Quick summary: Free term sheet (minuta) in Word, in Spanish, for the promesa de compraventa of a house, apartment or land in Guatemala. It is not the contract: under the Civil Code a promise over real estate takes the form of the sale itself, a public deed (Arts. 1674 and 1576), and is registered at the Registro de la Propiedad (Arts. 1125 and 1680). You fill in the minuta and hand it to the notary. The promise can last at most 2 years (Art. 1681), and the action to enforce it must be filed within 3 months after the term ends (Art. 1684).
Download the Promise to Purchase Term Sheet (Word)
Same file as the Spanish version of this page. The term sheet is in Spanish; this page explains it in English for buyers. For the whole buying process, from due diligence to the registered deed, see the property buying guide; this page goes into the promise itself.
Promise to Purchase Real Estate: Term Sheet (Minuta de Promesa de Compraventa) — Guatemala 2026
⬇ Download Word term sheet (.docx, Spanish)Editable · Works with Microsoft Word, Google Docs and LibreOffice · Free
Why the Promise Must Be a Notarial Deed
Four Civil Code articles combine:
- Art. 1674: “Se puede asumir por contrato la obligación de celebrar un contrato futuro.” It continues: “La promesa de contrato debe otorgarse en la forma exigida por la ley para el contrato que se promete celebrar.”
- Art. 1125 (2nd item): the Property Registry inscribes the titles that transfer ownership of real estate “y los contratos de promesa sobre inmuebles o derechos reales sobre los mismos”.
- Art. 1576: “Los contratos que tengan que inscribirse o anotarse en los registros, cualquiera que sea su valor, deberán constar en escritura pública.”
- Art. 1680: “Cuando la promesa se refiera a enajenación de bienes inmuebles o derechos reales sobre los mismos, el contrato debe inscribirse en el Registro de la Propiedad.”
The second paragraph of Art. 1576 matters if you already signed something private: “Sin embargo, los contratos serán válidos y las partes pueden compelerse recíprocamente al otorgamiento de escritura pública, si se establecieren sus requisitos esenciales por confesión judicial del obligado o por otro medio de prueba escrita.” A signed private document can serve as that written evidence; it is not the public deed and cannot be registered as one.
| Signed private document | Public deed registered at the Registro | |
|---|---|---|
| Form the Code requires (Arts. 1674, 1576) | No | Yes |
| Registered at the Property Registry (Arts. 1125, 1680) | No | Yes |
| Use under the Code | Written evidence to compel the deed (Art. 1576, 2nd paragraph) | The promise in the required form |
The Rules Your Promise Must Respect
| Rule | What the Civil Code says | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum term | “El plazo en el contrato de promesa no podrá exceder de dos años si se tratare de bienes inmuebles o derechos reales sobre los mismos, y de un año, si se tratare de otros bienes o prestaciones.” | 1681 |
| No term agreed | The parties are bound to the legal maximum | 1682 |
| Promisor refuses to sign | The judge grants the deed in their place, unless the property passed to a good-faith third party; then damages | 1683 |
| Time to sue | “La acción para exigir el cumplimiento de la promesa, deberá entablarse dentro de los tres meses siguientes al vencimiento del plazo convencional o legal.” If nobody sues, both are released and arras are returned | 1684 |
| Agreed penalty | “Cuando en la promesa se conviene en el pago de una multa sin expresar que este pago es sin perjuicio del cumplimiento del contrato, pagada la multa cesa la obligación de celebrar el contrato prometido.” | 1685 |
| Arras (deposit) | “Las arras dadas en garantía del cumplimiento de una obligación, constituyen el equivalente de los daños y perjuicios provenientes de la inejecución, siempre que mediare culpa; y si el incumplimiento procediere de quien las recibió, éste deberá restituir el doble de lo que hubiere recibido.” | 1442 |
| Bilateral promise | Binds both parties; each can demand the promised contract exactly as agreed | 1679 |
| Option (unilateral promise) | Gives the other party the option to acquire on the agreed conditions and time; acceptance must be express; the option cannot be assigned unless the promisor expressly allows it | 1676, 1678 |
For the buyer, the penalty clause is the one to read twice. Under Art. 1685, a penalty that does not say it is without prejudice to performance (sin perjuicio del cumplimiento) releases the party who pays it from the obligation to sign the sale. The term sheet has a tick box for each of the two options.
What the Term Sheet Covers
| Part | What you fill in | Related rule |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Parties | Promising seller and promising buyer: name, DPI (CUI), marital status and profession, address; whether acting through an attorney-in-fact and the power’s details | |
| 2. Property | Finca, folio and libro at the Registro; address; area and boundaries as registered; liens, annotations or occupants | Check against a registry certificate |
| 3. Price and payment | Total price in figures and words; arras or advance at signing; balance and date; payment method | Arras: Art. 1442 |
| 4. Term | Deadline to grant the sale deed | Maximum 2 years (Art. 1681); legal maximum if none set (Art. 1682); 3 months to sue (Art. 1684) |
| 5. Penalty | Amount, and whether it is without prejudice to performance or ends the obligation once paid | Art. 1685 |
| 6. Costs | Who pays notary fees, taxes and Registro filing: seller, buyer, half each or other | |
| 7. Seller’s documents | Recent registry certificate of the property, IUSI receipts up to date, utility solvency letters, others | |
| 8. Special conditions | Buyer’s bank loan, delivery of possession, condition of the property, furniture included | |
| Signatures | Approval (visto bueno) of seller and buyer | The term sheet, not the deed |
Before you pay arras, get a property certification from the Registro to confirm the owner and any liens.
For Foreign Buyers
- Who signs. The promise is granted by the promising seller and promising buyer, each in person or through an attorney-in-fact; the term sheet has a field for the power’s details on each side. If you will not be in Guatemala, see notarial power of attorney from the USA.
- Language. The term sheet and the Civil Code text are in Spanish.
- Ownership rules for foreigners. See foreign buyer rules.
- Costs. The Civil Code articles above do not set the cost of the promise. Notary fees, taxes and Registro fees are covered in closing costs and notary fees.
What the Term Sheet Does Not Do
- It is not the promise. Its first lines say it is a term sheet to hand to the notary and that the promise must be a public deed registered at the Registro.
- It does not check the title. The registry certificate does.
- It does not cover a promise over movable property or other obligations, where Art. 1681 sets a one-year maximum instead of two.
Related Pages
- How to buy property in Guatemala: the full process and fee schedules
- Closing costs
- Foreign buyer rules
- Property certification from the Registro
- Notarial power of attorney from the USA
- All trámites
Sources
- Civil Code of Guatemala (Decreto-Ley 106), Arts. 1125, 1442, 1576, 1674-1685: OAS legal library PDF, captured September 21, 2026.
- Term sheet text: the Word file linked above, read October 9, 2026.
This page explains the term sheet and quotes the Civil Code text. It is general information, not legal advice for a specific purchase.