Most pages about Guatemala and visas answer the opposite question: who can come into Guatemala. This one is for Guatemalan passport holders going out. Each row below comes from the destination’s own government page, with the date we read it. Where we could not read an official source for a country, the country is not on this page.
Quick summary: A Guatemalan passport is visa-free for short visits to Japan (90 days), Taiwan (90 days), the 30 European ETIAS countries, and the United Kingdom (an ETA, £20, is required). El Salvador accepts a passport or the DPI. A visa is required for the United States, Canada and Mexico; Mexico’s tourist visa is free for Guatemalans, and Mexico waives it for holders of a valid US, Canadian, Japanese, UK or Schengen visa.
The table
| Destination | Visa for a tourist trip? | Stay or extra step | Official page (read) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | No | 90 days | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, list dated September 1, 2025 (read 8 Oct 2026) |
| Taiwan | No | Up to 90 days | Bureau of Consular Affairs, updated 2026-07-17 (read 8 Oct 2026) |
| 30 European ETIAS countries | No | ETIAS travel authorisation once ETIAS starts; not operating yet | EU ETIAS site (read 8 Oct 2026) |
| United Kingdom | No | ETA required, £20, visits up to 6 months | GOV.UK visa national list (updated 8 Oct 2026) and visa checker (read 8 Oct 2026) |
| El Salvador | No | Passport or DPI | IGM Guatemala notice of 14 April 2025 (read 20 Sep 2026) |
| Mexico | Yes, unless exempt | Free for stays under 180 days; waived for holders of a valid US, Canadian, Japanese, UK or Schengen visa | Mexican Embassy in Guatemala (read 24 Sep 2026) |
| United States | Yes (B-1/B-2) | Not a Visa Waiver Program country | DHS VWP list and State Department reciprocity table (read 8 Oct 2026) |
| Canada | Yes (visitor visa) | No eTA option for Guatemalans | IRCC entry requirements (read 8 Oct 2026) |
Europe: visa-free now, ETIAS later
The EU’s ETIAS site lists 30 European countries that will require visa-exempt travellers to hold an ETIAS travel authorisation: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Guatemala is on the site’s list of visa-exempt countries whose nationals will need one for a short-term stay, which the site describes as 90 days in any 180-day period.
The site is explicit that “ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point” and that the EU will announce the start date several months before launch. Until then there is nothing to apply for.
The United Kingdom: no visa, but an ETA
The UK’s list of visa nationals (Appendix Visitor, updated 8 October 2026) names Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Guatemala is not on it. Run the UK government’s visa checker for a Guatemalan tourist and the answer is: “You’ll need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) or a visa”. GOV.UK says the ETA costs £20 and lets you travel to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for up to 6 months, and that each traveller needs one, including babies and children. The checker suggests a Standard Visitor visa instead for anyone with a criminal record or a previous refusal of entry. At the border, it adds, your passport should be valid for the whole of your stay.
Japan and Taiwan: 90 days
Japan’s foreign ministry lists Guatemala among the 74 countries and regions with which Japan has reciprocal visa exemption arrangements. The period of stay is 90 days for every listed country except those the ministry names with shorter stays (15 days for Indonesia and Thailand, 30 for Brunei and Qatar). The ePassport-only conditions in Japan’s footnotes apply to other countries, not to Guatemala.
Taiwan’s Bureau of Consular Affairs lists Guatemala among the nationalities eligible for its visa-exemption program with a stay of up to 90 days (page updated 2026-07-17).
El Salvador: the DPI is enough
In a Holy Week notice dated 14 April 2025, IGM reminded travellers at the Pedro de Alvarado and Valle Nuevo crossings that they must carry a valid passport or their DPI to travel to El Salvador. For the rules on minors and on carrying ID inside Guatemala, see carrying your passport or ID.
Where Guatemalans need a visa
United States. Homeland Security’s list of Visa Waiver Program countries (read 8 October 2026) does not include Guatemala, so a visit needs a B-1/B-2 visa. The State Department’s reciprocity table for Guatemala shows that visa with no issuance fee, multiple entries and a validity of up to 120 months. If a relative in the US is inviting you, see the invitation letter for a US visitor visa.
