You married in Guatemala, and now one or both of you live in the United States. You have two ways to end the marriage. One is a Guatemalan divorce run through a proxy. The other is a US divorce that you then bring to Guatemala. Both end at the same window: RENAP has to inscribe the divorce, or your Guatemalan record still says you are married. This page compares the two routes using the rules in the codes.
Quick summary: In Guatemala every divorce is decided by a judge; there is no notary route. For a mutual-consent divorce, only the spouse who is outside Guatemala may send an apoderado (proxy) to the conciliation hearing, and the two spouses cannot share the same proxy (Civil Procedure Code Art. 428). Mutual consent is only possible after one year of marriage. A US decree takes effect in Guatemala under Arts. 344-346 of the same code. A decree issued by default is the weak point. Either way, RENAP inscribes the divorce with the judgment certification + both birth certifications. It is free within 30 days, then Q25.00.
Rules and sources, not legal advice. Civil Code and Ley del Organismo Judicial read in CENADOJ’s current editions. Procedure Code text from WIPO Lex’s copy of Decreto-Ley 107 (file dated 2014); later amendments were not checked, so confirm the current wording with a Guatemalan lawyer.
The two routes side by side
| Route A: divorce in a Guatemalan court | Route B: divorce in a US court, then bring it to Guatemala | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | The judge of the marital domicile (CPCyM Art. 426) | A US state court under state law |
| Your physical presence | Not required if you are the spouse outside Guatemala: you may appoint an apoderado for the conciliation hearing (Art. 428) | Per US state rules |
| Grounds | Mutual consent after one year of marriage, or one of the legal causes (Civil Code Art. 154) | Per US state law |
| Result in Guatemala | A Guatemalan judgment, inscribed directly at RENAP | Must meet the five conditions of CPCyM Art. 345 before it has effect in Guatemala |
| Main risk | Coordinating two lawyers and a proxy from abroad | A default decree fails Art. 345 condition 2 |
| Final step | RENAP inscription (free within 30 days, then Q25.00) | Same RENAP inscription, once the decree has effect in Guatemala |
Route A: a Guatemalan divorce, run from the USA
Every divorce goes through a judge. The Civil Code says marriage “se disuelve por el divorcio” (Art. 153) and allows two paths (Art. 154): “Por mutuo acuerdo de los cónyuges” or “Por voluntad de uno de ellos mediante causa determinada.” RENAP describes the practice the same way: “Un abogado y notario es quien deberá llevar el caso ante un juez competente.” A notary does not grant divorces.
Mutual consent: the one-year rule and where to file. Art. 426 of the Procedure Code: “El divorcio o la separación por mutuo consentimiento podrán pedirse ante el juez del domicilio conyugal, siempre que hubiere transcurrido más de un año, contado desde la fecha en que se celebró el matrimonio.” The same article lists what to file:
- marriage certificate plus the birth certificates of the children (and death certificates of any children who died)
- the capitulaciones matrimoniales (prenuptial agreement), if there is one
- “Relación de los bienes adquiridos durante el matrimonio.”
The proxy rule (Art. 428). This is the rule that matters most if you live in the USA. The judge calls a conciliation hearing within eight days, and “Las partes deberán comparecer personalmente, auxiliadas por diferente abogado.” Then comes the exception: “Unicamente el cónyuge -que esté fuera de la república podrá constituir apoderado para este acto. En ningún caso pueden los cónyuges designar apoderado a una misma persona para tramitar estas diligencias.” In practice:
| Situation | Can the spouse use an apoderado at the conciliation hearing? |
|---|---|
| You live in the USA; your spouse lives in Guatemala | You can; your spouse must appear in person |
| Both of you live in the USA | The rule speaks of the spouse outside the country; our reading is that each may, but confirm with a Guatemalan lawyer. Never the same person for both |
| Both of you are in Guatemala | No, both appear in person |
| One lawyer for both spouses | No: each spouse needs a different lawyer |
The authority for that proxy is a power of attorney. How to sign one at a Guatemalan consulate is covered in poder consular. Powers coming from abroad “deberán ser protocolizados ante notario” in Guatemala (Ley del Organismo Judicial Art. 38).
What the judge approves. If there is no reconciliation, the spouses file a settlement (convenio) covering who keeps the children, who pays for their support and education, any pension, and a guarantee (Art. 429). Once the requirements are met, the judge rules “dentro de ocho días”, and the judgment “será apelable” (Art. 431). While the case runs, the judge may order provisional custody and support (Art. 427).
Divorce on a specific cause. If one spouse wants out and the other does not agree, the case must fit one of the Civil Code’s causes (Art. 155). It must also be filed “dentro de los seis meses siguientes al día en que hayan llegado a su conocimiento los hechos en que se funde la demanda” (Art. 158). The causes and the contested procedure are in our judicial divorce guide. Serving a spouse who lives abroad goes through international judicial requests.
Route B: a US divorce, then Guatemala
A US decree does not update your Guatemalan record by itself. Where no treaty sets its effect, Guatemala’s Procedure Code gives foreign judgments the value that the issuing country gives to Guatemalan ones (Art. 344). It then requires five conditions (Art. 345). The one to check first is the second: the judgment must not have been issued “en rebeldía ni contra persona reputada ausente que tenga su domicilio en Guatemala”. In other words, not by default, and not against an absent person domiciled in Guatemala.
If your spouse in Guatemala never answered the US case, your US decree is the kind Art. 345 excludes. If you both took part, or you filed together, that barrier does not apply. The other conditions still do: a civil action, lawful in Guatemala, final under US state law, and authentic.
