Guatemala Border Control | Customs and Immigration

Exiting Guatemala
(no costs here aside from copies which can be paid in Quetzals or USD)
-Go to immigration (the white building) and park out front
-There are friendly money changers that can help guide you around
-Get passports stamped and they give youa white slip of paper that El Salvador may or may not want (they didn't for us)
-Go around back of the building to the SAT to cancel the TIP. You might get lucky and get copies here, if not:
-Go across the street for remaining copies (opens at 8:00am). Copies cost us 2 Q or $0.25 each. 
-Documents needed: original TIP and copies below:
-Give them 1 copy each of:
        -Vehicle title
        -Vehicle registration
        -Guatemalan TIP
        -Passport ID pages
        -Passport exit stamps
        -Drivers licenses
-They check the VIN
-They remove import sticker (the lady we had didn't come to the car and had us get the sticker)
-Get a copy of the cancelled or suspended TIP with a stamp for El Salvador side (they keep the original in Guatemala)
-Change remaining Guatemalan Quetzales if you haven't already

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Exiting Guatemala, no costs here other than copies which can be paid for in USD or Quetzales.

Copies needed:
-Vehicle title
-Vehicle registration (if applicable; needed if the title doesn't show the license plate)
-Guatemalan TIP
-Drivers license (1 per person)
-Passport ID page (1 per person)
-Passport exit stamps (1 per person)

Process:
-Go to the large immigration building and park out front
-Get passport exit stamps and they give you a white slip of paper (we did not need this paper later)
-Go get copies of your passport exit stamps (1 per person) and any other copies you may need. They money changers were helpful and happy to direct us to a copy place.
-Go around the back of the building to the SAT office to cancel your TIP (you can also suspend the TIP as mentioned in the Exiting With a Vehicle section on the Guatemala page of wikioverland.org)
-Give the original TIP and all the copies to the SAT officer
-They check the VIN and remove the blue Guatemalan import sticker (the lady who processed us did not do this, she just had us get the sticker)
-If you cancelled get a copy of the cancelled TIP
-Change any remaining Quetzales to USD

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From El Salvador to Guatemala on a Sunday morning around 11:00 am. Just as described by others. Almost no other traffic. Incredibly quick and easy to exit El Salvador. To enter Guatemala, cross bridge and park in the drive through area of the building. Go get a stamp (took 1 minute) then give your docs to the aduanas. They will eventually give you some receipts that you need to take to the bank in the same building to pay in Quetzales in cash. No credit card accepted. Money changers linger around the crossing. Take receipt of payment back to aduana, get TIP and sticker. That’s it!!

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Crossing from Guatemala to El Salvador. Really chill and easy border crossing. There was no train of trucks, I just rode my motorcycle right to the immigration post. The building splits the road, so one side faces the road heading into El Salvador, and the other side faces the road heading into Guatemala. Park anywhere along the building on the El Salvador side, and go in and get stamped out of Guatemala at the immigration desk (on the . I waited 1 minute in line. Then go over to the other side of the building (with traffic heading into Guatemala) and get your TIP cancelled. They'll go and check your vehicle, and peel the sticker off. Wait a few minutes back at the Aduana desk, and the TIP is cancelled. Then you ride over the bridge to El Salvador. I'll have the process for El Salvador on the other border crossing check-in.

I didn't have to make any copies, they made them all for me.

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súper tranquilo, y relativamente rápido el ingreso a las 10 Am
Sólo pagamos 20,40 usd por el ingreso de aduana del vehículo.

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Everything as described below, just wanted to add one thing: upon seeing our dog they did want to see the official export paper plus health certificate. So be sure to either get those (cost us 200$ (!!) in Antigua) or maybe you can try hiding your dog.

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Sortir du El Salvador
1. Petite rue à droite, bâtiment blanc Migracion. Montrer les passeports et on reçoit un petit bout de papier blanc. Le conserver. Il y a une salle de jeux pour les enfants!
2. Stationner à gauche avant le pont pour Aduana. Donner le Tip à l'officier pour le faire suspendre si vous pense y revenir avant la date d'échéance ou arrêter.
3. Arrêt sur le pont, montrer les petits papiers blancs de passeport.

Entrée au Guatemala
1. Rouler 150m après le pont et se stationner sous le toit du bâtiment blanc et bleu. Entrer à la Migracion pour faire étamper les passeports.
2. Faire une photocopie de la page étampée du passeport du propriétaire de la voiture
3. Aller à la fenêtre de l'Aduana SAT avec les copies suivantes, du propriétaire du véhicule:- page photo du passeport, - étampe d'entrée au Guatemala, - immatriculation du véhicule, - permis de conduire, et le Tip fermé du El Salvador.
4. Aller payer le Tip du Guatemala (90 jours, 160Q) à la banco sur place. Argent comptant, Quetzales seulement.
5. Revenir à l'Aduana pour recevoir le Tip et un autocollant.

