S.R.L. (Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada) in Guatemala 2026: 2-20 Partners, No Minimum Capital

A Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (S.R.L.) is the lower-cost alternative to the S.A. for small and mid-sized businesses in Guatemala. Where the S.A. is built for raising outside capital with transferable shares, the S.R.L. is built for 2-20 closely-held partners working together — family businesses, professional partnerships, founder-led startups, and import/export operations. It is regulated by Decreto 2-70 (Codigo de Comercio Art. 78-85).

This guide covers the full constitution process, costs, and timeline as they stand in May 2026.

Who Should Choose S.R.L.

• 2-5 co-founders building a business together
• Family businesses with multiple generations as socios
• Professional service partnerships (consultorias, despachos, agencies)
• Restaurants, retail, and trade businesses with stable ownership
• Import/export operations with a fixed partner group
• Small foreign-owned ventures with no plan to add investors

If you are a solo founder, use a sociedad de emprendimiento (Decree 20-2018) — the S.R.L. requires at least 2 socios. If you plan to raise capital from outside investors, the S.A. is the right structure.

Capital Structure and Socios

Minimum socios: 2. Maximum socios: 20. Exceed this and you must convert to an S.A.

Minimum capital: none. The Codigo de Comercio (Decreto 2-70, Arts. 78-81) sets no minimum capital amount for an S.R.L. — Art. 81 requires only that whatever capital is declared be fully and effectively paid (integra y efectivamente pagado) before the escritura constitutiva is signed. The Q200 minimum that people often quote is the Sociedad Anonima rule (Art. 90, reformed by Decreto 18-2017) and does not apply to the S.R.L.

In practice most S.R.L. constitutions declare Q5,000-25,000 to look credible for bank account opening, supplier credit, and government contracts — but that is a practical choice, not a legal minimum.

Capital structure: divided in aportaciones (contributions), not shares. Each socio’s aportacion shows the percentage of ownership and voting power. Aportaciones are NOT freely transferable — the remaining socios have a right of first refusal (derecho de tanteo).

Governance:

• Gerente (or multiple Gerentes Mancomunados) — the manager(s) who run the business and represent it legally
• Junta de Socios — partner meetings to approve major decisions
• Representante Legal — usually the Gerente; must be a Guatemalan resident

Step-by-Step Constitution Process

Step 1: Pre-Constitution Decisions (Week 0)

Decide:

• Razon social — must end in “Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada” or “S.R.L.” or “Limitada” or “Ltda.” Verify availability at Registro Mercantil first.
• Objeto social — keep it broad.
• Capital + aportacion per socio — total declared, percentage each socio holds.
• Gerente structure — one or multiple, mancomunados (joint) or solidarios (independent signatures).
• Plazo — duration. Most are 99 years.
• Domicilio fiscal — registered Guatemalan address.
• Transfer restrictions — derecho de tanteo terms, required consent for non-socio sales.
• Liquidacion rules — what happens on death/withdrawal of a socio.

Step 2: Escritura Publica with Notario (Week 1)

The S.R.L. is constituted via escritura publica before a Guatemalan notario, same legal weight as an S.A.:

1. Notario drafts the escritura with the partnership agreement, capital, and governance
2. All socios (or their apoderados with mandato especial) sign
3. The escritura is filed with the Archivo General de Protocolos

Notario honoraria 2026: Q3,000-6,000 — typically lower than S.A. because the structure is simpler (no share certificates, no junta directiva mandatory, fewer formalities). Larger capital + more socios + bilingual drafting can push higher.

For foreign socios not physically present: grant a mandato especial to a Guatemalan apoderado. The mandato must be apostilled in the home country and translated by a Guatemalan traductor jurado before the signing.

Step 3: Registro Mercantil (RM) Registration (Weeks 2-4)

Same RM process as the S.A.:

RM fees 2026:

• Fixed inscription fee: Q425
• Capital tax: 6 per 1000 on declared capital. Q5,000 capital = Q30. Q25,000 capital = Q150.
• Edicto publication: ~Q300 in Diario de Centro America

RM review takes 10-20 business days. The S.R.L. receives a Patente de Sociedad showing the registered partners, capital, gerentes, and domicilio.

