Renewing or applying for a Guatemalan passport from the United States is straightforward. All 22 Guatemalan consulates in the US process passport applications, along with mobile consulate operations in smaller cities. The process takes 2-6 weeks and costs $57-$125.
This guide covers everything: documents required, fees, processing timelines, which consulate to use, what to do if your passport is lost or stolen, and special rules for minors.
Quick summary: Appear in person at any Guatemalan consulate or mobile consulate stop. Bring current/expired passport + US photo ID + proof of address + money order. Standard $57 (6 weeks) or expedited $125 (2-3 weeks). Must return to pick up the new passport.
Do I Need To Travel to Guatemala?
No. Trying to fly back to Guatemala just to renew your passport wastes money and time. The process at a US consulate is the same process as at a Guatemalan RENAP office — your data goes to the same facility, and processing times are similar. Save your trip for family time, not document runs.
Which Consulate Should You Use?
Use the consulate closest to you. Every consulate offers full passport services.
| Your state | Primary consulate |
|---|---|
| California (Southern) | Los Angeles |
| California (Northern), Oregon, Washington | San Francisco |
| Arizona | Phoenix or Los Angeles |
| Nevada | Los Angeles (mobile consulate visits) |
| Texas | Houston (mobile to Dallas, Austin, San Antonio) |
| Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana | Chicago |
| Florida | Miami |
| New York, Connecticut, northern NJ | New York |
| Massachusetts, Rhode Island, eastern CT | Providence, RI |
| Pennsylvania, Delaware, southern NJ | Philadelphia |
| DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia | Washington, DC |
| Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama | Atlanta |
| Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho | Denver |
For the full 22-consulate directory see our consulates hub.
Fees (2026)
| Service | Cost (USD) | Processing |
|---|---|---|
| Standard passport renewal | $57 | 4-6 weeks |
| Expedited passport renewal | $125 | 2-3 weeks |
| First-time passport | $57 or $125 | Same as renewal |
| Lost/stolen replacement | $125 (usually expedited) | 2-3 weeks |
| Minor passport (under 18) | $57 or $125 | Same as adult |
| Emergency travel document | Varies, discretionary | 1-3 days |
Payment by money order or cashier’s check only.
Required Documents
For a routine renewal
- Your current or expired Guatemalan passport
- Valid US photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, or US passport)
- Proof of current US address (utility bill, lease, bank statement, dated within 90 days)
- Money order for the exact fee payable to the specific consulate
- Printed MINEX appointment confirmation
For a first-time passport
Everything above, plus:
- Guatemalan birth certificate (partida de nacimiento from RENAP)
- DPI (national ID) if you have one
- For Guatemalans born abroad: foreign birth certificate + proof of Guatemalan citizenship (parent’s documentation + registration at consulate)
For a lost or stolen passport
Everything from the renewal list, plus:
- US police report (free, obtained from local police department)
- Your DPI if available, or other Guatemalan ID
- Sworn statement (declaracion jurada) — can be done at the consulate during the appointment
For a minor passport (under 18)
- Minor’s Guatemalan birth certificate
- Current/expired passport (if renewing)
- Both parents must be present with their own IDs, OR
- Notarized authorization from absent parent — authenticated by a Guatemalan consulate if signed in the US, or a Guatemalan notary if signed in Guatemala
- Minor’s US photo (a school ID or similar is acceptable)
The Appointment Process
- Book via MINEX portal or by phone:
minex-gob-gt.my.site.com/pc/s/citas-consulares. Most US consulates now require a phone call — see our consulate appointment phone guide for direct numbers and Spanish-IVR tips. - Select your consulate and “Pasaporte” as the service category
- Pick an available date — typically 2-4 weeks out, longer at LA and NY
- Receive confirmation email with your appointment number
- Prepare all documents before the appointment — missing items = reschedule
- Arrive 15-30 minutes early — security screening takes a few minutes
- Complete the appointment — photo, fingerprints, document review, payment (~30-45 minutes)
- Wait for pickup notification — 2-6 weeks depending on standard/expedited
- Return to pick up your new passport — bring your old passport + photo ID
Can I Expedite Beyond 2-3 Weeks?