Bienvenidos à Guatemala! 🇬🇹

Leaving El Salvador
1. Small street on the right, white Migracion building. Show the passports and we receive a small piece of white paper. Keep it. There is a playroom for the kids!
2. Park on the left before the bridge for Aduana. Give the Tip to the officer to have it suspended if you think of returning back before the due date or to have it cancelled.
3. Stop on the bridge, show the small white passport papers.

Entry into Guatemala
1. Drive 150m after the bridge and park under the roof of the white and blue building. Enter the Migracion to have the passports stamped.
2. Make a photocopy of the stamped page of the car owner's passport
3. Go to the Aduana SAT window with the following copies, of the vehicle owner: - passport photo page, - Guatemala entry stamp, - vehicle registration, - driver's license, and the closed Tip of the El Salvador.
4. Go pay the Tip of Guatemala (90 days, 160Q) at the bank on the spot. Cash, Quetzales only.
5. Return to the Aduana to receive the Tip and a sticker.

Welcome to Guatemala! 🇬🇹

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Exiting Guatemala:
We pulled up to the white building and parked out front. There were people there to change money and they also helped guide us around. First we got our passports stamped and they gave us a white slip of paper to be needed later I guess (we were not asked for them later on the El Salvador side). Then we went across the street because we needed copies (2 each of the vehicle title/registration, driver passport and exit stamp, driver’s license, and Guatemala TIP), you also need the sticker from I side your car window. Then we went around the back of the building to the SAT to cancel the TIP. We gave them one copy of all the aforementioned documents. It was really quick. When we were finished we changed the rest of our Q’s to USD. FOR PET OWNERS: We were not asked about pets as we exited Guatemala.

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I did not arrive early and it was still all good and smooth
-arrived around 1pm
-parked motorcycle in front of the big white building with overpass that says Aduana and SAT, parked behind another car
-there were not many other cars there
-went into first door on the left, the Aduana, and gave my passport
-they stamped it and gave white paper slip to be given on the El Salvador side.
-walked out of building and to the next WINDOW on the left for the SAT. There was no one there so walked around the building and found someone. They were super kind friendly and fun.
-gave them my original TIP for Guatemala, copy of passport, license, title
-walked across the street, very short distance, (they point it out) and made a photocopy of the page in my passport that has the Guatemalan stamp for 1Q or $0.30 per copy. You only need one
-walked back to the SAT and they returned the copy of my Guatemalan TIP with a stamp that says cancelled. Tried asking about suspending and he asked about my longer term plans and I couldn’t get clear on whether suspending and then never coming back was a good idea or not so I just cancelled
-went back to my bike and changed my Quetzals to USD for 8/1 exchange. There are many guys who will approach and ask and I waited until the end to do it. They we’re all very kind and the rate seemed reasonable as it was 8.3 that day
-drove over bridge to El Salvador side, someone told me to stop as I approached a little building. Checked my passport and white slip, asked me to pull over on the right just in front of the building
-got off bike, gave a copy of my passport, license, title, TIP, to the guy and waited a bit.
-he came out and had me fill in my number and email on the produced document and then he walked me to a building across the street where I waited in a little in an AC office and then received the TIP for El Salvador
-walked back to the original office where everyone is outside, they looked at the TIP and wrote the info on a clipboard and then it was done
-everyone very kind and helpful and easy going
-it took me a total of 1.5 hours but that was a lot longer than it could have been because of lots of fun chats w the Guate SAT people and then I accidentally gave them a copy of my old passport on El Salvador side so they had to redo the tip. So I think it could have easily taken only 45 min.

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Crossing from Guatemala to El Salvador.
The money changers came up, so we changed our quetzals to U.S. dollars first. Always check the exchange rate before you get there, so you know the value of your money. And remember they’re providing a service and need to make money, too.

Started the border process at 7:15 a.m. on a Tuesday and we were done by 8. It would’ve been faster, but the TIP lady didn’t officially start working until 8, so we were delayed waiting for her to arrive. The regular photocopy place also doesn’t open until 8. So you may want to not arrive too long before then.

First we got our passports stamped out inside.

Then we went to the outside window to work on our TIP suspension (always suspend rather than cancel if you can, in case there’s an emergency and you need to return the way you came).

For our TIP suspension, we needed title, driver’s license, Guatemala TIP, driver’s passport, copy of exit stamp in passport, and copies of the other documents.

The official went to check our VIN.

We photocopied our exit stamp at Asedua on the other side of the border. It isn’t normally a copy place, but maybe they would help in a pinch like they did for us.

