Guatemala has clear rules about what you can and cannot import. Most people assume “if I declare it, I can bring it” — but that is not how Guatemalan customs works. SAT-Aduana classifies all goods into three categories: freely importable, restricted (requires a permit from a specific ministry), and absolutely prohibited. Knowing which category your shipment falls into BEFORE you ship is the difference between a smooth clearance and a seizure.
Quick summary: Three categories: (1) freely importable — most consumer goods, personal effects, processed food; (2) restricted — firearms (DIGECAM permit), fresh food (MAGA permit), medications (MSPAS permit), drones (DGAC registration), wildlife products (MARN/CONAP); (3) absolutely prohibited — narcotics, counterfeit goods, weapons of mass destruction, certain endangered species. Legal basis: Decreto 14-2013 (Ley Aduanera Nacional), CAUCA, RECAUCA. Portal: portal.sat.gob.gt/portal/aduanas/.
The Three Categories at a Glance
| Category | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Freely importable | Pay DAI + IVA, file DUCA, done | Clothing, books, processed food, electronics (reasonable quantity), furniture |
| Restricted | Permit required BEFORE shipping | Firearms, fresh food, medications, drones, raw seeds, wildlife products |
| Absolutely prohibited | Cannot be imported under any circumstance | Narcotics, counterfeit goods, child exploitation material, certain endangered species |
The challenge is figuring out which bucket your item falls into. Decreto 14-2013 (Ley Aduanera Nacional) and CAUCA list the categories at a high level; specific items are governed by ministerial regulations published by SAT, MSPAS, MAGA, MINGOB, MARN, and DGAC.
Restricted: Firearms and Ammunition
Firearms cannot be imported casually. DIGECAM (Direccion General de Control de Armas y Municiones, under MINGOB) controls all firearm imports.
Personal Firearm Import (Permit Required)
| Requirement | Source |
|---|---|
| DIGECAM individual import permit | DIGECAM firearm import permit |
| GT firearm possession registration | DIGECAM firearm possession |
| Original US registration of the firearm in your name | US sheriff / federal license |
| Quantity limits | Typically 1-2 firearms per permit for personal use |
| Ammunition | Separate quantity rules; usually capped at 200-500 rounds per import |
Permit timing: 4-12 weeks before shipping. Do not ship without the permit in hand.
NOT covered by menaje: firearms are explicitly excluded from the menaje de casa household-goods exoneration. Each firearm is its own trámite.
Commercial Firearm / Ammunition Import
Requires a DIGECAM dealer license. See firearm and ammunition dealer license.
Restricted: Fresh Food, Plants, Seeds, Live Animals
MAGA (Ministerio de Agricultura) controls agricultural imports. The goal is preventing pests, diseases, and invasive species.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Fresh fruit / vegetables | MAGA phytosanitary permit required — even small personal quantities can be seized |
| Meat / dairy / eggs | MAGA sanitary permit + USDA export certificate. Most personal imports rejected at airport |
| Raw seeds for planting | MAGA phytosanitary permit. Hobby gardener quantities still need the permit |
| Live plants | MAGA phytosanitary permit + quarantine inspection |
| Live animals (pets) | MAGA veterinary permit + rabies vaccination cert. See pet import guide |
| Honey / homemade preserves | Typically blocked unless commercially packaged with USDA-equivalent labeling |
| Pet food (commercial sealed bags) | Allowed in personal quantities, may be inspected |
| Processed packaged food | Allowed in reasonable quantities for personal use |
Practical reality: the airport food rule is “if it ever lived, you need a permit.” Even small amounts of apples or cheese in checked luggage have been seized.
Restricted: Medications
MSPAS (Ministerio de Salud Publica y Asistencia Social) controls pharmaceutical imports.
Personal Use
- Allowed: 3-month supply with original prescription in your name (translated to Spanish helpful)
- Controlled substances (opioids, benzodiazepines, ADHD stimulants): bring prescription, original sealed packaging, doctor’s letter on letterhead
- OTC medications: generally fine in reasonable quantities
Commercial Import
- Requires MSPAS pharmaceutical importer license + product registration
- Each medication brand must be registered with MSPAS before sale in GT
- Importing for resale without these licenses = automatic seizure + fines
Restricted: Drones (UAVs)
Drones occupy a regulatory gray zone. Civilian recreational drones are legal; commercial and surveillance drones face restrictions.
