Menaje de Casa Guatemala: Import-Duty Exemption for US Movers (2026)

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The menaje de casa is how Guatemalan customs treats the household goods you bring when you move. For foreigners who become residentes pensionados or rentistas, SAT’s procedure exempts them from import duty (DAI); Guatemalans returning after 24 months abroad can have 25-70% of the duty waived. It never waives the 12% IVA. This guide walks the eligibility, the qualifying items, the inventory SAT requires, and what the primary sources do and do not say about timing.

Who writes this: We’re Guatemala Life, a Guatemala-based team. We watch containers arrive at Puerto Quetzal and Santo Tomás, work with the Guatemalan customs broker (agente aduanero) community that files menaje claims under CAUCA/RECAUCA, and see which inventories clear cleanly and which get flagged. The Guatemala-side procedure is what we can report firsthand; the US-side packing and ocean freight details are sourced from the international movers we track.

What most US movers get wrong about menaje: it is a duty exemption, not a tax holiday. SAT’s procedure waives the DAI; the 12% IVA is still charged on the declared value of your goods, so budget for it. We found no filing window in CAUCA, RECAUCA, the Central American tariff convenio or SAT’s menaje procedure. What matters is status: the pensionado/rentista exemption is for people who hold that residency, so have it resolved before the container lands, and confirm timing with SAT or your agente aduanero.

Quick summary: Menaje de casa waives import duty (DAI), not the 12% IVA, on household goods. Under SAT’s procedure: full DAI exemption for residentes pensionados and rentistas; 25-70% of the DAI for Guatemalans returning after 24 months abroad. No deadline or one-time limit was found in the primary sources. Vehicles are never menaje (RECAUCA art. 585). Total typical move: 20-foot container, $5,500-$12,000 all-in including broker, before IVA on the goods.

Cost snapshot

For a 20-foot container moving from Miami to Guatemala City, single resident:

What menaje saves is the DAI line only: 15% on furniture, clothing and TVs, 0% on laptops and books (SIECA tariff lines, read September 2026). Pensionados and rentistas get that line waived; returning Guatemalans 25-70% of it. It does NOT make the move “free”: the 12% IVA is paid either way.

Who qualifies

SAT’s procedure has returning Guatemalans show the 24-month absence with their passport. Their waiver is partial and granted by resolution: up to 50% on a written request to the customs house, up to 70% from the Intendente de Aduanas, and up to 25% for items whose wear cannot be judged, such as glassware and china. The pensionado/rentista exemption rests on SAT’s 2018 procedure, which cites Código de Migración art. 78 e); that article defers to a specific regulation, and IGM’s current residency regulation (AMN 008-2022) has no menaje provision, so ask your broker to confirm SAT still applies it.

What qualifies as menaje

Yes — counts as menaje (DAI exemption applies; IVA still due):

• New household goods too, in domestic-use quantities, declared with their invoices (CAUCA art. 115; RECAUCA art. 586 b)
• Used furniture (couches, beds, dressers, dining tables)
• Used appliances (refrigerator, washer, dryer, stove)
• Kitchenware, dishes, cookware
• Books, personal records, photographs
• Clothing, shoes, linens
• Decorative items, art, framed photos
• Used computers, TVs, audio equipment (one of each per family member is the rule of thumb)
• Garage tools, hobby equipment (used)
• Children’s toys, strollers, car seats

No — not covered:

• Vehicles, which are never part of menaje (RECAUCA art. 585); separate import process — see Bring car from USA
• Commercial quantities (e.g., 50 of one item)
• Inventory or merchandise for resale
• Liquor, cigarettes, prescription drugs in commercial quantities
• Firearms (separate licensing under DIGECAM)
• Machinery, equipment, tools or accessories for offices, labs, consultorios, factories or workshops (RECAUCA art. 585)
• Boats, jet skis, ATVs (separate vehicle classification)

Gray area — declare carefully:

• Brand-new electronics: menaje can include new goods, but declare them as new with the invoice; do not repack them as used
• Multiple TVs or laptops “for family members”: list each family member separately
• Wine collections, coin/stamp collections: declare value, may be inspected
• Jewelry: declare value, may be inspected, often best to carry in luggage

Required documents

Provided to your customs broker before the container arrives in port:

