Replace Lost or Stolen DPI From the USA (SAMSE 2026 Guide)

Losing your Documento Personal de Identificacion (DPI) while living in the United States creates a real problem. The DPI is Guatemala’s national ID and is required for bank accounts, property transactions, tax filings, voting, and most government tramites. This guide walks through how to replace a lost or stolen DPI from the USA using SAMSE, RENAP’s mobile biometric capture service that visits Guatemalan consulates on a rotating calendar.

Who writes this: We’re Guatemala Life, a Guatemala-based team. We track RENAP and MINEX consular procedures continuously and cross-reference what we publish against the SAMSE calendars that each consulate posts. The Guatemala-side context (what RENAP actually requires, how the biometric data flows back to the central registry, why the timeline is what it is) is from the ground here.

Quick summary: All 23 Guatemalan consulates in the US receive periodic SAMSE visits. RENAP fee US$15.00, the same for every replacement. Appointment required. Biometric capture (photo + fingerprints) in person. Delivery 30-90 days after capture. Temporary constancia issued at the appointment.

Cost snapshot

Who actually pays nothing. RENAP’s exonerations are by person, not by how many times you have replaced the card. Under Acuerdos de Directorio 08-2021, 13-2021 and 23-2021 the DPI fee is waived for Guatemalans aged 60 or over (first DPI, replacement for loss/theft/data change, and renewal), Guatemalans deported by air, and people on the ETA/IOTA damnificados roll. Everyone else pays the US$15.

All fees paid in US dollars at the consulate. Most consulates accept money orders or cashier’s checks; a few accept cash or card. No consulate accepts personal checks. Verify payment method with the specific consulate before your appointment.

Why SAMSE and not RENAP directly?

DPI issuance legally requires fingerprints and a photograph captured in a controlled environment with RENAP-certified equipment. RENAP does not have permanent offices in the United States, so it operates SAMSE — Sistema de Atencion Movil de Servicios Especiales — a mobile unit that travels to Guatemalan consulates on a rotating calendar. When SAMSE is not at a consulate, DPI capture is not possible at that location on that date. Do not make the trip until you confirm a SAMSE window.

Required documents

Bring physical printed copies. Scans and phone photos are generally not accepted.

1. Proof of identity — at least one of:
   • Current or recently expired Guatemalan passport
   • Guatemalan birth certificate (certificacion de nacimiento RENAP, issued within 6 months)
   • Old DPI (if only damaged, not fully lost)
2. US photo ID — driver’s license, state ID, or US passport. Required even for undocumented applicants, as the consulate confirms you are physically in the US.
3. Proof of US address — utility bill, lease, or bank statement from the last 3 months.
4. Police report (if DPI was stolen) — printout from your local US police department.
5. Declaracion jurada (if DPI was lost) — sworn statement describing how it was lost. Most consulates prepare this on-site for a small notarial fee.
6. Payment — money order or cashier’s check payable to the consulate (US$15.00, the RENAP tariff for a DPI requested abroad).
7. Your CUI (DPI number) — if you remember it. If you do not, the consulate can look it up from your Guatemalan birth certificate or prior passport.

Step-by-step process

1. Confirm the SAMSE calendar at your nearest consulate

Check the consulate’s website and Facebook page for upcoming SAMSE visits. Calendars are typically posted 2-8 weeks in advance. High-volume consulates (Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, New York) see SAMSE monthly or more often; smaller consulates host it every 2-3 months. If your nearest consulate has no SAMSE window that works, check neighboring consulates — SAMSE is valid at any consulate in the US.

2. Book the appointment

Most consulates use the MINEX citas consulares portal (https://minex-gob-gt.my.site.com/pc/s/citas-consulares) for appointment booking. A few still require phone booking — see our companion phone-appointment guide if online booking is unavailable at your consulate. Select “DPI” as the service and match to a date that falls within the SAMSE window.

3. File a police report (if stolen)

If your DPI was stolen, file a report with your local US police department before the appointment. Most departments issue the report on-site or within 24-48 hours. Bring the printout, report number, or official confirmation email.

4. Gather the remaining documents

Assemble proof of identity, US photo ID, proof of US address, and payment. Make two photocopies of each (consulates keep one, you keep one). If you need a declaracion jurada, many consulates process it during the same appointment.