| Drone Type | Rule |
|---|---|
| Hobby drone <25 kg, recreational | Standard customs import (DAI + IVA); register with DGAC within 30 days of arrival |
| Drone with camera, commercial use | DGAC commercial operator certification required |
| Drone for use in protected areas | Additional MARN / CONAP permits (CONAP scientific research permit or commercial tourism permit) |
| Thermal-imaging drones | Effectively prohibited for civilians without special permits |
| Military-grade or weaponized drones | Absolutely prohibited |
Restricted: Wildlife Products, Cultural Heritage
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| CITES-listed species (jaguar pelts, certain feathers, ivory, etc.) | Absolutely prohibited under CITES + CONAP regulations |
| Pre-Columbian artifacts | Export from Guatemala absolutely prohibited; import of foreign cultural heritage requires MICUDE permit |
| Coral, shells, exotic woods | CONAP / MARN permits required |
| Bushmeat | Absolutely prohibited |
CONAP issues sport hunting and scientific research permits — see CONAP sport hunting permit.
Restricted: Electronics — The “Reasonable Personal Use” Test
There is no numerical cap in the law, but customs officers apply judgment.
| Pattern | Likely Treatment |
|---|---|
| 1 laptop + 1 phone + 1 tablet | Personal use — no extra duties |
| 5 new iPhones in original boxes | Commercial — full DAI + IVA + commercial import paperwork |
| Used electronics in household-goods shipment | Covered by menaje de casa |
| High-value drone + accessories | DGAC registration required separately |
Rule of thumb: if it looks like inventory, it gets classified as inventory.
Restricted: Used Clothing (Pacas)
| Use | Rule |
|---|---|
| Personal use (your own clothes) | No restriction — part of menaje or normal luggage |
| Commercial resale (pacas) | Only specific licensed importers; licenses are limited and contested |
| Donations | Generally need MAGA / MSPAS clearance depending on quantity |
The “paca” trade is a real industry in Guatemala but is gated. Individuals cannot import bales of used clothing for resale.
Absolutely Prohibited (No Permit Available)
These cannot be imported under any circumstance. Detection = seizure + potential criminal charges.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Controlled narcotics without prescription | Cocaine, heroin, MDMA, unprescribed amphetamines, unprescribed opioids |
| Counterfeit goods | Fake luxury brand goods, pirated software/movies, counterfeit currency |
| Child exploitation material | Absolutely prohibited globally |
| Endangered species (CITES Appendix I) | Jaguar pelts, sea turtle shells, certain birds |
| Nuclear / radioactive material | Without IAEA / international clearance |
| Chemical weapons precursors | Listed under international conventions |
| Goods from sanctioned origins | Specific countries / entities under SICA-coordinated sanctions |
What Happens If You Try to Import a Restricted Item Without a Permit?
| Stage | Outcome |
|---|---|
| At airport (passenger) | Goods seized; written notice; possible fine. No criminal record for first-time small-quantity personal items |
| At port / land border (shipment) | Goods held at customs; you receive a notice; you can apply for the permit retroactively (sometimes works) or abandon the goods |
| Commercial quantities | Seizure + commercial fines + possible criminal referral |
| Absolutely prohibited goods | Seizure + criminal charges + Ministerio Publico (MP) referral |
The “I didn’t know” defense rarely works for commercial-quantity violations. It sometimes works for individuals with small personal items, but expect to lose the item.
How to Verify Before You Ship
- Check SAT-Aduana’s public list at portal.sat.gob.gt/portal/aduanas/ — categories of restricted goods are published
- Ask your agente aduanal before shipping — see customs broker cost
- Contact the relevant ministry (DIGECAM, MAGA, MSPAS, DGAC) if your item is borderline
- When in doubt, declare it on the customs form. Declaring + permit gap = pay duty / wait. Not declaring + permit gap = seizure + fine
For tax estimates on freely importable goods, see import calculator or calculadora de aranceles.
Tips
- Get the permit BEFORE shipping. Retroactive permits sometimes work but are expensive in storage and stress
- Photograph and inventory everything before shipping. Helps in disputes
- Ship medications separately from main household goods — keeps your menaje shipment clean
- One firearm per DIGECAM permit application — easier to approve than batch applications
- Declare borderline items — the cost of declaring is small; the cost of seizure is total loss
- Returnees: firearms and prescription meds are NOT covered by menaje. Plan separately. See returning vehicle import for related restrictions
- Drones: register with DGAC within 30 days even if you cleared customs without paperwork