The cheapest way to ship from the USA to Guatemala is through a Miami-based PO box courier service at $3–5 per pound. Services like CPX Express, Aeropost, and Guatebox give you a Miami address, you ship your Amazon/online orders there, and they forward everything to Guatemala in 5–10 business days.

Nearly every middle-class Guatemalan household uses one of these services. It is the standard way to buy things from the US without paying DHL’s $50+ international shipping fees.

TL;DR: Use a Miami PO box courier (CPX, Aeropost, or Guatebox) to ship from the USA to Guatemala at $3-5 per pound. Delivery takes 5-10 business days. Budget 25-35% on top of purchase price for shipping and import taxes. Nearly every Guatemalan household uses this system.

Quick Comparison

Service Cost Per Lb Delivery Time Best For
CPX Express ~$3.50–4.00 5–8 business days Most popular, good coverage
Aeropost/JetBox ~$4.00–5.00 5–7 business days Established, multiple locations
Guatebox ~$3.00–4.50 7–10 business days Budget option
DHL $40–80+ per package 2–4 business days Urgent items, documents
FedEx $45–90+ per package 2–5 business days Important packages
UPS $40–85+ per package 3–5 business days Business shipments
USPS $15–40+ per package 7–21 business days Small items (unreliable)

Bottom line: For regular Amazon orders and online shopping, use a courier service (CPX, Aeropost, or Guatebox). For urgent or very valuable items, use DHL or FedEx.

Prices verified February 2026. See our exchange rates page for today’s USD/GTQ rate.

How Miami PO Box Services Work

This is the system that 90% of Guatemalans use to buy from Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and US online stores:

  1. Sign up with a courier service (CPX, Aeropost, Guatebox, etc.)
  2. Get a Miami address — they give you a suite number at their Miami warehouse
  3. Ship your online orders to that Miami address (just like shipping to any US address)
  4. The courier receives your packages at their Miami warehouse
  5. They consolidate and ship everything to Guatemala via air freight
  6. You pick up at their Guatemala office or they deliver to your door (extra fee)

This is one of the first things to set up when moving to Guatemala.

The whole process takes 5–10 business days from when the package arrives at the Miami warehouse.

Service-by-Service Breakdown

CPX Express

The most popular courier service in Guatemala. Almost everyone has a “casillero CPX.”

  • Website: cpxguatemala.com
  • Type: Miami PO box + package forwarding
  • Rate: ~$3.50–4.00 per pound (rates vary by weight tier)
  • Delivery time: 5–8 business days from Miami arrival
  • Pickup locations: Multiple offices in Guatemala City, plus Antigua, Xela, and other cities
  • Home delivery: Available for extra fee
  • Registration: Online or in-person at their offices
  • Payment: Cash, card, or bank transfer in Guatemala

Aeropost / JetBox

Long-established service with regional presence across Central America.

  • Website: aeropost.com
  • Type: Miami PO box + package forwarding
  • Rate: ~$4.00–5.00 per pound
  • Delivery time: 5–7 business days
  • Pickup locations: Multiple Guatemala City locations
  • Home delivery: Available
  • Registration: Online
  • Extras: Pre-alert system (notify them about incoming packages), package photos

Guatebox

Budget-friendly option growing in popularity.

  • Website: guatebox.com
  • Type: Miami PO box + package forwarding
  • Rate: ~$3.00–4.50 per pound (often the cheapest)
  • Delivery time: 7–10 business days (slightly slower)
  • Coverage: Guatemala City and expanding

International Couriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS)

For when you need speed or are shipping from someone in the US directly:

Courier Typical Cost Speed Guatemala Presence
DHL $40–80+ 2–4 days Offices in GC, Antigua, Xela
FedEx $45–90+ 2–5 days Offices in GC
UPS $40–85+ 3–5 days Limited offices
USPS $15–40+ 7–21 days Via Guatemala postal service (unreliable)

USPS warning: While the cheapest for small items, USPS deliveries to Guatemala are notoriously slow and packages sometimes get lost in the Guatemalan postal system. Use a tracking number and manage expectations.

