ASISTUR 1500 is the free tourist assistance service of INGUAT, Guatemala’s tourism institute. Dial 1500 from a Guatemalan phone line, or +502 2290-2810 from anywhere, 24 hours a day. Staff help in Spanish or English with emergencies, lost or stolen belongings, problems with tourism businesses, and police escorts.
In short:
- Call 1500 (Guatemalan phone line) or +502 2290-2810; WhatsApp +502 5188-1819. INGUAT says both the call centre and WhatsApp answer 24 hours, 7 days.
- Free: INGUAT says it provides the service sin costo alguno (at no cost).
- What it does: emergencies, liaison with embassies and police, theft and lost items, disputes with tourism businesses, safety advice on routes and destinations.
- Escorts: route or full-trip police custody through DISETUR. Request it at least 72 hours ahead; it is not guaranteed.
- Same service as PROATUR. INGUAT now brands it ASISTUR 1500; older guides and the UK Foreign Office still use the old name.
What ASISTUR does
INGUAT’s own English page says: “We are the direct liaison with embassies, consulates, security institutions in the country to assist tourists in emergency situations”. The service list on asistur.gt, updated 21 October 2026, is more specific:
| Service | What asistur.gt says |
|---|---|
| Emergencies | Assistance in tourist emergencies, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year |
| Information | Information and assistance in Spanish and English through the call centre, information offices and delegates |
| Liaison | Direct link with embassies, consulates, ministries, institutions and local rescue bodies |
| Problems on the trip | “Asistencia en caso de problemas con servicios turísticos, pérdida de objetos, hurto o asalto de pertenencias” |
| Advice | Safety recommendations on routes, destinations and tourism services |
| Events and groups | Preventive plans for tourist events; security coordination for groups of tourists |
Criminal complaints are taken by the police, DISETUR and the Ministerio Público, which asistur.gt lists alongside the 1500 line (see the numbers below). The recommendations page adds two practical uses. First, it suggests getting quotes for transport, packages and park visits before setting out, and calling 1500 to check prices when in doubt. Second, it says “Siempre solicite su recibo o factura al contratar cualquier servicio turístico, a fin de sustentar cualquier reclamo posterior”: always ask for a receipt or invoice, so that any later complaint has support.
The numbers to save
These are the numbers on asistur.gt’s recommendations and services pages, retrieved 9 November 2026. For the police numbers, asistur.gt says to call from within Guatemala using the Guatemalan telephone network.
| Who | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ASISTUR, Asistencia al Turista (INGUAT) | 1500 or +502 2290-2810 | Email dasistur1500@inguat.gob.gt |
| ASISTUR WhatsApp | +502 5188-1819 | INGUAT: 24 hours, 7 days (AGN, 19 January 2026) |
| DISETUR, Tourist Security Division (PNC) | +502 5551-5547 | National number; takes complaints, escorts, volcano ascents |
| FISTUR, Ministerio Público prosecutor for crimes against foreign tourists | +502 3756-7330 | Sacatepéquez +502 3756-7329; Petén and Izabal +502 3572-6910 |
| Policía Nacional Civil | 110 | Emergency |
| Bomberos Voluntarios / Bomberos Municipales | 122 / 123 | |
| Cruz Roja | 125 | |
| Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración | +502 2411-2411 | Immigration |
The emergency numbers page has the wider national list.
Police escorts: route or whole-trip custody
INGUAT’s Tourist Assistance department, “en coordinación con el Ministerio de Gobernación y la División de Seguridad Turística”, offers two kinds of escort:
- Acompañamiento en ruta (route escort): an escort only for the drive to a tourist destination. A trip on different dates needs one form per leg, for example one request for the outbound trip and another for the return.
- Custodia permanente (permanent custody): an escort for the whole trip, on the road and at destinations.
To request one, fill in the online form linked on asistur.gt’s services page. You can also ask for the form by WhatsApp at +502 5188-1819. Three conditions apply. The form must be sent at least 72 hours in advance. Sending it is not a confirmation, because the escort depends on DISETUR’s availability. And an incomplete form can be rejected. DISETUR’s own listed services include escorts for climbing and descending volcanoes.
For scale: AGN reported that over Semana Santa 2025, ASISTUR assisted 63,231 tourists, 29,937 Guatemalan and 33,294 foreign, and ran 92 escorts covering 5,687 tourists and 334 vehicles. AGN counted 210 tourists assisted through the call centre.
Where to find ASISTUR in person
INGUAT names Delegados de Asistencia al Turista (tourist assistance delegates) in 11 departments: Alta Verapaz, Chiquimula, El Quiché, Guatemala, Izabal, Jutiapa, Petén, Quetzaltenango, Retalhuleu, Sacatepéquez and Sololá. It also runs tourist information offices. Hours below are as listed on asistur.gt (page updated 2 June 2026):
| Office | Address | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| La Aurora International Airport | 1st level, International Building | Monday to Sunday, 06:00-21:00 (may change with flights) |
| Antigua Guatemala | 5a Calle Oriente No. 11, Local 2 | Monday-Friday 08:00-16:00; Saturday-Sunday 09:00-17:00 |
| INGUAT lobby, Guatemala City | 7a Avenida 1-17, Zona 4, Centro Cívico | Monday-Friday 08:00-16:00 |
The same page lists offices in Quetzaltenango, Panajachel, Chichicastenango, Mundo Maya airport, Flores, Cobán, Esquipulas, Puerto Barrios and Retalhuleu, each with its own days. Some close on set weekdays; Chichicastenango, for example, is closed on Tuesdays and Saturdays. For the airport itself, see the La Aurora airport guide.
