DanRadin
3/24/2015 18:55 EST
I was at Migration last Friday dropping off my passport for my visa extension. I got there at 2:45 and I was told that they stop giving out numbers at 2:30. This was the first I had heard of this. Fortunately, the woman at the information window took pity on me and made an exception.
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DRThomas
3/24/2015 19:59 EST
Please tell me about the process. A friend is here with a Mexican passport on a tourist visa. She will soon need an extension. How long does it take to get an extension via Immigration (as opposed to crossing and recrossing the border)?
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DanRadin
3/24/2015 20:15 EST
Here are the directions I have put together from other posts and my experience:
Guatemala City Visa Extension
Here’s the address of the Extranjeria, or “Guatemalan Immigration Agency”, where you can renew your passport:
Direccion General de Inmigracion (Extranjeria)
Avenida 6, 3-11, Zona 4
Open: Monday to Friday (excluding holidays), 8:30am-4:30pm.
Note: You need to be there before 2:30 on the first trip. Your receipt will tell you when to be there to pick up your passport.
Phone #: (502) 2411-2411
What You Need to Bring:
Item 1: Bring:
? Your UNEXPIRED passport (there’s a Q10 per day fine for every day your visa has been expired). Your passport will not be returned to you the same day. I recommend you make full-color copies of your bio-data page(s) (the page(s) indicating full name, date of birth, passport number, etc.) and of the page showing your entry stamp into the country (for personal safe-keeping). It is also a good idea, as recommended by a police officer here, to go to a lawyer and get both copies notarized – around Q75 (~$10) per page.
There is outdated information on the net indicating that if you arrive early, your passport could be returned the same day. This is INCORRECT.
Your passport will be returned to you eight days later at the same office, barring any holidays in between. This means if you turn it in on a Wednesday, you’ll get it back Wednesday of the following week.
Item 2: Bring:
? two copies of the bio-data page(s) of your passport and
? one copy showing your latest entry stamp into the country. It doesn’t seem to matter if they’re color copies or not.
Item 3: Bring:
? A copy of the visa extension application (PDF download). If you don’t take a pre-filled application with you, they will supply a blank copy (bring a pen).
Item 4: Bring:
? A copy of a non-expired foreign credit card (front and back). This serves as a guarantee that you’ll be able to leave the country via your own means (they don’t check balance, only the expiration date) – A debit card will work as well.
Don’t have copies? There’s a copy service booth (blue sign) on the first floor, next to the BanRural branch where application payments are made. Copies are 1Q each, although if you ask nicely, they will copy both sides of the credit card on one page and still charge you 1Q.
Item 5: Bring:
? Two black-and-white passport-sized photos printed on matte paper. There is a small office to the left of the Extranjeria building, which can give you the pics on the spot for about Q75.
Item 6: Bring:
? Q75 for passport-sized pictures, and about Q20 for parking if using the lot across the street.
When You Get There:
Once you have all your documents lined up, it is time to go inside the building. Once you enter the building:
? Register with the receptionist sitting at the desk next to the entrance.
? You’ll be directed to go to the second floor via the stairs or elevator right across the receptionist’s desk.
? On the second floor, you’ll find a waiting room with chairs.
? Go to the window right by the entrance to the lobby marked “Informacion” and stand in line.
? At the window, the clerk will check all documents and the visa application form to make sure you’re squared away. He’ll give you a blank visa application form if you don’t have one.
If all is good to go:
? He or she will staple your photos and documents together.
? The next clerk will check all your documents again and input the information into the system.
? Stand in line at the “Informacion” window again.
? The clerk will hand you a number.
? After waiting for a few minutes, your number will come up on the big LCD screen in the center of the room, indicating what window to go to.
? Hand over your stapled documents AND passport.
? The clerk will hand you a receipt and ask you to come back eight days later, which is not an exact date for pick-up, but the earliest date you can come back to pick up your passport. The receipt will also include the time of day that your passport will be ready. You should arrive between that time and 4:00.
While this whole procedure seems tedious and drawn out, it took less than 45 minutes and wasn’t bad, considering one keeps moving from window to window, which helped pass time.
Eight days later, receipt and about Q120 in hand, return to the same immigration building and head to the “Informacion” window again. Show the clerk your receipt. You will be directed to the passport-pickup window. They will hand you an invoice and direct you to pay the tourist visa fee at the BanRural bank branch downstairs. Once paid, return with your receipt to the passport-pickup window. They will make you print and sign your name in a logbook, after which they will hand you back your passport. Check the new visa stamp on the passport to make sure that you have 90 more days.
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DanRadin
3/24/2015 20:15 EST
Here are the directions I have put together from other posts and my experience:
Guatemala City Visa Extension
Here’s the address of the Extranjeria, or “Guatemalan Immigration Agency”, where you can renew your passport:
Direccion General de Inmigracion (Extranjeria)
Avenida 6, 3-11, Zona 4
Open: Monday to Friday (excluding holidays), 8:30am-4:30pm.
Note: You need to be there before 2:30 on the first trip. Your receipt will tell you when to be there to pick up your passport.
Phone #: (502) 2411-2411
What You Need to Bring:
Item 1: Bring:
? Your UNEXPIRED passport (there’s a Q10 per day fine for every day your visa has been expired). Your passport will not be returned to you the same day. I recommend you make full-color copies of your bio-data page(s) (the page(s) indicating full name, date of birth, passport number, etc.) and of the page showing your entry stamp into the country (for personal safe-keeping). It is also a good idea, as recommended by a police officer here, to go to a lawyer and get both copies notarized – around Q75 (~$10) per page.
There is outdated information on the net indicating that if you arrive early, your passport could be returned the same day. This is INCORRECT.
