In short: In Guatemala, earthquake and volcanic damage is not automatic in a basic fire or home policy. MAPFRE’s SIB-approved fire conditions list temblor, terremoto, erupción volcánica among exclusions that apply unless expressly agreed and paid for, and MAPFRE then sells that cover as an extension. Aseguradora Rural’s Mi Casa Segura and El Roble’s home products list earthquake and volcanic ash or sand as covered. No insurer we read publishes a deductible or a premium. Get both in writing. Three clauses decide what you’re actually paid: coinsurance (underinsure and you share the loss), written notice within 5 days, and two years to claim (MAPFRE’s wording).
The earthquake question in Guatemala isn’t theoretical; our live earthquake tracker lists recent quakes from USGS data. This page answers the insurance question: will a policy pay, and on what terms. Car insurance is a different product: see car insurance in Guatemala.
The decision table
| Your situation | What to buy | The clause that matters |
|---|---|---|
| You own a house or apartment | Building (edificio / inmueble) cover with the earthquake-and-volcano extension named | The extension’s own wording, and its deductible |
| You rent | Contents (contenido / menaje) cover | Whether temblor and arena / ceniza volcánica are listed |
| You rent and fear causing a fire | Tenant fire liability (G&T sells it as an add-on) | Sum insured |
| You live near an active volcano | A policy that names ceniza and/or arena volcánica, not just erupción | Ash damage without eruption damage, and vice versa |
| Your house is worth more than a packaged product’s cap | A tailored policy, not the bank-channel package | Aseguradora Rural’s caps: Q1,000,000 (bank product) and Q2,000,000 (web product) |
| You’re buying with a mortgage | Whatever cover the loan contract demands, plus quake if it’s not included | Ask the bank for the required insured amount and named risks |
Why “fire insurance” in Guatemala may not cover a quake
Several insurers sell home cover as a fire (incendio) policy. MAPFRE, Aseguradora Rural and ASSA all use incendio in their product names. MAPFRE Guatemala publishes its general conditions for that policy, headed “Aprobado por la Superintendencia de Bancos en Resolución No. 127-2006 del 14 de Marzo del 2006.” Clause 8 is titled “EXCLUSIONES QUE PUEDEN SER CUBIERTAS MEDIANTE CONVENIO EXPRESO.” These are exclusions that apply:
“salvo pacto expreso en contrario y pago, en su caso, de la prima correspondiente.”
The list under 8 d) includes losses caused directly or indirectly by “incendio a consecuencia de temblor, terremoto, erupción volcánica, maremoto o inundación u otra convulsión de la naturaleza”, along with hurricane, tornado, hail and windstorm.
So under that wording, even a fire caused by an earthquake is excluded unless you’ve agreed and paid for the extension. MAPFRE’s product page then describes the extension it sells: cover for loss and material damage caused directly and immediately by earthquake, tremor, volcanic eruption and falling volcanic ash or sand, plus fire that indisputably results from them.
The practical test: find the words terremoto, temblor, erupción volcánica and ceniza / arena volcánica in the covered risks or an endorsement of your policy, not only in the exclusions.
What insurers publish for homes (read 23 September 2026)
| Insurer and product | Earthquake / volcano | Sums and limits published | Deductible / premium published |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAPFRE, Incendio (fire) | Excluded in the base conditions unless agreed (cl. 8 d); sold as an extension naming quake, tremor, eruption, ash and sand | Per policy | No |
| Aseguradora Rural, Mi Casa Segura (Banrural bank channel) | Covered risks list “Terremoto, temblor.” and eruption, ash or sand fall, plus consecutive fire | Named-risk building fire; accidental-death cover (muerte accidental) of Q50,000 or Q100,000; buildings insurable up to Q1,000,000; needs a Banrural account and an estimate of the building’s current commercial value | No |
| Aseguradora Rural, Mi Casa Segura (web) | All-risk fire on the building | Plan A-C: building at house value; contents excluded (A, B) or 25% of contents value (C); glass sub-limit Q20,000 and family liability Q100,000 (B, C); homes up to Q2,000,000; block/brick walls with slab or sheet-metal roof; Visa or Mastercard | No |
| El Roble, Seguro Contenido de Hogar | Says it covers fire, theft, temblores, floods and falling volcanic sand | Plan A Q75,000 contents + Q18,750 theft; Plan B Q150,000 + Q37,500; payable in 12 payments | No |
| El Roble, home (building) | Infrastructure damage from fire, earthquake, strikes, vehicle impact, water and more | Depends on property and contents value | No |
| Seguros G&T Continental, Hogar o Comercio Todo Riesgo | All-risk, incl. damage from natural hazards, “no excluida en las condiciones generales” | Per policy; debris removal, tenant fire liability and glass as paid add-ons | No |
| ASSA, Seguro de incendio | Building, contents, legal and family civil liability; no quake line on the page | Per policy | No |
“Per policy” means the page publishes no figure. The table only reports what each insurer’s page says.
The three clauses that decide the cheque
1. Coinsurance: insure the full value. MAPFRE’s clause 13:
“Cuando la suma asegurada sea inferior al interés asegurado,la responsabilidad de la Compañía estará en la misma relación, respecto del monto del daño causado, que la que existiere entre el valor asegurado y el valor íntegro del interés asegurable.”