Canada. IRCC lists Guatemala as visa-required for visits and for transit through a Canadian airport. Citizens of 17 visa-required countries, including Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama, can use an eTA instead when flying; Guatemala is not one of them. The same IRCC page lists US permanent residents among the travellers who need neither a visa nor an eTA, so a Guatemalan with a US green card is outside the visa requirement. Fees, the super visa for parents and grandparents, and the host’s income table are in inviting Guatemalan family to Canada.
Mexico. The Mexican Embassy in Guatemala says the tourist visa for Guatemalans staying under 180 days is free of charge. The same page says a valid and current visa from the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom or a Schengen country, or permanent residence in Colombia, Chile or Peru, replaces the Mexican visa for tourist stays under 180 days. In other words, a valid US or Canadian visa in a Guatemalan passport stands in for the Mexican visa on a tourist trip of under 180 days.
Before any trip
- Passport validity. Destinations set their own rule: IRCC asks for at least 6 months from the travel date for a Canadian visa application, and the UK asks for validity for the whole stay. If yours is close to expiry, see renewing a Guatemalan passport.
- Re-check the destination page. Every row above carries the date we read it; visa lists are revised (Japan’s page is dated September 1, 2025, Taiwan’s was updated July 17, 2026, and the UK list October 8, 2026).
- Visiting Guatemala as a foreigner? That is the inbound question; see Guatemala entry requirements.
Related
Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, visa exemption list (dated September 1, 2025); Taiwan Bureau of Consular Affairs, visa-exempt entry (updated 2026-07-17); EU ETIAS site, who should apply; GOV.UK Appendix Visitor visa national list, the GOV.UK visa checker result for Guatemala and tourism, and the GOV.UK ETA overview; US Department of Homeland Security, Visa Waiver Program; US State Department reciprocity table for Guatemala; IRCC entry requirements by country. All read on 8 October 2026, except the Mexican Embassy in Guatemala visa page (24 September 2026) and the IGM Holy Week notice dated 14 April 2025 (read 20 September 2026). General information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Guatemalans need a visa for Europe?
Not for a short stay in the 30 European countries that will use ETIAS. The EU’s ETIAS site lists Guatemala among the visa-exempt countries whose nationals will need an ETIAS travel authorisation. As of 8 October 2026 the site says ETIAS is not in operation and no applications are being collected; the EU will announce the start date several months before launch.
Do Guatemalans need a visa for the UK?
No visa, but an electronic travel authorisation. Guatemala is not on the UK’s visa national list (updated 8 October 2026), and the UK government’s visa checker tells a Guatemalan tourist they need an ETA or a visa. The ETA costs £20 and lets you visit for up to 6 months. The checker suggests a Standard Visitor visa for anyone with a criminal record or a previous refusal of entry.
Do Guatemalans need a visa for Japan?
No. Guatemala is on Japan’s list of 74 countries and regions with visa exemption arrangements, and Japan’s foreign ministry gives a period of stay of 90 days to every country on the list except those it names with shorter stays (Indonesia and Thailand 15 days, Brunei and Qatar 30).
Do Guatemalans need a visa for Mexico?
Yes, as a rule. The Mexican Embassy in Guatemala says the tourist visa is free for Guatemalans for stays under 180 days. It also says that a person with a valid US, Canadian, Japanese, UK or Schengen visa, or permanent residence in Colombia, Chile or Peru, does not need a Mexican visa to enter as a tourist for under 180 days (page read 24 September 2026).
Do Guatemalans need a visa for the United States or Canada?
Yes, for both. Guatemala is not on the US Visa Waiver Program list published by Homeland Security, so a visitor needs a B-1/B-2 visa; the State Department’s reciprocity table for Guatemala shows no issuance fee, multiple entries and up to 120 months of validity for it. Canada lists Guatemala as visa-required, with no eTA option.
Can I travel to El Salvador with just my DPI?
Yes. Guatemala’s migration institute (IGM), in a Holy Week notice dated 14 April 2025, told travellers heading to El Salvador to carry a valid passport or their DPI. Minors are a separate case; see our page on carrying ID.
