Can You Keep a Parrot, Macaw or Fox as a Pet in Guatemala? CONAP Rules (2026)

Quick summary: Under CONAP’s rules a parrot, a macaw or a fox is wild fauna, not a pet, and whoever keeps one alive in captivity holds a private wildlife collection (colección particular de fauna). That requires prior CONAP authorisation, a legal-origin document for each animal (Normativo Art. 14 lists seven), a management plan written by a CONAP-registered regente, a Q250.00 fee (Trámite 10) and an inventory every February and August. The scarlet macaw and the yellow-headed parrot are Category 1 on the 2022 threatened-species list (LEA); the grey fox is Category 3. The regularisation window for unregistered collections lasted 90 days and is closed. Collecting wild fauna without a licence carries 5 to 10 years in prison and a Q10,000–Q20,000 fine (Decreto 4-89, Art. 81 bis).

Every figure, article and quotation on this page comes from Decreto 4-89 (Ley de Áreas Protegidas), CONAP’s Normativo para el manejo y funcionamiento de colecciones de fauna silvestre, CONAP’s Trámite 10 page and the 2022 Lista de Especies Amenazadas de Guatemala — all read on 2026-09-29. Quotations are in the original Spanish, with our English gloss outside the quotation marks. This page explains published rules; it is not legal advice and not a guide to acquiring a wild animal.

The short answer: there is a legal route, and it is a collection permit

Whether you can keep a parrot as a pet has a more precise answer than yes or no. The rules we read do not use a pet category for wild fauna. They use collection:

• Decreto 4-89, Art. 56: “Los zoológicos, las colecciones particulares de fauna, de circos, de museos y las de entidades de investigación están sujetas a las regulaciones del CONAP” — zoos and private, circus, museum and research collections are all subject to CONAP’s regulations.
• Collections Normativo, Art. 2: captivity (cautiverio) is the “Mantenimiento de fauna silvestre viva en recintos limitados por barreras físicas” (keeping live wild fauna in enclosures bounded by physical barriers), and a private fauna collection is a “Colección de fauna silvestre cuyos titulares son particulares” (a wildlife collection held by private persons). The definition of a collection covers species that are “nativas o exóticas” (native or exotic).
• Normativo, Art. 8: “Toda persona individual o jurídica previo establecer una colección, está sujeta a la autorización de la Secretaría Ejecutiva del CONAP, a través de sus dependencias delegadas” — anyone, before establishing a collection, needs authorisation from CONAP’s Executive Secretariat.

Put plainly: one macaw in a cage in the patio is, for CONAP, a private fauna collection. The authorisation comes before the animal, not after.

Parrot, macaw or fox: what the 2022 LEA says

The Lista de Especies Amenazadas de Guatemala (LEA), CONAP Technical Publication No. 02-2022 (June 2022), ranks species in three categories: Category 1 (PC) critically endangered or on the way to extinction, Category 2 (EP) endangered, and Category 3 (VU) vulnerable. These are the parrot, macaw, parakeet and canid rows we captured, with the scientific and common names exactly as the LEA prints them (the English names in brackets are ours: scarlet macaw and yellow-headed parrot are the English names the US Federal Register uses for Ara macao and Amazona oratrix, and grey fox translates the LEA’s own Zorra gris):

What the LEA allows in each category

The category matters because the LEA sets the permitted uses of threatened fauna:

Read the Category 1 row carefully. For the scarlet macaw and the yellow-headed parrot, the LEA does not list use of specimens bred ex situ: that line appears under Categories 2 and 3. And for species in danger of extinction on CONAP’s lists, Decreto 4-89 Art. 27 prohibits collection, capture, hunting, fishing, transport, exchange, trade and export, except “por razones de sobrevivencia, rescate o salvaguarda de la especie, científicamente comprobado” (for scientifically proven reasons of the species’ survival, rescue or safeguarding). We do not predict how CONAP would rule on a specific application: that decision belongs to its Executive Secretariat.

For Category 2, the permitted use is tied to specimens “reproducidos ex situ de forma sostenible, legal y trazable”. Category 3 adds use and trade of wild individuals, but only “por medio de planes de manejo que garanticen la sobrevivencia de la especie”. Neither covers an animal taken from the forest or bought on the street without that authorisation.

The procedure: CONAP Trámite 10

Collections are registered through Trámite No. 10, “Registro para personas individuales o jurídicas que se dedican a la colección de flora y fauna silvestre” (registration for individuals or companies that keep collections of wild flora and fauna). CONAP’s page says that through this register “se lleva el control e inventario de los especímenes, partes o derivados de flora y fauna silvestre, tanto nativa como exótica, vivos o muertos, que se mantienen en cautiverio” — it tracks and inventories wild specimens, native and exotic, alive or dead, kept in captivity.

