- RECIT = one registration per individual employment contract (every employer, from the first worker).
- RERIT = one registration of the Internal Work Rules document (mandatory at 10+ workers).
- Employers with 10+ workers must comply with both in parallel.
Summary: RECIT and RERIT are two different MINTRAB registries that most employers confuse. RECIT registers each individual employment contract (one per worker, within 15 business days of signing). RERIT registers the company’s Internal Work Rules (one document, mandatory if you employ 10+ workers). Both are free, both are 100% online, but they run on different portals and are administered by different MINTRAB departments. If your business has 10 or more permanent workers, you must comply with both — they are not substitutes.
What RECIT and RERIT actually are
They sound alike, both live inside MINTRAB, and both were launched in 2019 — so the confusion is understandable. But they register completely different things.
RECIT — Electronic Registry of Individual Employment Contracts
RECIT is the online system where employers upload each individual employment contract signed with each worker. It was created by Ministerial Agreement 324-2019 to digitize the obligation under Article 28 of the Labor Code (Decree 1441): send a copy of every contract to the General Directorate of Labor within 15 business days of signing.
- Administered by the General Directorate of Labor (DGT).
- Portal: recit.mintrabajo.gob.gt.
- Applies from your first worker — no minimum headcount.
- Output: an electronic certificate for each contract, with seal and QR code.
Full walkthrough in the RECIT MINTRAB: Employment Contract Registration guide.
RERIT — Electronic Registry of Internal Work Rules
RERIT is the online system where the employer submits the company’s Internal Work Rules (RIT) for the General Labor Inspectorate to approve. It was created by Ministerial Agreement 540-2019 (reformed by Agreements 02-2020 and 333-2020) to digitize the obligation under Article 57 of the Labor Code.
- Administered by the General Labor Inspectorate (IGT).
- Portal: rerit.mintrabajo.gob.gt.
- Applies only if you employ 10 or more permanent workers (optional below that threshold).
- Output: an approval resolution from the IGT, which you must then post in visible workplace areas.
Full walkthrough in the RERIT MINTRAB: Internal Work Rules Registration guide.
Side-by-side comparison: RECIT vs RERIT
| Feature | RECIT | RERIT |
|---|---|---|
| What it registers | Each individual employment contract | The Internal Work Rules (one company-wide document) |
| How many documents | One per worker hired | One per employer (plus any reforms) |
| Who is required | Every employer, from the first worker | Employers with 10+ permanent workers |
| When it applies | Within 15 business days of signing each contract | Before enforcing internal rules or when reaching 10 workers |
| Official cost | Free (Q0) | Free (Q0) |
| Processing time | 3 business days | 30 business days |
| Official portal | recit.mintrabajo.gob.gt | rerit.mintrabajo.gob.gt |
| MINTRAB department | General Directorate of Labor (DGT) | General Labor Inspectorate (IGT) |
| Statutory basis | Labor Code Art. 28 | Labor Code Art. 57-62 |
| Regulatory basis | Ministerial Agreement 324-2019 | Ministerial Agreement 540-2019 |
| Penalty for non-compliance | 2 to 12 monthly minimum wages per unregistered contract (Art. 272 lit. a) | 3 to 14 monthly minimum wages (Art. 272) |
| Attorney needed | No | Recommended (Q2,500-Q8,000) |
| Typical frequency | Continuous: every new contract | Once + reforms when rules change |
| Output | Electronic certificate with QR | IGT approval resolution |
Which one do you need? Decision flow
Use this flow to identify your obligation in under a minute:
Are you hiring or do you already employ workers in Guatemala?
|
| Yes
v
Register each contract in RECIT
(within 15 business days of signing)
|
v
Does your business employ 10 or more permanent workers?
/ \
Yes No
| |
v v
Register Internal Work RERIT optional
Rules in RERIT (recommended so you can
(mandatory under Art. 57) enforce valid sanctions)
|
v
You comply with BOTH systems in parallel:
- RECIT continuously (every new contract)
- RERIT once + reforms
Concrete scenarios
Scenario 1 — 3 employees at a marketing agency. Obligation: RECIT only (3 registrations, one per contract). RERIT does not apply yet, but it is smart to have a draft ready so you can file the moment you reach 10 workers.
Scenario 2 — 8 employees at a restaurant. Obligation: RECIT only (8 registrations). RERIT is not required. But beware: if you fire a server for repeated tardiness without an approved RIT, a labor court can order reinstatement or severance — without an approved set of rules, you cannot cleanly invoke “serious misconduct.”
Scenario 3 — 12 employees at a construction company. Obligation: RECIT (12 registrations) + RERIT (1 registration). Both, in parallel. If you skip RERIT, the IGT can fine you even though every RECIT is in order.
Scenario 4 — 50 employees, planning to reform the rulebook. Obligation: RECIT continuously (every new hire) + a RERIT reform filing (same process, 30 business days). You cannot enforce the new rules until the IGT approves the reform.
