In short: Guatemala decides visas by passport, so a green card on its own neither requires nor waives one. Step 1: find your passport on IGM’s list. Category A (for example Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, the UK, Canada, every EU member state, Japan, South Korea, Israel): no visa. Category B (for example India, the Philippines, Ecuador, Bolivia, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Thailand, Morocco): consular visa, unless an exemption applies. Category C (for example China, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Nigeria, Ghana, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan): visa processed in Guatemala with a local sponsor, unless an upgrade applies. Step 2, the green-card rule: Guatemala’s 2025 visa regulation gives Category A treatment to B and C nationals with three continuous years of documented residence in a Category A country, and the US is Category A. Under three years, the regulation’s text does not say whether a green card counts as a “visa vigente”, so confirm with the consulate.

This page answers one question: what a US lawful permanent resident with a non-US passport needs to enter Guatemala as a tourist. US citizens: see Guatemala entry for US passport holders. For keeping your green card while you are away, see the US re-entry permit.

Step 1: find your passport’s category

IGM publishes the three lists as images on its migration-control site (read 25 September 2026). Examples from each list, spelled out in English:

CategoryWhat it means (Acuerdo IGM-015-2025, Art. 9)Examples from IGM’s list
A — Exento de visaNo visa: countries with visa-waiver agreements or designated by the national migration authorityUnited States, Mexico, Canada, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize, UK, Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong SAR, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Singapore, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago
B — Visa consularVisa issued by a Guatemalan embassy or consulate abroadIndia, Philippines, Ecuador, Bolivia, Jamaica, Dominican Republic (from 15 February 2023), Egypt, Thailand, Morocco, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Serbia, Montenegro, Moldova, Guyana, Suriname, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Cambodia, Myanmar
C — Visa consultadaIGM in Guatemala must authorize the visa first; the application is filed through a Guatemalan sponsor (garante)China (People’s Republic), Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mongolia, North Korea, Laos, Palestinian Authority passports

These are examples; check the full list for your country. IGM’s images carry no issue date apart from the Category A file name “actualizada-2023”; IGM’s June 2025 announcement puts the countries it names in the same categories (among them the United States, Mexico, the UK and Canada in A; India, Jamaica, Bolivia, Morocco, Serbia and the Dominican Republic in B; China, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Nigeria in C).

Step 2: the rules that change your category

All from Acuerdo IGM-015-2025, Guatemala’s visa regulation:

Your situationTreatmentArticle
Category B or C passport + current residence with three continuous years of documented permanence in a Category A country (the US is Category A)Treated as Category A (the regulation does not describe the procedure; confirm with the Guatemalan consulate)Art. 29, numeral 1
Category B passport + valid visa from the US, Mexico, Canada or SchengenExempt from the consular visa; moves to Category AArt. 10
Category C passport + valid visa from the US, Mexico, Canada or SchengenTreated as Category B (consular visa instead of the in-Guatemala process)Art. 29, numeral 2
Category B passport + spouse of a Guatemalan (at least six months, registered)Category AArt. 29, numeral 3
Category C passport + spouse of a Guatemalan (at least six months, registered)Category BArt. 29, numeral 4
Category B or C passport + proves to the consular officer they are the child of a GuatemalanCategory AArt. 29, numeral 5

Art. 29 ends: “Se anotará en la visa la disposición especial de cambio de categoría que corresponda”, meaning the special category change is noted on the visa.

What the regulation does not say. It never mentions a “green card” or “permanent resident card”. Art. 10 and Art. 29(2) speak of a visa (“visa vigente”) from the US; a green card is a residence document, which is what Art. 29(1) covers, but only with three continuous years. The text does not settle whether a green card held for less than three years counts as a US “visa vigente”. The regulation is IGM’s to apply, so if you are a B or C national with under three years of US residence, ask the Guatemalan consulate before you book.

Step 3: what happens at the border

IGM’s published entry requirements for foreigners:

  • a valid passport in good condition (checked for authenticity and validity);
  • a valid visa when your category requires one;
  • truthful answers in the interview about the purpose of your trip;
  • an invitation letter or accreditation when necessary (with the host’s DPI, address, phone and a utility bill);
  • no entry restrictions against you;
  • proof of economic means if the officer asks;
  • a return or onward ticket;
  • a hotel reservation or the name of the person or institution you will contact in Guatemala.

Bring your green card and something that shows how long you have held US residence, since Art. 29(1) turns on three documented years. Before you land, also fill in the customs declaration: see Guatemala’s DVE customs form.

How long you can stay

  • 90 days, extendable once for the same period, up to 180 days from entry (Código de Migración, Decreto 44-2016, Art. 74; Acuerdo IGM-015-2025, Art. 14).
  • The CA-4 manual (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua) sets the stay in the region at up to 90 days, extendable once. It also says Category C nationals do not have free mobility in the region and need their own entry authorization for each country, unless a special visa provision applies. See the CA-4 border run and the IGM extension (prórroga).
  • By nationality, the best exit country for a border run differs: see border runs by nationality.

Sources

IGM applies these rules at the border and at consulates; confirm with the Guatemalan consulate if your case is not clear-cut. Information current as of 25 September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a US green card holder travel to Guatemala without a visa?

It depends on your passport, not the green card. If your passport is from a Category A country on IGM’s list (for example Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, the UK or any EU state), you need no visa. If it is from a Category B or C country, Guatemala’s visa regulation (Acuerdo IGM-015-2025, Art. 29) gives Category A treatment to B and C nationals who hold current residence, with three continuous years of documented permanence, in a Category A country. The United States is Category A. Below three years, the regulation does not say whether a green card counts as the valid US visa that Art. 10 accepts, so ask the Guatemalan consulate before you fly.

Do Indian green card holders need a visa for Guatemala?

India is on IGM’s Category B (consular visa) list. Under Acuerdo IGM-015-2025, a Category B national with a valid visa from the United States, Mexico, Canada or the Schengen area is exempt from the consular visa and moves to Category A (Art. 10), and a Category B national with three continuous years of documented residence in a Category A country such as the US gets Category A treatment (Art. 29). The regulation text we read does not say whether a green card is accepted as the US visa under Article 10; with three years of residence, Article 29 is the rule that clearly applies.

Do Chinese, Nigerian or Cuban green card holders need a visa for Guatemala?

China (People’s Republic), Nigeria and Cuba are on IGM’s Category C (visa consultada) list, where the visa is normally processed in Guatemala through IGM with a Guatemalan sponsor (garante). Acuerdo IGM-015-2025, Art. 29, gives Category A treatment to a Category C national with three continuous years of documented residence in a Category A country such as the US, and Category B treatment (consular visa) to a Category C national holding a valid US, Mexican, Canadian or Schengen visa.

How long can a green card holder stay in Guatemala?

The same as any tourist: up to 90 days, extendable once for the same period, up to 180 days from entry (Código de Migración Art. 74 and Acuerdo IGM-015-2025 Art. 14). Under the CA-4 manual the stay counts across the region (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua), and Category C nationals do not have free mobility in the region and need an entry authorization for each of the four countries, “salvo que sea beneficiado con una disposición especial de visa” (unless they benefit from a special visa provision, CA-4 manual B.5).

What documents does Guatemala ask for at the border?

IGM’s published entry requirements: a valid passport in good condition, a valid visa when your country’s category requires one, truthful answers in the interview, an invitation letter when needed, no entry restrictions against you, proof of economic means if the officer asks, a return or onward ticket, and a hotel reservation or the name of your contact in Guatemala. Carry your green card as proof of the US residence that Art. 29 relies on.