Used Household Goods and Personal Effects

Documents Required

• Original passport with entry stamp (and 1 copy of complete passport)
• Original bill of lading (OBL) / air waybill (AWB) - 2 originals of each
• Original packing list in English or Spanish
• Delivery and billing instruction including insurance information
• Tributary Identification Number (NIT) card / RTU (Guatemalans, expatriates)
• Copy of duty free exemption (diplomats)

Specific Information

• Original bill of lading must be valued
• Antiques, artifacts, carpets, and paintings are permitted if declared as part of the household goods shipment in reasonable quantities and indicated on the packing list.
• The Tributary Identification Number (NIT) is a personal identification number the owner of the goods must obtain from the Finance Ministry in Guatemala or Superintendencia de Administration Tributaria (SAT).
  • An alternative to the NIT card is the RTU. The RTU is still the tax ID the difference is that the RTU is two sheets of paper that show the date the tax ID was actualized and printed.
• Owners of the goods are required to obtain an application form for the Tributary Identification Number (NIT); if no personal address in Guatemala, an employer address may be used (Guatemalans, expatriates).
• It can take from 1 hour to 1 day to receive the Tributary Identification Number (NIT) card number.
• A copy of the passport and the Tributary Identification Number (NIT) card are needed for Customs clearance.
• The address on the Tributary Identification Number (NIT) card must match the name used on the original bill of lading (OBL) / air waybill (AWB) or cargo manifest, or the shipment cannot be cleared.

Motor Vehicles

Documents Required

• Car condition report
• Original bill of lading (OBL)
• Original vehicle commercial invoice
• Original vehicle title / registration / proof of ownership
• Original receipts of payment, transfer, check submitted, etc. 

Specific Information

• The original bill of lading (OBL) must include the following information regarding the vehicle (POV):
  • Number of chassis
  • Engine number
  • Number of doors
  • Make
  • Year
  • Style,
  • Color
  • Number of cylinders
  • Vehicle identification number (VIN)
  • Fuel type
  • Cubic centers (cc)
• If documents required are unavailable or incomplete, the owner of the goods will be charged USD150.00 for an inspection.
• New Government regulations allow the import of any vehicle that is 10 years of age or older.

Pets

Documents Required

• Original Invoice
• Original air waybill
• Vaccination certificate
• Veterinary health certificate

Specific Information

• The pet must arrive at the beginning of the week to avoid weekends in Customs care; the flight must arrive in the morning.
• Pets are subject to the payment of duties.
• The veterinary health certificate must be issued in the origin country and dated within 30 days prior to arrival.
• An electronic copy of the documents must be sent to the agent to obtain the veterinary health certificate; it takes approximately 3 business days. 

Restricted/Dutiable Items

• Firearms (authorization by the Ministry of Defense and special permit is required)
• Alcohol / wine (permission from the Health Ministry is required and a maximum of 6 bottles are permitted)
• An original commercial invoice and certificate of origin are required.
• Food items (2 kgs)

Prohibited Items

• Drugs
• Pornographic materials

Consignment Instructions

Recommended: Contact the destination agent to ensure all requirements have been met prior to import, especially for differences regarding air / sea shipments.

Helpful Website(s):

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/guatemala.html