Temporary Residence for Investors (Residencia Temporal para Inversionistas)

Year establishedPublished

2017

Governing lawPublished

Código de Migración (Decreto 44-2016) Art. 75(d); Reglamento de Residencias Guatemaltecas, Acuerdo IGM-016-2025

Responsible authorityPublished

Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración (IGM) — Subdirección de Extranjería

What the program providesPublished

Gain Central American residency and a five-year path to permanence with a US$100,000 investment in Guatemala

No governed customer claim is present for this section.

Minimum agePublished

18 years

Clean criminal record requiredPublished

Yes

Local health insurance requiredPublished

No

Nationality restrictionsPublished

No

Basic eligibilityPublished

Investment of at least US$100,000 in Guatemala through a business interest or the purchase of movable or real property, plus a notarized sworn statement of the economic activity

Generational limitPublished

Not applicable

Family sponsorshipPublished

Yes

Spouse includedPublished

Yes

Children includedPublished

Yes

Child age limitUnknown

Unknown

ChildrenPublished

Spouse and minor children file as dependents at the same time as the main applicant since the Oct 2025 reform, with apostilled relationship documents

No governed customer claim is present for this section.

Processing timePublished

8.7–17.4 weeks

Can apply without travelingPublished

No

How you applyPublished

In person at IGM (Subdirección de Extranjería), Guatemala City; consular filing allowed by law

Required in-person stepPublished

Filing at IGM in Guatemala City, IGM inspector's address verification visit, and registration/ID document within 30 days of approval

What the processing time measuresPublished

About 2-4 months from filing to resolution (livinginguatemala.com guide; no official figure published)

Official application routePublished

https://igm.gob.gt/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/10.-Residencia-Temporal-para-inversionistas-1.pdf

Minimum investmentPublished

$100,000

Minimum passive investment (July 2026)Published

$100,000

Minimum active investment (July 2026)Published

$100,000

Processing feePublished

$200

Application feePublished

$25

Total cost to applyPublished

$225

Monthly income requiredPublished

None required

Monthly pension income requiredPublished

None required

Monthly rental income requiredPublished

None required

Savings requiredPublished

None required

Proof of sufficient fundsUnknown

Unknown

Local bank deposit requiredPublished

No

Minimum local bank depositPublished

None required

Minimum investment as published (Sept 2026)Published

USD 100,000

Other investment routes (Sept 2026)Published

Same US$100,000 floor for every route: shareholding in one or more Guatemalan companies, or purchase of real estate or other movable assets. Some guides also list bank certificates of deposit (not confirmed in a primary source).

Fees paidPublished

Before approval

Cost notesPublished

US$25 filing fee; residence fee US$200 for 1 year, US$300 for 2 years, US$500 for 3-5 years. Notary, apostille and sworn translation costs extra.

Stay required to keep statusPublished

None

Physical presence requiredPublished

No

In-country visit requiredPublished

Yes

Move-in windowPublished

0 months

Length of residencyPublished

60 months

Residency is lifetimePublished

No

RenewablePublished

Yes

Maximum durationUnknown

Unknown

Maximum duration is lifetimePublished

Yes

Stay rule (Sept 2026)Published

No minimum stay; Migration Code Art. 76 lets temporary residents leave and re-enter without limit

Tax residency rulePublished

Residents staying more than 183 days per calendar year (or keeping a fixed place of business in Guatemala) will be considered tax residents

Personal income taxPublished

range between 5%-7%

Time to permanent residencyPublished

5 years

Time to citizenshipUnknown

Unknown

Work for a local employerPublished

No

Start a businessPublished

Yes

Remote or freelance workPublished

Yes

Local healthcare accessPublished

Yes

University accessPublished

Yes

Can buy landPublished

Yes

Local bankingPublished

Yes

Permanent residence timeline basisPublished

Years stated

Investment note (Sept 2026)Published

Threshold set in the IGM residence regulation (Acuerdo IGM-016-2025, in force 8 Oct 2025), which added document lists per investment type. Investment must stay in place for renewals; no fixed holding period published.

Plan B note (Sept 2026)Published

Residence granted for up to 5 years (Code Art. 75(d)), renewable while the investment is kept; after 5 years of temporary residence, apply for permanent residence (Art. 78). Primary IGM form could not be fetched (Cloudflare), so the amount rests on Consortium Legal and a local guide.

Official program websitePublished

https://igm.gob.gt/informacion-residencias-temporales/

Investment source (Sept 2026)Published

https://consortiumlegal.com/2025/08/22/actualizacion-en-la-normativa-de-extranjeria-en-guatemala/ | https://livinginguatemala.com/tramites/igm-residencia-inversionista/

Plan B sources (Sept 2026)Published

http://ww2.oj.gob.gt/es/queesoj/estructuraoj/unidadesadministrativas/centroanalisisdocumentacionjudicial/cds/CDs%20de%20leyes/2016/pdfs/decretos/D44-2016.pdf | https://consortiumlegal.com/2025/08/22/actualizacion-en-la-normativa-de-extranjeria-en-guatemala/ | https://livinginguatemala.com/tramites/igm-residencia-inversionista/ | https://igm.gob.gt/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/10.-Residencia-Temporal-para-inversionistas-1.pdf

Every fact on this page comes from the CitizensOS Mobility Asset Database (Sep 21, 2026 edition). A blank is shown as Unknown.