GT · Coverage
Guatemala
Guatemala has access to two oceans: Puerto Quetzal on the Pacific, and Santo Tomás de Castilla and Puerto Barrios on the Caribbean. In 2025 these three ports moved a record 35.2 million metric tons, according to the National Port Commission.
Customs authority
Main seaports
- Puerto Quetzal (Pacific)
- Santo Tomás de Castilla (Caribbean)
- Puerto Barrios (Caribbean)
Cargo airports
- La Aurora International Airport (Guatemala City)
Free zones and special regimes
Free zones are governed by the Free Zones Law (Decree 65-89) and maquila operations by Decree 29-89. The Santo Tomás de Castilla Free Zone for Industry and Commerce (ZOLIC), next to the port of the same name, has its own law.
Good to know
- SAT requires invoices and other tax documents to be issued electronically under the Online Electronic Invoice (FEL) regime.
- Since 2019 imports and exports are declared with the Central American Single Declaration (DUCA), which replaced the FAUCA, DUT and DUA.
- Guatemala is in a customs union with Honduras and El Salvador, with integrated border posts where goods in free circulation are covered by the FYDUCA.
- The cargo terminal at La Aurora Airport is operated by COMBEX-IM.
How we work in Guatemala
RealCore advises companies in Guatemala remotely and through on-site visits from its headquarters in Panama.
See all 8 servicesSources
- SAT Guatemala: Procedimientos de la Intendencia de Aduanas
- SAT Guatemala: Declaración Única Centroamericana (DUCA)
- SAT Guatemala: Factura electrónica en línea (FEL)
- Comisión Portuaria Nacional
- Infobae: El movimiento portuario de Guatemala en 2025
- MINECO: Ley de Zonas Francas, Decreto 65-89
- DGAC Guatemala: Carga por línea aérea 2023 (COMBEX)
- MINEC El Salvador: Asamblea ratifica adhesión a la Unión Aduanera de Guatemala y Honduras
Let's talk