Location: Guatemala
Event: On March 16, Guatemalan President Giammattei announced four (4) additional confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to six.
President Giammattei also announced the closure of Guatemalan borders for a period of 15 days beginning after the arrival of the last flight shortly prior to 11:59 pm on March 16. Thereafter, no flights will enter or depart Guatemala. All travelers are encouraged to communicate with air carriers directly to reconfirm existing itineraries or schedule new ones.
Access to Guatemala via land borders will only be authorized for Guatemalan citizens, residents, and diplomats and their family members accredited in Guatemala. All who enter via land borders will be quarantined and tracked by the Guatemalan Ministry of Health (MSPAS).
Effective March 17, U.S. Embassy Guatemala City has suspended, all non-emergency appointments and processing for both Non-immigrant and Immigrant visas, with the exclusion of some H-2 applicants until further notice. Only appointments for emergency travel (for example, urgent medical care) will be considered.
ll non-emergency notarial services will also be suspended until further notice. The only authorized notarial services will be those that are specifically related to U.S. citizenship documentation or recipients of federal benefits.
The American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit will continue to provide passport and Consular Report of Birth Abroad services. To schedule an appointment, please use this link.
We encourage all adults renewing their passports to consider applying through our mail-in (courier) program. Please click here for details.
Actions to take:
Review the State Department’s Global Level 3 Health Travel Advisory released on March 15, 2020, at www.travel.state.gov.
Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.
For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19 please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.
Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.
Check with your airlines, cruise lines, or travel operators regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions.
Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Guatemala.
Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions to the U.S.
Monitor local news for updates.
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy Guatemala City https://gt.usembassy.gov/
Tel. (502) 2326-4000
State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
Guatemala Country Information and Travel Advisory Page
Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates