Shipping boxes to and from Guatemala
Families send boxes to Guatemala every day, and most clear without trouble. Courier parcels usually pay import duty (DAI) and 12% IVA, which the courier collects from the receiver. A small family shipment worth up to US$500 can come in tax free once every six months. Guatemalans returning home after 24 months away can bring their household goods in free of duty.
- Typical transit
- 2-5 business days from North America; 4-7 from Europe; 5-8 from Asia
- Currency
- GTQ
- Duty-free up to
- There is no general duty-free threshold for courier parcels, so duty and IVA can apply from the first quetzal
- Receiver ID
- NIT (Número de Identificación Tributaria) or DPI number (CUI)
Price a shipment to Guatemala
Choose where it's from and where it's going.
What it costs to ship boxes from the US to Guatemala
- 1 medium box (16 × 16 × 16 in, 20 lb)$264.86delivered in 2 to 5 business days
- 5 medium boxes (30 lb each)$1,324.31 totalabout $264.86 a box
Includes pickup at your door, express delivery, fuel and prepared customs paperwork. Import duties and taxes, if any, are set by Guatemala and paid by the receiver. Prices updated November 2, 2026.
Get my exact priceSending to Guatemala
Duties and taxes2456
- Duty-free threshold
- There is no general duty-free threshold for courier parcels, so duty and IVA can apply from the first quetzal. The main exception for families: a small family shipment with no commercial character, sent by relatives abroad and worth up to US$500 (about GTQ 3,820) in customs value, is free of duty and taxes once every six months per receiver.
- Import tax
- IVA at 12%, charged on the CIF value plus duty. Import duty (DAI) depends on the item. SAT's 2026 courier catalog lists clothing, shoes, bedding, toys, and cosmetics at 15%, and books, computers, and phones at 0%.
- How value is worked out
- CIF. The customs value includes the goods plus transport, loading and handling, and insurance up to the first point of arrival in Guatemala. IVA is charged on the CIF value plus duty. If freight or insurance is not stated, customs adds it at normal rates. Foreign-currency values are converted at the exchange rate supplied by the Banco de Guatemala on the day the declaration is accepted. Trade-agreement duty rates, such as CAFTA-DR, cannot be claimed through the courier's simplified declaration.
- Who pays
- Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
- Moving there?
- Household goods (menaje de casa) are free of import duty (DAI) for people domiciled in Guatemala who return for good after being away for the 24 months before their return. IVA is not waived. SAT asks for a certificate of your migratory movements, a detailed list of the goods with estimated values, and your passport. Used goods need no commercial invoice. Vehicles and office, workshop, or lab equipment never count as menaje de casa. The exemption is requested from SAT as a franquicia, usually through a customs broker.
Worked example
Illustrative: two boxes of used clothes and shoes with a customs value (CIF) of US$600 (about GTQ 4,580), above the family exemption limit. Assumes customs classes everything as clothing or footwear, at 15% duty in SAT's 2026 courier catalog.
Duty (DAI) 15% x US$600 = US$90. IVA 12% x (US$600 + US$90) = US$82.80. Total US$90 + US$82.80 = US$172.80.
About US$173 (about GTQ 1,320), plus any courier clearance fee.
How customs clearance works in Guatemala345
The courier sends SAT a manifest before the flight lands. SAT's system runs a risk check on each air waybill and generates the declaration from the courier's data. The courier pays the duty and IVA and bills them to the receiver as third-party charges on its electronic invoice. Family shipment exemptions, menaje de casa, and goods that need a permit are cleared outside this simplified process, through a customs warehouse.
- Formal entry
- Boxes with a customs value over US$1,000 (about GTQ 7,640), or that need a permit or claim an exemption, go through the general procedure, normally with a licensed customs broker (agente aduanero).
- How long it takes
- The courier must file the simplified declaration within six hours of the shipment reaching its facility, or move the goods to a customs warehouse. Boxes that pass the risk check are released on that declaration; inspections, permits, and exemption requests add time.
- Inspections
- SAT selects boxes by automatic risk analysis and may check the documents or open the box. Other agencies, such as MAGA or the Health Ministry, can inspect goods that fall under their rules.
- If duties go unpaid
- Goods can wait in temporary storage for up to 20 days after unloading. After that, if nobody has started a customs procedure, they are considered abandoned. Goods are also abandoned one month after a notified tax bill goes unpaid, or 30 days after release if nobody collects them. Abandoned goods can be auctioned, but the receiver can still recover them by paying what is owed up to the business day before the auction.
Moving to Guatemala: claiming duty relief578
- 01
Check you qualify
The duty exemption is for people domiciled in Guatemala who return for good after being away for the 24 months before their return. It covers household goods, new or used, in quantities for home use. Vehicles and office or workshop equipment are excluded.
- 02
Get your migratory movements certificate
Request a certificación de movimientos migratorios online from the Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración.
- 03
Make a detailed list
List every item with its quantity and estimated value. Used goods need no commercial invoice. New goods need their invoices.
- 04
Have your passport ready
SAT asks for a copy and checks it against the original. If you are bringing back goods you exported when you left, include that export declaration.
- 05
Apply for the franquicia
Submit the request through SAT's electronic franchise system, usually with a customs broker. The goods are cleared with a full customs declaration, not the courier's simplified one. The exemption covers import duty (DAI); IVA is still paid.
Documents to have ready357
- Receiver's NIT or DPI number (CUI). Foreign receivers should ask the courier which ID it accepts.
- Itemized packing list with a value for each item, marked as used personal effects or gift
- A commercial invoice or equivalent statement of value. For used belongings, a signed list with realistic values.
- For the family shipment exemption: an air waybill in the receiver's own name. Customs prepares the declaration and the receiver signs it.
- For menaje de casa: certificate of migratory movements, detailed list with estimated values, passport (copy plus original), and the export declaration for any goods you took out when you left
NIT (Número de Identificación Tributaria) or DPI number (CUI): The courier pays the duty and IVA at clearance and bills them to the receiver on an electronic invoice (FEL), so it will ask for the receiver's NIT or DPI number. Foreign receivers without a NIT should ask the courier which ID it accepts before the box ships. We ask for it during booking.
Onvoyo prepares the commercial invoice from your contents list. You print three copies, sign them, and send them with your boxes.
Official forms79
- Franquicia electrónica (menaje de casa request) (opens in a new tab)
Apply to SAT online, through Agencia Virtual, for the menaje de casa duty exemption.
- Certificación de movimientos migratorios (opens in a new tab)
Official record of your entries and exits, required for menaje de casa. Requested online from the Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración.
- Declaración Jurada Regional de Viajero (electronic) (opens in a new tab)
Traveler declaration for goods other than baggage and for cash of US$10,000 or more, arriving or leaving.
- MSPAS form F-SI-d-03 (importación usuario final) (opens in a new tab)
Health Ministry import permit for medicines for the end user's own treatment.
What you can pack, category by category12
| Category | Status | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing and shoesMore on clothes | Allowed | Used clothing is fine. SAT's courier catalog lists clothing and shoes at 15% duty, plus 12% IVA. |
| Books and papersMore on books | Allowed | Books are 0% duty. IVA of 12% still applies. |
| ElectronicsMore on electronics | Allowed | Computers and phones are 0% duty; IVA applies. Ship devices with batteries installed. |
| MedicationMore on medicine | Conditions | Can need a Health Ministry import permit, even for personal use. Send only the patient's supply, with the prescription. |
| FoodMore on food | Conditions | Leave out fresh food, meat, and dairy. Unprocessed food needs MAGA approval, and processed food can need a Health Ministry permit. |
| Cosmetics and toiletriesMore on cosmetics | Conditions | Personal quantities, at 15% duty plus IVA. No aerosols or nail polish. |
| Alcohol and tobaccoMore on alcohol or tobacco | Not allowed | Couriers generally will not carry alcohol or tobacco in personal shipments. |
| Sports and outdoor gearMore on sports and outdoor gear | Allowed | Clean gear is fine. Most sports goods are 10-15% duty. No fuel canisters or sprays. |
| Children's items and toysMore on toys and baby gear | Allowed | Toys are fine, mostly at 15% duty. Many identical toys may look commercial. |
| Documents and photosMore on documents and photos | Allowed | Documents and family photos are fine. |
| Other | Conditions | Fridges and air conditioners need a MARN license. Plants and seeds need MAGA permits. |
Quantity limits459
| Item | Limit |
|---|---|
| Family shipments | Up to US$500 (about GTQ 3,820) in customs value, free of duty and taxes, once every six months per receiver. The receiver must be an individual and the goods must not look commercial. |
| Goods other than baggage (travelers only) | Up to US$500 free of duty and taxes, once every six months, if you were abroad at least 72 hours and the goods are not commercial. |
| Alcohol (travelers only) | Adult travelers can bring 5 liters of alcoholic drinks duty free. Couriers generally will not carry alcohol in personal boxes. |
| Tobacco (travelers only) | Adult travelers can bring 500 g of tobacco in any form duty free. |
| Medicines (travelers only) | Medicines in quantities that fit the traveler's needs count as duty-free baggage. By courier, medicines can need a Health Ministry import permit. |
| Cash (travelers) | Cash or monetary instruments of US$10,000 or more (or its equivalent) must be declared on the traveler declaration, arriving or leaving. Not declaring it is a crime. |
What you can't send to Guatemala15
Not allowed
- Aerosols, spray cans, and compressed gas cylinders
- Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, lighter fluid, paint, nail polish, matches
- Loose or spare lithium batteries and power banks not installed in a device
- Cash, gift cards, checks, and other negotiable items
- Firearms, ammunition, replicas, and weapon parts
- Perishable food, and meat, dairy, or fresh produce
- Cannabis, CBD, and THC products, even where they are legal at origin
- Psychotropic and narcotic substances without Health Ministry (MSPAS) registration and authorization
- Whistling fireworks (silbadores or canchinflines)
- Refrigerators, air conditioners, and other equipment containing CFC refrigerant gases banned under the Montreal Protocol
- Toxic, industrial, animal, or human waste
Allowed with conditions
- Medicines and supplements
- The Health Ministry (MSPAS) issues import permits for medicines and has an end-user permit form for your own treatment. Check before sending any, send only the patient's supply, and include the prescription.
