⚡ DIRECT ACCESS TO MERCANTILE REGISTRY
Mercantile Registry — Guatemala (under MINECO)
Which to use?
- RM Portal — institutional, fees, forms, regulations
- e-Procedures — online procedures (constitution, modification, certifications)
- Company Search — public search of registered companies (free)
- MINECO — parent entity — RPI trademarks, DIACO, other related registries
📞 Phone: +502 2412-0203 · 📍 8a Avenida 10-43 Zona 1, Guatemala City (same building as MINECO) · 🕐 Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM · 🆔 Verified: May 2026
The Mercantile Registry (RM) is the Guatemalan public registry where all the country’s business entities are registered: corporations, S.R.L., individual merchants, foreign branches, accounting books, mercantile guarantees. It operates under MINECO (Ministry of Economy) — shares building, administrative hierarchy and platforms, but has its own specialized portal for business procedures.
Quick rule: Going to open a company? → RM (then SAT NIT and IGSS if you will have employees). Need to register your trademark/logo? → MINECO RPI (NOT RM). Modify capital/partners/purpose? → RM. Close company? → RM with prior clearances. Want to verify if a supplier is registered? → free search at RM. Have a consumer complaint against a business? → MINECO DIACO (NOT RM).
RM ↔ MINECO relationship
The RM is ONE SUB-ENTITY of MINECO. To understand the full MINECO ecosystem see: MINECO Guatemala — Full Hub.
| MINECO sub-entity | What it’s for |
|---|---|
| Mercantile Registry (this hub) | Company registration, modifications, cancellations, books, certifications |
| Intellectual Property Registry (RPI) | Trademarks, invention patents, copyrights — See MINECO |
| DIACO — Consumer Protection | Complaints, complaints book, adhesion contracts — See MINECO |
| Movable Guarantees Registry | Guarantees on vehicles, machinery — See MINECO |
| Securities Market Registry | Issuers, stock intermediaries — See MINECO |
Mercantile Registry sub-portals
| Portal | What it’s for |
|---|---|
| registromercantil.gob.gt | Institutional site — fees, forms, regulations, requirements |
| etramites.registromercantil.gob.gt | e-Procedures — electronic platform (constitution, modification, certifications) |
| consulta.registromercantil.gob.gt | Public search of registered companies (free, no login) |
| Document Validation | Verification of patents and certifications issued by RM |
| Electronic Review | Status of procedure in queue |
Most-searched Mercantile Registry procedures
Company constitution
| Procedure | Approx. cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| How to Register a Business in Guatemala | Q300-2,500 | 7-15 days |
| Register an LLC (SRL) in Guatemala | Q400-800 + notary | 10-20 days |
| Commercial Agent Registration in Guatemala | Q150-300 | 5-10 days |
Modifications and cancellations
| Procedure | Approx. cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Modificacion de Escritura | Q300-1,000+ | 5-15 days |
| Cancelar Empresa Guatemala | Q100 + clearances | 30-365 days |
Types of companies registered at RM
| Type | Min. partners | Min. capital | Liability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Merchant | 1 (you alone) | N/A | Unlimited (with personal assets) |
| Sociedad Anonima (S.A. / Corporation) | 2 | Q200 (Art. 90, reformed by Decree 18-2017) | Limited to contribution |
| Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (S.R.L. / LLC) | 2 (max 20) | Q5,000 | Limited to contribution |
| Sociedad en Comandita Simple | 2 (1 collective + 1 limited) | N/A | Mixed |
| Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones | 2 + shares | N/A | Mixed |
| Sociedad Colectiva (General Partnership) | 2 | N/A | Joint and unlimited |
| Foreign Company Branch | Foreign parent company | ~$50,000 USD | Per country of origin |
| Empresa Individual de Responsabilidad Limitada (EIRL) | 1 | Q5,000 | Limited to contribution |
Common recommendation: The S.A. is the most used for medium and large companies; the S.R.L. for small and family businesses; Individual Merchant for freelancers and small commerce without corporate structure.