Scenario 5 — Sole proprietor with 1 domestic worker. Obligation: RECIT only. RERIT does not apply. Also keep your IGSS employer registration current.
When each one applies
RECIT — trigger events
- Every time you sign a new contract. The 15-business-day clock runs from the date of signature, not the first day of work.
- Every time you substantively reform a contract (material salary change, schedule change, conversion from fixed-term to indefinite). You upload an addendum or a new contract.
- Every time you settle and re-hire the same worker (e.g., end of project + new project).
RERIT — trigger events
- The first time you reach 10 permanent workers. From that point you have a legal obligation.
- Every time you reform the rulebook. Schedule changes, new disciplinary sanctions, remote-work policies, safety updates — all go through IGT approval.
- Before enforcing any disciplinary sanction (suspension, termination for cause). Without an approved RIT, sanctions can be reversed.
Recommended order for growing companies
If you are starting a new business in Guatemala, the suggested sequence is:
- IGSS employer registration before your first worker.
- RECIT from the first contract onwards.
- Draft the Internal Work Rules (with a labor attorney) when you project crossing 10 workers within 3-6 months.
- RERIT filed when you reach 10 permanent workers (or earlier, voluntarily).
- Electronic Salary Book, mandatory at 10+ workers.
Penalties for non-compliance
Fines are set by Article 272 of the Labor Code (Decree 1441) and apply separately to each system.
| Violation | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Failure to register a contract in RECIT (Art. 272 lit. a) | 2 to 12 monthly minimum wages per unregistered contract |
| False data in a registered contract | 6 to 18 monthly minimum wages |
| No RERIT filing with 10+ workers | 3 to 14 monthly minimum wages |
| Enforcing disciplinary sanctions without an approved RIT | Reversible in labor court — reinstatement or severance |
| Repeat offense (either system) | Doubled fine + potential temporary suspension of operations |
At the 2026 minimum wage (~Q3,500 per month for non-agricultural activities), an employer with 30 workers and nothing registered could accumulate:
- RECIT: 30 contracts x Q7,000 (minimum) = Q210,000 up to Q1.26 million.
- RERIT: Q10,500 to Q49,000 additional.
The real cost is not the fine. It is losing labor lawsuits. Without a contract registered in RECIT, the judge presumes the worker’s claims about salary and schedule are true. Without an approved RIT in RERIT, you cannot terminate for cause based on rule violations — reinstatement plus back wages routinely exceeds Q100,000 per worker.
Common mistakes and clarifications
I thought registering the contract in RECIT covered everything — why also RERIT?
RECIT is the evidence of the individual relationship between you and each worker. RERIT is the evidence of the rule framework governing the company: schedules, sanctions, vacations, safety. Without a registered RIT in RERIT, you have no legal basis to discipline a worker for breaching internal rules — even if every contract is perfectly registered.
My company has 10 workers but some are temporary — do I count all of them for RERIT?
Article 57 refers to permanent workers. In practice the IGT counts workers on indefinite-term contracts. If you have 7 indefinite and 3 project-based workers, you are not yet required. But if those 3 project workers are constantly renewed, the IGT can reclassify them as permanent and require the RERIT filing. If you are near the threshold, file voluntarily.
Does anything change if I am a foreign owner (US company with a Guatemala subsidiary)?
No. The obligation is tied to the workplace in Guatemala, not the employer’s nationality. If your branch or Guatemalan entity employs workers in Guatemala, RECIT applies from the first worker and RERIT from the tenth. The one thing that changes is that you need a Guatemalan legal representative with a DPI to operate the portals — typically a local attorney with power of attorney.
I already have an HR handbook — does it count as my RIT for RERIT?
Only if it covers the mandatory content of Article 60 of the Labor Code: schedules, shifts, rest days, vacations, location and timing of salary payment, occupational safety and hygiene, disciplinary sanctions, sanction procedure, and maternity protection. Corporate handbooks copied from foreign parents typically lack these elements and are rejected by the IGT on first review. A Guatemalan labor attorney localizes the content.
I use a single contract template for everyone — do I register each one in RECIT or just the template?
Each individual contract, one by one. A single template speeds up signing but does not exempt you from individual registration: each worker is a separate relationship. RECIT supports bulk upload (multiple PDFs in one session), so in practice filing 30 contracts takes 1-2 hours.
Related tramites
- RECIT MINTRAB — full guide
- RERIT MINTRAB — full guide
- MINTRAB Guatemala hub — every labor and social welfare tramite
- MINTRAB Electronic Labor Solvency — requires both RECIT and RERIT current
- Electronic Salary Book — mandatory at 10+ workers
- IGSS Employer Registration — before your first worker
- Labor Severance Calculation — when terminating contracts
- Work Permit for Foreigners — if you hire non-Guatemalan workers
- SAT RTU — Tax Registry — must be current