- Individual employment contract scanned as a PDF, signed by both parties
- Updated RTU for the employer entity or individual
- Employer's DPI (legal representative if a corporation)
- Employee's DPI (full data on the contract)
- IGSS employer number (numero patronal) if the company is already enrolled
TL;DR: RECIT is the MINTRAB online system where every Guatemalan employer must register each individual employment contract required in writing within 15 business days of signing. Registration is free (Q0), the registered contract is available in the portal within 3 business days, and it’s a legal obligation under Article 28 of the Labor Code. Failure to register exposes you to the 2-9 monthly minimum wage scale if that classification applies, without an automatic per-contract multiplier (Art. 272 lit. g, as reformed by Decreto 7-2017) and to losing labor lawsuits for lack of documentary evidence. (Labor Code, articles 27–28; Ministerial Agreement 324-2019, article 4, read 28 October 2026).
What Is RECIT
RECIT (Registro Electronico de Contratos Individuales de Trabajo / Electronic Registry of Individual Employment Contracts) is the online platform created by Ministerial Agreement 324-2019 to let Guatemalan employers comply, 100% digitally, with Article 28 of the Labor Code: submitting a copy of every individual employment contract required in writing to the General Labor Directorate within 15 business days of signing. (Labor Code, articles 27–28, read 28 October 2026).
Before RECIT (in force since 2019), employers had to physically take each contract to MINTRAB offices, wait in line, leave a copy, and wait for the stamp. Today the entire process is online at recit.mintrabajo.gob.gt.
What the RECIT certificate is used for:
- Evidence in labor lawsuits — if an employee sues, you produce the certificate with electronic seal and the registered contract proves agreed salary, schedule, and conditions
- MINTRAB and IGSS audits — the Labor Inspectorate and Social Security Institute review that ALL contracts are registered
- Labor clearance (solvencia) — to obtain the Electronic Labor Clearance, you must have no infractions, and unregistered contracts count as a sanctionable infraction
Requirements
For Corporations (Legal Entities)
- Updated RTU for the company
- Commercial license (patente de comercio), valid
- Legal representative appointment (current, from the Mercantile Registry)
- Legal representative’s DPI (PDF, both sides)
- IGSS employer number if already enrolled (see IGSS Employer Registration)
- Individual employment contract signed by both parties, scanned as a legible PDF
For Individual Employers
- Updated RTU
- Employer’s DPI (PDF, both sides)
- Individual employment contract signed and scanned
Employee Data (in the contract)
- Full names and CUI/DPI number
- Address
- Date of birth and nationality
- Job title or position
- Salary, schedule, and workplace
- Start date and term (indefinite, fixed, project-based)
- Employee signature
Tip: If you don’t have a contract template, download MINTRAB’s model template at mintrabajo.gob.gt — it includes all minimum fields under Article 29 of the Labor Code, and you only need to customize it with the employee’s data.
Step-by-Step
Sign the contract with the employee. In three copies, one for each party and one for registration (Labor Code, article 28, read 28 October 2026). The 15-business-day RECIT clock starts on the signature date — register it the same day if possible.
Scan the contract as a PDF. Medium resolution (200 dpi), legible, all pages in a single file. Maximum size: 5 MB per contract. If there are annexes (NDAs, non-compete clauses), include them as numbered annexes in the same PDF.
Go to recit.mintrabajo.gob.gt. First time: create a user account with company NIT + email + phone. You’ll receive a verification code.
Enter contract data. The system asks for: contract type (indefinite, fixed-term, project-based), employee CUI, monthly salary, schedule (day/night/mixed), start date, workplace. These data must match what’s in the PDF.
Upload the contract PDF. Once uploaded, the system assigns a case number and queues for review.
Check the registered contract in the portal. The General Labor Directorate sends an immediate receipt. Within no more than 3 business days, enter the portal to find the registered contract. The receipt carries a QR code (MINTRAB, Ministerial Agreement 324-2019, article 4, read 28 October 2026).
If there are observations, you’re notified by email. You must correct the contract (re-sign with the employee) and re-upload. Neither the Labor Code nor Ministerial Agreement 324-2019 says the 15-day clock restarts, so correct it promptly.
Download and archive the certificate. Keep it in the employee’s file (digital and/or physical). If sued or audited, that certificate is your evidence.