The paperwork follows Art. 346 and the Ley del Organismo Judicial:
| Step | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Certified copy + apostille | Foreign documents “deben ser legalizados por el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores”; CENADOJ’s note points to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention | LOJ Art. 37 |
| Sworn translation | “bajo juramento por traductor autorizado en la República” | LOJ Art. 37 |
| Protocolization | Documents to be recorded in public registries “deberán ser protocolizados ante notario” | LOJ Art. 38 |
| Before the judge | Translated, signatures authenticated, pase legal granted, then treated like a Guatemalan judgment | CPCyM Art. 346 |
For the US side (which clerk issues the certified copy, which Secretary of State apostilles it), see apostilling US documents for Guatemala.
The last step for both routes: RENAP
Divorce ends the marriage. Art. 161 of the Civil Code says it leaves the spouses “en libertad para contraer nuevo matrimonio”. But until RENAP inscribes it, your Guatemalan record still shows the marriage. RENAP puts it plainly: “Al inscribir el divorcio en el RENAP, las personas pueden contraer matrimonio nuevamente y también actualizar su estado civil en el Documento Personal de Identificación (DPI).”
| RENAP requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Judgment | “Certificación de la sentencia de divorcio” |
| Birth records | “Certificación de inscripción de nacimiento de las personas cuyo vínculo matrimonial fue disuelto.” |
| Form | The RENAP form for the inscription (Acuerdo de Directorio 104-2015, Art. 16) |
| Fee | Free within 30 days of the judge’s resolution; Q25.00 late-inscription fee after that |
| After | RENAP says inscription lets you update your civil status on the DPI |
RENAP’s own wording on the fee: “Si la inscripción de divorcio se realiza antes de los 30 días de haberse emitido la resolución por parte del Juez, no tiene costo. Si se realiza después de ese tiempo, se debe pagar Q25.00 por tarifa de inscripción extemporánea.”
RENAP’s divorce page lists only these generic requirements. It publishes no separate checklist for a divorce decreed abroad, which is why the Route B steps above come from the codes. More on the RENAP side: divorce registration. If you are remarrying in the USA and need proof that you are single, see the single-status certificate.
When you need a lawyer (and which one)
- Route A: a Guatemalan lawyer for you, and a different lawyer for your spouse (Art. 428).
- Route B, if the US decree was entered by default: ask a Guatemalan lawyer whether Art. 345 blocks it before paying for translations. A fresh Guatemalan case may be the cleaner path.
- Children or property in Guatemala: custody, support and property division are decided in the convenio or judgment. For support against a parent in Guatemala, see enforcing a US child support order in Guatemala. Lawyer fee ranges are in lawyer prices in Guatemala.
What we could not confirm
- Court fees and timelines for either route. No official schedule is published, so we give none.
- A RENAP checklist specific to foreign decrees. None is published; the RENAP call center is 1516.
- Procedure Code amendments after 2014 to Arts. 344-346 and 426-431. We read WIPO Lex’s copy because CENADOJ does not publish the code online.
Primary sources
- WIPO Lex — Código Procesal Civil y Mercantil, Decreto-Ley 107 (Arts. 344-346, 426-431)
- Organismo Judicial / CENADOJ — Código Civil comentado (updated to 8 August 2025: Arts. 153-161) and Ley del Organismo Judicial (Arts. 37-38)
- RENAP — Inscripción de divorcio, La importancia de inscribir un divorcio, Pasos para inscribir un divorcio
More for Guatemalans in the United States: diaspora hub · register a US marriage in Guatemala · Organismo Judicial hub
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get divorced in Guatemala without traveling there from the USA?
For a mutual-consent divorce, the Civil Procedure Code lets only the spouse who is outside Guatemala appoint an apoderado (proxy) for the conciliation hearing (Art. 428). The spouses must each have a different lawyer, and they cannot name the same person as proxy. Everyone else must appear in person at that hearing. The proxy’s authority comes from a power of attorney, which you can sign at a Guatemalan consulate.
Can a notary grant a divorce in Guatemala?
No. A mutual-consent divorce is requested before the judge of the marital domicile (Civil Procedure Code Art. 426), and RENAP describes the process as a lawyer and notary taking the case before a competent judge. There is no notarial divorce.
How soon after the wedding can we file a mutual-consent divorce in Guatemala?
Only after one year from the date of the marriage (Civil Code Art. 154 and Civil Procedure Code Art. 426). A divorce on a specific legal cause has no such waiting period but must be filed within six months of learning of the facts (Civil Code Art. 158).
I divorced in a US court. Does RENAP still show me as married?
It can, until the divorce is inscribed. RENAP says that registering a divorce is what lets people marry again and update their civil status on the DPI. RENAP’s inscription requirements are a certification of the divorce judgment and the birth certifications of both former spouses. It publishes no separate checklist for a foreign decree.
Will a Guatemalan court accept a US divorce decree issued by default?
That is the main risk. Article 345 of the Civil Procedure Code lets a foreign judgment take effect only if it was not issued in rebeldía (default) nor against an absent person domiciled in Guatemala. If your spouse never took part in the US case, ask a Guatemalan lawyer before relying on the US decree in Guatemala.
How much does RENAP charge to inscribe a divorce?
Nothing if it is inscribed within 30 days of the judge’s resolution. After that, RENAP charges Q25.00 as a late-inscription fee, according to its own published notice.