- Food, plants, seeds, and animal products
- The agriculture ministry (MAGA) must authorize live plants and animals and unprocessed food. Processed food can need a Health Ministry sanitary permit. Goods that need a permit leave the courier's simplified clearance.
- Refrigerators and air conditioners
- Need an import license from the environment ministry (MARN), even in a household move. Units with banned CFC gases cannot come in at all.
- Commercial quantities
- Several identical items look commercial and lose family shipment relief. Customs adds together repeated shipments to the same person on the same manifest.
- Shipments over US$1,000
- Above US$1,000 (about GTQ 7,640) in customs value, a shipment cannot use the courier's simplified declaration and is cleared through the general procedure.
Sending from Guatemala
Shipping boxes out of Guatemala910
Sending used personal belongings out of Guatemala is simple for everyday items. The courier files the export declaration. Cultural heritage, replicas of heritage pieces, wildlife, and plant products are the main things that need permits or cannot leave.
Documents
- Sender's DPI or passport, and NIT if they have one
- Itemized packing list with values
- Ministry of Culture authorization for any replica of an archaeological or historic piece
- Phytosanitary certificate from MAGA for plants or plant products, if the destination requires one
Can't leave the country
- Cultural heritage objects, such as pre-Hispanic (Maya) pieces and colonial art, cannot be exported permanently. Temporary export, for exhibitions or supervised research, needs Ministry of Culture approval.
- Exporting replicas of heritage pieces without Ministry of Culture authorization is an offense.
- Protected wildlife and products made from it need export permits. Check before packing any.
- Cash cannot go by courier. Travelers leaving or arriving with US$10,000 or more (or its equivalent) in cash or monetary instruments must declare it.
Before pickup
- Keep receipts for textiles, jade, and crafts bought from shops, in case anyone asks whether an item is an antique.
- Sealed, roasted coffee travels well. Check the destination's food rules first.
- Avoid shipping in Holy Week, when many offices close.
Addresses, delivery and timing
Writing the address
Guatemala City addresses use avenidas, calles, house numbers like 12-34, and a zona number. Include the zona, municipality, and department, plus a phone number. Outside the capital, add a landmark.
Maria Example4a Avenida 12-34, Zona 10Ciudad de GuatemalaGuatemala 01010GuatemalaTel: +502 5555 0123Example only; not a real address.
Delivery coverage
Fastest to: Guatemala City, Mixco, Villa Nueva, Quetzaltenango, Antigua Guatemala, Escuintla, Cobán.
Remote areas: Rural highlands, Petén, and the northern departments can take 2-4 extra days, and some villages are served from the nearest town.
Guatemala City and nearby municipalities get the fastest service. A clear landmark and phone number matter a lot outside the capital.
When things slow down
Holy Week (Semana Santa) closes many offices and slows customs. Expect delays around Independence Day (September 15), All Saints' Day (November 1), and December. The rainy season (May to October) can slow rural deliveries.
Advice for your situation
Students
Students heading abroad can ship clothes and books out easily. Coming home, a student can send used belongings to a parent as a small family shipment, spaced six months apart. Menaje de casa relief needs 24 months away.
Returning home
After 24 months away, you can ask SAT for menaje de casa relief from import duty. Get your migratory movements certificate and a detailed list ready, and budget for IVA.
Expats and relocations
Foreigners moving to Guatemala should ask SAT or a customs broker whether their household goods qualify for menaje de casa, since the rule is written for residents returning after 24 months away. Without a NIT, ask the courier which ID it accepts.
