No single US government office validates a Guatemalan degree, and the US Department of Education does not evaluate foreign degrees. The school, employer or state licensing board you apply to decides what your degree is worth, and according to the US Department of Education, in most instances it will ask you to obtain a credential evaluation, which private, non-governmental entities carry out for a fee. On the Guatemalan side, a USAC degree goes through two paid steps before it leaves the country with an apostille: USAC’s own authentication (Q30.00 per document) and MINEX’s electronic apostille (Q75.00 per certificate plus the timbre fiscal). Every figure on this page comes from the official source listed at the bottom, read on 1 November 2026.
Quick summary
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who recognizes the degree in the US? | The school (admissions), the employer (human resources) or the state licensing board, depending on why you need it | US Department of Education |
| Is credential evaluation regulated federally? | No: “There is no federal regulation of credential evaluation services.” | US Department of Education |
| Who does the evaluations? | Private, non-governmental services, for a fee | US Department of Education |
| Member lists | NACES: 18 current members listed; AICE: endorsed members list | naces.org, aice-eval.org |
| USAC authentication | Online; Q30.00 per document; one request per document; pickup with a Q10.00 timbre fiscal | USAC Secretaría General |
| MINEX apostille | Online; Q75.00 per certificate plus timbre fiscal paid through SAT; pay within ten days of approval | MINEX terms and conditions |
| Translation | The Department of Education says evaluation services generally require English translations of non-English documents | US Department of Education |
Step 1: find out who decides, before you pay anyone
The Department of Education lists four kinds of “competent authorities” for recognizing previous education in the United States; the fourth, federal immigration authorities, is for visa status. For study, work or a licensed profession, the one that matters depends on what you are trying to do:
| Your goal | Who decides | What the Department of Education says it may ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Enroll in a US school, college or university | The institution where you seek to enroll; contact its admissions office | Many institutions evaluate credentials themselves; some refer you to an evaluation service |
| Get a job | The employer; contact its human resources office | Per the Department, some employers recommend or require a specific evaluation service |
| Practice a licensed profession | The state licensing board in the state where you will work | The board, a general evaluation service or a specialized service, depending on the board and the profession |
For licensed professions the Department of Education is explicit: “The authoritative source of information regarding the evaluation of foreign credentials is the relevant state licensing board.” The same page says regulated professions are generally licensed at the state level and that in some states the boards have specific procedures for evaluating foreign qualifications. Read the board’s instructions for foreign-educated applicants first.
Step 2: choose a credential evaluation service
A credential evaluation compares your Guatemalan degree with a US credential. The Department of Education’s notes on these services are short and worth knowing before you order a report:
- No federal oversight. It states there is no federal regulation of credential evaluation services, and that the Department does not endorse or recommend any individual service or any association of services.
- Use the one you are told to use. Its advice is to use a service recommended by the employer, school or licensing authority you are applying to; if none is named, you can search for one yourself.
- They charge, and they can disagree. Evaluations are not free, are done case by case, and different services may evaluate the same credentials differently.
- There is an appeal, but not to the government. It says services generally have their own appeal process; the federal government has no role in credential evaluation appeals.
Two US associations publish directories of member services:
| Association | What it publishes | Examples from its list (1 November 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) | A directory of 18 current members, each with a member-since date; NACES says it does not perform evaluations itself | World Education Services, Educational Credential Evaluators, Josef Silny and Associates, Foreign Academic Credential Service, The Evaluation Company (formerly SpanTran) |
| AICE (Association of International Credential Evaluators) | An endorsed members list with contact details | Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Foreign Credentials Service of America, Scholaro, SDR Educational Consultants |
Neither list replaces the instruction of the body you apply to: the Department of Education’s advice is to use the service that the employer, school or licensing authority recommends.
Step 3: authenticate a USAC degree at the Secretaría General
USAC’s Secretaría General describes its authentication of academic certifications as a step prior to the apostille at the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. Its purpose is to verify that the signatures on the academic documents belong to USAC’s university authorities. The guide adds: “Este trámite aplica únicamente a documentos académicos emitidos por las facultades, escuelas y centros universitarios de la USAC.”
The steps, as USAC publishes them:
- Log in to the authentication system at secretariageneral.usac.edu.gt/autenticas with your carné number and the PIN from Registro y Estadística (USAC links a PIN-recovery page if you lost it).
- Click Crear Solicitud and choose the type of document. One request per document: a diploma and a transcript are two requests.
- Click Solicitar and upload the required documents as PDF.
- Save the número de trámite the system assigns; you use it to check status.
- Generate the payment order (orden de pago) and pay at Banrural, G&T or Bantrab. The fee is Q30.00 per document, and the request does not start until it is paid.
- When the status shows Listo para Entrega, the system displays the pickup instructions and hours. The document is delivered printed, and you must bring a Q10.00 timbre fiscal to collect it.
- With the authenticated document in hand, continue to the MINEX apostille.
USAC’s guide does not say whether a relative can collect the document on your behalf; its contact for questions is certificacionesautenticas@correoe.usac.edu.gt.
