Asylum / Refugee Driver Permit Guatemala 2026: Q50 a Month — Humanitarian

Correction (24 September 2026): the permit costs Q50 per month (Acuerdo Gubernativo 166-2018), is filed at the Departamento de Tránsito, 3a avenida 6-44, zona 1, and requires a Guatemalan-born guarantor with three bank statements showing at least Q5,000 at each month-end, plus CONARE, IGM and RENAP documents. This page previously gave a one-off Q50 fee, an office at 6a Avenida y 13 calle, zona 1, an online booking portal, a medical exam and an abbreviated practical exam at MINGOB, a police-record requirement and a one-year validity, none of which Tránsito publishes, and it did not mention the guarantor. See our corrections policy.

The driving permit for refugees and refugee applicants is issued by the Departamento de Tránsito of the National Civil Police (PNC), under the Ministry of Government (MINGOB). It is the same permit Tránsito issues to foreigners whose residency is in process, with a requirement list adapted to people with international protection. It costs Q50 per month.

Quick summary: In-person filing at the Departamento de Tránsito. Cost Q50 per month. Time: 10 days per tramites.gob.gt. Requires your CONARE, IGM and RENAP documents, a legalized copy of your passport or national ID (expired is accepted), your valid foreign licence (or a CECOVE certificate), and a Guatemalan-born guarantor.

Why This Specific Permit Exists

Tránsito publishes a separate, updated requirement list for refugee applicants and recognized refugees. Two differences from the ordinary list stand out: your passport or national identity document from your country of origin is accepted even if it has expired, and your immigration status is shown with CONARE, IGM and RENAP documents instead of an ordinary residency resolution.

Who Qualifies

Tránsito’s list covers two groups:

• Refugee applicants — foreigners who entered Guatemala and applied for refugee status
• Recognized refugees — people whose refugee status the State of Guatemala has recognized

Refugee status is decided by CONARE (Comisión Nacional para Refugiados).

Requirements

Per the Departamento de Tránsito (checked 24 September 2026):

Application and identity

• Application addressed to the head of the Departamento de Tránsito, with an address and phone number for notifications
• Legalized photocopy of your full passport, or of the personal identity document from your country of origin — even if expired

Humanitarian-status documents

• Copy of the refugee-status constancia issued by CONARE
• Copy of the extension of provisional permanence status issued by the IGM
• Copy of the special personal identity document issued by RENAP
• Recognized refugees: copy of CONARE’s constancia recognizing refugee status and, if you already have temporary residence, a copy (or digital copy) of your RENAP DPI

About the driver’s license

• Legalized photocopy of both sides of your valid foreign licence
• Sworn translation if the licence data are not in Spanish
• A CECOVE theory-and-practical certificate if you have no licence or it has expired

Guarantor

• Sworn declaration by an individual who is Guatemalan by origin, stating under oath that they are not guarantor for another foreigner and take responsibility for your stay and for damage you cause while driving, with their exact address and phone
• Legalized copy of the guarantor’s DPI
• The guarantor’s last three bank statements, authorised by the bank, showing at least Q5,000 at the end of each month

Other

• Eye exam from an optician or ophthalmologist authorised by the Departamento de Tránsito
• Two ID-size photos (one for renewals and replacements)
• Q50 per month, charged when you present your papers

Step-by-Step Process

1. Get your CONARE, IGM and RENAP documents in order. If your refugee application is not yet filed, that comes first.
2. Download the form from the Departamento de Tránsito’s website (form DT-AJ-001) and gather the documents above, including the guarantor’s declaration and bank statements.
3. File at the Departamento de Tránsito — 3a avenida 6-44, zona 1, Guatemala City (tel. 2315-2600) — and pay Q50 per month of permit.
4. Collect the permit. tramites.gob.gt gives a response time of 10 days.

Cost & Timeline

Common Mistakes

• Assuming you don’t qualify because your passport has expired — Tránsito accepts an expired passport or national ID for refugee applicants
• Showing up without the CONARE, IGM and RENAP documents — they are how Tránsito’s list proves your status
• No guarantor — Tránsito’s refugee list, like the ordinary one, asks for a Guatemalan-born guarantor with bank statements
• An expired licence without a CECOVE certificate — add the CECOVE theory-and-practical certificate
• Paying an outside agent — the fee Tránsito publishes is Q50 per month

Legal Basis

• Reglamento de Tránsito (Acuerdo Gubernativo 273-98), art. 24 — the driving permit for foreigners processing residency; cited by tramites.gob.gt for this permit
• Acuerdo Gubernativo 166-2018 — Q50 per month fee, as cited by the Departamento de Tránsito

Support Organizations in Guatemala

If you need help with your refugee process before requesting the driver permit:

• CONARE (National Commission for Refugees) — the Guatemalan body that decides refugee status
• UNHCR (ACNUR) Guatemala — UN refugee agency
• Pastoral de Movilidad Humana (Catholic Church)
• Casa del Migrante

Related Procedures

• Temporary Foreign Driver Permit — the ordinary version for foreigners processing residency
• Foreign License Conversion — art. 24 transfer once you are resident
• Guatemala Driver’s License — general guide for residents
• Driver’s License Activation

Official Links

• Departamento de Tránsito — Requirements for procedures
• Official procedure — tramites.gob.gt
• Ministry of Government — MINGOB
• UNHCR Guatemala