In short: Guatemala’s Código de Migración, Art. 66, bars entry on four grounds: public order and security; being named in Rome Statute crimes; being criminally prosecuted for common crimes against life, property and liberty; and having an international arrest warrant. The article says nothing about past convictions, felonies or DUIs, and we found no IGM rule that does. Visa-exempt tourists (Category A passports, including the US, Canada, UK and EU) have no criminal-record certificate on IGM’s published list of entry requirements. A certificate of no criminal record is required for Category C visas and for every residency application. The law also leaves room for IGM’s own administrative provisions, and the border officer interviews you, so the texts cannot promise entry either way.
This page reports what the law’s text says and flags where it is silent. It is not legal advice. For people previously deported from the US or Guatemala, see re-entry after deportation.
The law: Código de Migración, Art. 66
The article, in Spanish as enacted (Decreto 44-2016):
“Artículo 66. Impedimentos para el ingreso. Además de las disposiciones administrativas que se dispongan por el Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración, son impedimentos para ingresar al país:”
| Ground | Spanish text | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| a) | “Por razones de orden y seguridad pública” | Public order and security, not defined further in the article |
| b) | “Ser señalado de la comisión de delitos contenidos en el Estatuto de Roma de la Corte Penal Internacional” | Being named for crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court |
| c) | “Ser perseguido penalmente por delitos de orden común contra la vida, la propiedad y la libertad” | Being criminally prosecuted (not convicted in the past) for common crimes against life, property and liberty |
| d) | “Tener orden de captura internacional” | An international arrest warrant |
Two other articles frame it:
- Art. 59 limits the right to migrate only in the cases the Code and its regulations set, and when there are health, security or public-order provisions, or a judicial order or sentence.
- Art. 64 says the criteria for prohibiting entry, suspending a stay and rejecting entry applications “serán regulados en el reglamento del presente Código” (will be set by the Code’s regulation).
Where the law is silent
- Past convictions. Art. 66(c) speaks of being “perseguido penalmente”, which describes a prosecution, not a record of old sentences. No article we read bars entry because of a conviction that has been served.
- Felony vs misdemeanour. The entry texts we read do not use these categories.
- DUI. Not mentioned in the Code, in the visa regulation (Acuerdo IGM-015-2025) or in IGM’s published entry requirements.
- The Art. 64 regulation. The Code delegates the entry-refusal criteria to a regulation. The 2025 visa regulation refers back to Arts. 59 and 66 (see below); we did not find a separate published regulation that lists criminal records as a ground to refuse tourists.
What that means: the texts give no basis for saying a DUI or an old conviction bars you, and none for promising you will be admitted. Art. 66(a) (public order and security) and IGM’s administrative provisions give the authorities discretion the text does not spell out.
What IGM asks of every visitor
IGM’s published entry requirements (read 25 September 2026): a valid passport; a visa when your country’s category needs one; an interview in which you must answer truthfully about the purpose of your trip; an invitation letter when needed; having no entry restrictions (“NO TENER RESTRICCIONES DE INGRESO”); proof of means if the officer asks; a return ticket; a hotel reservation or contact in Guatemala; and “other requirements” the migration authority considers necessary for security reasons.
A criminal-record certificate is not on that list.
Where a criminal-record certificate is required
| Situation | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist from a Category A country (no visa: US, Canada, UK, EU, Mexico and others) | No certificate among the entry requirements | IGM entry requirements |
| Visa application, Category B (consular visa, e.g. India, Philippines) | Not among the Art. 10 visa requirements (form, passport, itinerary, three months of bank statements or income proof, international credit card) | Acuerdo IGM-015-2025, Art. 10 |
| Visa application, Category C (visa consultada, e.g. China, Cuba, Nigeria) | “Constancia original de carencia de antecedentes penales o policiales” from the home country, its embassy or consulate, or the country of residence in the previous two years | Acuerdo IGM-015-2025, Art. 11 |
| Temporary or permanent residency (any nationality) | The same certificate of no criminal or police record; refugees or political asylees with temporary residence applying for permanent residence present “Carencia de antecedentes penales y policiales de Guatemala” instead | Acuerdo IGM-016-2025, Arts. 8 and 26 |
For visas, the regulation adds that meeting the requirements “no implica la obligatoriedad de otorgarla” (does not oblige IGM to grant the visa) if the applicant falls under Arts. 59 and 66 of the Code (Acuerdo IGM-015-2025, Art. 7).