Your passport will be returned to you eight days later at the same office, barring any holidays in between. This means if you turn it in on a Wednesday, you’ll get it back Wednesday of the following week.
Item 2: Bring:
? two copies of the bio-data page(s) of your passport and
? one copy showing your latest entry stamp into the country. It doesn’t seem to matter if they’re color copies or not.
Item 3: Bring:
? A copy of the visa extension application (PDF download). If you don’t take a pre-filled application with you, they will supply a blank copy (bring a pen).
Item 4: Bring:
? A copy of a non-expired foreign credit card (front and back). This serves as a guarantee that you’ll be able to leave the country via your own means (they don’t check balance, only the expiration date) – A debit card will work as well.
Don’t have copies? There’s a copy service booth (blue sign) on the first floor, next to the BanRural branch where application payments are made. Copies are 1Q each, although if you ask nicely, they will copy both sides of the credit card on one page and still charge you 1Q.
Item 5: Bring:
? Two black-and-white passport-sized photos printed on matte paper. There is a small office to the left of the Extranjeria building, which can give you the pics on the spot for about Q75.
Item 6: Bring:
? Q75 for passport-sized pictures, and about Q20 for parking if using the lot across the street.
When You Get There:
Once you have all your documents lined up, it is time to go inside the building. Once you enter the building:
? Register with the receptionist sitting at the desk next to the entrance.
? You’ll be directed to go to the second floor via the stairs or elevator right across the receptionist’s desk.
? On the second floor, you’ll find a waiting room with chairs.
? Go to the window right by the entrance to the lobby marked “Informacion” and stand in line.
? At the window, the clerk will check all documents and the visa application form to make sure you’re squared away. He’ll give you a blank visa application form if you don’t have one.
If all is good to go:
? He or she will staple your photos and documents together.
? The next clerk will check all your documents again and input the information into the system.
? Stand in line at the “Informacion” window again.
? The clerk will hand you a number.
? After waiting for a few minutes, your number will come up on the big LCD screen in the center of the room, indicating what window to go to.
? Hand over your stapled documents AND passport.
? The clerk will hand you a receipt and ask you to come back eight days later, which is not an exact date for pick-up, but the earliest date you can come back to pick up your passport. The receipt will also include the time of day that your passport will be ready. You should arrive between that time and 4:00.
While this whole procedure seems tedious and drawn out, it took less than 45 minutes and wasn’t bad, considering one keeps moving from window to window, which helped pass time.
Eight days later, receipt and about Q120 in hand, return to the same immigration building and head to the “Informacion” window again. Show the clerk your receipt. You will be directed to the passport-pickup window. They will hand you an invoice and direct you to pay the tourist visa fee at the BanRural bank branch downstairs. Once paid, return with your receipt to the passport-pickup window. They will make you print and sign your name in a logbook, after which they will hand you back your passport. Check the new visa stamp on the passport to make sure that you have 90 more days.
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DRThomas
3/24/2015 20:24 EST
How kind of you to give such detailed and helpful information. I appreciate your time very much!
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zaqwsx
3/24/2015 20:26 EST
First remember this is Guatemala and it is an election year come this fall all new people and a whole new group of people to payoff. but for now. the immigration office is on 6th ave zone 4 one block down from the big camaco (true value hardware). take the Roosevelt into town and turn north on 7th ave (this requires a returno) when you see Camanco on left turn down the diagonal street next to it and enter the parking garage at the last entrance buy a pack of gum at Camanco and you park for free. walk down one block to emigration go to the second floor information line (usually short get the form and a number (10 minutes to 2 hours for your number to be called) hand the guy your passport and the simple form with a black and white passport photo (fugifilm) 6 ave & 4 th st. Antigua, along with 2 copies of the information page of your passport and the page that has your last entry stamp and 2 copies of your visa card (you cam block out last 3 numbers). He will give you a piece of paper saying they have your passport and come back in a week to pick it up (don't believe them it takes 8 to 10 days) when you return just but up to the front of window 2 and give the lady the paper. in 10 minutes or so she or someone else will call your name and give you a bill. take the bill to the line at window 11 (or if you look old or can rent a crying baby the express line 12) she will give you another bill which you take downstairs to the first floor and pay q115. you then take the bank receipt and paper to the first woman you say but up to the window and give her the bank receipt. in a few minutes she will call your name you sign the big book and she gives you your passport with 90 days from when your visa would have expired. All in all painless and you get to buy 1st world stuff at Cemanco, Pricemart and Walmart on the way home.
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zaqwsx
3/24/2015 20:50 EST
P.S. forgot to mention a few things. you do not have to go yourself send your maid. all she has to say is your old, sick, no say. second you get one extension unless..... you give a local doctor a visit (as low as q150) (can't we all use a doctors visit.) Have him put on his stationary that you are a current patient and need an extension of your visa. no one will question it. (they are pushing medical tourism). third check for national holidays and look at the web site also get their early. They take any excuse to take the day off and they stop giving numbers when they think they will not get to the people before 4pm. forth forget easter week or the 2 weeks before christmas.
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armandatitlan
From: Guatemala
3/24/2015 23:22 EST
Great job DanRadin.. I think you miss a little part at the end... when you come back 8 days later.. .and once you have presented your receipt to the passport pick up window after the information window.. they send me to the window #12 to get the receipt for payment that I took downstair to the bank , paid in Q the fee. and then got a copy of this receipt which I brought back to the passport pick up window.. and then they delivered to me .. signing the book..
Now regarding who can pick it up the passports.. it varries a lot some times you can pick it up for somebody (better if it is family related) some times they asked for a notarised letter of the passport owner
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DRThomas
3/25/2015 00:10 EST
Dropping off and picking up, I will be with the Mexican national. She's too cute to trust her on her own in the big city. LOL Thanks!
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