Private universities. The USAC system does not apply to them. MINEX’s terms state that each issuing institution may set and change its own process for obtaining the signature registered with MINEX’s Departamento de Auténticas, and that this registry of authorized signatures is built at the request of the issuing institutions. Ask your university’s registrar how it handles this before filing at MINEX.
Step 4: the MINEX electronic apostille
MINEX runs an online system for apostille and legalization certificates. Its terms and conditions set out the rules that matter to someone abroad:
| Rule | What the MINEX terms say |
|---|---|
| Account | Guatemalans (and domiciled foreigners) register with their CUI from RENAP; other foreigners use their passport number |
| Fee | Q75.00 per certificate, under Decreto 2-2023 and its regulation; no refunds once paid |
| Timbre fiscal | Paid through a form generated on SAT’s platform |
| Deadline | Pay the fee and the timbre within ten days of the request being approved, or the request expires (and a timbre already applied is not refunded) |
| Format | The certificate is electronic: no handwritten signature, no ink or dry stamp |
| Rejection | MINEX may reject documents that lack the signature registered with its Departamento de Auténticas |
| Where it works | The apostille “surtirá efecto únicamente en el extranjero” (it is not for use inside Guatemala) |
| Validity | The certificate’s effect depends on the validity of the underlying document |
For the general MINEX apostille process (documents other than degrees), see the MINEX apostille guide. If you also need an older school-level certificate from MINEDUC, see MINEDUC study certification.
Step 5: translation and sending the file
The Department of Education notes that credential evaluation services generally require English translations of any non-English documents, and that the details belong to the entity that will evaluate your credentials. Before ordering a translation, check the evaluation service’s instructions for:
- whether it accepts the electronic MINEX apostille or wants the authenticated paper document as well;
- whether documents must reach it directly from the university;
- which translations it accepts.
The Department of Education’s advice is to consult the entity that will evaluate your credentials for its requirements.
Where this page stops
This page covers recognition of a Guatemalan degree in the United States. The reverse route, a US degree used in Guatemala, runs through US apostilles; see apostilling US documents for Guatemala and apostilles from the USA. If a Guatemalan office or university needs someone to act for you in person, a power of attorney signed at a Guatemalan consulate is covered in poder consular.
Sources
- US Department of Education, Recognition of Foreign Qualifications: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications (read 1 November 2026)
- NACES, Members directory: https://www.naces.org/members (read 1 November 2026)
- AICE, Endorsed Members: https://aice-eval.org/members/ (read 1 November 2026)
- USAC Secretaría General, Guía para la autenticación de certificaciones académicas: https://secretariageneral.usac.edu.gt/index.php/autentica-de-certificaciones/ (read 1 November 2026)
- MINEX, Términos y Condiciones, solicitud en línea de certificados de apostilla y de legalización de documentos: https://minex-gob-gt.my.site.com/apostilla/file-asset/Terminos_y_Condiciones_26_de_septiembre (read 1 November 2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the US government validate a Guatemalan degree?
Not through one central office. The US Department of Education says it does not evaluate foreign qualifications or degrees and asks people not to send it evaluation requests. Recognition is decided by whoever you are applying to: the school’s admissions office for study, the employer for a job, the state licensing board for a licensed profession, and federal immigration authorities for visa status. Those bodies either evaluate the degree themselves or ask you for a report from a private credential evaluation service.
Which credential evaluation service should I use?
Use the one the school, employer or state board names, if it names one. The Department of Education says it does not endorse or recommend any individual evaluation service or any association of services, and that there is no federal regulation of credential evaluation services. Two US associations publish member lists: NACES (18 current members listed on 1 November 2026, among them World Education Services, Educational Credential Evaluators and Josef Silny and Associates) and AICE, which publishes a list of endorsed members.
How do I authenticate a USAC degree before the apostille?
USAC’s Secretaría General runs an online authentication system. You log in with your carné number and the PIN from Registro y Estadística, create one request per document, upload the documents as PDF and pay Q30.00 per document at Banrural, G&T or Bantrab. When the status reads Listo para Entrega, the system shows the pickup instructions; you collect the printed document with a Q10.00 timbre fiscal. USAC describes this authentication as a step prior to the MINEX apostille.
How much does the MINEX apostille cost and is it online?
MINEX’s online apostille and legalization system charges Q75.00 per certificate under Decreto 2-2023, plus the timbre fiscal, which is paid through a form generated on SAT’s platform. Both payments must be made within ten days of the request being approved or the request expires. The certificate is electronic, with no handwritten signature or ink stamp, and MINEX’s terms say the apostille takes effect only abroad.
Do I need an English translation?
The Department of Education says credential evaluation services generally require English translations of any non-English documents, and that you should consult the entity that will evaluate your credentials for its exact requirements. Ask the evaluation service whether it accepts your translator or requires a specific kind of translation before you order one.
My degree is from a private Guatemalan university, not USAC. What changes?
The USAC system applies only to documents issued by USAC’s faculties, schools and centros universitarios. For any other university, MINEX’s terms say each issuing institution sets its own process for obtaining the signature registered with MINEX’s Departamento de Auténticas, and MINEX may reject documents that lack that registered signature. Ask your university’s registrar office how it handles signature authentication before you file at MINEX.
