Guatemala Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in guatemala, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
Trade Financing
Last published date:

Overall, the banking system remains stable. According to information from the Superintendence of Banks (SIB), which is responsible for regulating the financial services industry, Guatemala’s 18 commercial banks had an estimated USD 68B in assets in 2023 with the six largest banks in Guatemala controlling about 87% of total assets. In addition, there are 11 non-bank financial institutions specializing in investment operations, three licensed exchange houses, twenty-eight insurance companies, four credit card issuers, and fourteen bonded warehouses.  

Guatemalan banking regulatory authorities and the Guatemalan Congress actively work to draft laws to adequately regulate the business and financial sectors. For more than a decade, the Guatemalan banking system has benefited from reforms to the Banking and Financial Groups Law and to the Central Bank Organic Law which strengthen supervision and prudential regulation of the financial sector and provide resolution mechanisms for failed or failing banks.

Guatemala’s framework to combat financial crime has evolved in phases. In December 2001, the Guatemalan Congress introduced the anti-money laundering (AML) legislation to establish the legal basis for criminalizing money laundering and strengthening financial oversight. This was followed by counter-terrorism financing (CTF) legislation in August 2005, which broadened preventive measures to address the financing of terrorism.

Early reforms and enhanced international cooperation led to Guatemala’s removal from the FATF list of non-cooperative jurisdictions in July 2004. Since then, the country has remained under periodic evaluation by FATF and GAFILAT to ensure continued compliance.

Although Guatemala is not on the FATF grey list, concerns persist around supervisory capacity, beneficial ownership transparency, and enforcement. The revised AML law (Bill 6593), introduced in 2025, aligns with FATF standards by expanding reporting obligations and strengthening enforcement while supporting financial stability and investor confidence. The Arevalo administration has made passage of this bill a top priority, urging Congress to act swiftly to safeguard the country from potential grey-listing.

For more information on the banking system please read the section Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment of the U.S. Department of State’s Investment Climate Statement.

Foreign Exchange Controls

Guatemala maintains an open and unrestricted exchange regime.  There are no restrictions on converting or transferring funds associated with an investment into a freely usable currency at a market-clearing rate. The exchange rate moves in response to market conditions. The government sets one exchange rate as its reference, which applies only to its own transactions, and which is based on the commercial rate. The Central Bank intervenes in the foreign exchange market only to prevent sharp movements. There are no legal constraints on the quantity of remittances or any other capital flows, or delays in acquiring foreign exchange.

Since May 2001, Guatemalan banks are permitted to offer accounts and conduct business in any foreign currency. In October 2010, monetary authorities approved a regulation to establish limits for cash transactions of foreign currency to reduce the risks of money laundering and terrorism financing.  

The regulation establishes that monthly deposits over USD 3,000 will be subject to additional requirements, including a sworn statement by the depositor stating that the money comes from legitimate activities.  The reference exchange rate of Quetzals (GTQ) to the U.S. Dollar (USD) has remained relatively stable since 1999.

U.S. Banks and Local Correspondent Banks

  • Citibank N.A., Guatemala Branch is the only U.S. bank with a local presence and has maintained operations in Guatemala since 1990.
  • Local banking institutions: SIB
  • For additional information, visit the U.S. Department of State’s Investment Climate Statement

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility