The question comes up when a trip home is already booked: the Guatemalan passport in the drawer expired years ago, and the renewal appointment at the consulate is weeks out. Guatemalan law is clear that Guatemala cannot turn a Guatemalan away. What it does not decide is whether an airline in the US lets you board, or what you need to leave again. This page separates those three questions and lists the three official fixes.
In short: The Constitution (Art. 26) and the Migration Code (Art. 61) say no authority may deny a Guatemalan entry. That binds Guatemala, not the airline; we found no published airline rule on expired Guatemalan passports, so ask yours first. The fixes: the consulate’s free pase especial de viaje for emergencies; the extension sticker (18 months free, or 3 years for US$25 abroad; passports issued from 2013 on, once per passport); or a new passport, at the consulate (US$65/US$100) or in Guatemala, where IGM says it is delivered the same day (US$50/US$85). For the return flight, US citizens need a US passport and permanent residents a valid green card.
Question 1: Can Guatemala refuse you entry?
No, according to two rules that say it directly:
| Rule | Text | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Constitution, Art. 26 | “No podrá expatriarse a ningún guatemalteco, ni prohibírsele la entrada al territorio nacional o negársele pasaporte u otros documentos de identificación.” It adds: “Los guatemaltecos pueden entrar y salir del país sin llenar el requisito de visa.” | Constitución Política |
| Migration Code, Art. 61 | “Ninguna autoridad del país puede negar a las personas de nacionalidad guatemalteca su ingreso a territorio nacional.” | Decreto 44-2016 |
Expiry is dealt with in the Code’s article on void and annullable passports (Art. 95), which includes the passport that «ha expirado por cumplirse su plazo de vigencia». Nothing in Articles 26 or 61 ties the right of entry to holding a current passport.
Question 2: Will the airline board you?
This is the gap in the law above. The Constitution and the Code bind Guatemalan authorities. They do not set what an airline’s check-in agent in Houston or Los Angeles accepts, and we could not find a published rule from an airline or from IATA’s travel-document database on Guatemalan nationals flying home with an expired Guatemalan passport (searched 24 September 2026; IATA’s public page refused our request).
What that means in practice:
- Ask the airline before you fly, and keep the answer in writing if you can.
- If the answer is no, or you cannot get one, the two documents Guatemala designed for this situation are below. Each gives you a current Guatemalan travel document to show at check-in.
The three official fixes
| Fix | Who issues it | Cost | What it takes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pase especial de viaje | Guatemalan consulate | Free | An emergency the consulate can verify in an interview; expired passport (or a DPI copy if you have no passport), air ticket, two photos | An emergency the consulate can verify in an interview |
| Extension sticker | IGM, including at consulates abroad | 18 months: free. 3 years: US$25 abroad | Passport issued in 2013 or later, blank pages, valid DPI, no change of civil status; once per passport | A passport that is otherwise in good shape |
| New passport | Consulate, or IGM in Guatemala | Consulate: US$65 (5 years) / US$100 (10 years). In Guatemala: US$50 / US$85 | DPI, payment, previous passport | Everyone else |
The pase especial de viaje (emergencies)
MINEX’s own description: «Si está en cualquier parte del mundo y necesita viajar a Guatemala con urgencia, no dispone de pasaporte o ya está vencido, puede viajar con un pase especial de viaje. Comunicarse al consulado más cercano.»
It is for emergencies «que se pueda comprobar por medio de una entrevista consular», and the documents MINEX lists are:
- The expired passport, in original, or a statement that you have no passport plus a photocopy of your DPI
- The air ticket
- Two photographs
MINEX states: «ESTE TRAMITE ES GRATUITO». The pass gets you to Guatemala. It is not a passport, so plan how you will leave again (Question 3).
The extension sticker (once per passport)
IGM’s passport portal describes an extension of validity by sticker for an ordinary Guatemalan passport that is «vencida o por vencerse». The fees for the sticker when requested abroad are in IGM’s tariff, Acuerdo IGM-029-2023, Art. 4: numeral 10 sets the 18-month sticker as «exenta de pago», and numeral 11 sets the 3-year sticker at US$25. Both can be done once.
| Adults | 18 months | 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Fee (abroad) | Free | US$25 |
| DPI | Valid, original plus a legible copy of both sides on one page | Same |
| Blank pages in the passport | At least 2 sheets (4 pages) | At least 4 sheets (8 pages) |
| Payment receipt | Not listed | Required |
IGM’s conditions, verbatim: «El trámite es personal, presencial y aplicable una única vez por pasaporte.» «No será posible aplicar la extensión de vigencia mediante sticker a pasaportes emitidos antes del año 2013.» «No será posible aplicar la extensión de vigencia mediante sticker si el titular ha sufrido cambios en su estado civil.»
For children, IGM lists an original birth certificate «con una vigencia no mayor de seis meses» and both parents’ DPIs, and it does not extend a passport issued to a minor once the holder has come of age.
A new passport: at the consulate or in Guatemala
At a consulate, IGM’s requirements for adults are the original DPI (or a current birth certificate if you have no DPI), the payment receipt and, for a renewal, the previous passport. The step-by-step for the US, including appointments, is in renewing a Guatemalan passport from the US.
