The Forest Regent Category Change at the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) is the procedure that updates the registration of a technician or professional within the Forest Regents Module. Without an active registration in the proper category, no technician may sign management plans, forest inventories or technical studies in protected areas — and therefore cannot practice in the Guatemalan System of Protected Areas (SIGAP).

Quick summary: Procedure at CONAP via the Forest Regents Registration and Update Module. Cost: Q150 to Banrural account 3-099-03774-6. Modality: mixed (online form + physical filing at regional office). Result: registry category update.

Information verified May 2026 based on the Protected Areas Law (Decreto 4-89), the Forestry Law (Decreto 101-96), and the internal regulation of the CONAP Forest Regents Module.

What Is a Forest Regent and Why Category Matters

A Forest Regent is the technician or professional in charge of planning, executing and supervising technical activities inside protected areas: forest management plans, harvests, inventories, environmental impact studies, wildlife monitoring and restoration. The Forestry Law (Decreto 101-96) and the Protected Areas Law (Decreto 4-89) make this figure mandatory.

CONAP classifies regents into categories based on academic degree, experience and specialization. The most common are:

  • Forest Technician — agricultural technician, forestry technician, university-level technician.
  • Forest Professional — agronomist, forestry engineer, biologist, environmental engineer.
  • Specialized Professional — with master’s or doctorate in related areas, or verifiable experience in specific lines (wildlife, non-timber resources, restoration, forest hydrology).

A category change occurs when the regent advances academic level (for example, from technician to professional after college admission), or adds a new specialization to the profile. Without this update, the regent remains in the prior category and cannot sign work requiring the new one.

Requirements for the Category Change

Per official information published on tramites.gob.gt, the file must include:

  1. Printed and signed application — generated through the CONAP Forest Regents Registration and Update Module.
  2. Updated Curriculum Vitae generated within the Module (attach diplomas, certifications and credentials).
  3. DPI photocopy matching the legalized copy in the original registration file.
  4. Legalized copy of the diploma evidencing the academic degree and additional specializations.
  5. Original active-college letter (for professionals), with at least one month of validity at filing.
  6. Proof of payment via deposit slip to Banrural account 3-099-03774-6 “CONAP Private Funds”.
  7. Various Income Receipt Form 63-A2 issued by the regional CONAP office upon receiving the deposit.

Important: The file must be submitted in the same month the deposit was made. If the month closes, the deposit lapses for procedure purposes and must be redone.

Steps of the Procedure

Step 1 — Access the Forest Regents Module

Go to the CONAP portal and locate the Forest Regents Registration and Update Module. If already registered, log in with your credentials. If forgotten, request reset by institutional email or at a regional office.

Step 2 — Update your profile and CV

Inside the Module, update academic data, professional experience, specializations and certifications. Generate your Curriculum Vitae from the system — only the platform-issued format is accepted, not external documents.

Step 3 — Generate the application

Select the Category Change option within the Module and complete the new profile data. Print the generated application and sign it.

Step 4 — Make the deposit

Visit any Banrural agency and deposit Q150 to account 3-099-03774-6 in the name of “CONAP Private Funds”. Keep the original deposit slip and a copy.

Step 5 — Compile the physical file

Gather in order: signed application, Module-generated CV, DPI photocopy, legalized diploma copy, active-college letter, and deposit slip. Verify that diploma and DPI match in personal data.

Step 6 — File at a CONAP regional office

Visit the corresponding CONAP regional office. Upon receiving your deposit, they issue the Various Income Receipt Form 63-A2 validating payment. Your file enters review.

Step 7 — Wait for resolution and update

CONAP reviews the file and, if everything is in order, updates your registration in the system. The new category becomes visible in the Module and in any constancy CONAP issues at request.

Cost & Time

ItemAmount
Category changeQ150
Deposit accountBanrural 3-099-03774-6
Active-college letterQ25-Q150 (by professional college)
Diploma legalizationQ50-Q200 (notary)
Estimated time15-30 business days

The official CONAP fee is Q150 per the current tariff. Verify at a regional office whether any update has been issued before making the deposit.

CONAP Regional Offices

The file must be submitted at the corresponding regional office based on the department where the regent operates. Main locations:

  • Headquarters: 5a Avenida 6-06 zona 1, Guatemala City
  • Region I — Metropolitan: Guatemala City
  • Region II — Verapaces: Coban
  • Region III — Northeast: Puerto Barrios / Izabal
  • Region IV — Southeast: Jutiapa or Jalapa
  • Region V — South Coast: Escuintla
  • Region VI — Southwest: Quetzaltenango
  • Region VII — Northwest: Huehuetenango
  • Region VIII — Peten: Flores

How to Apply: Practical Recommendations

  1. Sync deposit with delivery: Don’t deposit at the start of the month and deliver at month’s end — plan to file within two weeks after deposit.
  2. Diploma legalization: If your diploma is older than 5 years, request a fresh legalized copy from a notary before starting.
  3. Active-college letter: Renew your collegiate standing before filing — the letter must have at least one month validity at submission.
  4. Specializations: If adding specializations (wildlife, restoration, hydrology), gather diplomas, course certifications, and project credentials.
  5. Module-generated CV: Only the CV produced by the Module is valid. Don’t attach Word or LinkedIn CVs.

Keeping your CONAP registration updated in the proper category is not optional: it is what authorizes you to sign management plans and work in forest projects inside protected areas. Update as soon as you advance in degree or add specializations.