⚡ DIRECT ACCESS TO TSE
Electoral Address Change
→ Go to Citizens Registry
Before going to the TSE delegation, have ready:
  • 📄 Valid DPI with the updated address (renew at RENAP first if old)
  • 🏠 Proof of address (electric, water or phone bill — max 3 months old)
  • 📋 Lease contract if the address is rented
  • 📍 Know your new TSE delegation (the one in the new municipality where you live)
💰 Cost: Free (Q0) · ⏱ Time: Same day (in person) · ⚠️ Roll closes: ~3 months before election · 🆔 Verified: May 2026

The electoral address change is the TSE procedure that moves your enrollment on the roll to the new municipality or department where you live, so you can vote close to your home. It is necessary when you moved internally within Guatemala — if you moved outside the country, use the migrant vote roll instead of this procedure.

Summary: It is free (Q0), in person at any TSE delegation, immediate the same day. You need a valid DPI with updated address + proof of address. Roll closes: ~3 months before election (projected March 2027).

If you do not make the change, you will have to travel to vote at your previous municipality — money and time lost. Better to fix it as soon as you move.

Why do I need an electoral address change?

Your enrollment on the electoral roll is tied to a specific municipality — the place where you first registered (typically where you got your first DPI at age 18). They assign you a voting center (school, community venue) near your registered address, so you arrive walking or with short transportation on election day.

When you move to another municipality or department, your voting center STAYS the one in the old municipality — until you make the formal change at TSE. If you do not:

  • You will have to travel to the previous municipality on election day
  • If it is far, you may lose your right to vote simply because of travel cost
  • In rural areas this can mean 4-8 hours round trip

Common examples that require the change

  • Moving for work (from Quetzaltenango to Guatemala City)
  • Moving for studies (university students who change departments)
  • Zone change within Guatemala City (from zone 18 to zone 11, for example — yes counts as change because centers may change)
  • Moving for marriage
  • Moving for retirement to the interior

Cases where you do NOT need this procedure

  • You moved to another country → use TSE Migrant Vote
  • You changed homes but stay in the same municipality AND same voting center
  • You are not registered yet → first do Voter Registration

Requirements

RequirementDetail
Valid DPI with updated addressIf your DPI still says the old address, first update it at RENAP, then return to TSE
Recent proof of addressElectric, water or phone bill in your name (or your landlord’s) — max 3 months old
Lease contractIf the address is rented and bills are in the owner’s name
Have active prior registrationVerify at consultaempadronamiento.tse.org.gt
Be within the deadlineThe roll closes ~3 months before the election — past that date, no changes for that election

Step by step

Step 1: Verify your current enrollment

Before going, go to consultaempadronamiento.tse.org.gt and enter your CUI. Confirm:

  • In which municipality you are currently enrolled
  • Assigned voting center
  • Polling station

This helps confirm you need the change (if you remain enrolled at the old place).

Step 2: Update DPI address if necessary

If your DPI says the old address, first go to the closest RENAP and request address update. It is Q85 + photo. Once you have the DPI with new address, you can go to TSE.

Step 3: Gather new address documents

You need to prove you live where you say you live:

  • Electric, water or phone bill in your name (preferable) — max 3 months old
  • If bills are in another person’s name (you rent, live with family), bring the bill + lease contract or owner’s certificate
  • In rural areas: address certification issued by the municipality or COCODE

Step 4: Go to the closest TSE delegation

TSE has 22 departmental delegations (in each capital) plus municipal sub-delegations. Go to the one in the new municipality where you live (not the previous one).

  1. Bring valid original DPI + proof of address + contract if applicable
  2. Take a number at the Citizens Registry window
  3. Request “electoral address change”
  4. The operator verifies your documents
  5. Fills out the update form with the new information
  6. They assign you a new voting center and polling station
  7. Sign certification
  8. Receive change receipt — keep it

Step 5: Confirm the change online (1-2 weeks later)

Return to consultaempadronamiento.tse.org.gt and enter your CUI. Verify the new municipality + new voting center appears. If it does not appear after 2 weeks, return to the TSE delegation with your receipt.

Step 6: Confirm before the election

3-4 weeks before election day, do another lookup. Confirm everything is still correct. Write down the exact address of the new voting center and plan your transportation.

Cost and time

ItemDetail
TSE procedureFree (Q0) — same day
DPI renewal with new address (RENAP)Q85 + photo — 8-15 days
Receipts and travelVariable by location
Online verificationFree (Q0) — instant
Roll closing before election~3 months before (strict, no exceptions)

This procedure is completely free. If a TSE delegation or intermediary charges you, report at 1580 (TSE information line).

Common mistakes

  • Waiting until the last moment — TSE delegations get saturated in the final months before the roll closes. Do it as soon as you move, do not wait.
  • Not updating the DPI first — if your DPI still has old address, TSE cannot process the change. Resolve that first at RENAP.
  • Assuming the RENAP change is automatic at TSE — it is NOT. They are separate procedures although coordinated. Do both.
  • Bringing expired proof of address — must be max 3 months old. Bills from 6 months ago will be rejected.
  • Confusing it with migrant vote — if you moved outside Guatemala, this procedure does NOT apply. Use TSE Migrant Vote instead.

May 2026 note: the electoral address change is being handled in person at TSE delegations. Some complementary web services are temporarily suspended due to the institutional response to the 2023 cyber attack, but physical delegations operate normally. Confirm hours of your closest delegation by calling 1580.