- The child (photo taken at the office; fingerprints from age 8)
- Your own valid DPI — and the other parent's, if both must attend (see below)
- Proof of legal representation, if you are not the parent
UPDATE — 3 October 2026: RENAP began issuing the DPIME, a DPI card for minors aged 0 to 17, on 1 October 2026. The first issue is free. This page was rewritten the same week: it previously said Guatemala issues no DPI to anyone under 18, and it described a separate low-cost RENAP photo card for minors that we could not find in RENAP’s fee schedule. Both statements have been removed.
TL;DR: A Guatemalan child can now be identified with three documents: (1) the DPIME — RENAP’s new minor ID card, first issue free, ages 0-17; (2) the birth certificate — Q15, still the civil-registry record; (3) the minor passport — for international travel. At 18, the person applies for the adult DPI.
What the DPIME is
The Ministry of Gobernación announced on 1 October 2026 that the issue of the Documento Personal de Identificación de Menores de Edad (DPIME) “comenzó este 1 de octubre, en las diferentes Oficinas del Registro Nacional de Personas (RENAP)”. It identifies children and adolescents aged 0 to 17, and “su primera emisión será completamente gratuita”.
AGN, the government news agency, adds that it covers Guatemalan children and foreign children domiciled in Guatemala, that RENAP has more than 7 million minors registered, and that it holds inventory for a first batch of one million cards. President Bernardo Arévalo presided over the launch.
The legal basis predates the launch. La Hora reports the regulation is Acuerdo de Directorio 36-2023, published in the Diario de Centro América on 26 May 2023, issued under Article 57 of the RENAP Law (Decreto 90-2005), which provides for identity documents for minors.
Two cards by age
| Card | Ages | Expires | Photo | Fingerprints |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold (dorada) | 0 to 7 | One day before the child turns 8 | Adapted to the age | Not taken |
| Silver (plateada) | 8 to 17 | One day before the holder turns 18 | Adult standard | Mandatory |
Sources: AGN and MINGOB, 1 October 2026. The card is vertical and made of polycarbonate, with biographical data, a photo, a QR code and other security features; AGN reports its labels are in Spanish and English. The QR code, per MINGOB, lets authorities validate the child’s identity.
The CUI printed on it is the same 13-digit number the child received when the birth was registered (Prensa Libre, 30 September 2026). See minor CUI lookup.
Who must accompany the child
The procedure is “similar a la inscripción del nacimiento”, MINGOB says, and the child must be accompanied by:
- One parent, if the parents are married or in a de facto union with each other.
- Mother and father, if they are single and both recognised the child.
- Only the mother, when only she recognised the child.
- The legal representative, who must prove that representation.
In every case, the people appearing must present their own valid DPI. A step-parent without legal representation does not fit any of the four cases.
Cost
| Item | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| First DPIME | Free | MINGOB, AGN (1 October 2026) |
| Renewal or replacement (loss, damage, theft, data change) | Not published as of 3 October 2026 | The 2023 regulation leaves it to the RENAP board (Prensa Libre summary of Art. 10) |
| Birth certificate | Q15 | RENAP fee schedule |
| Adult DPI (first) | Q100 | RENAP fee schedule |
AGN states that the free issue applies only to the first card. Note that the gold card expires before age 8, so a child who gets one now will need a silver card later; we found no published fee for that change as of 3 October 2026.
Turning 17 or 18 soon
Prensa Libre (2 October 2026), citing RENAP staff, reports that a teenager can start the adult DPI process from 17 years and one day, without first getting a DPIME. The adult card is handed over only after the 18th birthday. The same article lists the first adult DPI requirements given by RENAP staff: a recent birth certificate (Q15) and a Q100 payment slip. Full process: DPI guide.
Is it mandatory?
RENAP’s launch material we read does not say it is. Guatemala.com, summarising the 2023 regulation, reports that the DPIME is to be used whenever a minor has to identify themselves, “aunque su trámite es opcional”. We found no official list yet of which institutions (schools, banks, IGM for passports, SAT) will ask for it.
For Guatemalans living in the USA
- Consulates: not confirmed yet. The 2023 regulation provides for applications abroad “a través de las oficinas consulares y consulados móviles” (Prensa Libre’s summary of Articles 2 and 5, the latter subject to agreements with the Foreign Ministry). Prensa Libre wrote on 30 September 2026 that the service “estará disponible” at consular offices, with no date. The 1 October announcements from MINGOB and AGN name RENAP offices in Guatemala only. As of 3 October 2026 we found no consular start date; we will update this page when one is published. Consular services for adults: DPI from the USA.
- US-born children must first be registered as Guatemalan: registration of birth abroad.
- For international travel, the document is the Guatemalan minor passport: minor passport and passport from the USA.
- For US processes, Guatemalan documents need a certified translation and MINEX apostille.
The birth certificate is still the base record
The birth certificate (certificación de nacimiento) costs Q15 in RENAP’s fee schedule and is requested at a RENAP office or via eportal.renap.gob.gt. It carries the child’s CUI. Full details: RENAP birth certificate. If the certificate has an error, fix it first with a birth record correction: RENAP takes the DPIME’s biographical data from its own database (Prensa Libre’s summary of the 2023 regulation).
Quick comparison: 3 documents for minors
| Document | Cost | Photo | Ages | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPIME (gold) | First issue free | Yes | 0-7 | Until one day before age 8 |
| DPIME (silver) | First issue free | Yes, plus fingerprints | 8-17 | Until one day before age 18 |
| Birth certificate | Q15 | No | Any | See birth certificate |
| Minor passport | See minor passport | Yes | Any minor | 5 years |
Related procedures
- Hub: RENAP — All procedures
- Minor CUI lookup
- RENAP birth certificate
- Birth record correction (typos)
- Guatemalan passport for minors
- Registration of birth abroad
- Adult DPI from age 18
- Late birth registration
- MINEX apostille (using documents in the USA)
- Minor exit permit (IGM)
- Returning to Guatemala with US-born kids
Official links
- MINGOB — RENAP begins issuing the DPIME (1 October 2026)
- AGN — how to apply for the DPIME (1 October 2026)
- RENAP fee schedule (PDF)
- www.renap.gob.gt — main page (no DPIME page there when we checked on 3 October 2026)
- RENAP phone: 1516
Sources read on 3 October 2026: Ministerio de Gobernación release of 1 October 2026; AGN of 1 October 2026; Prensa Libre of 26 May 2023, 30 September 2026 and 2 October 2026; La Hora of 30 September 2026; Guatemala.com; RENAP’s fee schedule and home page. renap.gob.gt refused scripted requests (HTTP 403); its pages were read through a text-extraction proxy. The text of Acuerdo de Directorio 36-2023 itself was not available to us; its articles are cited through Prensa Libre’s and La Hora’s summaries. General information, not legal advice.