Before registering your company — checklist
| Have it ready | Why |
|---|---|
| Valid DPI of each partner | Mandatory ID |
| Notarial constitution deed | Guatemalan notary public with signature of all partners |
| Trade name reservation | Via RM e-Procedures (Q15-25, valid 30 days) |
| Defined fiscal domicile | Operating address (can be virtual office with contract) |
| Paid share capital | Minimum Q200 (S.A. — Art. 90, reformed by Decree 18-2017) or Q5,000 (S.R.L.) — certified bank deposit |
| Valid Boleto Ornato | Of each Guatemalan partner |
| RM fee payment | By capital — voucher or transfer |
| Subsequent plan | SAT NIT, IGSS if employees, municipal license, brand at RPI |
Diaspora — Guatemalan business owners in the USA
Constitute a company in Guatemala from the USA without traveling
- Grant power of attorney to a trusted family member or agent in Guatemala. You sign before a notary in the USA, apostille at the State Department of the corresponding state (NOT the federal one), sworn translation to Spanish if the document is in English.
- Your attorney in Guatemala signs the constitutive deed with the Guatemalan notary using your power.
- For corporations with foreign partners: 100% foreign ownership is allowed in most sectors (restrictions in strategic mining and some specific cases).
- Company NIT is processed at SAT in parallel or after; your attorney can also process it.
Remote operation from the USA
- RM e-Procedures lets you make modifications online. You need legal representative credentials (can be remote if has advanced electronic signature).
- Guatemalan bank accounts: most banks allow remote operation with online banking, international transfers, corporate cards.
- Periodic clearances (SAT, IGSS, MINTRAB) are obtained online.
- Patente de Comercio renewal: simple management at RM or via agent.
US Company branch in Guatemala
- US companies can operate in Guatemala as a branch without constituting a new corporation. RM procedure to register foreign company branch.
- Requirements: certificate of legal existence of parent company (apostilled), power to representative in Guatemala (apostilled), assigned minimum capital (~$50,000 USD), enabled accounting books, NIT as taxpayer.
- Convenient when the main operation is in the USA and there is only limited activity in Guatemala. If the operation grows, the common practice is to constitute a Guatemalan S.A. and consolidate.
After RM — next steps to operate
| Step | Entity | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Company NIT | SAT | 1-3 days | Free |
| 2. Accounting Books Activation | SAT | 1-3 days | Q0.50/sheet |
| 3. IGSS employer registration (if 3+ employees) | IGSS | 5-10 days | Free |
| 4. Municipal license | Municipality | 5-30 days | Variable |
| 5. Fire Department (if physical premises) | CVB | 5-15 days | Q150-500 |
| 6. Sanitary license (if food/pharmacy) | MSPAS | 30-90 days | Q500+ |
| 7. Trademark and logo | RPI MINECO | 6-12 months | Q800-1,500/class |
| 8. RECIT employment contracts (when hiring) | MINTRAB | 3 days | Free |
RM fees (2026 reference)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Name reservation | Q15-25 |
| Individual Merchant Registration | Q150 |
| S.A. Registration (scaled by capital) | Q300-700 base + 6 per thousand |
| S.R.L. Registration | Q400-800 |
| Bylaws modification | Q300-1,000 by type |
| Patente de Comercio | Q150 |
| Registration certification | Q25-50 |
| Company cancellation | Q100 |
| Mercantile books activation | Q5/sheet (NOT to be confused with SAT accounting books) |
Fees updated annually. Verify first at registromercantil.gob.gt.
Contact Mercantile Registry
| Channel | Detail |
|---|---|
| Phone | +502 2412-0203 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Address | 8a Avenida 10-43 Zona 1, Guatemala City (same building as MINECO) |
| e-Procedures | etramites.registromercantil.gob.gt |
| Company Search | consulta.registromercantil.gob.gt |
| MINECO (parent entity) | +502 2412-0200 — info@mineco.gob.gt |
| Public Information | Via MINECO portal — uip@mineco.gob.gt |
More Guatemalan State resources
- MINECO Guatemala — RM parent entity (RPI trademarks, DIACO consumer, other registries)
- SAT Guatemala — company NIT (next step after RM), VAT, ISR
- IGSS Guatemala — employer registration if you will have employees
- MINTRAB Guatemala — RECIT contracts, salary book, RIT
- MINGOB Guatemala — to register NGOs (NOT companies — those go to RM)
- MAGA Guatemala — if your business is agricultural
- MSPAS Guatemala — sanitary license if you handle food, pharmacy, health
- Guatemala Tramites — full directory of state procedures