During Semana Santa 2026, AGN reported on 3 April that INGUAT’s Tourist Assistance department was issuing an updated road-conditions bulletin every day.
ASISTUR or PROATUR: one service, two names
INGUAT’s website, inguat.gob.gt, has a main-menu item labelled ASISTUR 1500 that links to asistur.gt. Its home page describes the service as “servicios gratuitos de asistencia y protección al turista, disponibles las 24 horas”. The old address inguat.gob.gt/proatur returned HTTP 404 on 9 November 2026.
The UK Foreign Office’s Guatemala advice still uses the name PROATUR. Its getting-help page (retrieved 9 November 2026) describes PROATUR as Guatemala’s tourist assistance service, reachable on +502 2290 2810 or 1500 from inside Guatemala. That is the office number asistur.gt lists for the Departamento de Asistencia al Turista. Its safety page adds that PROATUR “can help accompany you to your hotel or other safe place” after a criminal attack. Pages on this site that relay the UK advice, such as Antigua safety, use the name ASISTUR (formerly PROATUR). AGN itself used Asistur for INGUAT’s team in April 2025. In July 2025 it relayed a Petén Gobernación statement that still called it the Oficina de Asistencia al Turista (Proatur). Both names refer to the 1500 service.
Reporting a crime
ASISTUR can connect you, but the complaint (denuncia) is filed with the Ministerio Público or the police. Asistur.gt says the MP’s prosecutor for crimes against foreign tourists has its offices “dentro de las delegaciones del Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo” in Guatemala City, Antigua Guatemala and Flores. Complaints can also be filed online at www.mp.gob.gt/denuncias/. DISETUR lists complaint-taking and assistance in Spanish and English among its services. For the common scams and what to do after one, see tourist scams in Guatemala; for the overall picture, see safety in Guatemala.
Sources
All retrieved 9 November 2026.
- INGUAT / ASISTUR, Asistencia al Turista home page (ES and EN) — https://asistur.gt/ and https://asistur.gt/en/
- ASISTUR, Servicios (updated 21 October 2026) — https://asistur.gt/servicios/
- ASISTUR, Asistencia Turística (contact) — https://asistur.gt/asistencia-turistica/
- ASISTUR, Oficinas de Información Turística (updated 2 June 2026) — https://asistur.gt/oficinas-inf-turistica/
- ASISTUR, Recomendaciones al visitar Guatemala — https://asistur.gt/recomendaciones/
- INGUAT home page (ASISTUR 1500 menu and service description) — https://inguat.gob.gt/es/
- AGN, El turismo nacional continúa con normalidad pese al estado de sitio, 19 January 2026 — https://agn.gt/el-turismo-nacional-continua-con-normalidad-pese-al-estado-de-sitio/
- AGN, Asistur brindó atención a más de 63 mil turistas esta Semana Santa, 21 April 2025 — https://agn.gt/asistur-brindo-atencion-a-mas-de-63-mil-turistas-esta-semana-santa/
- AGN, Asistur emite boletín sobre el estado de las carreteras en esta Semana Santa, 3 April 2026 — https://agn.gt/asistur-emite-boletin-sobre-el-estado-de-las-carreteras-en-esta-semana-santa/
- AGN, Instituciones reafirman compromiso con la seguridad turística en Flores, Petén, 31 July 2025 — https://agn.gt/instituciones-reafirman-compromiso-con-la-seguridad-turistica-en-flores-peten/
- UK FCDO, Guatemala travel advice: Getting help and Safety and security — https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/guatemala/getting-help ; https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/guatemala/safety-and-security
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Guatemala's 1500 tourist assistance line do?
1500 is the call centre of ASISTUR, the Tourist Assistance department of INGUAT, Guatemala’s tourism institute. Its service list covers tourist emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; information in Spanish and English; liaison with embassies, consulates, ministries and local rescue services; help with problems with tourism businesses, lost items, theft or robbery; and security coordination for tourist groups. The service is free.
Is PROATUR the same as ASISTUR?
Yes, it is the same INGUAT service under its current name. INGUAT’s website now brands it ASISTUR 1500 and links to asistur.gt. The office number +502 2290-2810 that the UK Foreign Office gives for PROATUR is the number asistur.gt lists for the Departamento de Asistencia al Turista. The older name still appears in some official statements, such as a Petén Gobernación statement relayed by AGN in July 2025.
How do I call ASISTUR from a foreign phone?
The UK Foreign Office gives 1500 for dialling from inside Guatemala. From a foreign number, use the department’s office line, +502 2290-2810, which asistur.gt lists next to the 1500 call centre. INGUAT also publishes WhatsApp +502 5188-1819, which it says answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Can I get a police escort as a tourist in Guatemala?
Yes, on request. INGUAT’s Tourist Assistance department, with the Interior Ministry and the Tourist Security Division of the police (DISETUR), offers route escorts and permanent custody for tourists. You request it with an online form, which can also be requested by WhatsApp at +502 5188-1819, at least 72 hours in advance. Sending the form is not a confirmation: the escort depends on DISETUR’s availability.
Where do I report a crime against a tourist in Guatemala?
The Ministerio Público has a prosecutor’s office for crimes against foreign tourists, with offices inside INGUAT’s delegations in Guatemala City, Antigua Guatemala and Flores. Its national number is +502 3756-7330, and complaints can also be filed online at www.mp.gob.gt/denuncias/. The police emergency number is 110, and DISETUR also takes complaints at +502 5551-5547.
