International Driving Permit in Guatemala

🗓 Facts checked against Guatemala's road-traffic law and official sources. Research last updated: 29 July 2026. You may copy this information only if you provide a link back to this page.

⚠ This page is general information about driving rules, not legal advice. Rules change, and each authority applies its own — confirm your case with the relevant authority before you drive.

ℹ We are a private company. We are not a government body, a licensing or issuing authority, or a treaty organisation, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any of them. The International Driver's Document we sell is a translation of your national driving licence: it is not a driving licence, and it is not a government-issued document.

• Driving in Guatemala: key facts
• Do you need an International Driving Permit in Guatemala?
• What side of the road does Guatemala drive on?
• How long can you drive in Guatemala with a foreign licence?
• Is Guatemala a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?
• Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place
• Can you drive in Guatemala with your country's licence?
• Where to get an International Driving Permit
• Moving to Guatemala? Rules for new residents
• Driving rules in Guatemala tourists get fined for
• Read more about driving in Guatemala
• Sources

Driving in Guatemala: key facts

Do you need an International Driving Permit in Guatemala?

Guatemalan law does not require an IDP. Reglamento de Transito (Acuerdo Gubernativo 273-98) Article 24 recognises the foreign national licence itself: 'Los titulares de licencias de conducir extranjeras tienen permitido conducir en el territorio nacional, vehiculos para los cuales estan habilitados por la misma y solo hasta que este vigente su autorizacion migratoria.' — holders of foreign licences may drive the vehicle classes their licence covers, and only for as long as their immigration permission is in force. Guatemala acceded to the 1949 Geneva Convention on 10 January 1962 and is not a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention, so a 1949 IDP is the correct type if you carry one. In practice an IDP is worth having for two reasons only: UK FCDO guidance notes that 'hire car companies often have stricter requirements for their customers, such as a year of driving experience, a higher minimum age and holding an IDP', and a non-Spanish or hard-to-read licence is easier to explain at a PNC checkpoint. An IDP never replaces the original national licence.

• Tourists and short-term visitors: carry your national licence together with the document named in the row for your country of issue, in the table below — for most origin licences that document is not an IDP, so read your own answer rather than assuming one.
• Car renters: Carry the original documents. UK FCDO warns that police conduct random vehicle stops to verify documentation and check for outstanding penalties, and that some authorities 'may not accept a copy and may fine or detain you if you cannot show your original passport or a certified copy'. Take the original national licence, passport or an accepted certified copy, entry stamp evidence, the vehicle registration or rental contract and the insurance paperwork; add a 1949 IDP or Spanish translation if the licence is not in Spanish.

No specific penalty for driving without the required document was verified from an authoritative source. Official source.

What side of the road does Guatemala drive on?

Guatemala drives on the right-hand side of the road, and overtaking is done on the left. Cars in Guatemala are left-hand drive.

How long can you drive in Guatemala with a foreign licence?

Guatemalan law ties the driving right to the immigration clock, not to a fixed number of months: Reglamento de Transito Art. 24 permits driving on a foreign licence 'solo hasta que este vigente su autorizacion migratoria' (only while the immigration authorisation remains valid), and only for the vehicle categories the foreign licence itself covers. For most nationalities that is the 90-day visa-free stay confirmed by UK FCDO entry guidance ('You can visit Guatemala for up to 90 days without a visa'), which is why UK guidance states 'You can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in Guatemala for up to 3 months.' The right also ends earlier if the national licence, the rental contract or the insurance expires first, and it ends outright once the holder takes up residence. (Reglamento de Transito Art. 24; UK FCDO Guatemala entry requirements and safety and security pages)

Planning to move to Guatemala? Different rules apply once you become a resident — see the residents section below.

Is Guatemala a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?

Guatemala is a Contracting Party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, but not to the 1968 Vienna Convention.

• 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic: accession on 10 Jan 1962.

Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place

Whether a foreign country accepts your driving licence hangs on a tangle of variables: three different road-traffic conventions signed decades apart (1926, 1949, 1968) — the oldest predates the United Nations itself, and only the latter two were concluded under it — countries at different stages of joining each (signed vs. accepted vs. ratified), licences printed in alphabets local police can't read, vehicle-category systems that don't line up between countries, document generations that may not meet a convention's format even when the country is a member, bilateral deals between individual states, and local laws that are looser in one place and stricter in the next. The same licence can be fine at one border and rejected at the next — even at the next rental desk. The International Driving Permit exists to cut through most of it: a standardized, multilingual presentation of your existing licence, with harmonized category symbols, that most officials can read at a glance. It doesn't replace your national licence or grant new rights — you carry both — and it doesn't guarantee acceptance: a handful of destinations still require a local permit alongside or instead of it, but for most it meaningfully improves your odds.