5. Attend the SAMSE appointment

Arrive 15 minutes early. The consulate reviews your documents, collects payment, and hands you off to the SAMSE technicians. Biometric capture is quick — a controlled photograph and all 10 fingerprints, 15-25 minutes total. You leave with a Constancia de Tramite de Reposicion de DPI (a paper certificate) valid as interim proof of identity.

6. Wait 30-90 days for delivery

After capture, your data is transmitted to RENAP Guatemala, the card is manufactured at the central RENAP facility, and the physical DPI is shipped back to the consulate where you applied. Typical window is 45-60 days. The consulate notifies you by email or phone when it arrives.

7. Pick up the DPI in person

You must pick up the replacement yourself with a valid photo ID. Third parties are not accepted. Some consulates offer paid courier delivery ($10-25 domestic US); confirm during your appointment if you cannot return in person.

Timeline — what to expect

The constancia issued at the appointment covers you for most Guatemalan institutional needs during this window.

Consulates that receive SAMSE

All 23 permanent Guatemalan consulates in the US receive SAMSE visits. Click through to each consulate page for current contact info, address, and local SAMSE notes where available:

Atlanta · Chicago · Columbus · Dallas · Del Rio · Denver · Houston · Lake Worth · Las Vegas · Los Angeles · McAllen · Miami · Nashville · New York · Oklahoma City · Omaha · Philadelphia · Phoenix · Providence · Raleigh · Riverhead · Rockville · San Bernardino · San Francisco · Seattle · Tucson

Common gotchas

• SAMSE calendar is irregular. The calendar is not a monthly schedule — each consulate negotiates its own dates with RENAP and publishes them piecemeal on Facebook and the consulate website. Do not assume last month’s dates repeat. Confirm every time.
• There is no free first replacement. A widely repeated claim says your first lifetime DPI replacement is free. RENAP’s tarifario sets US$15.00 for a DPI requested abroad with no first-time carve-out, and the exonerations it does publish are for people aged 60+, air-deportees and the ETA/IOTA damnificados roll. If you are 60 or over, say so at the window — that one is real.
• Lost vs stolen matters. Stolen DPI requires a US police report. Lost DPI requires a declaracion jurada. Do not swap these — consulates will reject mismatched paperwork.
• Your CUI is printed on the old DPI and on your Guatemalan passport. If you cannot find it, the consulate can look it up from your Guatemalan birth certificate. Arriving without any of these slows the process significantly.
• The constancia is temporary but real. It is issued on the day of your appointment and is accepted by most Guatemalan banks, SAT, and institutional processes. It is not accepted for voting, some property transactions, or purposes requiring the physical card.
• Picking up the replacement is in-person only. No third parties, no couriers from the consulate to your house unless explicitly offered. Factor a second trip to the consulate into your plans.

What happens if you do not replace it

A missing DPI does not expire your Guatemalan citizenship, but it blocks nearly every institutional transaction inside Guatemala: opening a bank account, registering a property, filing taxes with SAT, voting in elections, registering a vehicle, enrolling children in some schools. If you visit Guatemala without a DPI, you can enter using your Guatemalan passport — but most local transactions will stall until the replacement arrives.

Last verified

Last verified: April 2026. SAMSE fees, calendar rotation, and RENAP manufacturing timelines cross-referenced against current RENAP and MINEX consular guidance. Individual consulate SAMSE windows change — always confirm through the specific consulate’s Facebook page before booking.

Related guides

• Renew DPI From the USA — Companion guide for DPI renewal (not replacement)
• Schedule a Guatemala Consulate Appointment in the USA — Phone-based appointment booking for consulates that require it
• Apostille From the USA — For documents going back to Guatemala
• Passport From the USA — If yours is also lost or expired
• Moving from USA hub — Full diaspora relocation guide

Official sources

• RENAP — Registro Nacional de las Personas — DPI issuing authority
• MINEX — Directorio de Consulados — Official consulate directory
• MINEX Citas Consulares portal — Appointment booking
• Tramites.gob.gt — Reposicion de DPI — Official procedure catalog

Information verified April 2026. SAMSE calendars, RENAP procedures, and consulate-specific requirements change periodically — verify with the specific consulate before your appointment.