Whether you need your own Guatemalan birth certificate while living in the US, want to register a US-born child as Guatemalan, or have to apostille a document in either direction, this page routes you to the exact path — and links to the detailed guide for each step instead of repeating it.
Quick summary: Your own Guatemalan birth certificate → order online at eportal.renap.gob.gt (Q15; a small card surcharge may apply) or through a consulate. US-born child → register through a consulate under Article 144. US document for Guatemala → apostille at the issuing US state Secretary of State ($10-50), then sworn Spanish translation (Q150-500). Guatemalan document for the US → apostille at MINEX (Q75/doc).
Which scenario are you in?
| Your situation | Where it happens | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| I need MY Guatemalan birth certificate | RENAP eportal or a US consulate | Scenario 1 |
| I want to register my US-born child as Guatemalan | US consulate → MINEX → RENAP | Scenario 2 |
| I have a US document to use in Guatemala | US state Secretary of State | Scenario 3 |
| I have a Guatemalan document to use in the US | MINEX in Guatemala City | Scenario 4 |
Scenario 1: Your own Guatemalan birth certificate
RENAP issues the certificación de nacimiento. The cost in person at any of RENAP’s 340+ offices in Guatemala is Q15, issued at the office; legalizing the registrar’s signature costs Q50 (plus a Q10 fiscal stamp), and a birth certificate requested from abroad (at a consulate, an embassy or electronically) is US$6 (tariff Art. 6; there is no separate “international format”). Legal basis: Decreto 90-2005, Art. 83 (certifications, which RENAP may also issue by electronic means), with fees set by Acuerdo de Directorio 15-2020 (reformado por el Acuerdo de Directorio 12-2021).
From the US you have three ways to get it:
- Online — eportal.renap.gob.gt. Works from anywhere in the world and returns a digitally-signed PDF that is legally valid and verifiable by QR code. The easiest path. Cost is Q15 (a small surcharge may apply if you pay by credit/debit card).
- At any Guatemalan consulate in the US — RENAP’s tariff prices a certification requested from abroad at US$6; we found no published processing time, so ask the consulate.
- A family member requests it in person in Guatemala. Birth certificates are public records, so no power of attorney is needed — they just need your full name plus CUI, or your date of birth and parents’ names.
Validity: at most 6 months from issue. IGM, citing RENAP’s Acuerdo de Directorio 58-2015 Art. 5, says birth certificates are valid for at most six months from the date of issue. See how long a Guatemalan birth certificate is valid.
Two snags to plan for: a record the e-portal cannot find (acta no encontrada) has to be requested in person, at the RENAP office of the municipality where the birth was inscribed; and RENAP does not say whether its card processor accepts US-issued cards (see Guatemalan portals that accept US cards), so have a relative in Guatemala or a bank payment slip as a fallback.
For the full walkthrough — online steps, fields, and troubleshooting — see Birth Certificate in Guatemala (RENAP).
Scenario 2: Register a US-born child
A child born in the US to at least one Guatemalan parent is already Guatemalan from birth under Article 144 of the Constitution (citizenship by descent / jus sanguinis). Registration (inscripción de nacimiento en el extranjero) is a formality done at a consulate, which forwards the file to MINEX and then RENAP.
For its own civil-registry window, MINEX lists the child’s foreign birth certificate, with a legal translation if it is not in Spanish or English, the parents’ identification and both parents’ RENAP birth certificates (AGN, 19 February 2025). Ask your consulate for its written list before the appointment.
We keep the full document list, fees, and timeline in a dedicated guide rather than repeating it here:
- Register a US-Born Child as Guatemalan — Article 144 deep-dive: documents, apostille requirements, and what each consulate asks for.
Scenario 3: Apostille a US document for Guatemala
Guatemala joined the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, in force for Guatemala since 18 September 2017. Since then a single apostille replaces the old consular-legalization chain — no consulate or MINEX step is needed on inbound US documents.
The chain for a US birth certificate going to Guatemala:
- Get a long-form certified copy of the birth certificate.
- Apostille it at the Secretary of State of the state where the certificate was issued — not the state where you currently live. State fees run $10-50 per document (for example: CA $20, TX $15, NY $10, FL $10), same-day in person to about 10 business days by mail. Federal documents (FBI check, USCIS) are apostilled by the US Department of State in Washington DC, $20 per document.
- Ship to Guatemala.
- Get a sworn Spanish translation by a
traductor jurado(a Guatemalan-licensed sworn translator — Google Translate and regular translators are rejected): Q150-500 per document, 1-3 days for a short standard document (market estimate — there is no public tariff; see our sworn translator price guide). - Present the apostilled original plus sworn translation to the receiving Guatemalan authority.
Three mistakes to avoid: a US notary stamp is not an apostille; and apostilling in the wrong state (it must be the issuing state).
For state-by-state offices, fees, and turnaround, see:
- Apostille US Documents for Guatemala — State by State
- Apostille Guatemalan & US Documents — Both Directions
Scenario 4: Apostille a Guatemalan document for the US
Going the reverse direction, you apostille at MINEX (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores) in Guatemala City — see our apostille from the USA guide for the current MINEX process.
