certificate, legalised copies of the parents’ ID and written parental authorisation.

Where to apply

Applications go to the consulate whose district covers your U.S. address. Consulates do not accept files from outside their jurisdiction.

Additional notes

The 90-day CA-4 clock

Time spent in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua counts as a single 90-day period across all four countries. Crossing into a neighbouring CA-4 country does not restart it.

Holders of U.S. or Schengen visas

For some nationalities a valid U.S., Canadian, Mexican or Schengen visa changes the treatment of the application. It is worth asking the consulate before assuming a full file is needed.

Extending a stay

Extensions are requested inside Guatemala at a migration office, not at a consulate abroad, and have to be filed before the authorised period runs out.

Residency

Temporary and permanent residence are decided by the migration authority in Guatemala. The consulate’s role is to receive and forward parts of the file, not to grant residence.