If you are a US citizen living in Guatemala and your passport is running out, you do not need a trip to the United States, and if you qualify you do not need an embassy appointment either. The US Embassy in Guatemala City accepts adult renewals by courier through any Cargo Expreso agency. This guide walks through who qualifies, the five steps exactly as the embassy writes them, what the courier will not do for you, and what to do instead if you do not qualify or cannot wait.
Everything below comes from the US Embassy Guatemala passport pages, checked on 2026-09-28. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
Quick summary (renewing a US passport from Guatemala, checked 2026-09-28): Adults who meet all four courier criteria renew with Form DS-82, filled out online and printed single-sided with its barcode, plus one 2x2 photo, a pay.gov receipt ($130 book, +$30 card), the old passport and a prepaid return shipping label, dropped at any Cargo Expreso agency. The embassy states 3 weeks of processing; after approval the passport takes about 10 days to arrive from the US and about 3 more days to reach your Cargo Expreso agency. A first passport, an applicant under 16, a passport issued before 16 or more than 15 years ago, or a lost, stolen or damaged one means Form DS-11 in person (for adults $165, +$30 card; the fee for under-16s is not covered here). The embassy also issues emergency passports, which it says can be issued the same day as your appointment; its page, as checked on 2026-09-28, does not state who qualifies. The embassy’s passport pages list no expedited service.
Which route is yours
| Your situation | Route | Form | Fee on pay.gov |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult, meets all four courier criteria (below) | Courier via any Cargo Expreso agency, or an in-person appointment | DS-82 | $130 book; +$30 card |
| Applying for your first US passport | In person at the embassy | DS-11 | Adults: $165 book; +$30 card |
| Under age 16 | In person; the embassy requires two-parent consent | DS-11 | Not covered in this guide; see the embassy’s passport pages |
| Previous passport issued when you were under 16 | In person | DS-11 | Adults: $165 book; +$30 card |
| Previous passport lost, stolen or damaged | In person | DS-11 | Adults: $165 book; +$30 card |
| Previous passport issued more than 15 years ago | In person | DS-11 | Adults: $165 book; +$30 card |
| Name changed since your last passport | Not eligible for the courier; the courier page points to the regular in-person process | The pages we checked do not name the form for this case | See the adult-applicant page |
| Holding an emergency passport, within a year of issuance | Courier (the emergency page mentions this for applicants over 18) | DS-5504, if eligible | No charge in most circumstances, per the embassy |
| Emergency passport | In-person appointment; the embassy page as checked on 2026-09-28 does not state who qualifies | Per the emergency-passports page | Not covered in this guide |
Renewing a Guatemalan passport instead? That is a different office and a different process: see Guatemalan passport renewal.
Do you qualify for the courier? The four criteria
The courier page says “You may qualify to renew your passport by courier if you meet ALL of the following criteria” and lists four. Every one has to be true:
- “Your previous U.S. passport book/card is in your possession”
- “You were at least 16 years old when your most recent U.S. passport book/card was issued”
- “Your most recent U.S. passport book/card was issued less than 15 years ago”
- “Your previous U.S. passport was issued under your current legal name”
Two notes on the same page close the door on the edge cases. First: “NOTE: If your most recent passport was lost/stolen/mutilated, you DO NOT meet criteria for the service”. Second: “If you do not meet the above criteria, you should follow the regular in-person passport application process”.
The adult-applicant page confirms the courier is optional, not mandatory: “Adult applicants using Form DS-82 may opt to apply in person (schedule an in-person appointment) or may apply by courier”.
The five courier steps, as the embassy writes them
1. Form DS-82, filled out online and printed single-sided
The embassy’s instruction is to “Fill out the Form DS-82 (or Form DS-5504) online and print both pages single-sided (not duplex)”. Three details from the same step:
- The barcode. “The application must have a barcode in the upper left hand corner”. The same step says “Please do not fill out the form by hand”.
- The signature. Sign and date it. “Your signature should match the one in your previous passport”.
- Not DS-11. “We may not accept Form DS-11 by courier as this form must be signed in front of a consular officer”.
Social Security number. The page states “Your SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER IS REQUIRED to adjudicate the passport application”. If you have never been issued one, “you must submit a declaration signed under penalty of perjury”, and “This declaration does not need to be notarized, but please submit the original with your application”.
2. One 2x2-inch photo
One photo, 2 by 2 inches, taken within the last six months. The embassy adds: “Please remove your eyeglasses”.
3. Pay on pay.gov, then print the receipt
The fee for Form DS-82 is paid online through pay.gov: “It is $130 for a passport book plus $30 if you would also like a passport card”. The payment rules on the same page:
| Rule | What the embassy says |
|---|---|
| Proof of payment | “Please print a copy of the online payment confirmation receipt to include with your application” |
| Credit card | “Pay.gov payments are immediate when using a credit card only” |
| Any other method | “For all other methods of payment through pay.gov, please allow up to 72 hours for the payment to go through” |
| Refunds | “Note that fees are non-refundable” |
4. Include your most recent US passport
The old passport goes in the envelope. If you also hold a passport card: “If you previously had a passport card and are also applying to renew your passport card, please also submit your existing passport card”.
