Health screening protocols are in place for arriving and departing passengers at La Aurora International Airport and at border crossings at the land border. Non-resident foreigners who show symptoms of COVID-19 upon arrival or who have tested positive for COVID-19 may be denied entry to Guatemala. Email: To contact a customer service representative by email, please write support-guatemala@ustraveldocs.com. Some international travelers may be allowed to travel to the United States without a visa if they meet visa-free travel requirements. The visa section of this website is for U.S. visas for foreign citizens wishing to travel to the United States. Not all U.S. Mission personnel and their families are permitted to travel to San Marcos Department for personal travel, with the exception of the city of San Marcos. Drug trafficking is widespread and much of the department is under the influence of drug trafficking organizations. Many communities do not have a police presence and local police may lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. Avoid areas outside major roads. Canada, Mexico and Bermuda do not participate in the Visa Waiver Program. The Immigration and Nationality Act contains other provisions relating to visa-free travel for nationals of Canada and Bermuda in certain circumstances.
See Citizens of Canada and Bermuda. Because they are not part of the Visa Waiver Program, VWP requirements for machine-readable or biometric passports do not apply to nationals of Canada, Mexico or Bermuda. It should also be noted that some nationals of Canada and Bermuda traveling to the United States require a non-immigrant visa. Nationals of member countries may travel visa-free for tourist and business trips of 90 days or less, provided they meet the following conditions: Public transport vehicles approved by their municipalities and the Ministry of Health and operated at a maximum load of 50% can be driven. For interdepartmental travel, only public transport vehicles approved by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Communications and operating with a maximum occupancy rate of 50 per cent may be operated. Interviews for all other categories of nonimmigrant visas, including B1/B2, remain suspended. Applicants of any visa category who require emergency travel may request an emergency appointment. Candidates must make an appointment here. Any candidate with symptoms such as cough, sore throat or fever should contact support-guatemala@ustraveldocs.com to reschedule their interview. Learn the steps you can take to stay healthy and safe during your trip.
Vaccines can`t protect you from many diseases in Guatemala, so your behavior is important. Groups of tourists are advised to request a security escort. A security escort for tour groups is available from INGUAT (Guatemalan Institute of Tourism). Overseas Road Safety (U.S. Department of State information): Includes tips for driving in other countries, international driver`s licenses, auto insurance, and other resources. Skype: To use Skype to speak to a customer service representative from 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 3pm on Saturday, please click on the Skype icon below or add a new contact to your Skype account with the Skype name ustraveldocs-guatemala. If you are a traveler from a VWP country and your passport does not meet these requirements, consider obtaining a new VWP-compliant passport from the passport issuing authority in your country of citizenship. Otherwise, you will not be able to travel under VWP and you will need to obtain a visa in your valid passport to enter the United States.
U.S. government personnel and their family members may travel within Guatemala City, with the exception of Zone 18 and the municipality of Villa Nueva. The following areas of Guatemala City are of increased importance to Embassy security personnel due to crimes: 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 17, 19, 21 and 24. These areas do not overlap with typical tourist and tourist areas, with the exception of Zone 13, where Guatemala City`s International Airport is located. Zone 13 should be avoided unless you are travelling directly to and from the airport itself. U.S. citizens should take appropriate security precautions when traveling to and from the airport, such as using verified transportation services, not displaying valuables or other signs of wealth, not using mobile devices in public, and not staying outside the airport. U.S. citizens are advised not to call street taxis in Guatemala City. Use radio taxis (Amarillo Taxi), INGUAT approved taxis from the airport`s “SAFE” booth, hotel taxis or certified private drivers. Some travelers may not be eligible to enter the United States without a visa under the VWP.
This includes persons who have been arrested, even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction; persons with a criminal record (including pardons, amnesties or other acts of clemency) or certain serious communicable diseases; Individuals who have been denied entry to the U.S. or who have been deported from the U.S. or who have already overstayed the Visa Waiver Program. These travelers must apply for a visa. If they try to travel without a visa, they may be denied entry to the United States. Required if you are travelling from a country where there is a risk of yellow fever virus transmission and you are ≥1 year old, including >12 hours at an airport in a country at risk of yellow fever virus transmission.1 When entering the United States from Canada or Mexico by land, the documentation requirements are the same, unless you are entering the United States from Canada or Mexico by land, the documentation requirements are the same, unless no round-trip tickets and no signatory airlines are required. You will need to convince the inspector that you have funds to take care of yourself and leave the United States during your stay. The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States for visa-free stays of 90 days or less for tourism or business purposes (visitor visa). Not all countries participate in the VWP, and not all travelers from VWP countries are eligible to use the program. VWP travelers must apply for authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), be screened at their port of entry into the United States, and be enrolled in the Department of Homeland Security`s OBIM program. Guatemalan citizens are not allowed to travel to the United States on the VWP. As of November 26, 2021, Guatemala restricted travel from several countries (Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, eSwatini, Egypt, South Africa and South Africa) due to concerns about the new Omicron variant.
This restriction applies to people who have travelled to one of these countries in the last 14 days. More information is available here. Country summary: Violent crimes such as armed robbery and murder are widespread. Gang activities such as extortion, violent street crime and drug trafficking are widespread. Local police may not have the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. U.S. missionary personnel are not allowed to travel to the aforementioned areas, but they are allowed to cross the rest of Guatemala, including Tikal, Antigua, Lake Atitl, and the Pacific coastal areas in the departments of Santa Rosa and Escuintl. Visa-free travel does not include those who plan to study, work, or stay in the U.S. for more than 90 days, or who intend to change their status (from tourism to student, etc.) once they are in the U.S. These travelers need visas. If an immigration officer believes that a visa-exempt traveller will study, work or stay for more than 90 days, they will refuse to admit the traveller. Passport Validity: Visitors traveling to the United States must be in possession of passports valid for six months beyond the period of their intended stay in the United States.
Citizens of the countries listed in the six-month Club update are exempt from the six-month rule and only need a passport valid for the intended duration of stay. If you are traveling visa-free under the Visa Waiver Program, your passport must be valid for at least 90 days. If your passport is not valid for 90 days, you will be admitted to the United States until the passport expires. Secondary and country roads have little or no lighting. U.S. Embassy employees are prohibited from leaving the city at night. Embassy staff are also prohibited from travelling to Guatemala for transit from or through Mexico. In some countries, medicines (prescription and over-the-counter) may be substandard or counterfeit. Bring the medications you need from the U.S. to avoid having to buy them at your destination. An updated ESTA application form is available. The new form contains additional questions about the new travel authorization requirements required by law.
We encourage travelers looking for an ESTA to use the advanced system, which will help them decide individually whether or not to grant an exemption. There is no separate request for exemption. If you wish to stay in the CA-4 region for more than 90 days, you must apply for a one-time extension with the local immigration authorities of the country where you are staying. If you are “expelled” from one of the four countries, you will be expelled from the entire CA-4 region. Are there health checks at airports and other ports of entry? Yes.