British Pound to Quetzal Today: 1 GBP = Q10.21 — Banguat Reference Rate

This page shows the Banco de Guatemala (Banguat) reference rate for the British pound sterling in quetzales. It also explains how Banguat calculates that rate, shows how it moved over the past 12 months, and covers where to exchange pounds in Guatemala. The rate in the box above comes from Banguat data. It is a reference, not a bank’s buy or sell price.

Correction, 8 November 2026: from 9 May to 8 November 2026, the rate this page showed for the pound came from the wrong Banguat series (the Swedish krona). The page text also carried worked examples, trend figures and a forecast that Banguat’s own data does not support. The rate above now comes from Banguat’s pound sterling series, and the historical figures below are Banguat’s daily reference data.

GBP/Q Rates at Guatemalan Banks

We do not publish a per-bank GBP table. An earlier version of this page showed one, but those figures were estimates worked out from the US-dollar rate, not quotes published by the banks, so we removed it. For today’s US-dollar rates at each bank, see the exchange rate page; for GBP cash, ask the branch for its “tipo de cambio del día”.

GBP cash availability varies by branch. For larger amounts, call ahead and confirm the branch has pounds and what rate it gives.

How Banguat Calculates the Pound Reference

Banco de Guatemala calculates reference rates for the quetzal against the US dollar and against other foreign currencies, the pound sterling included.

• US dollar: Banguat’s buy and sell references are the weighted averages of the buy and sell operations reported by the institutions of the Mercado Institucional de Divisas (banks, private financial companies, stock exchanges and casas de cambio). They take effect from midnight of the business day after the calculation date.
• Pound sterling and other currencies: between 8:00 and 9:00, Banguat obtains the international quotes for these currencies from a specialized information service. It multiplies each quote by its quetzal-per-dollar reference, and the result is the quetzal reference for that currency, valid for the day it refers to.

GBP/Q reference = international GBP quote (USD per GBP) x Banguat USD/Q reference

Banguat lists the pound sterling among the currencies it calculates a reference for, together with the euro, Swiss franc, Canadian dollar, Mexican peso, Japanese yen, Salvadoran colón, Honduran lempira, Nicaraguan córdoba and Costa Rican colón.

What this means for you: the Banguat figure is a reference, not a price anyone has to give you. Banks and casas de cambio set their own pound buy and sell prices, so ask for their tipo de cambio del día and compare it with the reference.

Where to Exchange British Pounds in Guatemala

Bank branches (call ahead)

Not every branch keeps sterling cash. Call ahead and ask: ¿Tienen efectivo en libras esterlinas para cambio?

Casas de cambio

If a casa de cambio accepts GBP cash, ask for its buy rate before you exchange and compare it with the rate at the top of this page.

Money-transfer services, multi-currency accounts and cards

For sending pounds from the UK to a Guatemalan bank account or for cash pickup, compare the total cost (the exchange rate the provider applies plus its fees) before you send. Check that rate against the Banguat reference above, and confirm whether the money arrives as a bank deposit or a cash pickup, and how long it takes.

If you use a UK-issued card at a Guatemalan ATM, read any fee the ATM shows on screen before you confirm (see our ATM fee comparator).

Airport

At an airport exchange counter, compare its rate with the reference before you exchange. If you land with sterling cash, you can withdraw quetzales from an ATM with your card and exchange your pounds later, once you have compared rates.

For British Tourists

If you’re visiting Guatemala from the UK for tourism:

1. Check with your card issuer what it charges for foreign withdrawals and purchases before you travel.
2. Withdraw quetzales at an ATM, and read any fee the ATM shows before you confirm.
3. Carry some cash for emergencies, and exchange pounds only after comparing rates, not at the first counter you see.

Do not count on finding sterling cash exchange at every branch, especially outside the larger cities.

For British Retirees in Guatemala

If you live in Guatemala and receive a UK pension in pounds:

• Ask your pension payer and your bank how the payment can be sent and what each step costs.
• Compare the total cost (rate plus fees) of the options you have, such as a direct bank wire or a multi-currency account, against the Banguat reference.
• For larger transfers, see the guide to international wire transfers linked below.

For Guatemalan Diaspora in the UK

Guatemalans in the UK sending money home:

• Compare the total cost (rate plus fees) of each service before you send.
• Choose between a bank deposit and a cash pickup depending on whether your family has a bank account.
• See the remittance comparison linked below for the options.

GBP/Q: 12-Month Banguat Range

Banguat’s daily reference data from 3 November 2025 to 6 November 2026 (265 business days), in quetzales per unit (mid of buy and sell):

• GBP 12-month low: Q9.9719 (5 November 2025)
• GBP 12-month high: Q10.5926 (29 January 2026)
• USD/Q in the same window: low Q7.61364 (16 June 2026), high Q7.66827 (20 January 2026)
• GBP/USD per Banguat: 1.3458 on 5 January 2026, 1.3358 on 6 November 2026

The dollar reference moved within a narrow band over these 12 months, so most of the pound’s movement against the quetzal came from the pound’s movement against the US dollar. We do not publish a forecast.

Related Currencies and Resources

• USD to Quetzal (live Banguat reference) — Banguat’s US-dollar reference, one of the two inputs to its pound reference
• CAD to Quetzal — For Canadian snowbirds and retirees
• EUR to Quetzal — For European tourists and EU pension recipients
• MXN to Quetzal — For cross-border workers and Mexican tourists
• All currencies hub — Multi-currency comparison
• USD accounts in Guatemala — Holding US dollars in a Guatemalan bank account
• International wire transfers — For larger pound transfers
• Remittance comparison — Wise, Remitly, Western Union side-by-side