5. Drop everything at a Cargo Expreso agency, with a prepaid return label
The page says “Bring all documents (form, photo, payment, passport) to any Cargo Expreso agency”, and “You must include a prepaid return shipping label so that we may return your new passport along with your canceled previous passport”.
The packet is addressed to: “U.S. Embassy, Boulevard Austriaco 11-51, zona 16, Guatemala, 01016”.
The courier page, as checked on 2026-09-28, does not state what Cargo Expreso charges to send the packet or for the return label. Ask at the agency; this guide does not give a figure.
What the courier agency will not do
Read this before you walk in. The embassy’s page states three limits on the courier:
- “Courier agency personnel will not review your documents or application to verify whether they are correct or complete”
- “The courier agency will accept only one application packet per envelope”
- “they will not allow you to send cash in the Cargo Expreso envelope”
And if something is missing: “Incomplete or incorrect applications will be returned to you using the return shipping label submitted with the application along with a letter explaining what was deficient”. The checklist is your job, not the courier’s.
Checklist before you seal the envelope (each item is from the steps above): DS-82 printed single-sided with the barcode, signed and dated · SSN on the form, or the original signed declaration · one 2x2 photo, no eyeglasses · printed pay.gov receipt · your most recent passport (and passport card, if renewing it) · prepaid return shipping label · no cash · one applicant per envelope.
How long it takes
| Stage | What the embassy states |
|---|---|
| Processing | “PROCESSING TIME: 3 WEEKS” |
| After approval, from the US | “it takes approximately 10 days to arrive from the United States” |
| Then, to your agency | “and another 3 days to arrive back at the designated Cargo Expreso agency” |
| Tracking the return | “Please use the tracking number from your return shipping label to see when your new passport has arrived at the Cargo Expreso agency and is ready for pick-up” |
The embassy gives the 3-week processing time and the post-approval delivery as separate figures; it does not add them into one total, and neither does this guide. To follow the application itself, the courier page links the status tool at passportstatus.state.gov.
No expedited option. The courier page and the adult-applicant page, as checked on 2026-09-28, list no expedited service and no expedite fee. The embassy separately issues emergency passports (below); its emergency-passports page, as checked on 2026-09-28, does not state who qualifies for one.
If you cannot use the courier: Form DS-11 in person
The adult-applicant page says “You must apply in person using Form DS-11 if at least one of the following is true” and lists five cases:
- “You are applying for your first U.S. passport”
- “You are under age 16”
- “Your previous U.S. passport was issued when you were under age 16”
- “Your previous U.S. passport was lost, stolen, or damaged”
- “Your previous U.S. passport was issued more than 15 years ago”
For adults, the fee on pay.gov is: “It is $165 for a passport book plus $30 if you would also like a passport card”. The fee for under-16s is not covered here. Do not sign the form at home: “Please do not sign the application until you are directed to do so at the consular section”. Among the identity documents the page lists for DS-11 is a valid Guatemalan DPI.
Children 15 and under. The embassy’s passport services page states “An in-person appointment and two parent consent are required” and “Passports for minors aged 15 and under are valid for five years”.
At the embassy. The same page gives the location as Boulevard Austriaco 11-51, Zone 16, Guatemala City, and warns “There is no public parking at the U.S. Embassy” and “If you arrive late by 15 minutes or more, you may be asked to reschedule your appointment”.
Emergency passports: what the embassy’s page says
The emergency-passports page sets out what you get and what you give up. As checked on 2026-09-28, the page does not state who qualifies for an emergency passport:
| Feature | What the embassy says |
|---|---|
| Speed | “Emergency passports can be issued the same day as your appointment” |
| Size and validity | “The books have 12 pages and are generally valid for one year” |
| Chip | “Note that an emergency passport is not an e-Passport and does not contain an electronic chip” |
| Where it works | “It is valid to travel to the United States, but it may not meet the requirements of other countries” |
| Replacing it | “In most circumstances, you may replace it with a full validity passport within a year of issuance at no charge” |
Getting an earlier appointment. The page asks you to “Please schedule an in-person appointment”, and adds: “If you may need an earlier appointment than what is available online, please schedule the first available appointment and email us at AmCitsGuatemala@state.gov”. The subject line format it gives is “E33 – EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT – FULL NAME”.
Swapping it for a full passport. Eligibility for the free swap is conditional on both pages. The courier page says “If you are eligible to use Form DS-5504, you may replace your limited validity emergency passport with a full validity passport within a year of issuance at no charge”, and the emergency page adds “If you are over age 18 and would like to replace your emergency passport by courier”. Note the two different ages on the two pages: the regular courier criteria ask that you were at least 16 when your most recent passport was issued, while the emergency page’s courier replacement refers to applicants over age 18.