To find your passport’s category, see Guatemala entry for green-card holders, which reproduces IGM’s A, B and C lists.
Things you do in Guatemala
- Code Art. 64: breaking the obligations foreigners have in Guatemala creates administrative responsibility and allows the authorities to ask you to leave immediately or, where justified, to expel you; a crime is handled under the criminal law.
- Demonstrations: Canada’s travel advice says foreigners who take part in demonstrations may face detention, deportation and the denial of future entry into Guatemala.
- Weapons: the US State Department says it is illegal to bring guns or ammunition, including spent shells or casings, into Guatemala, with possible detention and prison sentences of 4 to 8 years.
Related
- Guatemala entry for US green-card holders (visa categories)
- Re-entry after deportation
- Guatemala entry for US passport holders
- Customs: what you can bring
Sources
- Código de Migración, Decreto 44-2016 del Congreso de la República (Arts. 59, 64, 66) — text read 2026-09-16.
- Acuerdo IGM-015-2025, Reglamento de Visas Guatemaltecas (Arts. 7, 10, 11): https://igm.gob.gt/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/24.1.3-Reglamento-de-Visas-ACUERDO-NUMERO-IGM-015-2025.pdf — text read 2026-09-16.
- Acuerdo IGM-016-2025, Reglamento de Residencias Guatemaltecas (Arts. 8, 26): https://igm.gob.gt/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/24.1.4-Reglamento-de-Residencias-Guatemaltecas-Acdo-IGM-016-2025-AMN-05-2025.pdf — text read 2026-09-16.
- IGM — Requisitos migratorios para ingreso a Guatemala: https://controlmigratorio.igm.gob.gt/index.php/component/content/article/requisitos-ingreso-gt?catid=8 — read 2026-09-25.
- Government of Canada — Travel advice and advisories: Guatemala (demonstrations): https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/guatemala — read 2026-09-24.
- US Department of State — Guatemala Travel Advisory (tips from the embassy): https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/guatemala.html — read 2026-09-24.
This page reports the published texts; it is not legal advice. Information current as of 25 September 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you travel to Guatemala with a felony?
Guatemala’s Código de Migración (Decreto 44-2016), Art. 66, lists the impediments to entering the country: reasons of public order and security; being named in crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; being criminally prosecuted for common crimes against life, property and liberty; and having an international arrest warrant. The article does not mention past convictions or felonies. It does also allow administrative provisions set by the Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración (IGM), and IGM’s own entry requirements include having no entry restrictions and answering the officer’s interview truthfully.
Can you go to Guatemala with a DUI?
The Código de Migración and the 2025 visa regulation we read do not mention driving-under-the-influence convictions at all. Art. 66’s criminal grounds are an ongoing prosecution for crimes against life, property or liberty and an international arrest warrant. We found no published IGM rule that turns a DUI into an entry ban, and we will not guess at border practice beyond the text.
Does Guatemala check criminal records at the border?
The published texts do not say how IGM screens travellers. IGM’s list of entry requirements includes an interview in which you must answer truthfully about your trip and the condition of having no entry restrictions, plus any other requirements the migration authority considers necessary for security reasons. A criminal-record certificate is not among the documents a tourist from a visa-exempt (Category A) country is asked to present.
When do I need a criminal record certificate for Guatemala?
In two cases in the texts we read. Nationals of Category C (visa consultada) countries must include an original certificate of no criminal or police record with their visa application (Acuerdo IGM-015-2025, Art. 11). And every applicant for temporary or permanent residency must present one from their country of origin, from their embassy or consulate, or from the country where they lived in the two years before entering Guatemala (Acuerdo IGM-016-2025, Arts. 8 and 26). Exception: refugees or political asylees with temporary residence who apply for permanent residence present a Guatemalan certificate of no criminal and police record instead (Art. 26).
Can I be banned from Guatemala for something I do while there?
Yes. Under Código de Migración Art. 64, a foreigner who breaks their obligations incurs administrative responsibility and can be asked to leave immediately or, where justified, expelled; if a crime is committed, the criminal law applies. Canada’s travel advice warns that foreigners who take part in demonstrations may face detention, deportation and the denial of future entry into Guatemala.