Can you drive in Guatemala with your country's licence?

This table is for tourists and temporary visitors. Moving to Guatemala as a resident? Different rules apply — see the residents section below. Find your licence's country of issue below. Guatemala is one of the simplest destinations in the matrix. Reglamento de Transito Article 24 lets the holder of any foreign driving licence drive on the national licence alone, for the vehicle categories that licence covers, for as long as their immigration authorisation is valid - typically the 90-day visa-free stay. No International Driving Permit is legally required from anyone, and there is no approved-country list, no convention gate and no EU privilege because none is needed. A genuine 1949 IDP (Guatemala is a 1949 party, not a 1968 one) is still worth carrying if your licence is not in Spanish or not in the Latin alphabet, and rental companies commonly demand one alongside a higher minimum age and a year's experience. The moment you take up residence the rule flips: conversion to a Guatemalan licence becomes compulsory. Rules change — confirm with official sources before you travel. Last verified: July 2026.

Legend: "1949" — Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (IDP valid up to 1 year); "1968" — Vienna Convention (IDP valid up to 3 years).

What the Status column means on this page:

• National licence OK — the destination lets a visitor drive on the national licence itself. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the basis, and any period or condition that qualifies it.
• National licence OK — IDP advised — the destination does not require an IDP for this licence, but carrying one is advised. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the reason and any conditions attached.
• IDP or translation — your national licence needs a supporting document alongside it. Which ones the destination accepts, and whether an official IDP can be issued for your licence at all, are in the row for your country of issue, in the table below.
• Not established — the record does not settle whether you may drive here on this licence; confirm with the destination's licensing authority before you rely on it. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, says what could not be confirmed.
• National licence OK — IDD/translation advised — the destination does not require an IDP for this licence, and no official convention IDP can be issued for it; carry an IDD or a certified translation instead. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the reason and any conditions attached.

Sources and notes for the table above

[1] Reglamento de Transito (Acuerdo Gubernativo 273-98) Art. 24, first paragraph: 'Los titulares de licencias de conducir extranjeras tienen permitido conducir en el territorio nacional, vehiculos para los cuales estan habilitados por la misma y solo hasta que este vigente su autorizacion migratoria.'

[2] Reglamento de Transito Art. 24 (no language condition for visitors); transito.gob.gt homologation and foreigners' permit requirement lists (sworn translation for non-Spanish licences)

[a] Licence categories do not follow the convention A–E scheme — rental staff may ask for an IDP to map them.

[b] IDD = International Driver's Document, a standardized translation of your national driving licence. You can apply here: https://idaoffice.org/apply-now/.

Where to get an International Driving Permit

An International Driving Permit must be obtained before you travel, and only certain countries may issue one to you — you cannot buy an official IDP from an unrelated country. Under the 1968 Vienna Convention it may be issued only by the Contracting Party where you normally reside and which issued or recognizes your licence — by that Party's competent authority or by an association it has duly empowered. Under the 1949 Geneva Convention it is issued by the competent authority of a Contracting State, or by an association that authority has duly empowered. Which body that is varies by country: a government agency in some, an authorized motoring club in others.

• Travelling from another country? Ask that country's driving-licence authority which body it authorizes to issue IDPs — a government agency in some countries, an authorized motoring club in others.

Separately, IDA offers a digital International Driver's Document — a translation of your national licence that you carry alongside it. It is not an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 or 1968 conventions by the body your country authorizes for that purpose, and it is not a certified, sworn or otherwise official translation: no authority certifies it, and where a country requires an official or certified translation by law, our document does not satisfy that requirement. It is a private translation meant to make your national licence readable at rental desks and roadside checks.

Moving to Guatemala? Rules for new residents

A different clock and a different rule. Reglamento de Transito Art. 24, second paragraph, makes conversion compulsory once you reside in the country — a foreign licence must be transferred to a national one of the same class or lower, never higher ('En caso de residencia en el pais, es obligatorio el traspaso de su licencia extranjera a una nacional, del mismo tipo o inferior pero nunca superior'), and the Departamento de Transito decides whether a theory or practical test is required. The visitor right under the first paragraph does not survive the change of status, so residents cannot keep driving on the foreign licence even if it is still valid. Official source.

