Guatemala Government Services

The main portal is www.rgp.org.gt (note: .org.gt domain, not .gob.gt, because RGP is a private-law legal entity under State supervision via MINECO). It manages registration of all real estate in the country (land, houses, buildings, lots), mortgages, liens, lot subdivisions, annotations, finca certifications, and online queries. PBX: 2498-1111 (short number 1564). Address: 9a Avenida 14-25 Zona 1, Guatemala City. Hours Mon-Fri 8:00-16:00. Regional offices: Quetzaltenango (Second Registry), Escuintla, Antigua, Cobán, Huehuetenango.

The RGP is the official guardian of real property in Guatemala — who legally owns what land, what liens encumber it (mortgages, attachments, easements), and the full transfer history. Without RGP registration there is no legitimate property right enforceable against third parties — someone could claim your house if you only have a deed without registration. An RGP certification is the strongest document to verify the current owner. It is the equivalent of the US “title registry.”

Three ways: 1) Online query at www.rgp.org.gt — pay digital certification with card, receive PDF in minutes. 2) In person at an RGP office — request a finca certification, cost Q50 for up to ten pages plus Q5 per additional page (Acuerdo Gubernativo 325-2005, item 2.8). 3) Notary public — your notary can query and certify before any sale or mortgage loan (mandatory step in any serious notarial transaction). See: Finca Certification.

It depends on the declared value. The RGP fee is tiered: Acuerdo Gubernativo 325-2005 charges Q160 when the value is under Q10,000, and from Q10,000 adds Q1.50 per thousand or fraction of the excess (item 2.1). Taxes and the notary are separate: under the IVA law (Art. 3, item 8) the first sale of a property pays IVA, and per SAT the second and later sales pay the 3% stamp tax; notary fees are agreed freely and, without an agreement, follow the Código de Notariado scale (Art. 109, item 2). RGP registration time: 8-30 business days depending on volume. The deed alone does NOT transfer ownership — the RGP registration is what changes the registered titleholder. See: Property Registration.

Two parallel steps: 1) Municipal authorization — the corresponding municipality approves the land division (if it complies with urban regulations, streets, green areas). See Desmembración Muni. 2) RGP registration — notarial deed of subdivision, authorized plan, parent finca certification. The RGP assigns new finca numbers to the resulting lots. Total time: 2-4 months. RGP cost: variable by number of lots. See: RGP Lot Subdivision.

Once you have paid off the mortgage to the bank/creditor, it does NOT automatically cancel at the RGP — you have to process it. The creditor (bank) issues a release letter and signs a public deed of cancellation with a notary. Then the cancellation is registered at the RGP. Cost: from Q160 at the RGP (Acuerdo Gubernativo 325-2005) + notarial fees. Time: 8-15 business days. Critical: if you do not register the cancellation, the property continues to show a mortgage and you cannot sell or refinance. See: RGP Mortgage Cancellation and Vehicle Mortgage Cancellation.

Three steps: 1) Estate proceeding — testamentary opening (if there was a will) or intestate (if not). You need a Guatemalan attorney. Your US death certificate requires apostille + sworn translation into Spanish. 2) RGP registration of the inheritance transfer — public deed with declaration of heirs + RGP finca certification (the inheritance tax law, Decreto 431, was repealed by Decreto 6-2026, so the inheritance itself no longer pays that tax). 3) If you want to sell later, the property must be in your name at the RGP — you cannot sell directly from the deceased. Realistic total time: 6-18 months. You can do everything remotely with an apostilled power of attorney.

There are two official registries in Guatemala: 1) Registro General de la Propiedad (RGP) — headquarters in Guatemala City, covers 17 departments. 2) Second Property Registry (Segundo Registro de la Propiedad) — headquarters in Quetzaltenango, covers western departments (Quetzaltenango, San Marcos, Huehuetenango, Totonicapán, Sololá, Retalhuleu, Suchitepéquez). If your finca is in the western highlands, your queries and trámites go to the Second Registry, NOT the central RGP. Both institutions have equal standards and share a digital system — but physical documents are stored separately.