In plain terms, if you insure a house worth Q1,000,000 for Q500,000, the insurer pays about half of any loss, not the full loss up to Q500,000. Insure at rebuilding value and raise it as costs rise.
2. Notice: five days, in writing. Clause 16 requires you to tell the insurer as soon as you know of the loss and to give written notice “Dentro de los cinco días siguientes”. Late notice lets the insurer cut the payment to what it would have owed with timely notice. Send the written notice by a route that leaves proof, and keep it. MAPFRE’s claims line is 2375-5000.
3. Time limit: two years. Clause 27: all actions under the policy expire “en dos años, contados desde la fecha del acontecimiento que les dió origen”.
These three come from MAPFRE’s published wording. Other insurers’ conditions may differ; read the matching clauses in yours.
What to ask before you sign
- Is earthquake, tremor, eruption and volcanic ash or sand covered? Ask them to show you the clause or endorsement, not just say yes.
- What is the earthquake deductible, and is it a fixed amount or a percentage of the sum insured? No insurer we read publishes it.
- What is the premium with and without the quake extension?
- Is the sum insured at full rebuilding value? Remember the coinsurance clause.
- Is it building, contents, or both? Renters need contents; owners usually need both.
- How do I give written notice, and to what address or email?
- Is there a construction-type condition? Aseguradora Rural’s web product specifies block or brick walls with slab or sheet-metal roof. If your house is built differently, ask whether it qualifies.
Checking the insurer is regulated
Insurance in Guatemala is supervised by the Superintendencia de Bancos (SIB), which publishes a monthly Lista de Entidades Supervisadas on sib.gob.gt. The latest 2026 list linked there on 23 September 2026 was February’s. MAPFRE’s fire wording carries its own SIB approval line (Resolution 127-2006). Ask any insurer or broker for the SIB resolution approving the policy wording they’re selling you.
Related pages
- Earthquake tracker
- Volcanoes and volcanic ash
- CONRED alert level
- Car insurance in Guatemala
- Real estate in Guatemala
- Moving from the USA hub
Sources
All read 23 September 2026.
- MAPFRE Guatemala — Condiciones Generales Incendio (approved by SIB Resolution 127-2006): clauses 8, 13, 16, 27; and the Seguro de incendio product page
- Aseguradora Rural — Mi Casa Segura (bank channel) and Mi Casa Segura (web)
- El Roble — Seguro de hogar and second home product page
- Seguros G&T Continental — Hogar y Comercio
- ASSA Guatemala — Seguro de incendio
- Superintendencia de Bancos — Lista de Instituciones Supervisadas
Spanish quotations are reproduced as published by MAPFRE Guatemala and the other insurers named.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does home insurance in Guatemala cover earthquakes?
Only if the policy says so. MAPFRE Guatemala’s general conditions for its fire policy, approved by the Superintendencia de Bancos in Resolution 127-2006, list losses from hurricane, flood, earthquake, tremor and volcanic eruption among the exclusions that apply unless there is an express agreement and, where applicable, the corresponding premium is paid. MAPFRE then sells that cover as a named extension. Some packaged home products include it outright: Aseguradora Rural’s Mi Casa Segura lists earthquake, tremor, volcanic eruption and ash or sand fall among its covered risks.
Is volcanic ash damage covered?
It can be, and the policies that include it name it separately. MAPFRE’s earthquake extension covers damage caused directly by earthquake, tremor, volcanic eruption and falling volcanic ash or sand, plus fire resulting from them. Aseguradora Rural’s Mi Casa Segura lists volcanic eruption and falling ash or sand with any resulting fire. El Roble describes its contents product as covering tremors and falling volcanic sand. Check that the words ceniza or arena volcánica appear in your policy.
What is the earthquake deductible in Guatemala?
None of the insurers’ pages we read on 23 September 2026 publishes one, for earthquake or anything else. That makes it the first number to ask for in writing, together with whether it is a fixed amount or a percentage of the insured value, because on a large quake claim the deductible can decide how much you actually receive.
What happens if I insure my house for less than it is worth?
You share the loss. MAPFRE’s general conditions include a coinsurance clause: if the sum insured is below the value of the insured interest, the insurer pays the same proportion of the damage as the sum insured bears to the full value. Insure a Q1,000,000 house for Q500,000 and a Q200,000 loss pays about half. Insure at rebuilding value, and update it.
How quickly must I report damage after an earthquake?
Under MAPFRE’s fire conditions you must tell the insurer as soon as you know, and give written notice within five days; late notice lets the insurer reduce the payment to what it would have owed with timely notice. All claims under that policy expire two years after the event. Other insurers’ wordings may differ, so read the claims clause in yours.
Do I need home insurance as a renter?
The building is the owner’s to insure. What you own inside it, your contents, is yours. El Roble sells a contents-only product with two published plans, Q75,000 of contents damage with Q18,750 for theft, or Q150,000 with Q37,500, and says it covers fire, theft, tremors, floods and falling volcanic sand. Seguros G&T sells tenant fire liability (responsabilidad civil legal de incendio sobre edificios arrendados) as an add-on.