Driving rules in Guatemala tourists get fined for

• Mandatory equipment: Seat belts and other safety devices are compulsory under Reglamento Chapter XI (Art. 91), and protective helmets under Art. 94. Check tyres and spare, brakes, lights, the circulation card and insurance paperwork before setting off. UK FCDO warns that in more isolated locations roads are unpaved and a four-wheel drive vehicle may be needed. Confirm what the rental contract's insurance actually covers before you sign; do not assume a compulsory third-party motor-insurance regime of the European kind.
• Drink-driving: Guatemala drives on the right. Neither the Reglamento de Transito nor Decreto 45-2016 states a numeric BAC threshold: the offence is defined as driving 'bajo la influencia de bebidas alcoholicas y/o fermentadas', established by breathalyser or other authorised objective evidence. Treat it as effectively zero tolerance, which is how UK FCDO frames it: any alcohol found in your system can lead to a fine, licence confiscation and possible imprisonment. Q5,000 to Q25,000 plus retention and suspension of the driving licence for 1 to 2 years for a private driver; Q10,000 to Q50,000 plus 2 to 4 years for a collective-transport or cargo driver; doubled on a repeat offence (Decreto 45-2016 Art. 10, adding Art. 40 bis to the Ley de Transito).
• Speed limits: Posted limits govern, and the Reglamento sets the defaults. Urban (Art. 112): motorways 90, expressways 80, main arteries 60, secondary arteries 50, local roads 40, controlled residential streets and school zones 30 km/h; heavy vehicles and vehicles with trailers take 10 km/h off each figure. Extra-urban (Art. 113): motorways 100, expressways 90, main highways 80, secondary highways 60, tracks 40 km/h; heavy vehicles and trailers take 20 km/h off items a-c and 10 km/h off item d. A minimum of 60 km/h applies on motorways and expressways (Art. 114). Collective-passenger and cargo vehicles must be mechanically limited to 80 km/h (Decreto 45-2016 Art. 2, as reformed by Decreto 11-2017). UK FCDO notes speed limits are enforced.
• Carry the original documents. UK FCDO warns that police conduct random vehicle stops to verify documentation and check for outstanding penalties, and that some authorities 'may not accept a copy and may fine or detain you if you cannot show your original passport or a certified copy'. Take the original national licence, passport or an accepted certified copy, entry stamp evidence, the vehicle registration or rental contract and the insurance paperwork; add a 1949 IDP or Spanish translation if the licence is not in Spanish.
• Do not drink and drive: Decreto 45-2016 punishes driving under the influence with 1 to 2 years of licence suspension and a Q5,000 to Q25,000 fine, doubled on a repeat offence, with the state of intoxication established by breathalyser or other authorised objective means. Under Reglamento Arts. 175 to 177 the officer retains the licence, the vehicle and the circulation card while the test is run, and hands the driver to the PNC if it is positive. UK FCDO puts it plainly: if you are found to have any alcohol in your system you may get a fine, your licence confiscated and possible imprisonment.
• Helmets are compulsory for both rider and passenger on any motorcycle or moto-bicycle on a public road (Reglamento Art. 94), and riding without one is a Q100 fine (Art. 180.8). Using a hand-held phone, a radio communicator or connected headphones while driving is also a Q100 fine (Art. 180.10); UK FCDO confirms it is illegal to use a mobile phone while driving.
• Security shapes route planning more than road law does. UK FCDO advises that it is generally safer to travel on main roads because there is a greater risk of attack by gangs on quieter routes, to travel in convoy if possible, and to travel during daylight hours where possible in the higher-crime departments (Huehuetenango, Chiquimula, Zacapa, Izabal, San Marcos, Peten). Get current route advice from INGUAT or its PROATUR tourist-assistance service before setting off.

Read more about driving in Guatemala

• 10 Interesting Facts About Guatemala
• Best Places to Visit in Guatemala

Watch what driving in Guatemala looks like

A few minutes of real POV footage is the fastest way to feel confident before your first drive in Guatemala:

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Sources

1. National road-traffic law
2. Reglamento de Transito Art. 24; UK FCDO Guatemala entry requirements and safety and security pages
3. Resident licence conversion rule
4. Reglamento de Transito, Acuerdo Gubernativo 273-98 - Art. 24 foreign licences, Arts. 25-26 ages, Arts. 91-94 belts and helmets, Arts. 112-114 speed limits, Arts. 175-177 retention, Arts. 180-189 fines
5. Decreto 45-2016 Ley para el Fortalecimiento de la Seguridad Vial - Art. 10 adds Art. 40 bis (drink-driving suspension and Q5,000-Q25,000 fine)
6. Decreto 11-2017 - reforms to Ley de Transito Art. 14(i) and (j), minimum ages 25 (type A) and 23 (type B)
7. Departamento de Transito - driving permit for foreigners processing temporary residence (Art. 24 third paragraph; guarantor and Q5,000 balance; Korea agreement route)
8. UK FCDO Guatemala - 90-day visa-free stay (the immigration clock Art. 24 depends on)
9. UK FCDO Guatemala - emergency numbers 122/123, 110, PROATUR +502 2290 2810 / 1500
10. UN MTDSG XI-B-1 - Guatemala acceded to the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic on 10 January 1962 (103 parties)
11. UN Treaty Collection — 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
12. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic