CONAP Visitor-Services Licence in Protected Areas (SIGAP) 2026: Tour Operators and Guides

Any tour operator, travel agency, guide or other business that wants to provide services to visitors inside the Guatemalan System of Protected Areas (SIGAP) needs an authorization from the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP). CONAP grants two forms of it: a licence (licencia para prestación de servicios a visitantes), valid for one year, and a permit (permiso), valid from one day up to three calendar months. SIGAP has 344 protected areas covering more than 31% of the country, and about 65 of them have the conditions to receive visitors, according to CONAP.

Quick summary: CONAP authorization to provide visitor services in protected areas. Cost: Q50-Q1,000 for a one-year licence, Q25-Q500 for a permit of up to three months, by company size. Response time: 14 days. Filing: online, through CONAP’s Electronic Form No. 03. Result: a certificate sent by email. Guides attach a valid INGUAT tourist-guide card.

As of 7 November 2026, based on the government catalog of procedures (ficha updated 26 June 2026) and the Protected Areas Law (Decreto 4-89).

What the Authorization Covers

The catalog describes the licences and permits for visitor services as the rules that regulate the provision of services inside SIGAP protected areas, giving community and national businesses the opportunity to take part. The executive unit is CONAP’s Dirección de Desarrollo del Sistema Guatemalteco de Áreas Protegidas.

The Protected Areas Law adds the wider frame: under Article 20, public or private companies that have or develop commercial, tourism or transport installations or activities inside a protected area sign a contract with CONAP that sets the operating conditions, provided the activity is compatible with the uses in the area’s master plan.

Fees (CONAP tariff, paid at Banrural)

The fee depends on the number of people providing the service, not on which protected area you work in. The catalog lists cash (efectivo) as the payment method.

Requirements

The government catalog lists these requirements:

1. Application form for the licence or permit, filled in (the form is set by CONAP’s DDSIGAP).
2. Simple photocopy of the DPI and of the company’s or association’s incorporation documents, as applicable — get a DPI.
3. Endorsement (aval) from the area administrator if the area is legally declared but is not administered by CONAP.
4. INGUAT accreditation for guiding: if the service is guiding, a simple copy of a valid tourist-guide card (carné de guía de turistas) issued by INGUAT.
5. Your environmental licence or registration (licencia o registro ambiental), as applicable — see the MARN hub.
6. Payment slip: once CONAP notifies you that the request is viable, pay the fee for your tier and upload a copy of the slip in Electronic Form No. 03 BP, with the procedure number.

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1 — Download and fill in the application form

Download CONAP’s licence or permit application form, fill it in and save it as a PDF.

Step 2 — Upload it to Electronic Form No. 03

Upload the application form to CONAP’s Electronic Form No. 03 at tramites.conap.gob.gt/tramite03.

Step 3 — Upload the requirement documents

Upload the DPI copy, incorporation documents, the area administrator’s endorsement if it applies, the INGUAT guide card if you guide, and your environmental licence or registration, in the same electronic form.

Step 4 — Pay once approved

When CONAP notifies you that the procedure is approved, pay the fee at Banrural with the code for your tier and upload the payment slip in Electronic Form No. 03 BP.

Step 5 — Receive the certificate

The result is a certificate (constancia) sent by email. The catalog lists a response time of 14 days.

Cost and Time

Inspections and Fines Under the Protected Areas Law

• Duly accredited CONAP officials may carry out inspections in the areas of SIGAP (Decreto 4-89, Art. 78).
• Opposing an inspection requested by, or carried out on the initiative of, authorized CONAP staff is fined Q500 to Q3,000 (Art. 81, letter b).
• Refusing to return an expired CONAP licence without justification is fined Q100 to Q1,000 (Art. 81, letter a).

Coordination with Other Institutions

• INGUAT: guides attach a valid INGUAT tourist-guide card. Under Article 58 of the Protected Areas Law, INGUAT, the Institute of Anthropology and History and CONAP coordinate on tourism in protected areas.
• MARN: the catalog asks for your environmental licence or registration, as applicable — see the MARN hub.
• Area administrators: areas that are legally declared but not run by CONAP need the administrator’s endorsement.

Related Procedures

• CONAP — Procedures hub — all CONAP services
• Tikal National Park Access — fees for your clients
• Sport Hunting Permit CONAP — if you operate hunting tours
• Scientific Research Permit CONAP — if you operate academic/scientific tours
• MARN — Environmental Hub — environmental licence or registration
• SAT — Get Guatemala NIT — tax registration for your business
• Get Guatemala DPI — the identity document the form asks for

Sources and Official Links

• Government catalog of procedures — Autorización para la prestación de servicios a visitantes en áreas protegidas del SIGAP — fees, Banrural codes, requirements, online steps, 14-day response time (ficha updated 26 June 2026)
• CONAP — Electronic Form No. 03
• CONAP — Turismo responsable en áreas protegidas — 344 protected areas, more than 31% of the country, about 65 open to visitors
• Protected Areas Law (Decreto 4-89), INAB copy — Articles 20, 58, 78 and 81
• CONAP — Official site
• INGUAT — Registro y Verificación Turística (tourism registry)