Overstaying a tourist stay in Guatemala costs Q15 for each day past your authorized date, under Article 194 of the Código de Migración (Decreto 44-2016), and if you have not paid it beforehand you pay it at the migration check when you leave.
In short: The fine is Q15 per day, set in the statute itself, Art. 194 numeral 2, and it is payable in US dollars at the Banco de Guatemala reference rate on the day you pay. At departure, IGM asks for the fine receipt; without it, you pay at the migration check. On top of the fine, Art. 195 allows an order to leave within no more than 10 days. The way to avoid all of it is the US$25 extension (prórroga), requested before your stay expires; it can add up to the same period you were granted, to a 180-day maximum. The UK FCDO’s “up to 30 days” extension line conflicts with Guatemala’s own regulation. This is general information, not legal advice.
This page covers the fine itself: the legal text, what it adds up to, how and where you pay, and what else IGM can do. For visa-free entry rules, residency routes and border crossings, see the Guatemala visa guide.
What the law says
The fine is in the statute, not in IGM’s fee schedule. The Código de Migración (Decreto 44-2016), as published on IGM’s Legislación IGM page, builds it in three steps:
- Art. 192 gives the Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración (IGM) the power to impose the sanctions in that chapter.
- Art. 193 lists the administrative offences (faltas) a foreigner can commit, including, at letter b), “Permanecer en el país por más tiempo del que le ha sido autorizado sin tener pendiente resolución de ampliación”.
- Art. 194, numeral 2, sets the amount: “Por permanecer más tiempo del que les ha sido autorizado, sin tener pendiente gestión de ampliación, multa de quince Quetzales por día de exceso de permanencia”.
Article 194 also says that all fines can be paid in US dollars, using the Banco de Guatemala reference exchange rate in force on the day of payment. Numeral 1 of the same article sets a separate Q200 fine for not presenting your identity and travel document. Under Art. 196, a sanctioned person can challenge the decision through the recurso de reposición referred to in Article 182.
The phrase “sin tener pendiente gestión de ampliación” matters: the Q15/day fine is written for someone who stays past the date without a pending extension request.
IGM’s consolidated fee schedule (Acuerdo IGM-029-2023 with its 2023 and 2025 amendments) does not list the overstay fine; the extension fee is there, the overstay amount is only in the Código (read 9 November 2026).
Worked example: what an overstay adds up to
The table below multiplies the Art. 194 rate by the days over. Nothing else goes into it. There is no dollar column because the law ties any dollar payment to the Banco de Guatemala reference rate on the day you pay.
| Days past your authorized date | Fine at Q15 per day (Art. 194 num. 2) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Q15 |
| 5 | Q75 |
| 10 | Q150 |
| 30 | Q450 |
| 60 | Q900 |
| 90 | Q1,350 |
Articles 194 and 195 set no ceiling on the total, and IGM does not publish a re-entry ban for overstaying on the pages read on 9 November 2026.
How and where you pay
At departure. IGM’s Requisitos migratorios para salir de Guatemala page lists what a traveller needs at the exit check: a valid passport, a visa where the destination requires one, the interview, and, for foreigners, the “recibo original de pago de multa por exceso de permanencia autorizada y si no lo presenta, deberá realizar el pago al momento de realizar su chequeo migratorio”. In other words: bring the receipt if you paid earlier; if you did not, you pay at the migration check.
What the foreign governments add:
| Who | What they say | Date |
|---|---|---|
| US State Department | “If you stay longer, you must pay a daily fine in cash at the airport before you leave” | Page issued 11 June 2026 |
| UK FCDO | You can pay at IGM’s main office in Guatemala City; “You can also pay fines at the airport or land borders, but administrative processes can cause serious delays” | Page updated 5 November 2026 |
| Government of Canada | “If you fail to present your entry stamp when departing Guatemala, you may be fined and experience delays” | Updated 13 October 2026 |
The State Department says cash. IGM does not publish whether a card is accepted for the fine at La Aurora or at land borders (pages read 9 November 2026). The State Department page gives no amount; neither do the FCDO or Canada pages.
The UK FCDO also warns: “If you do not get your passport stamped when you arrive, you will get a fine and be delayed on your departure.” Check the entry stamp before you leave the arrivals hall.