- Fee: Q75 per document (older sources list up to Q150 — confirm the current fee at MINEX).
- Processing: we found no published processing time for the apostille (checked 24 September 2026); ask MINEX when you submit.
- Required: the original document plus your DPI or passport.
For a RENAP birth certificate specifically: order the certificate from RENAP → apostille it at MINEX → and add a certified English translation whenever the receiver requires it. For USCIS it is always required: 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) asks for a full English translation plus the translator’s certification of accuracy and competence, and does not require an ATA-certified translator. Use our RENAP certificate translation template for USCIS. Some state DMVs and courts also ask for the English version.
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Fees & timelines at a glance
| Item | Fee | Time |
|---|---|---|
| GT birth cert, in person (RENAP) | Q15 | At the office |
| GT birth cert, online eportal | Q15 (+ small card surcharge) | Sent by email (RENAP) |
| GT birth cert, signature legalized | Q50 + Q10 stamp | — |
| GT birth cert, requested from abroad | US$6 | — |
| US birth cert apostille (state SoS) | $10-50 | Same-day to ~10 biz days |
| US federal doc apostille (US DoS) | $20 | Varies |
| Sworn Spanish translation (traductor jurado) — per document, market estimate | Q150-500 | 1-3 days (short standard document) |
| MINEX apostille (GT doc → US) | Q75 | Same-day to ~1 week |
Related guides
- Birth Certificate in Guatemala (RENAP) — online eportal steps, costs, troubleshooting
- Register a US-Born Child as Guatemalan — Article 144 walkthrough
- Apostille Documents Both Directions — full apostille chain and traductor jurado step
- Passport from the USA — Guatemalan passport at a US consulate
- All US Guatemalan Consulates — full directory
Information verified June 2026. RENAP and MINEX fees, processing times, and apostille rules change — confirm current requirements with the issuing authority and the receiving institution before you start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get my Guatemalan birth certificate from the USA?
Three ways. (1) Order it online at eportal.renap.gob.gt — it works from anywhere in the world and returns a digitally-signed PDF that is legally valid and verifiable by QR code. This is the easiest path. (2) Request it at a Guatemalan consulate in the US (US$6 in RENAP’s tariff for requests from abroad; we found no published processing time). (3) Have a family member request it in person in Guatemala — birth certificates are public records, so no power of attorney is needed, just your full name plus CUI (or your date of birth and parents’ names).
How much does a Guatemalan birth certificate cost?
At a RENAP office in Guatemala it is Q15, issued at the office. Legalizing the registrar’s signature is Q50 plus a Q10 fiscal stamp, and the same certificate requested from abroad (consulate, embassy or electronically) is US$6 — there is no separate international format. Online through the eportal it is Q15, plus a small surcharge if you pay by credit or debit card.
How long is a Guatemalan birth certificate valid?
At most six months from the date of issue. IGM, citing RENAP’s Acuerdo de Directorio 58-2015 Art. 5, says birth certificates are valid for at most six months from issue (we have not yet read that agreement at RENAP itself), and RENAP’s own DPI requirements ask for a certification issued within the last six months.
Do I need to apostille my Guatemalan birth certificate to use it in the USA?
Yes, if a US institution needs to recognize it officially. Order the certificate from RENAP, then apostille it at MINEX in Guatemala (Q75 per document). Some US institutions accept the Spanish document, but USCIS requires a full English translation with the translator’s signed certification that it is complete and accurate and that he or she is competent to translate Spanish into English (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)); some state DMVs and courts also ask for one. The regulation does not require an ATA-certified translator; see our RENAP certificate translation template.
How do I apostille a US birth certificate for use in Guatemala?
Get a long-form certified copy, then apostille it at the Secretary of State of the state where the certificate was issued (not the state where you now live). Federal documents are apostilled by the US Department of State in Washington DC ($20 per document). Once it reaches Guatemala, you also need a sworn Spanish translation by a traductor jurado (Q150-500 per document). A US notary stamp is NOT an apostille.
Is my US-born child already a Guatemalan citizen?
Yes. Under Article 144 of the Guatemalan Constitution, a child born abroad with at least one Guatemalan parent is Guatemalan from birth (jus sanguinis). How the US treats the second nationality is a question of US law. Registration with RENAP through a consulate is a formality that records the existing citizenship. See our dedicated guide for the full document list and steps.
Why won't my record show up on the RENAP eportal?
If the e-portal returns ‘acta no encontrada’, request the record in person at the RENAP office of the municipality where the birth was inscribed. Separately, RENAP does not say whether its card processor accepts US-issued cards, so keep a relative in Guatemala or a bank payment slip as a fallback.
💸 Sending money back to Guatemala?
Today the banks we track sell dollars at 1.6-2.7% over the Banguat rate. Wise and Remitly send at the real mid-market rate with a flat fee — and because they're funded from your US bank account or card, they're exempt from the new 2026 federal remittance tax (which does hit cash-based transfers).
