Driving Permit for Guatemala

Guatemala is a contracting party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, so it recognises the International Driving Permit (IDP) issued under that convention. Short-term visitors can generally drive on their home-country licence: the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala notes that foreign licences are accepted for an initial 30-day period, with the National Civil Police able to issue inexpensive temporary monthly permits for longer stays, while the UK government states a UK photocard licence can be used for up to 3 months. Anyone settling in the country long term is expected to obtain a Guatemalan licence.

In day-to-day practice, an IDP is recommended rather than uniformly enforced for tourists from the US, Canada, the UK, the EU and Australia. Rental companies typically ask for your passport and original licence; an IDP becomes far more important if your licence is not printed in Spanish or English, and it makes roadside police checks — which are routine on Guatemalan highways — noticeably easier. The minimum age to rent a car is generally 21, with surcharges or restrictions common for drivers under 25.

Traffic drives on the right, and a few local rules stand out. Using a handheld mobile phone at the wheel is illegal, speed limits are enforced, and drink-driving is treated severely: UK government advice warns that any detectable alcohol can result in fines, licence confiscation or imprisonment. Motorcyclists must wear orange vests and helmets displaying their registration number. Road quality varies sharply — paved intercity highways give way to unpaved rural and highland routes, and in the rainy season from June to November landslides and flooding regularly close roads, so a 4WD is advisable outside the main corridors.