The Guatemalan half: your entry stamp and visa stay in the old book
The embassy returns “your new passport along with your canceled previous passport”, so your Guatemalan entry stamp, and any Guatemalan residency visa stamped in the old book, stay in the old book. That part is Guatemala’s Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración (IGM), not the US Embassy, and it has its own page: my passport expires while I’m in Guatemala sets out what IGM publishes about entry stamps, visas and residency when the passport changes, including where the published rules are silent. Keep the canceled passport with the new one until you have read it.
For the rest of the embassy’s services for Americans (notary, birth abroad, contact details), see US Embassy Guatemala: citizen services.
Related
- My passport expires while I’m in Guatemala: the Guatemalan side (entry stamp, prórroga, exit)
- US Embassy Guatemala: citizen services: the embassy’s other services for Americans
- Guatemalan passport renewal: for renewing a Guatemalan passport, which IGM issues
Sources
| Page | Publisher | URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport renewal by courier | U.S. Embassy in Guatemala | https://gt.usembassy.gov/passports/renewal-courier/ | 2026-09-28 |
| Passports for adults | U.S. Embassy in Guatemala | https://gt.usembassy.gov/passports/adult-applicants/ | 2026-09-28 |
| Emergency passports | U.S. Embassy in Guatemala | https://gt.usembassy.gov/passports/emergency-passports/ | 2026-09-28 |
| Passport services | U.S. Embassy in Guatemala | https://gt.usembassy.gov/passports/ | 2026-09-28 |
| Passport application status (linked from the courier page) | state.gov | https://passportstatus.state.gov/ | 2026-09-28 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I renew my US passport from Guatemala without going to the embassy?
Yes, if you meet all four criteria on the US Embassy Guatemala courier page (checked 2026-09-28): your previous US passport book or card is in your possession; you were at least 16 when your most recent one was issued; it was issued less than 15 years ago; and it was issued under your current legal name. You then fill out Form DS-82 online, print both pages single-sided, pay on pay.gov, and drop the packet with your old passport, one 2x2 photo and a prepaid return shipping label at any Cargo Expreso agency. The embassy page also says ‘If your most recent passport was lost/stolen/mutilated, you DO NOT meet criteria for the service’ and that anyone who does not meet the criteria should follow the regular in-person process.
How long does a US passport renewal take from Guatemala?
The embassy’s courier page states ‘PROCESSING TIME: 3 WEEKS’. It then describes delivery separately: ‘From the time your passport application is approved, it takes approximately 10 days to arrive from the United States and another 3 days to arrive back at the designated Cargo Expreso agency.’ You track the return with the tracking number on your prepaid return label, and the status of the application itself at passportstatus.state.gov.
How much does it cost to renew a US passport in Guatemala?
By courier with Form DS-82, the embassy page says ‘It is $130 for a passport book plus $30 if you would also like a passport card’, paid online through pay.gov, and ‘Note that fees are non-refundable’. If an adult must apply in person with Form DS-11, the adult-applicant page says ‘It is $165 for a passport book plus $30 if you would also like a passport card’. The courier page, as checked on 2026-09-28, does not state what Cargo Expreso charges for the shipment or the return label, so this guide does not give a figure for it.
Is there an expedited option at the US Embassy in Guatemala?
The embassy’s courier page and its adult-applicant page, as checked on 2026-09-28, list no expedited service and no expedite fee; both state a processing time of 3 weeks. The embassy also has an emergency-passports page, which says emergency passports can be issued the same day as your appointment; that page, as checked on 2026-09-28, does not state who qualifies for one.
How do emergency US passports work in Guatemala?
The embassy’s emergency-passports page says ‘Emergency passports can be issued the same day as your appointment’ and ‘The books have 12 pages and are generally valid for one year’. It also says an emergency passport ‘is not an e-Passport and does not contain an electronic chip’, and that it is valid to travel to the United States but ‘may not meet the requirements of other countries’. You schedule an in-person appointment; if you need an earlier one than is available online, the page asks you to book the first available slot and email AmCitsGuatemala@state.gov with the subject line ‘E33 – EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT – FULL NAME’. The page adds ‘In most circumstances, you may replace it with a full validity passport within a year of issuance at no charge’, and the courier page says that if you are eligible to use Form DS-5504 the replacement is at no charge within a year of issuance. The emergency-passports page, as checked on 2026-09-28, does not state who qualifies for an emergency passport.
My last passport was issued when I was 15, or it was lost. Can I still use the courier?
No. The embassy’s adult-applicant page says ‘You must apply in person using Form DS-11 if at least one of the following is true’, and its list is: a first US passport; under age 16; a previous passport issued when you were under 16; a previous passport that was lost, stolen or damaged; or a previous passport issued more than 15 years ago. For adults, DS-11 costs $165 for the book plus $30 for a card (the fee for under-16s is not covered here), and the page says not to sign it until you are directed to at the consular section.
What happens to my Guatemalan entry stamp or residency visa when I get the new US passport?
They stay in the old book. The embassy’s courier page says it returns ‘your new passport along with your canceled previous passport’, so you keep the old one. What Guatemala’s Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración publishes about entry stamps and visas in a superseded passport is covered in our guide on what happens when your passport expires while you are in Guatemala; this page covers only the US side.