Step 4: Edicto Publication

8-day publication in Diario de Centro America announcing the new S.R.L. Cost ~Q300. Once the window closes without opposition, the inscripcion becomes definitiva.

Step 5: SAT NIT Activation (Week 4)

Within 30 days of RM approval, register the S.R.L. with SAT:

• NIT empresarial — separate from personal NITs of the socios
• RTU + ISR regime selection — utilidades 25% or simplificado 7%
• IVA registration — 12% on sales
• FEL habilitation — see Factura Electronica FEL

The personal NIT of each socio remains separate. Personal-to-corporate flows (salary to a socio, dividend distribution) trigger their own ISR rules.

Step 6: Bank Account Opening (Weeks 4-6)

S.R.L. bank account opening is similar to S.A.:

• Original Patente de Sociedad from RM
• Escritura publica + ultima certificacion
• DPI of Gerente / Representante Legal (or passport apostille + residencia for foreigners)
• NIT empresarial
• Acta de Junta de Socios authorizing the bank relationship
• Initial deposit Q1,000-5,000 depending on bank

Most banks require the Gerente to appear in person.

Step 7: Municipal Patente de Comercio

Q200-1,500 at the local muni for the Patente de Comercio. Required before operating a physical location.

Full Cost Breakdown — S.R.L. with Q5,000 Capital

A typical “easy mode” S.R.L. for 2-3 Guatemalan socios with Q5,000 capital lands around Q5,000-7,000 all-in. Adding foreign socios with apostilled documents pushes toward Q8,000-12,000.

S.R.L. vs S.A. — Quick Comparison

For most small businesses, the S.R.L. wins on cost, simplicity, and partner control.

Foreign Socios in an S.R.L.

Foreigners can fully own and operate an S.R.L. — no minimum local socio requirement. The constraints are:

• Gerente / Representante Legal must be a Guatemalan resident
• All foreign documents (passports, mandatos, foreign corporate records) require apostille + traductor jurado
• Bank account opening usually requires the Gerente to appear in person (see Foreigner’s Guide)

If you are a foreigner investing through a vehicle, see Foreign Investor Vehicle for the corporation workaround used to hold property in restricted coastal/border zones.

Annual Compliance After Formation

If the business goes inactive, formally dissolve it instead of leaving compliance gaps.

Common Mistakes

• Forming an S.R.L. with 1 socio. Impossible — minimum 2. Use a sociedad de emprendimiento or commerciante individual instead.
• Picking S.R.L. but planning to raise VC. VC investors expect shares; S.R.L. aportaciones are awkward. Use S.A.
• Not defining derecho de tanteo rules. Default rules trigger; if you want flexibility you must specify in the escritura.
• Inflating capital to look impressive. RM charges 6/1000 + ISO exposure grows with capital. Match capital to real funding.
• Skipping FEL. Without FEL the business cannot legally invoice.
• Late SAT registration past 30 days. Fines + bank-opening friction.

When NOT to Form an S.R.L.

• You are a single founder. Use a sociedad de emprendimiento or operate personally first.
• You plan to raise outside capital. S.A. is the right structure.
• You expect >20 socios within 3 years. You’ll need to convert to S.A.; better start there.
• The business is short-lived (<2 years). Dissolution costs Q3,000-8,000. Use a lighter vehicle.

Related Guides

• Business Formation Hub — Entity selection and full process overview
• S.A. Constitution — The capital-raising alternative
• Foreigner’s Guide — Non-resident specifics
• Foreign Investor Vehicle — Corporation as property workaround
• Employee vs Contractor — Hiring decision tree
• Dissolving a Company — When closing time comes
• Payroll Guide — Once you hire your first employee
• Returning + Property Investment (Diaspora) — Diaspora use case
• Factura Electronica FEL — Mandatory invoicing
• Closing NIT Guatemala — End-of-life NIT closure

Information verified May 2026. Codigo de Comercio Decreto 2-70 (Art. 78-85), Codigo Tributario Decreto 6-91, and ISR Law Decreto 26-92 govern S.R.L. formation. Consult a Guatemalan notario or abogado for situations specific to your partner structure or cross-border tax position.