Registration requirements (CONAP’s list, translated)

1. CONAP application form.
2. Documents proving the applicant’s standing.
3. Documents proving title, possession or tenure of the land.
4. Documents proving the legal origin of the specimens.
5. Management plan in CONAP’s format for the type of collection.
6. Proof of payment (not required for public collections).

And the condition that changes everything: “El plan de manejo debe ser elaborado por un regente debidamente inscrito ante el CONAP; el regente se asigna en el formulario de solicitud” — the management plan must be written by a regente registered with CONAP, named on the application form. Normativo Art. 2 defines the regente as a “Persona profesional de la medicina veterinaria, zootecnia, biología y/o ciencias afines, colegiado activo, autorizado por el CONAP” (a veterinarian, animal scientist, biologist or related professional, an active member of their professional college, authorised by CONAP). The plan is that professional’s document, not one any owner can draft.

Fee

CONAP notes on each line: “El pago no aplica para entidades públicas” (public entities do not pay). Payment is made at BANRURAL branches using the codes CONAP publishes on the Trámite 10 page; confirm them on the official page before depositing.

How it is filed

The Trámite 10 page describes these steps: download the right form, fill it in on a computer, upload it to the electronic form with the requested documents and the payment receipt; at the end CONAP emails a link to download the registration. The portal requires a user account. Per the same page, “Los trámites vinculados a los registros son atendidos y resueltos de forma descentralizada por las Direcciones Regionales del CONAP” — registrations are handled and decided by CONAP’s Regional Directorates.

Timing: the Trámite 10 page we read on 2026-09-29 does not publish a resolution time in days.

Validity

Normativo Art. 11 says “La autorización de la colección tendrá vigencia indefinida” (the collection’s authorisation has indefinite validity) from the resolution, and Art. 15 says the management plan “deberá presentarse cada cinco años” (must be re-submitted every five years).

The seven documents CONAP accepts as proof of legal origin

This is the requirement a roadside-bought parrot cannot meet without paperwork. Normativo Art. 14 says CONAP will recognise the following seven as documents covering the legal acquisition of wild animals:

• a) “Licencia de colecta emitida por el CONAP” — a CONAP collecting licence
• b) “Permiso de importación CITES o No CITES, emitido por la Autoridad Administrativa CITES o dependencia competente del CONAP” — a CITES or non-CITES import permit
• c) “Acta Administrativa emitida por el CONAP, en la que conste el rescate y derivación del espécimen” — a CONAP record of the animal’s rescue and placement
• d) “Documento público emitido por un órgano jurisdiccional, Ministerio Público o entidad auxiliar de justicia, en que conste la incautación, depósito o comiso” — a court, prosecutor or justice-body document recording seizure, deposit or confiscation
• e) “Factura comercial o recibo, autorizados por la Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria –SAT-, y emitidos por una entidad registrada ante el CONAP como reproductora o comercializadora de fauna silvestre” — a SAT-authorised invoice from a CONAP-registered wildlife breeder or trader
• f) “Carta de intercambio entre colecciones, las cuales deberán estar registradas ante el CONAP” — an exchange letter between registered collections
• g) “Carta de donación de una colección registrada ante el CONAP” — a donation letter from a registered collection

It closes: “En cualquiera de los casos anteriores, para el transporte de los especímenes, partes o derivados es obligatoria la guía de transporte” — in every case, moving the animal requires a transport permit (guía de transporte).

Note item e): an invoice counts only if it comes from an entity registered with CONAP as a wildlife breeder or trader. A receipt from a street vendor is not on the list.

What happens without the document. Normativo Art. 19: “El CONAP podrá disponer de aquellos especímenes que no obren dentro del inventario de la colección, o que no cuenten con documentación que compruebe su obtención por medios legales” — CONAP may dispose of specimens that are not on the collection’s inventory or lack documents proving legal acquisition.

What if I’ve had the parrot for years?

• Normativo Art. 48 opened a regularisation for existing unregistered collections “Dentro de un periodo de 90 días siguientes a la entrada en vigencia del presente normativo” — within 90 days of the Normativo taking effect. That window is closed (the Normativo CONAP publishes dates from 2015).
• Even during that window, the same article said “En ningún caso se registrarán colecciones con crías o individuos juveniles de ninguna especie” — no collection with young animals of any species would be registered — and animals that could not be registered were to be handed over to CONAP.
• In the Normativo and the Trámite 10 page we read, we found no other regularisation route in force. Registration today asks for legal-origin documents, and Art. 14 lists the seven accepted ones.

