In short: Four ways to ship to Guatemala; USPS and King Express publish prices. USPS Priority Mail International is the checkable option: Small Flat Rate Box $52.20, Medium $102.55, Large $132.05, or $74.20 for a 1 kg parcel by weight, 6-10 days, with a hard 44 lb (20 kg) ceiling to Guatemala (USPS Notice 123, price groups 8 and 10). Express couriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS) are 2-5 days but publish no US-to-Guatemala rate card - the $42-$260 range is reader-reported. Diaspora cargo: King Express’s homepage (read 5 October 2026) lists $13/lb regular air, $22/lb express and $325 for a 30x30x30 in box door to door; Trans Express quotes on request. Sea cargo (~$8.50 per cubic foot, quoted) suits furniture and vehicles. Customs: there is no tax-free courier threshold - parcels up to US$1,000 of customs value go through the courier’s simplified declaration and still pay tax; the one tax-free small parcel is a non-commercial shipment sent by family, up to US$500, once every six months. Duty is DAI by tariff line on CIF, then 12% IVA on CIF + DAI - so 15% DAI is 28.8% of CIF, not 27%. Books and medicine are not IVA-exempt; phones and laptops are 0% DAI so pay only 12% IVA; menaje de casa waives the DAI on used household goods, not the IVA. USPS prices verified 1 September 2026; customs rules re-checked against CAUCA, RECAUCA, the Ley del IVA and SIECA’s tariff on 22 September 2026.
Shipping to Guatemala: Your Complete Guide
Whether you are sending care packages to family, ordering from Amazon, or relocating your household, there are several ways to ship to Guatemala – each with different price points, speed, and reliability trade-offs.
When to Use Each Shipping Method
International couriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS) are best for urgent documents, high-value items, or time-sensitive shipments. They offer end-to-end tracking and customs brokerage but cost significantly more per kilogram. Use these when speed matters more than cost.
USPS Priority Mail International sits in the middle – slower than express couriers, and the only one whose price to Guatemala you can look up before you pack. The flat rate boxes are the good deal for dense, heavy items that fit: $102.55 for a Medium box holding up to 20 lbs beats paying by weight. Two things to know. Guatemala is in USPS price group 8 for flat rate and group 10 by weight, so the prices quoted on generic “USPS international” pages – which are almost always the Canada column – are far too low. And USPS will not accept more than 44 lbs (20 kg) to Guatemala at all. Tracking also becomes unreliable once the package enters Guatemala’s postal system.
Guatemala cargo services (King Express, Trans Express) are the go-to for Guatemalans in the US sending packages home. King Express charges $13/lb regular or $22/lb express, or $325 for a 30x30x30 in box (homepage, read 5 October 2026); these services offer door-to-door service from major US cities, and handle customs clearance. This is what the majority of the diaspora community uses for regular shipments.
Sea cargo is the only practical option for large moves – furniture, vehicles, or multiple boxes of household goods. It is priced by quote. You will need a customs broker (agente aduanal) for container shipments.
Understanding Customs Duties
Guatemala charges 12% IVA (Impuesto al Valor Agregado) on imported goods, calculated on the CIF value plus the duty. Many product categories also carry an import duty (DAI), set per tariff line: 5% for medicines, 15% for TVs, game consoles, clothing, shoes, notebooks and pens. Printed books are 0% DAI but still pay the 12% IVA - the Ley del IVA has no exemption for books, medicine or school materials. Phones, laptops, tablets, cameras and computer parts pay 0% DAI, so only the 12% IVA. Goods you carry in your own luggage are a different regime: traveler’s baggage enters tax-free.
Courier services like CPX Express and Aeropost handle customs declarations for you and collect any taxes due at pickup. For direct shipments via DHL or FedEx, the courier includes customs brokerage and bills you for any duties.
Shipping equipment for a house
Heavy household equipment follows different arithmetic from a family box. Our setting up a house in Guatemala series runs it item by item: which import channel to use by weight and duty class, why a home solar battery cannot go by Aeropost (lithium-ion over 12 kg is on its prohibited list), and the local prices and duty for a water heater, a cistern or pressure tank and sediment filters.
Tips for the Guatemalan Diaspora
If you regularly send packages from the US, set up a Miami PO box courier account (CPX Express, Aeropost, or Guatebox). Ship your Amazon orders to the Miami address and they forward everything to Guatemala at $3-5 per pound. This is far cheaper than shipping directly and is the standard system used by millions of Guatemalan families.
Check today’s exchange rates to understand the real cost in quetzales, and see our cost of living data for context on how shipping costs compare to local prices. If your move includes a pet rather than just boxes, see our guide to relocating a pet from Australia to Guatemala.