What else can happen: the order to leave
The fine is not the only sanction. Article 195 lets IGM add “la orden de abandono del país en un plazo no mayor de diez días”, an order to leave the country within no more than ten days, when a foreigner breaches the obligations in the Código.
The Reglamento de Visas (Acuerdo IGM-015-2025), Art. 15, goes further for someone whose extension has also run out: “Al expirar el plazo de permanencia otorgado con su respectiva prórroga, el Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración podrá imponer la sanción justificada de expulsión del territorio nacional y cancelar la Visa otorgada, esto sin perjuicio de la aplicación de la multa por exceso en permanencia”.
Canada describes the same end point in practical terms: once your total authorized stay expires, you must change status, leave the CA-4 region or go to El Salvador, and “If you fail to do so, you will be fined and given 5 days to leave.” Canada adds that after leaving the CA-4 region you may try to return once 72 hours have passed, but that the officer could deny re-entry. The 72-hour figure is Canada’s statement; IGM does not publish a 72-hour rule on the pages read for this guide.
The extension that avoids the fine
The Código, Art. 74, caps a tourist’s stay at ninety days, “prorrogable por una sola vez”. The Reglamento de Visas, Art. 14, fixes the length: the stay “no podrá exceder de 90 días, el cual podrá ser prorrogable por una sola vez por un plazo igual al otorgado, que no podrá exceder de 180 días a su ingreso al territorio”.
| Item | What IGM publishes (read 9 November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Application fee | US$25.00, “Por ingreso de solicitud” (Extranjería service page; same amount on the tariff page) |
| Deadline | “La solicitud debe realizarse ANTES de que expire su tiempo de permanencia autorizado. De lo contrario, deberá pagar multa por permanencia irregular” |
| Proof of means (one of) | “Boleto de salida del país (aéreo, terrestre o marítimo)”, “Tarjeta de crédito internacional vigente” or “Constancia de garante guatemalteco actualizada” |
| Missing entry stamp | Certificación de Movimiento Migratorio, US$10.00 extra |
| Passport validity | “El pasaporte debe tener al menos 6 meses de vigencia al momento de solicitar la prórroga” |
The Reglamento says the same about timing: the request can be made before the authorized period expires “para no incurrir en multa por estadía irregular o causa justificada de expulsión” (Art. 15). For the documents and office visit step by step, see the IGM prórroga checklist.
The FCDO’s 30-day line conflicts with the regulation
The UK FCDO writes: “You can extend your stay by up to 30 days by paying a fee before the 90 days expires.” Guatemala’s Reglamento de Visas, Art. 14, says the extension runs “por un plazo igual al otorgado”, up to 180 days from entry, and Canada says you may request “an extension equal to the number of days you were initially authorized”. The Reglamento is the Guatemalan instrument; the 30-day figure is the FCDO’s wording and does not appear in it.
CA-4: the clock is regional
Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua share one entry period under the CA-4 arrangement. The UK FCDO: “The 90-day period starts when you enter any of these countries and does not restart when you cross borders.” Canada adds that “90 days are not automatically granted”: the officer at your first CA-4 entry point decides the exact length, and Canada gives “a maximum of 180 days” in Guatemala.
What no Guatemalan source on this page settles: IGM does not publish how days spent in El Salvador, Honduras or Nicaragua are counted toward a Guatemalan overstay fine (pages read 9 November 2026). For how border runs fit the CA-4 count, see CA-4 border runs from Guatemala and the border-run cost breakdown. US travellers will find the entry basics in USA to Guatemala visa requirements.
