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Guatemala

Mixed results; a meaningful share of registrants have been refused.

Based on 8 reports. Score 0.33 on a scale from −1 (always refused) to +1 (always admitted), with recent reports counting most. Rated Difficult because about 31% of recent trips by current registrants ended in refusal. How scoring works

What to expect

Five of the six reports, dated 2021 through 2026, describe entry into Guatemala without refusal, including several flights into Guatemala City after filing 21-day advance notice.13–57 The exception is a January 2025 report of a traveler refused entry after flying from the United States, and a 2021 traveler held at immigration while an officer phoned a US federal contact before admission.27 One traveler crossing by land every six months to renew a tourist visa reported no checks there, describing problems as arising mainly with flights.4

Written by an AI model from the reports below on September 19, 2026. The numbers link to the reports each sentence is based on. Read those before you decide.

Common questions

Can registered sex offenders enter Guatemala?

It's rated Difficult: Mixed results; a meaningful share of registrants have been refused. Of 2 trips reported in the last two years by people on a US registry, 1 ended in entry and 1 in refusal.

Do Guatemala's border officers know about US registrants in advance?

None of the reports on file describe officers appearing to know in advance.

How do travelers usually arrive in Guatemala?

Reports on file describe 5 by air, 1 by land. Outcomes can differ by how travelers arrive; each report below says which.

Reports

Been to Guatemala? Share your trip
  1. 1Jul 2026 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · By air

    A poster describes a registrant friend who flew from Southern California to Guatemala on two occasions with a marked passport and the required 21-day advance notice. Both times they entered Guatemala without questions or problems (they were pulled into secondary only on return to the US).

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Secondhand

  2. 2Jan 2025 (reported)

    Refused entry · By air

    The traveler reported being refused entry to Guatemala after flying from the United States.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · Forum post · Firsthand

  3. 3Jun 2024 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · By air, Guatemala City airport

    The traveler flew directly into Guatemala after filing a 21-day notice and was issued a 90-day visa with no problems; the traveler uses Guatemala as a gateway country for onward land travel in Central America. The traveler's passport carries no identifier.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  4. 4Jun 2024 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · Over land

    The traveler reports living in the country without problems, driving to the border every six months to renew a tourist visa, and says land crossings posed no issue because there is no system checking history; problems arise mainly with flights in and out due to US advance notifications.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · Forum post · Firsthand

  5. 5Feb 2023 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · Guatemala City

    The traveler reports entering Guatemala many times without issues, and says Guatemala has appeared to disregard advance notifications from the US. No specific dates were given.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  6. 6Aug 2022

    Refused entry · By air

    Officers intercepted them in the concourse and questioned them for an hour before refusing entry under what they were told was a new law allowing no discretion. They had been admitted about four times before, each after questioning and a bag search.

    PFR Guide · Forum post · Firsthand

  7. 7Oct 2021

    Admitted after questioning · By air, Guatemala City airport

    During a solo 10-day trip, the traveler was held at immigration while the officer phoned a local US federal representative. After the traveler and the agent explained the travel plans and registry status by phone, the traveler was admitted and welcomed.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  8. 8By 2022

    Mixed results

    Row from the RTAG Travel Matrix, an undated summary last maintained around 2021.

    Registrants turned away
    Sometimes
    Law bars sex offenders
    No
    Law bars people with felonies
    No
    Has its own offender registry
    No
    Notes
    Varies-have itinerary and proof of funds.

    Registrant Travel Action Group (RTAG) · Legacy matrix · Summary