1. Notarized inventory in Spanish — list every item with description, quantity, condition, and approximate value. Group by box number. Templates available from movers. RECAUCA art. 584 requires this detailed list with estimated values; used goods need no commercial invoice.
2. Passport (photo page) + Guatemalan residency card or DPI — original and copies
3. Bill of Lading from shipping company
4. Pro-forma invoice / packing list from the mover, plus the purchase invoices for any NEW items (RECAUCA art. 586 b)
5. Marine insurance certificate (if purchased)
6. Power of attorney to the broker (notarized, may need apostille if signed in the US)
7. Proof of qualifying status: for returning Guatemalans — the passport, which SAT’s procedure uses to show the 24 months abroad. For pensionados and rentistas — the residency resolution or carnet
8. The exemption request — returning Guatemalans ask in writing, at the customs house for up to 50% of the DAI or at the Intendente de Aduanas for up to 70%, and SAT grants it by resolution. Your broker transmits the electronic customs declaration (RECAUCA art. 586 b) and claims the exemption. Verify the current procedure with your broker.

The inventory in detail

The inventory is the make-or-break document. SAT inspectors compare it to the actual contents. Under-declaring or vague descriptions trigger inspection delays and possible denial of the exemption.

Format requirements:

• Spanish (translations OK if your inventory was prepared in English)
• Box-by-box numbering (Caja 1, Caja 2, …)
• For each box: list items, quantity per item, age estimate (“usado, 5 años”)
• Estimated value per item (used, fair market value — not what you paid new)
• Total value per box and grand total
• Notarized signature

Example entry:

Caja 17 — Cocina
- 1 olla de presion, marca Presto, usada 4 años, $25
- 6 platos de ceramica, usados 3 años, $30 ($5 c/u)
- 1 licuadora marca Vitamix, usada 6 años, $80
- 1 set de cuchillos (8 piezas), usado 5 años, $50
TOTAL Caja 17: $185

Avoid: “miscellaneous kitchen items”, “stuff”, “various”. These get rejected.

What we see on SAT inventory inspections: vague entries are the single most common reason a menaje container gets held for extra inspection. Inspectors don’t care about poetry — they care about being able to physically count what they see against what the inventory lists. A box labeled “Caja 42 — Cocina” that contains 18 distinct items listed and counted on the inventory clears in seconds. The same box on a one-line inventory (“kitchen items”) can trigger a full unpack. Itemize, number boxes, and group boxes by room.

Timing — no deadline found in the sources

We looked for a menaje filing window in CAUCA, RECAUCA, the Convenio sobre el Régimen Arancelario y Aduanero Centroamericano, SAT’s 2018 menaje procedure and the Código de Migración, and found none, and no once-only rule either.

What the sources do set are status conditions:

• For a returning Guatemalan: absence from the country during the 24 months before the definitive return, shown with the passport
• For a foreign resident: residente pensionado or rentista status

Confirm timing and the documents SAT will ask for with SAT or your agente aduanero before you ship.

Common pattern: Apply for residency, wait for approval (~3-6 months), then book the container, so your broker can show the status when claiming the exemption.

Step-by-step process

Step 1 — Confirm qualifying status

Get the pensionado or rentista residency in hand, or, for a returning Guatemalan, the passport showing the 24 months abroad.

Step 2 — Hire a Guatemala-end customs broker

Before booking the container. The broker advises on the inventory format, files the menaje paperwork with SAT, and clears at the port. Budget $500-$1,500.

Step 3 — Hire a US-end mover or self-pack

• Full-service international mover: Schumacher Cargo, Atlas, Allied — they pack, load, ship, and coordinate with your Guatemala broker. $6,000-$12,000 for a 20-ft container.
• Self-pack + freight forwarder: You pack and load the container; the forwarder books the ocean freight. $3,000-$5,000 for the freight, plus your labor.
• Multiple courier shipments instead: for less than ~50 boxes, Guatemalan couriers (King Express, Chapín Express) may be cheaper than a container — see Ship a box from USA.

Step 4 — Prepare the inventory

Box-by-box. Notarize at any US notary public (or US bank). If your residency was approved while you were in the US, signing in front of a notary is fine. If you have signed in the US and the broker wants apostille, apostille at your state Secretary of State — see Apostille US documents.

Step 5 — Load and ship

Container loaded at your US home or at the mover’s depot. Bill of lading issued. Container sails — typical transit:

• Miami to Puerto Quetzal: 10-15 days
• Houston to Puerto Quetzal: 12-18 days
• LA to Puerto Quetzal: 19-25 days
• NY/NJ to Puerto Santo Tomas: 15-25 days

Step 6 — Customs clearance with menaje exemption

Container arrives. Your broker transmits the electronic customs declaration with the transport document and the detailed list (RECAUCA art. 586 b), presents the residency proof and claims the menaje DAI exemption; the 12% IVA is still assessed. SAT may inspect the container (random or selective). Typical clearance: 3-7 business days.

From what we see locally, which port clears faster: Puerto Quetzal (Pacific) generally processes menaje containers 2-3 business days faster than Santo Tomás de Castilla (Atlantic). Santo Tomás has higher Atlantic traffic volume and the customs queue is longer. If your mover can book Pacific-side shipping from Miami or Houston through Puerto Quetzal rather than East-Coast ports through Santo Tomás, that alone can shave storage fees off the final bill.

Step 7 — Inland transport and unpack

Container trucked from port to your Guatemala home. You verify against the inventory. Damage claims must be filed within 5 days against the marine insurance.

Common mistakes

• Tourist visa holders trying to use menaje. Does not qualify. Pay full DAI + IVA.
• Vague inventory. “Box 5 — kitchen stuff” gets rejected. Itemize.
• Relabeling new items as used. Menaje covers new household goods too (CAUCA art. 115); declare them as new, with the invoice.
• Budgeting as if menaje were tax-free. It waives the DAI only; the 12% IVA on the goods is still due.
• Including a vehicle in the menaje. RECAUCA art. 585 says vehicles are never menaje; cars need a separate import declaration. Trying to slip a car onto a household goods inventory will get the whole shipment held.
• Skipping marine insurance. Container damage in transit is not zero. $200-$400 to insure $30,000 of goods is cheap.
• Single broker for both US and Guatemala. Some US movers claim to handle Guatemalan customs — they don’t. You always need a licensed Guatemalan agente aduanero.
• Late inventory submission. Broker needs the inventory 5-7 days before the ship arrives in port. Miss it and you pay storage.

Courier vs container threshold

Use a container (and menaje) when:

• You have 100+ boxes worth of goods
• You’re moving major furniture and appliances
• Total value over $15,000
• You qualify for the exemption

Use Guatemalan couriers (no menaje needed) when:

• Under 50 boxes
• No furniture
• You don’t qualify for menaje (tourist, no residency yet)
• Faster delivery matters more than volume cost

For courier comparisons, see Ship a box from USA.

Related guides

• Ship a box from USA — Smaller-scale shipping
• International movers serving USA-GT — Container company directory
• Bring a car from USA — Vehicle import (separate from menaje)
• Apostille US documents — Notarized inventory and POA
• Guatemala Import Calculator — DAI / IVA estimator for items NOT covered by menaje
• Guatemala Residency Guide — Pensionado, rentista, investor categories
• Returning to Guatemala Checklist — For returning Guatemalans: the full move sequence (documents, taxes, menaje, banking)
• Importing a US Vehicle as a Returnee — Vehicle import for returnees (vehicles are never part of menaje)
• Moving from USA hub — All relocation guides
• Envíos a Guatemala (Spanish) — Spanish counterpart for the receiving side

How we verified this

Menaje rules re-verified at primary source on September 22, 2026: the Convenio sobre el Régimen Arancelario y Aduanero Centroamericano art. 21 a); CAUCA art. 115; RECAUCA arts. 584-586; SAT’s Procedimiento para el Despacho de Menaje de Casa PR-IAD/DNO-DE-16 (2018); and Ley del IVA art. 7 num. 1 d). Earlier versions of this page said menaje was a one-time exemption, waived IVA, applied to all new residents and had a fixed filing window; none of that is in those sources and it was removed. Container handling timing and inventory inspection practice reflect what we observe at Puerto Quetzal and Santo Tomás de Castilla. Broker fees and US-side container pricing are ranges we track with movers serving the USA-Guatemala corridor. Regulations change by SAT Acuerdo — confirm the current menaje resolution with your broker before shipping.

Corrections & updates

If you moved with menaje de casa and SAT treated something differently — a filing deadline, an updated inventory format, a different eligibility ruling, a new port routing — email us and we’ll update within 48 hours. We track changes so the next person plans around the actual current rules.

Official sources

• SAT Guatemala — Aduanas — Customs authority. Menaje de casa is governed by CAUCA/RECAUCA (Central American customs code) and SAT customs resolutions — verify the current regulation with your broker before shipping.
• SAT — Procedimiento para el Despacho de Menaje de Casa, PR-IAD/DNO-DE-16 (2018, PDF) — The DAI exemption for pensionados and rentistas and the 25-70% waiver for returning Guatemalans
• Direccion General de Aduanas — Customs regimes
• Instituto Guatemalteco de Migracion (IGM) — Residency status verification

Menaje rules re-verified September 22, 2026; container and broker prices April 2026. SAT procedures change — verify the current menaje rules with your customs broker before booking the container.