Guidance

Guatemala: Knowledge Base profie

Published 15 May 2024

© Crown copyright 2024

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guatemala-knowledge-base-profile/guatemala-knowledge-base-profie

About: Guatemala

This document contains useful information about Guatemala which will assist HM Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

  • version 2.0
  • published for Home Office staff on 9 May 2024

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Guatemala: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Guatemala.

Guatemala follows the Hispanic naming convention.

Names in Guatemala consist of:

  • up to 3 forenames
  • a surname containing:
    • father’s first surname
    • mother’s first surname

Change of name

Name changes are allowed.

A woman can choose to add her husband’s first surname on marriage and the word ‘de’ will be included between the 3 surnames. For example, if the woman was called Ana GREEN MORALES and her husband’s surname is PEREZ, her name may become Ana GREEN MORALES DE PEREZ.

Name alignment

HM Passport Office will not ask a customer to align the Guatemala passport where the difference is due to the Guatemala naming convention:

  • if the British passport application shows 1 surname; and,
  • the Guatemala passport shows both surnames (father’s and mother’s)

Guatemala: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Guatemala.

Dual nationality is allowed in Guatemala.

Guatemala: legitimacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy in Guatemala.

Legitimacy

Guatemala does not recognise a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births. This means that all births are considered legitimate whether a child’s parents are married or not.

Guatemala: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Guatemala.

Adoption is allowed in Guatemala. The UK has restricted adoptions from Guatemala since 2008.

Guatemala: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Guatemala.

Surrogacy is illegal in Guatemala.

Guatemala: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Guatemala.

Transgender citizens are not recognised in Guatemala.

Guatemala: civil partnerships and marriage

This section tells HM Passport Office staff about civil partnerships and marriage in Guatemala.

A civil marriage ceremony must take place first, then a couple can choose if they want to have a religious ceremony.

Proxy marriages using a Power of Attorney are legal in Guatemala.

Guatemala: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents from Guatemala.

Births, marriages and deaths are all registered at Registro Nacional de las Personas (RENAP).

RENAP issues:

  • birth certificates
  • marriage certificates
  • death certificates
  • identity cards

Birth certificates

All births must be registered within one month. Certificates are issued to everyone.

Certificates will have marginal notes if an error has been made on the original certificate.

Marriage certificates

Certificates are issued for both civil and religious ceremonies.

All marriages in Guatemala are registered immediately and the marriage entered against the birth entry for a Guatemala citizen.

Death certificates

All deaths in Guatemala are registered within 24 hours.

A death certificate is issued and shows:

  • name
  • date of death
  • entry number

Identity documents

Guatemala citizens must hold an identity card known as a Documento Personal de Identificación card.

Back to top