Technically no, but there are options for genuine emergencies:
- Emergency travel document — for urgent return to Guatemala (family death, medical emergency), consulates can issue a temporary document in 1-3 days. This is discretionary and the consulate will ask for evidence of the emergency.
- Direct Guatemala application — if you already have a valid DPI, you could travel to Guatemala on that (DPI works for entry) and apply at RENAP on arrival
- Begging the consulate — honestly, explaining a real deadline sometimes gets the consulate to push your application through faster than the nominal 2-3 weeks. Worth a phone call if you are in a bind
Lost or Stolen Passport: Detailed Process
Losing your passport in the US is stressful but fixable. Here is the step-by-step:
- File a US police report immediately. Every US police department provides free police reports for lost/stolen passports. You will receive a case number and (usually) a printed copy.
- Notify the consulate. Call the consulate as soon as you can — they may be able to flag your existing passport as invalid in the MINEX system, reducing fraud risk.
- Book an appointment. Use MINEX or call directly. Explain it is a lost/stolen replacement — some consulates offer expedited slots for these situations.
- Gather replacement documents. Police report + DPI (if available) + US photo ID + proof of address + money order ($125 for replacement).
- Attend the appointment. Be ready to make a sworn statement (declaracion jurada) describing how and when the passport was lost. This is a formal legal statement — tell the truth.
- Wait 2-3 weeks. Replacement passports are typically processed as expedited even without paying the expedited fee, because the emergency nature is understood.
- Pick up the new passport. Return to the consulate when notified.
Minor Children: Special Rules
Passports for minors (under 18) require both parents to be present, or notarized authorization from the absent parent. This is to prevent international child abduction.
For US-born children: before you can apply for a Guatemalan passport, the child must first be registered as a Guatemalan citizen through RENAP. See our Register a US-Born Child as Guatemalan guide for the Article 144 citizenship-by-descent process.
Both parents present:
- Both parents bring their own IDs (DPI, passport, or US ID)
- The minor is present for photo and fingerprints
- No additional authorization needed
Only one parent present:
- Bring a notarized authorization from the absent parent — if signed in the US, it must be notarized at a Guatemalan consulate (not a US notary public); if signed in Guatemala, it must be notarized by a Guatemalan notary
- If the absent parent is deceased, bring the death certificate (apostilled and translated if needed)
- If the absent parent has legally lost custody, bring the court order (apostilled and translated)
Emancipated minors:
- Rare, but possible — require court documentation of emancipation
Processing Time by Consulate (Estimated)
Processing times vary by consulate based on workload, staffing and how quickly applications are batched and sent to Guatemala for printing. These are indicative ranges based on customer-reported experiences in 2026:
| Consulate | Standard Processing | Expedited Processing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 5-8 weeks | 2-3 weeks | Highest volume in the US; longer waits common |
| New York, NY | 5-7 weeks | 2-3 weeks | High volume; appointment availability 3-4 weeks out |
| Miami, FL | 4-6 weeks | 2-3 weeks | Moderate-high volume |
| Houston, TX | 5-7 weeks | 2-3 weeks | Large service area covering Texas and Gulf states |
| Chicago, IL | 4-6 weeks | 2-3 weeks | Moderate volume; serves Midwest |
| Atlanta, GA | 4-6 weeks | 2-3 weeks | Growing Guatemalan community; moderate volume |
| Dallas, TX | 4-6 weeks | 2-3 weeks | Mobile consulate visits from Houston |
| San Bernardino, CA | 5-7 weeks | 2-3 weeks | High volume from Inland Empire |
| Riverhead, NY | 4-6 weeks | 2-3 weeks | Serves Long Island Guatemalan community |
| Lake Worth, FL | 3-5 weeks | 2-3 weeks | Smaller consulate, faster turnaround |
| Phoenix, AZ | 3-5 weeks | 2-3 weeks | Smaller volume |
| Providence, RI | 3-5 weeks | 2-3 weeks | Serves New England |
Verify current wait times directly with the consulate before booking your appointment. Processing times fluctuate with appointment availability, holidays in Guatemala (which pause passport printing), and seasonal demand spikes (especially January and summer months when many people renew before travel).
