Guatemala’s investor residency is a temporary residency for foreigners who invest US$100,000 in the country. Its rule is Article 17 of the residency regulation in force, Acuerdo IGM-016-2025: you must show that you “forman parte de una o varias figuras mercantiles y/o inviertan en la adquisición de bienes muebles o inmuebles, por un monto de cien mil dólares” — that is, you take part in one or more commercial entities and/or invest in acquiring movable or immovable property, for US$100,000.

Quick summary: Investor residency requires a US$100,000 investment in Guatemalan commercial entities or in movable or immovable property (Art. 17). It is temporary and extendable (Art. 18); IGM charges US$25 to file and US$200 / 300 / 500 for 1, 2 or 3-5 years. IGM does not publish a processing time on its residency page. After 5 years as a temporary resident you can apply for permanent residency (Art. 27).

Checked 26 September 2026 against Acuerdo IGM-016-2025 and the IGM tariff (Acuerdo IGM-029-2023 as reformed by IGM-039-2025). Corrected 26 September 2026: an earlier version quoted a 2-4 month processing time, said the category could get expedited attention, and listed a bank deposit as a qualifying investment; none of these appears in the regulation.

Requirements

General requirements for any temporary residency (Acuerdo IGM-016-2025 Art. 8):

  • Residency application form
  • Valid original passport and a legalised full copy showing your last entry stamp, matching your migration-movement certificate
  • Birth certificate, only if your country has no diplomatic representation in Guatemala
  • Criminal-record certificate from your country of origin, or from the country where you lived in the two years before entering Guatemala
  • Certification of your migration movements showing your last entry
  • Receipt for the application payment

Investor requirements (Art. 17):

  • A notarial sworn statement (acta notarial de declaración jurada) describing the economic activity you will carry out and how long you expect to stay in Guatemala
  • One or more of these documents, depending on the investment:
    1. Registry certifications (certificaciones registrales)
    2. Titles proving ownership of securities (títulos valor)
    3. Invoices for property, plant and equipment
    4. Proof of the origin of the funds behind the investment
    5. Other documents not listed

Foreign documents must be apostilled or legalised, translated into Spanish, and issued no more than six months before filing unless the document sets its own validity (Art. 52). Dependants follow the rules for migrant workers’ dependants (Art. 17).

Step-by-Step Process

  1. Make or plan your investment in a commercial entity, or in movable or immovable property, for US$100,000 (Art. 17).
  2. Gather the evidence from the Art. 17 list above, including proof of the origin of the funds.
  3. Sign the notarial sworn statement describing your economic activity and planned stay.
  4. Apostille and translate your foreign documents (Art. 52).
  5. Download the application form from IGM’s extranjería portal and book an appointment there.
  6. File in person at IGM’s Subdirección de Extranjería in Guatemala City and pay the US$25 filing fee. From that moment your stay is authorised while the file is processed (Art. 4).
  7. Answer any correction notice (previo) within 30 days (Art. 35; IGM’s portal says 30 business days). Missing it brings an overstay fine and is a ground for denial.
  8. Possible field verification — IGM’s field-verification unit may visit only when there is doubt or information cannot be validated (Art. 35).
  9. Pay the status fee for the term granted (US$200 / 300 / 500).
  10. Register your biometrics within 30 days of approval (US$200 late fee, per IGM’s portal and tariff line 4.1.6).

Qualifying Investments

What Art. 17 acceptsEvidence Art. 17 lists (depending on the investment)
Taking part in one or more commercial entities (figuras mercantiles)Registry certifications; titles to securities
Acquiring immovable property (bienes inmuebles)Registry certifications
Acquiring movable property (bienes muebles)Invoices for property, plant and equipment
Any of the aboveProof of the origin of the funds; other documents

Costs

ItemCostSource
Investment requiredUS$100,000IGM-016-2025 Art. 17
Filing the applicationUS$25Tariff line 3.1
Temporary residency, 1 yearUS$200Tariff line 3.3.1
Temporary residency, 2 yearsUS$300Tariff line 3.3.2
Temporary residency, 3 to 5 yearsUS$500Tariff line 3.3.3
Extension requestUS$25 plus the status fee for the new termTariff lines 3.2 and 3.3
Permanent residency after 5+ years as a temporary residentUS$700Tariff line 3.6

IGM collects in quetzales at a quarterly reference rate it fixes under Art. 6 of the tariff. Notary and lawyer fees are private and appear in no official tariff.

Keeping and extending the residency

  • Extension (prórroga): besides the general extension requirements, you file a notarial sworn statement detailing the continuity of the economic activity you have carried out in Guatemala, with supporting documentation (Art. 18).
  • Yearly duties: temporary residents must present a solvencia tributaria (tax clearance) every year and update their data annually (Art. 46 a and c).
  • Long absences: unauthorised absence of more than one year is a ground for cancelling residency (Art. 37); ask IGM beforehand under Art. 51.
  • Going permanent: after five years or more as a temporary resident, Art. 27 lets you apply for permanent residency.

Tips

  • Keep the paper trail. Art. 17 asks for proof of the origin of the funds, so move the money through banks and keep every transfer record.
  • Check the registry before buying property. Registry certifications are one of the listed proofs; a property with an unclear registry record will not help your file.
  • Work with a Guatemalan lawyer or notary. The Art. 17 and Art. 18 sworn statements are notarial acts.
  • Ask a contador about taxes. Decreto 10-2012 Art. 4 treats income generated within Guatemala as Guatemalan-source income.