Tips for a smooth delivery
- Give the receiver's NIT or DPI number when you book.
- Keep shipments clearly personal: mixed, used items rather than several of the same thing.
- Declare honest values. If customs doubts a value, it can ask for proof or set the value itself.
- Claiming the US$500 family exemption? Put the box in the receiver's own name and space shipments six months apart.
- Keep each shipment at or under US$1,000 in customs value so it stays in the courier's fast, simplified clearance.
- Planning a full move? Get your migratory movements certificate and talk to a customs broker about menaje de casa before you ship.
Shipping to and from Guatemala: questions
Do I pay tax on boxes sent to Guatemala?
Usually, yes. Courier parcels pay 12% IVA, plus duty on many items, on the value including shipping and insurance. A small family shipment worth up to US$500 can be exempt once every six months.
How long does shipping boxes to Guatemala take?
Express door-to-door usually takes 2-5 business days from North America, 4-7 from Europe, and 5-8 from Asia, plus any time in customs.
How does the US$500 family shipment exemption work?
Goods sent by relatives abroad for the receiver's own use are tax free up to US$500 in customs value, once every six months. The receiver must be an individual, the box must be in their name, and the quantities must not look commercial. These boxes are cleared at a customs warehouse, where customs prepares the declaration and the receiver signs it.
How much will I pay on a box of used clothes?
SAT's courier catalog lists clothing and shoes at 15% duty. IVA of 12% is then charged on the value plus duty, so the total comes to about 29% of the CIF value, unless the family exemption applies.
Do I need a NIT to receive a package in Guatemala?
The courier bills the duty and IVA to the receiver on an electronic invoice, so it will ask for a NIT or DPI number. Foreign receivers should ask which ID the courier accepts.
Can Guatemalans moving home bring household goods tax free?
Free of duty, yes, if you were away for the 24 months before your return. IVA still applies. You need a migratory movements certificate, a detailed list, and your passport.
How do I ship boxes from Guatemala to another country?
Pack personal items, list their contents and values, and book an express pickup. The courier files the export declaration. Leave out antiques, archaeological pieces and their replicas, and plants, and check the destination's rules.
What can't I ship out of Guatemala?
Cultural heritage objects cannot be exported permanently, and replicas need Ministry of Culture authorization. Couriers also refuse cash, loose batteries, and flammables.
Official help in Guatemala
- SAT Contact Center (customs and tax) (opens in a new tab)
Call 1550 from Guatemala or email ayuda@sat.gob.gt.
- MAGA VISAR (plant and animal health) (opens in a new tab)
Import permits for plants, animals, and their products. Phone 1557 from Guatemala.
Official sources
Every section above is checked against these official pages. Rules change, and customs in Guatemala makes the final decision on every shipment. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
- 1.
Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT)
Temas Aduaneros (Preguntas Frecuentes) (opens in a new tab)Customs · checked September 26, 2026
- 2.
Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT), Intendencia de Aduanas
Catálogo Courier 2026 (Séptima Enmienda) (opens in a new tab)Customs · checked September 26, 2026
- 3.
Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT)
Criterio Tributario Institucional No. 1-2026: Tratamiento tributario aplicable cuando la importación definitiva de mercancías se realice bajo la modalidad de entrega rápida o courier (opens in a new tab)Customs · checked September 26, 2026
- 4.
Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT)
Código Aduanero Uniforme Centroamericano (CAUCA), Anexo de la Resolución No. 223-2008 (COMIECO-XLIX) (opens in a new tab)Legislation · checked September 26, 2026
- 5.
Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT)
Reglamento del Código Aduanero Uniforme Centroamericano (RECAUCA), Anexo de la Resolución No. 224-2008 (COMIECO-XLIX) (opens in a new tab)Legislation · checked September 26, 2026
- 6.
Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT)
Ley del Impuesto al Valor Agregado, Decreto Número 27-92 (opens in a new tab)Legislation · checked September 26, 2026
- 7.
Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT), Intendencia de Aduanas
Documento de orientación para resolver solicitudes de personas individuales y entidades que gozan del beneficio de franquicia (DG-IAD/DNO-ADU-GOA-12, versión IV) (opens in a new tab)Customs · checked September 26, 2026
- 8.
Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (SIECA)
Convenio sobre el Régimen Arancelario y Aduanero Centroamericano (opens in a new tab)Legislation · checked September 26, 2026
- 9.
Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT)
Declaración Jurada Regional de Viajero (opens in a new tab)Customs · checked September 26, 2026
- 10.
Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes
Ley para la Protección del Patrimonio Cultural de la Nación, Decreto Número 26-97 y sus reformas (opens in a new tab)Legislation · checked September 26, 2026