Required Documents Checklist
Bring all of these to your appointment in a single folder. Missing any item is the most common cause of rescheduled appointments:
- Current or expired Guatemalan passport (original — not a photocopy)
- Valid US photo ID — driver’s license, state ID, US passport, or military ID with current address
- Proof of current US address — utility bill, lease agreement, bank statement, or recent piece of mail dated within the last 90 days
- Money order for the exact fee ($57 standard or $125 expedited) made payable to the specific consulate
- Printed MINEX appointment confirmation — email confirmation with appointment number
- Two printed copies of your application form (if pre-filling is required by your consulate)
- Guatemalan DPI (if you have one) — original and photocopy
- Birth certificate (only if it is a first-time passport or if requested)
- Police report (only for lost/stolen passport replacement)
- Both parents’ IDs and minor’s documents (only for minor applications under 18)
- Notarized authorization from absent parent (only if minor applicant has only one parent present)
- Death certificate or court order (only if absent parent is deceased or has lost custody)
Bring originals AND one photocopy of every document. The consulate keeps the photocopies and returns the originals after verification. If you forget photocopies, most consulates have a copy machine in the lobby ($0.25-0.50 per page) or there is usually a UPS Store, FedEx Office or pharmacy with copy services within a few blocks.
Fees and Payment Methods 2026
The official passport fees for 2026 are:
| Service | Fee in Quetzales | Fee in USD |
|---|---|---|
| Standard renewal | Q650 | $57 |
| Expedited renewal | Q1,300 | $125 |
| First-time passport | Q650 or Q1,300 | $57 or $125 |
| Lost/stolen replacement | Q1,300 | $125 |
| Minor passport | Q650 or Q1,300 | $57 or $125 |
Verify current fees with MINEX or your consulate directly before booking — the consulate posts current rates on its website and social media. USD-Quetzal conversion is fixed by MINEX, not the daily exchange rate.
Payment methods accepted:
- Money order — by far the most common method. Available at USPS ($1.65 fee), Walmart ($1 fee), CVS ($1.25 fee), or most banks. Make payable to the specific consulate exactly as instructed.
- Cashier’s check — accepted at all consulates. Available from banks or credit unions for $5-15 fee.
- No cash, no personal checks, no credit cards, no Venmo, no Zelle, no PayPal — these are universally rejected.
Tip: Get your money order the day before your appointment, not the day of. The line at USPS in the morning can take 30-60 minutes and you risk being late to your consulate appointment.
Related Guides
Other services from the US consulate:
- Schedule a Consulate Appointment — Phone numbers and Spanish-IVR tips
- DPI from USA — Parallel guide for DPI renewal
- Replace a Lost/Stolen DPI — SAMSE replacement process
- Apostille from USA — US documents for use in Guatemala
- Movimientos Migratorios (IGM) Record — Required by USCIS for most visa renewals
- Single Status Certificate (Soltería) — For a US marriage license
- Register a US-Born Child as Guatemalan — Article 144 citizenship by descent
Consulate directory:
- All 22 US Consulates — Full directory
- New York Consulate — Northeast hub
- Los Angeles Consulate — West Coast hub
- Houston Consulate — Texas/Gulf hub
- Miami Consulate — Florida hub
- Chicago Consulate — Midwest hub
Other diaspora resources:
- Remittances — Send money home to Guatemala
- Returning to Guatemala Guide — For Guatemalans repatriating from the US
Information verified April 2026. Fees, processing times, and documentation requirements change — always confirm with the consulate directly before your appointment.