We are not telling you that you can register an undocumented animal today, because the sources we read do not say so. The right step is to ask CONAP’s Regional Directorate, which decides registrations. One more point: the Normativo bars collection holders from “realizar actos de liberación, repoblación o rehabilitación de especímenes sin autorización del CONAP” (Art. 7(k)) — releasing, restocking or rehabilitating animals without CONAP authorisation. Letting the animal go is not an exit the Normativo leaves open to a holder.

A holder’s obligations once authorised

Normativo Art. 7 lists the obligations; among them:

• a) “Contar con autorización y plan de manejo vigentes ante el CONAP” — hold a current authorisation and management plan.
• b) “Obtener legalmente los especímenes de la colección, debiendo conservar los documentos que comprueben la obtención de los especímenes conforme a la Ley” — acquire the animals legally and keep the documents proving it.
• d) “Mantener los recintos en condiciones idóneas según la especie” — keep enclosures suitable for the species.
• e) “Contar como mínimo con un regente inscrito y autorizado por el CONAP” — have at least one CONAP-registered and authorised regente.
• g) “Portar guía de transporte emitida por el CONAP, para el traslado de especímenes de la colección hacia o desde cualquier lugar del país” — carry a CONAP transport permit to move the animals to or from anywhere in the country.

Twice-yearly inventory. The Trámite 10 page requires filing, “durante los meses de febrero y agosto, una copia certificada del inventario actualizado” — a certified copy of the updated inventory every February and August — issued by the collection’s regente (Normativo Art. 17 says the same). CONAP can ask for it at any time, with no more than 10 working days to hand it in.

If you do not comply. Art. 41: without prejudice to criminal or civil liability, a breach “dará lugar a la cancelación de la autorización de la colección y las acciones legales de incautación de los especímenes” — leads to cancellation of the collection’s authorisation and legal action to seize the animals.

The penalties in Decreto 4-89

Two precisions, so as not to overstate. Art. 81 bis punishes collecting without a licence (or exceeding one); Art. 82 punishes trafficking threatened, endemic or listed species. Neither, in the text we read, sets a specific penalty for the bare fact of having a parrot at home; for a collection holder, the administrative consequence the Normativo publishes is Art. 41’s cancellation and seizure. Normativo Art. 40 refers offences to Arts. 81, 81 bis, 82 and 83 of the Ley de Áreas Protegidas and other applicable legal provisions.

Bringing a wild animal from another country

Normativo Art. 36: “La exportación e importación de cualquier especímen silvestre” — the export and import of any wild specimen — together with specimens on CONAP’s official lists and those in the CITES appendices, “está sujeta a la autorización de la Secretaría Ejecutiva del CONAP” (is subject to authorisation by CONAP’s Executive Secretariat). The rule is not limited to CITES species: it says any wild specimen. And a CITES or non-CITES import permit is one of the seven Art. 14 legal-origin documents. If you are moving from the United States with a bird or a reptile of a wild species, CONAP is part of the file before the trip, not after. For dogs and cats, see our pet relocation guide from the USA to Guatemala.

Related procedures

• CONAP — Procedures hub — every CONAP service, contacts and regional offices
• CONAP CITES Export Permit (Trámite 19) — taking wild fauna or flora out of Guatemala, and the same Arts. 81 bis and 82
• Sport Hunting Permit CONAP — the licence that does authorise hunting permitted species
• Wildlife Flora & Fauna Technical Manager (Regente) Certificate — the regente certificate CONAP issues for wildlife flora and fauna companies
• Pet relocation USA to Guatemala — dogs, cats and the exotic-animal case
• All trámites — the full procedure index

Official links

• CONAP — Trámite No. 10 (wild flora and fauna collection register)
• CONAP — Normativo para el manejo y funcionamiento de colecciones de fauna silvestre (PDF)
• CONAP — Lista de Especies Amenazadas de Guatemala, LEA 2022 (PDF)
• Ley de Áreas Protegidas (Decreto 4-89) y su Reglamento — CONAP edition (PDF)

A wild animal at home is not paperwork you do afterwards: it is an authorisation you ask for first, backed by one of the seven legal-origin documents in Normativo Art. 14. If you have questions about an animal already in your home, the office to ask is CONAP’s Regional Directorate.