In Guatemala, IGM’s FAQ gives two facts that can change the plan: «El pasaporte se entrega el mismo día del trámite y dura 25 minutos aproximadamente», and to renew an expired one you present the expired passport, the appointment form, a valid original DPI and the payment receipt from the authorised bank. The fee in Guatemala is lower: US$50 for 5 years and US$85 for 10. IGM also says the pickup is personal; nobody can collect it for you.
That makes a same-day renewal in Guatemala, once you have an appointment (IGM publishes no wait time for appointments), the natural way to leave with a current passport after arriving on a pase especial, if you have a valid DPI. No DPI, or a DPI that has expired, is a separate problem: see getting or replacing your DPI from the US.
Question 3: What you need to leave again
Guatemala’s side. Article 61 of the Migration Code sets what a Guatemalan needs to travel abroad: «Tener pasaporte guatemalteco vigente o su documento de identidad de acuerdo a lo solicitado por el Estado destino y los acuerdos de Guatemala para con ese Estado.» The same article adds that minors travelling alone or with a third party need written authorisation from both parents; if a parent is abroad, it can be given before a Guatemalan consul.
The US side depends on your US status:
| Your US status | What US rules require to come back | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US citizen (including dual nationals) | “It is unlawful for a citizen of the United States” (with the exceptions in 22 CFR 53.2) “to enter or depart, or attempt to enter or depart, the United States, without a valid U.S. passport.” | 22 CFR 53.1 |
| Lawful permanent resident away for less than a year | A “valid, unexpired Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card” (the green card), among the documents the rule lists | 8 CFR 211.1(a)(2) |
| Permanent resident away a year or more | The green card alone no longer fits that rule; see the re-entry permit guide | 8 CFR 211.1 |
| Other statuses | Not covered here; your US status decides whether and how you can return, so settle it with an immigration lawyer before you travel | — |
Which passport to show at which border when you hold both nationalities is covered in dual citizenship Guatemala-USA.
If you are a foreigner, not a Guatemalan
This page is about Guatemalan nationals. A foreign visitor whose own passport expires during a stay in Guatemala is in a different situation, covered in my passport expires while I’m in Guatemala.
Related
- Renewing a Guatemalan passport from the US: consulate appointments, fees and documents
- Guatemalan consular fees: every published fee at consulates, including the free services
- Check for an arraigo before you fly: the other thing that can stop you leaving Guatemala
Sources, read on 24 September 2026 unless stated: Constitución Política de la República de Guatemala, Art. 26 (IDPP copy, read 23 September 2026); Código de Migración, Decreto 44-2016, Arts. 61 and 95 (IGM-hosted copy, read 13 August 2026); MINEX page on the pase especial de viaje (read 23 September 2026); IGM passport portal, sticker-extension page, requirements for passports abroad, FAQ and tariff; Acuerdo IGM-029-2023, Art. 4, numerals 10 and 11; 22 CFR 53.1 and 8 CFR 211.1 (Cornell LII copies of the Code of Federal Regulations). General information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Guatemala refuse entry to a Guatemalan with an expired passport?
Guatemalan law says no. Article 26 of the Constitution says no Guatemalan may be prohibited from entering the national territory, and that Guatemalans enter and leave without needing a visa. Article 61 of the Migration Code (Decreto 44-2016) adds that no authority in the country may deny persons of Guatemalan nationality entry. Those rules bind Guatemalan authorities; they do not set what a US airline accepts at check-in.
Will the airline let me board with an expired Guatemalan passport?
That is the airline’s decision, and we could not find a published airline or IATA rule for Guatemalan nationals flying home on an expired Guatemalan passport (searched 24 September 2026; IATA’s public travel-document page refused our request). Ask your airline before you fly, in writing if possible. The two documents designed for this situation are the consulate’s pase especial de viaje and the passport extension sticker.
What is the pase especial de viaje?
A free emergency travel pass issued by Guatemalan consulates. MINEX describes it for Guatemalans anywhere in the world who need to travel to Guatemala urgently and have no passport or have an expired one. It is for emergencies that can be verified in a consular interview, and MINEX lists the expired passport (or, if you have none, a copy of your DPI), the air ticket and two photographs.
Can I extend an expired Guatemalan passport instead of renewing it?
Sometimes. IGM offers a one-time extension by sticker for an ordinary passport that is expired or about to expire: 18 months at no charge, or 3 years for US$25 when done abroad (Acuerdo IGM-029-2023, Art. 4, numerals 10 and 11). It is not available for passports issued before 2013 or if your civil status has changed, and the passport needs blank pages (two sheets for 18 months, four for 3 years for adults).
Can I renew my passport in Guatemala instead?
Yes. IGM says in its passport FAQ that a passport issued in Guatemala is delivered the same day, in about 25 minutes, and that an expired passport is renewed with the old passport, the appointment form, a valid original DPI and the bank payment receipt. In Guatemala the 5-year passport costs US$50 and the 10-year US$85, against US$65 and US$100 at a consulate.
What do I need to fly back to the US?
It depends on your US status. A US citizen must use a valid US passport to enter or leave the United States (22 CFR 53.1). A lawful permanent resident returning after less than a year abroad presents a valid, unexpired green card (8 CFR 211.1). On the Guatemalan side, Article 61 of the Migration Code asks Guatemalans travelling abroad for a valid Guatemalan passport or the identity document the destination country requires.