Overall, an extremely smooth process. Everyone was professional, kind, and helpful. A lady from the tourism board also came up with a tablet to do an exit survey with us.

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Best crossing in Central America in our opinion! People were so kind and helpful on both sides. We crossed the border in 1.5h. We arrived at 8.30 on a Monday in Holy Week. Quite a lot of people travelling for Semana Santa it seemed. Immigration work was super fast on both sides. We suspended our TIP from El Salvador as we weren’t sure of Guatemala would let us enter with a car. The officer told us it would not be a problem if we didn’t return, just that if we DID return, we would have to go to this crossing again.

In Guatemala it took a while for our TIP but it all went smoothly. We were scared they wouldn’t give us a TIP as we hadn’t yet made the 90 days out of the country. We put the TIP on another name (the original title is on two names) and no questions we’re asked and all was done! 160Q for the TIP. There’s a printshop that makes copies for 0.50 dollars. Guatemala asked for one copy of everything (title, passport, drivers license and entree stamp).

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don't arrive between 1 and 2pm on Guatemala side, the 1 Aduana person will be busy having lunch and won't process vehicle permit

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From Guatemala to ES.. easiest border crossing and very quiet on Sunday morning! Stamp in passport, they give you a small white paper that you will give later to the border patrol on ES side. cancel or suspend your SAT TIP.. they give you the paper back, you’ll give that to ES TIP guy. Then drive across the bridge and do your TIP for ES! Very easy and friendly people. They check your temperature before leaving ES for corona virus

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As described but we still had to pay Q160 for the import fee at the Banrural. Changing dollars to quetzal by the guys walking around was better for us than paying directly at the bank in dollars.

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Fairly straightforward process, leaving Guatemala and entering El Salvador. Pulled in and parked in front of building. Walked into immigration, got our exit stamps and the little white slip (which we ended up giving to Immigration officials in El Salvador). Walk back outside and to the window of the SAT office, gave copies of vehicle title & drivers license, passport, SAT info and sticker. Paid nothing. Entered El Salvador, parked next to first (small) building on the right immediately past the bridge. Gave the same paperwork and documents to the officials there, and this started the TIP process. Then walked across the street and finished the process in the immigration building, walked back to the same small office for a stamp and then we were done. Received only a paper for the TIP, no sticker for the windshield. Paid no money, and they also never asked about paperwork for our dog (and they looked inside). Took about 1.5 hrs.

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now 160Q to enter guatemala with a vehicle. only cash, only in quetzales!

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Easy cross, just have to copi some docs ( as people said) they didn't do for me, but has places near by, ok! less than 2 hours I'm in!

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Very quick crossing, they do the copies for you now, no need to go to copying shop anymore.

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Leaving Guatemala we had to get a copy of our stamped passport. The copy place does not open until 8:00 am. So no need to arrive earlier

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Border crossing from E.S. To Gua :

1. Checkpoint police a little before border. Checked TIA and called us in at aduana.
2. Drive to Aduana, or DGA, left side of the bridge crossing. They stamp and sign papers. You need a copy of your TIA, best get them prior as there a not a lot of copy shops. The Aduana copied it eventually for us.
3. Walk or drive down to Aduana building, give them the papers as stamped by the bridge. They keep the original.
4. Go to immigration E.S. And do passport.
5. Good to go, drive across the bridge and a little past it. You'll see the building, can't miss it.
6. Go to immigration and get passport stamped/checked.

7. Go to Aduana, give them the copy of your E.S. TIP from the guys at the bridge, your vehicle paperwork, license and passport. They fill out the forms and you need to pay taxes (105q per motor).

This is in an opposing booth which opens the following hours:
Mo-fr: 07:00-19:00
SA: 07:00-17:00
Sun: 08:00-17:00
##!! You cannot cross if you don't pay so mind the hours!! ##

Note: they don't accept dollars so best get quetzal prior to leaving E.S. or pay a bad exchange fee (1$ to 7Q we payed).

Sign some form and wait a little.

8. You get a TIP and a sticker. You don't need to stick it, just be able to show it.

9. Good to go! Took us about an hour to get it all done. Good trip!

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Entrada na Guatemala, a imigração não te cobra nada, só pagamos $23,00 dólares para poder circular o veículo no país. Não revisaram nossa Kombi e não demorou muito. Não falamos que tínhamos um cachorro, como eles não revisaram a Kombi não nos cobraram nada, mas acredito que precisa ser feito papéis.

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Exit Guatemala. Easy No need for fixers.
BE AWARE: Fixers wear light blue shirts and have official looking badges.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/MvioxGfZuDXCYQti1

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Exiting Guatemala, You go at immigration, they will stamp yout passport and give you a copie of the stamp, they will remove your sticker of importation, no cost but you need some other photocopy for el salvador border

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