Since november 2004, citizens from nearly all Western countries need only a valid passport to enter Guatemala for up to ninety days: Western European countries, USA, Canada, Mexico, all Central American countries, Panama, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Israel, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Passport-holders from others countries must apply for a visa (about US$30, depending of the country), which can take up to one month to get. As visa regulations change frequently, best to check well in advance with consulates or embassies in your home country before leaving.

Children under 13 do not need a tourist card provided they are included on their parents’ documents.

If you wish to stay more than 90 days, you must go to the immigration office at the 2nd floor of the Inguat building at Guatemala City (Direccion General de Migracion, 7a Av. 1-17, Zona 4 (tel: 23 61 84 76, monday to friday 8-12am only!!). Don’t go at the last minute, you will be asked several documents and the whole process takes at least 2 days…

Extensions are granted only once. To stay more than 6 months, seek permission at the Immigration Department in Guatemala City.
While you are in Guatemala, be sure to always keep your passport with you, because it may be asked for police checks.

There are no obligatory inoculations for Guatemala unless you’re arriving from a “high risk” area of yellow fever- northern South America and equatorial Africa- in which case you need to carry your vaccination certificate).
Nevertheless, there are several you should have anyway. Make sure you’re up to date with polio, tetanus and typhoid vaccinations and consider having diphtheria, hepatitis A and tuberculosis (TB) jabs. Long-term travelers or anyone spending time in rural areas should think about having a combined hepatitis A and B and the rabies vaccines.
Pay a visit to your doctor or a travel clinic as far in advance of travel as possible to get health advices and see you are up-to-date with your vaccines.

Guatemala is healthy enough if precautions are taken about drinking-water, milk, uncooked vegetables and peeled fruits; carelessness on this point is likely to lead to turista or to amoebic dysentery which is endemic. In the high places avoid excessive exertion. If going to the Maya sites, jungle areas and coastal regions, prophylaxis against malaria is recommended.

Before leaving, make sure your travel insurance policy covers illness and injury.
If necessary, there are three good private hospitals in Guatemala Ciudad: Bella Aurora; 10 Calle A Zona 14, Centro Médico,6 Av 3-47,Zona 10, T-323555,and Herrera Llerandi,6 Av /9 C; Zona 10; T3345959, but you must have full medical insurance or sufficient funds to obtain treatment. English and other languages are spoken. At the public hospitals, which are seriously underfunded and care for serious problems is not good, you may have an examination for a nominal fee, but drugs are expensive. Most small towns have clinics.

Basic Medical kit:
Sunglasses: a type designed for intense sunlight; Earplugs: for sleeping on airplanes and in noisy hotels; Suntan cream: with a high protection factor; Insect repellent: containing DEET for preference; Mosquito net: lightweight, permethrin-impregnated; Tablets: for travel sickness; Tampons can be expensive in some countries in Latin America; Condoms; Contraceptives; Water sterilizing tablets; Antimalarial tablets (chloroquine); Anti-infective ointment eg Cetrimide; Dusting powder for feet etc containing fungicide; Antacid tablets: for indigestion; Sachets of rehydration salts plus anti-diarrhea preparations; Painkillers: such as paracetamol or aspirin; Antibiotics for diarrhea etc.  First Aid Kit: small pack containing a few sterile syringes and needles and disposable gloves. Any necessary medical treatment with its prescription translated in Spanish if possible.

We advise every visitor to Guatemala to take out a travel insurance policy covering for illness or injury and including repatriation by air ambulance (especially if you are going to do sports such as diving, rafting, trekking or climbing). Check that you are covered for the loss or theft of baggage, tickets and - up to a certain limit - cash or traveller cheques, as well as cancellation or curtailment of your journey.

However, before paying for a new policy, see if you are not already protected by your home insurance policy and thanks to your student/youth/ teacher card.
Always read carefully the policy and take a copy with you in your luggage.

Everybody has his/her own list. We suggest :

• strong shoes (and remember that footwear over nine and a half English size, or 42 European size, is difficult to obtain in Latin America except Argentina and Brazil);
• a small first-aid kit;
• fully waterproof top clothing;
• earplugs (which are impossible to find outside large cities) and airline-type eye mask to help you sleep in noisy and poorly curtained hotel rooms;
• sandals (rubber-thong Japanese-type, or other - can be worn in showers to avoid athlete's foot);
• a polyethylene sheet 2 x 1 metre to cover possibly infested beds and shelter your luggage, polyethylene bags of varying sizes (up to heavy duty rubbish bag size) with ties;
• a sheet sleeping-bag and pillow-case - in some countries they are not changed often in cheap hotels;
• a 1/2 metre piece of 100% cotton can be used instead of towel (dries quicker, is lighter), as a bed sheet, beach towel, makeshift curtain and wrap;
• a mosquito net (or a hammock with a fitted net);
• a clothes line;
• a nailbrush (useful for scrubbing dirt off clothes as well as off oneself;
• a small dual-voltage immersion heater;
• a light nylon waterproof shopping bag;
• string, velcro, electrical insulating tape;
• a large penknife preferably with tin and bottle openers, scissors and corkscrew - the famous Swiss Army range has been repeatedly recommended;
• an alarm clock or watch;
• a torch (flashlight) - especially one that will clip on to a pocket or belt;
• pocket mirror;
• a padlock for the doors of the cheapest and most casual hotels (or for tent zip if camping);

• spare chain-lengths and padlock for securing luggage to bed or bus/train seat.

Remember not to throw away spent batteries containing mercury or cadmium; take them home to be disposed of, or recycled properly.
Useful medicaments might be added: see “Health”
Lip balm with sun protection, pre-moistened wipes, toilet paper can be useful. Dental floss can be used for backpack repairs, in addition to its original purpose.
A note for contact lens wearers: it is hard to find products for the care of lenses, especially outside major cities. Where available, it’s expensive. Practice also varies as to whether it is stocked by chemists/pharmacies or opticians.