The single-status certificate (officially constancia de soltería) is the document RENAP issues confirming that you are NOT currently married. The Guatemalan diaspora in the US, Spain, Mexico, and other countries needs it to legally marry abroad.

Quick answer: RENAP charges Q25 (~$3 USD); its eportal (eportal.renap.gob.gt) takes electronic certification requests paid by card. For use outside Guatemala you need a MINEX apostille: Q75, the fee set by Decreto 2-2023, plus a Q10 fiscal stamp (Q85 in all). Ask the destination authority how recent the certificate must be at the wedding date. If you are divorced, ask whether the destination also requires an apostilled divorce certification.

Request your single-status certificate online

Electronic certification via RENAP eportal: paid by credit or debit card and sent to your registered email.

Go to eportal.renap.gob.gt →

Before you click, have ready:

  • Your CUI number (the 13 digits on your DPI)
  • RENAP eportal account (prior registration with email)
  • Credit or debit card (Q25)
  • Know whether you need an apostille (use outside Guatemala)
  • Email address to receive the certification

Cost: Q25 + Q75 apostille (Q85 with timbres) · Time: not published by RENAP or MINEX · RENAP phone: 1516 · Verified June 2026

What is the single-status certificate?

The single-status certificate (constancia de soltería) is the official document where RENAP certifies that no current marriage is registered in your name. That is: you are currently single.

There are three categories of people who request it:

  1. Single without prior marriages: never married.
  2. Divorced: previously married but the marriage was dissolved and the ruling was registered at RENAP.
  3. Widowed: spouse died and the death was registered at RENAP.

Check the destination’s requirements for divorced or widowed persons (see Diaspora section).

Requirements

Online modality (eportal.renap.gob.gt)

  • RENAP eportal account (prior registration with CUI, email, password).
  • Valid CUI.
  • Credit or debit card (the payment method RENAP lists for electronic certifications).
  • Active email address: the electronic certification is sent to the registered email.

In-person modality (RENAP office)

For apostille (international use)

  • MINEX online user created with your CUI (foreigners: passport number).
  • Digital file of the certificate, complete, in order and legible (MINEX terms, section 5.1).
  • Q75 fee (Decreto 2-2023), payable at Bantrab agencies or Bantrab online banking, plus the fiscal stamp (Q10), paid through a SAT-generated form; both within ten days of approval (MINEX terms, sections 6.2 and 7.4).
  • Procedure at MINEX. The apostille is an electronic certificate with no handwritten signature or ink stamp, and it takes effect only abroad (MINEX terms, sections 6.1 and 7.6).

Step-by-step (online modality)

  1. Go to eportal. Open eportal.renap.gob.gt in your browser.

  2. Sign in. If you do not have an account yet, register first. (On RENAP’s Android app, the username and password are sent by email once your identity is verified.)

  3. Request the electronic certification. RENAP asks for the registration details of the entry and payment by credit or debit card.

  4. Receive it by email. The certification is sent to your registered email address and can be printed on letter-size bond paper.

  5. Verify the document. Make sure your name, birth date, and CUI are correct. Anyone can validate it at renap.gob.gt/verificacion-de-certificado with the correlative number (top-left corner) plus the verification code (top-right corner).

Step-by-step (in-person modality)

  1. Book appointment via RENAP eportal if you want one.

  2. Pay the Q25 fee.

  3. Show up at the office with valid DPI.

  4. Request the certificate at the window.

Cost and timing

ItemCostTime
RENAP certificate (electronic or at an office)Q25Not published
MINEX apostille (for international use)Q75 + Q10 fiscal stamp (Q85)Not published (MINEX terms 8.7)
Total for use abroadQ100 (Q110 with the stamp)Not published

Common errors and how to avoid them

  • Apostilling too late and expiring: check whether the destination counts the document’s age at the wedding date rather than at the issuance date. Plan timing: if your wedding is 8 months away, wait until you have the venue/court date confirmed before requesting it, so it doesn’t expire.

  • Forgetting that divorced or widowed need extra documents: if you were married before, the destination may also require the divorce certificate or death certificate of the prior spouse, all apostilled. Verify with the destination country consulate.

  • Expecting a stamped paper apostille: the MINEX apostille is an electronic certificate with no handwritten signature or ink stamp (MINEX terms, section 6.1). Ask the destination authority how it wants to receive the apostilled document.

  • Translating with a non-sworn translator: if you go to a country that doesn’t speak Spanish (US, Germany, France, etc.), ask whether the destination requires a certified translation by a sworn translator registered there.

Diaspora and international use

United States

Ask your county clerk whether it requires it. Points to check:

  • Catholic religious weddings: ask the parish or diocese.
  • If you marry a US citizen and will process a K-1 visa or adjustment of status, ask which civil-status documents from your country of origin the case needs.

Verify ahead: call the county clerk where you will marry and specifically ask “do you require a single status certificate from the country of origin for foreign nationals?”. If they say no, you save the procedure. If they say yes, bring it apostilled.

Spain, Mexico, Italy, France, Germany, United Kingdom

Ask the civil registry where you will marry for its list of requirements for foreign nationals: how recent the certificate must be at the marriage date, whether it must be apostilled, whether a divorce or death certification of a prior spouse is needed, and whether it requires a sworn translation into the local language.

Diaspora checklist

Before traveling to Guatemala (or asking family) to handle:

  1. Call the destination country consulate and request the official list of requirements for foreign nationals marrying there.
  2. Confirm the required validity.
  3. Request the certificate, then the MINEX apostille.
  4. If divorced: also request apostilled divorce certification.
  5. If widowed: request apostilled death certification of deceased spouse.
  6. Reserve time for a sworn translation if the destination requires one.

Validity (important)

  • For use in Guatemala: ask the institution how recent it must be.
  • For international use: ask the destination authority. A MINEX apostille is only as effective as the document it certifies (MINEX terms, section 6.3).

Calculate carefully: ask whether validity is counted to the wedding date or to the application date.

Verified June 2026. Validity periods and requirements in destination countries can change. Always verify with the Guatemalan consulate or civil registry office of the country where you will marry before traveling to handle the procedure.