The Wildlife Flora & Fauna Technical Professional Manager (Regente) Certificate with the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) is the legal document that empowers an accredited professional to technically back operations of companies that commercialize, reproduce, export, or manage wildlife species in Guatemala. Without this certificate, CONAP does not authorize movements, exports, or reproduction of regulated species.

Quick summary: Q250 filing with CONAP. Term: 5 days. Result: Certification signed by the Technical Manager and endorsed by CONAP. Applicable to: zoo-breeders, nurseries, CITES exporters, and wildlife flora/fauna companies. Legal basis: Art. 53 Protected Areas Law, Art. 62 Regulation.

Information verified May 2026 based on the official portal tramites.gob.gt/servicio/666 and the CONAP procedures page.

What is a Technical Professional Manager

The Technical Professional Manager (in Spanish: Tecnico Profesional Regente) is the figure, accredited by CONAP, who assumes technical and legal responsibility over the legality and traceability of wildlife flora or fauna species a company manages. The regente:

  • Signs certifications that back commercialization, transport, export, and reproduction of wildlife species
  • Keeps records of inventories, births, deaths, sales, and exports
  • Responds technically before CONAP in inspections, audits, and sanction processes
  • Accompanies CITES license applications, export permits, zoo-breeder authorizations, and nursery registrations
  • Ensures the company complies with the Protected Areas Law (Decreto 4-89) and the CITES Convention

The legal basis is Article 53 of the Protected Areas Law and Article 62 of the Regulation (AG 759-90), which establish the obligation to have a certified manager for any wildlife species handling.

Requirements

According to the official portal tramites.gob.gt/servicio/666, the requirements are:

  1. Certificate signed by the Technical Professional Manager (Regente) acknowledging their responsibility over species, records, and processes of the requesting company

In addition to the formally listed requirement, CONAP requests at the counter:

  • Professional CV of the regente with university degree and active professional license certification
  • DPI (Guatemalan ID) of the professional manager
  • Acceptance letter from the regente as the company’s technical responsible
  • Company data: legal name, NIT, trade license, physical address, list of species under management
  • Professional contract between the regente and the company (if applicable) or labor relationship certification
  • Q250 payment receipt

Tip: prepare the file from CONAP’s perspective. The authority needs to clearly identify the professional, their credentials, the company they back, and the species they will sign over.

Procedure Steps

Step 1: Designation and Acceptance

The wildlife company identifies a professional with acceptable credentials (biologist, forestry engineer, veterinarian, agronomist). The professional signs the acceptance letter for the manager role and prepares their CV with active professional license.

Step 2: Pay the CONAP Fee

Make the Q250 payment at CONAP’s cashier or via the modality the office indicates when reviewing the file. Keep the receipt: you will need it when submitting the documentation.

Step 3: Submit the File at CONAP

Take the physical file to the CONAP central office (5a Avenida 6-06, Zone 1, Edificio Internacional, Guatemala City) or to the regional office with jurisdiction over your company. Include:

  • Certificate signed by the Technical Professional Manager
  • Supporting documentation of the professional and the company
  • Payment receipt

Step 4: CONAP Technical Review

CONAP reviews that the professional meets the technical profile, that the company is registered, and that the declared species are within its mandate. The official term is 5 days from complete submission.

Step 5: Certification Delivery

CONAP delivers the Certification signed and stamped accrediting the professional as Technical Regente. From that moment, their signature is valid on CONAP forms, transport guides, CITES export permits, and inventory records.

Cost and Time

ItemDetail
Official costQ250
Term5 days
ResultCONAP Certification
ValidityPer CONAP resolution (verify upon receipt)
ModalityMixed (online via conap.gob.gt/tramites, in-person delivery)

How to Apply Online

CONAP maintains the portal conap.gob.gt/tramites as the digital management touchpoint for procedures. From there you can:

  • Download certification templates
  • Consult current requirements for managers
  • Check file progress
  • Access related regulations (CITES, protected areas)

The in-person part is still required for Certificate signature and physical file delivery, especially when the professional is a new manager or serves a recently registered company.

Common Mistakes That Delay the Procedure

  • Professional without active license: CONAP requires current certification from the corresponding professional college (Biologists, Foresters, Veterinarians, Agronomists)
  • Company without prior CONAP registration: the company must be registered before submitting the regente; if new, first register the company, then the manager
  • Signature without professional stamp: certification must bear handwritten signature and stamp with license number
  • Missing species list: you must detail common and scientific names of species under management
  • Not flagging CITES species: if your company handles species under CITES appendices (orchids, iguanas, parrots), declare with specific appendix (I, II, or III)

Tips

  • Before accepting the role, the professional should review the company’s inventory and history: as regente, they assume responsibility over everything declared
  • Keep a personal logbook of inventories and signed movements outside the company’s records: in a CONAP inspection, it’s the best professional defense
  • If the company handles CITES species (appendices I-III), also validate the CITES authorization of the national scientific authority
  • Update the certificate when: changing company, adding new species to management, or changing professional address
  • The Certificate is personal and non-transferable: no assistant or intern may sign on behalf of the regente
  • For companies with several branches or facilities, consider designating registered auxiliary managers, not a single regente for everything