Cost and Timing
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official cost | Free (Q0) |
| Registered contract available in portal | No more than 3 business days (MINTRAB, Ministerial Agreement 324-2019, article 4, read 28 October 2026) |
| Legal deadline to register | 15 business days from signing |
| Modality | 100% online |
| Certificate validity | Permanent (for the duration of the contract) |
Common Errors
My contract doesn’t have overtime clauses — will it be rejected?
No. Article 29 only requires minimum elements: parties, work, location, schedule, salary, term. Additional clauses (overtime, probation, exclusivity, confidentiality) are optional. If you omit them, the Labor Code applies as default (supletorio).
I uploaded the contract but the system says ‘data does not match’
RECIT cross-references the employee’s CUI with RENAP. If the DPI number is mistyped in the PDF (a transposed digit), the system flags it. Verify character by character. If correct but the system still rejects it, call MINTRAB at 2422-2500 (country code +502) to escalate to technical support.
I forgot to register contracts from 6 months ago — what do I do?
Register them today. Technically you’re in default (the fine applies from day 16 after signing), but late registration interrupts the violation. If an inspection arrives first, the sanction must be determined under Articles 271-272, without an automatic per-contract multiplier. Voluntary regularization is the better move: the system accepts late registrations without blocking.
I’m a foreigner hired by a Guatemalan company — where does my contract appear?
Your employer is responsible for registering it in RECIT. You can request a copy of the certificate for your personal records — it serves as proof for migration when renewing your work permit, for IGSS to validate your enrollment, and at any future employer change to document seniority.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Article 272 of the Labor Code (Decree 1441), replaced in full by Decreto 7-2017, sanctions failure to register contracts. The catch-all clause g) scale covers preceptive duties not covered by earlier clauses, if that is the determined classification:
| Infraction | Fine (Labor Code Art. 272 as reformed) |
|---|---|
| Failure to register an individual employment contract | 2 to 9 monthly minimum wages if clause g applies; no automatic per-contract multiplier |
| False data in registered contract | 2 to 9 monthly minimum wages (lit. g); 8 to 18 (lit. a) if the falsehood conceals unpaid wages or benefits |
| Recurrence | A 50% increment on the fine incurred (Art. 271 as reformed); no recurrence once a year has passed between payment of the earlier fine and the new offence |
At the 2026 minimum wage (Q4,002.28/month non-agricultural, Economic Zone 1; Acuerdo Gubernativo 256-2025), a single infraction can cost ~Q8,005 to ~Q36,021 (~USD 1,030 to USD 4,633) if clause g) applies. Worker count does not determine an automatic total. Article 272 itself exonerates 50% of the fine if, when paying, the employer states the breach has been corrected and MINTRAB verifies it.
But the highest real cost is NOT the fine. It’s losing labor lawsuits: if you cannot produce the written contract, Article 30 of the Labor Code charges that omission to the employer and presumes true, unless proven otherwise, the working terms the employee asserts. Article 30 does not establish an award amount.
Practical: Assign HR the task of registering the contract the same day it’s signed. Don’t wait until day 14 — one unforeseen event and you’ve blown the deadline. Batch upload allows processing 10-20 contracts in a single session.
RECIT in detail
Need more detail on a specific point? Each part of RECIT has its own dedicated guide:
- RECIT vs RERIT: which one you need — the difference between registering each contract (RECIT) and the Internal Work Regulations (RERIT); companies with 10+ workers must comply with both.
- Contract types that register — the 8 categories (indefinite, fixed-term, project-based, part-time…) and which ones go into RECIT.
- The 15-business-day deadline — how the 15 business days are counted from signing, including holidays.
- Penalties for not registering — the clause g) scale and its application to the determined offence (Art. 272 lit. g, as reformed by Decreto 7-2017) and the labor-lawsuit risk.
- RECIT for small businesses — a practical guide for owners without an HR department.
- RECIT rejected: how to fix it — the 8 most common rejection reasons and how to resubmit without losing the deadline.
Related Pages
- MINTRAB Hub Guatemala — all Labor Ministry filings
- MINTRAB Electronic Labor Clearance — requires RECIT to be current
- MINTRAB Electronic Salary Book — mandatory if you have 10+ workers
- Work Permit for Foreigners — prior step if hiring expats
- Severance & Benefits Calculator — for terminations
- Filing a Labor Complaint — if there is non-compliance
- IGSS Employer Registration — before hiring your first worker
- SAT RTU — Tax ID Registration — must be current