Sources
- Código de Migración, Decreto 44-2016 (Arts. 67, 74, 123, 192-196), PDF hosted by IGM: https://igm.gob.gt/images/attachtments/01.-CODIGO-DE-MIGRACION-44-2016.pdf (read 9 November 2026)
- Reglamento de Visas Guatemaltecas, Acuerdo IGM-015-2025 (Arts. 14-15): https://igm.gob.gt/files/REGLAMENTO-VISAS-GUATEMALTECAS-AMN-04-2025.pdf (read 9 November 2026)
- IGM Extranjería, Prórroga de Visa de Turista o Viajero: https://extranjeria.igm.gob.gt/index.php/component/content/article/visas-gt?catid=8 (read 9 November 2026)
- IGM Extranjería tariff page: https://extranjeria.igm.gob.gt/index.php/tarifario (read 9 November 2026)
- IGM consolidated tariff, Acuerdo IGM-029-2023 with AMN-05-2023, AMN-012-2025 and IGM-039-2025: https://igm.gob.gt/files/IGM029-2023AMN05-2023AMN012-2025IGM039-2025.pdf (read 9 November 2026)
- IGM Control Migratorio, Requisitos migratorios para salir de Guatemala: https://controlmigratorio.igm.gob.gt/index.php/component/content/article/requisitos-salir-gt?catid=8 (read 9 November 2026)
- US Department of State, Guatemala (issued 11 June 2026): https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/guatemala.html (read 9 November 2026)
- UK FCDO, Guatemala entry requirements (updated 5 November 2026): https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/guatemala/entry-requirements (read 9 November 2026)
- Government of Canada, Guatemala travel advice (updated 13 October 2026): https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/guatemala (read 9 November 2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fine for overstaying in Guatemala?
Q15 for each day you stay past your authorized date. The amount is set by the Código de Migración, Decreto 44-2016, Article 194 numeral 2: ‘multa de quince Quetzales por día de exceso de permanencia’ (a fine of fifteen quetzales per day of excess stay), for anyone who stays longer than authorized without a pending extension request. The same article says fines can be paid in US dollars at the Banco de Guatemala reference rate on the day of payment (Código de Migración PDF hosted by IGM, read 9 November 2026).
Where do I pay the overstay fine?
If you have not already paid, you pay at departure. IGM’s exit-requirements page says a foreigner must show the ‘recibo original de pago de multa por exceso de permanencia autorizada y si no lo presenta, deberá realizar el pago al momento de realizar su chequeo migratorio’ (the original receipt for the overstay fine, or else pay it at the migration check). The US State Department says you ‘must pay a daily fine in cash at the airport before you leave’ (Guatemala page, issued 11 June 2026). The UK FCDO adds that you can pay at IGM’s main office in Guatemala City, and that paying at the airport or land borders can involve serious delays (read 9 November 2026).
Can Guatemala make me leave if I overstay?
Yes, it can. Article 195 of the Código de Migración lets IGM add, on top of the fine, ’la orden de abandono del país en un plazo no mayor de diez días’ (an order to leave the country within no more than ten days). Canada’s travel advice says that someone whose total authorized stay has expired and who has not left the CA-4 region or changed status ‘will be fined and given 5 days to leave’ (travel.gc.ca, updated 13 October 2026). Five days falls inside the Código’s ten-day upper limit.
How do I avoid the overstay fine?
Request the extension (prórroga) before your stay runs out. IGM’s Extranjería page lists the application fee as US$25.00 and says: ‘La solicitud debe realizarse ANTES de que expire su tiempo de permanencia autorizado. De lo contrario, deberá pagar multa por permanencia irregular’ (read 9 November 2026). The Reglamento de Visas, Art. 14, allows one extension ‘por un plazo igual al otorgado, que no podrá exceder de 180 días a su ingreso al territorio’.
Is the Guatemala extension 30 days or 90 days?
The sources disagree. The UK FCDO says ‘You can extend your stay by up to 30 days by paying a fee before the 90 days expires’. Guatemala’s own Reglamento de Visas, Art. 14, says the 90-day stay can be extended once ‘por un plazo igual al otorgado’ (for a period equal to the one granted), up to 180 days from entry, and Canada says you may request ‘an extension equal to the number of days you were initially authorized’. The Reglamento is Guatemala’s own instrument (Acuerdo IGM-015-2025); the 30-day figure appears only in the FCDO’s wording.
Does the 90-day CA-4 period reset when I cross into El Salvador or Honduras?
Not according to the UK FCDO: ‘The 90-day period starts when you enter any of these countries and does not restart when you cross borders.’ Canada says the officer at your first entry point into the CA-4 region decides the exact length of your stay, and that ‘90 days are not automatically granted’. IGM does not publish, on the pages read 9 November 2026, how days spent in El Salvador, Honduras or Nicaragua are counted toward a Guatemalan overstay fine.