Customs and Import Duties

This is the part everyone wants to understand.

When Do You Pay Import Taxes?

  • Packages under $500 USD declared value: Generally exempt from import duties through courier services (the couriers handle the customs process)
  • Packages over $500 USD: Subject to import taxes
  • Multiple packages in a short period: SAT may aggregate values, so spacing out orders helps

Import Tax Rates

Tax Rate Applied To
IVA (VAT) 12% All imported goods over the exempt threshold
DAI (Import Duty) 0–15% Varies by product category
Total typical 12–27% On declared value above exemption

Product Categories and Duty Rates

Category DAI Rate Notes
Electronics (phones, laptops) 0% DAI + 12% IVA Electronics are duty-free, but IVA applies
Clothing 15% DAI + 12% IVA Higher duty on textiles
Food/supplements 5–15% Varies by type
Books 0% Exempt from both DAI and IVA
Medicine/vitamins 0–5% Often reduced duty
Auto parts 5–10% Plus IVA

How Courier Services Handle Customs

Most courier services (CPX, Aeropost, etc.) handle the customs process for you:

  • They declare the packages at customs
  • They calculate and collect any taxes due
  • You pay the taxes when you pick up your package
  • They add a small customs processing fee (~$2–5)

This is much simpler than dealing with SAT directly for personal imports.

Tips for Ordering From Amazon to Guatemala

  1. Always use a courier PO box rather than shipping directly to Guatemala. Amazon’s direct Guatemala shipping is expensive and slow.

  2. Check if the item ships to the courier’s Miami address. Most do, but some sellers restrict shipping to residential addresses only.

  3. Consolidate orders. Courier services charge per pound, so ordering multiple items in one shipment is cheaper than several small ones.

  4. Declare accurate values. Courier services ask for the value of your items. Be honest — SAT occasionally audits and undervaluing can result in fines. You will need a Guatemala tax ID (NIT) for larger imports.

  5. Avoid shipping lithium batteries by air when possible. Some courier services restrict or add surcharges for battery-containing items. For solar equipment imports, there are special duty-free benefits worth knowing about.

  6. Amazon Subscribe & Save works to the Miami address. Set up recurring orders for supplements, household items, etc.

  7. Amazon Prime shipping is free to the Miami address. The courier’s per-pound rate is your only shipping cost.

  8. Black Friday and Prime Day are popular, but expect 2–3 week delays at couriers due to volume.

What You Cannot Ship

These items are restricted or prohibited for import to Guatemala:

  • Firearms and ammunition (requires special license)
  • Controlled substances
  • Perishable food (without proper import permits)
  • Live plants and animals (requires phytosanitary certificates)
  • Hazardous materials
  • Counterfeit goods

Shipping Large Items (Furniture, Appliances, Cars)

For large shipments, the courier PO box system does not work. You need:

  • Sea freight: Companies like Crowley, Seaboard Marine, and local freight forwarders handle container and LCL (less than container load) shipments from US ports to Puerto Quetzal (Pacific) or Santo Tomas de Castilla (Atlantic). Factor these costs into your overall cost of living planning.
  • Typical cost: $1,500–4,000 for a shared container, $3,000–8,000 for a full 20ft container
  • Timeline: 2–4 weeks sea transit + 1–2 weeks customs clearance
  • You will need a customs broker (agente aduanal) for large shipments

Cost Calculator

Quick estimate for common items shipped via courier service:

Item Approx Weight Shipping Cost Import Tax (if over $500)
Book 1 lb $3.50–4.00 Exempt
Phone case 0.5 lb $2.00–2.50 None (under $500)
Laptop 5 lbs $17.50–20.00 12% IVA if declared over $500
Clothes (5 items) 3 lbs $10.50–12.00 None if under $500 total
Small appliance 8 lbs $28.00–32.00 12% IVA if over $500
Supplements (3 bottles) 2 lbs $7.00–8.00 None (under $500)

Need to convert prices? Check our exchange rate page. Planning your budget? See the cost of living guide. For importing solar equipment duty-free, read our Aeropost solar import guide. Planning your move? Start with how to move to Guatemala from the USA.