Alcohol regulations in Guatemala

Licences needed

Licencia Sanitaria de Funcionamiento (manufacturing/bottling plant), Environmental Compliance Resolution (MARN), Tax Registration as Alcohol Producer with SAT, and Municipal Commercial License (Licencia Municipal de Funcionamiento)

Authority

Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social (MSPAS) - Departamento de Regulación y Control de Alimentos (DRCA), and Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT)

Documents

Application form, municipal operating clearance, architectural plant layout, environmental permit, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) plan, personnel health certificates, RTU (tax ID) certificate from SAT, and commercial registry patents (Patente de Comercio y Sociedad)

Fees

MSPAS administrative inspection fees (typically Q200 to Q1,000 depending on facility category) plus municipal and environmental filing fees

Time to obtain

30 to 60 business days

Who can import

Any legally established Guatemalan enterprise or registered foreign commercial subsidiary with an active Tax ID (NIT) registered in the SAT Importer Registry (Padrón de Importadores)

Licences or registrations

Padrón de Importadores (SAT), Sanitary Operating License for warehouse/storage premises (Licencia Sanitaria de Bodega/Distribución issued by MSPAS), and individual Product Sanitary Registrations per SKU

Authority

Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT) - Intendencia de Aduanas, and MSPAS - DRCA

Documents

Commercial invoice, Bill of Lading / Airway Bill, Packing List, Certificate of Origin, Certificate of Free Sale (legalized/apostilled), and DUCA (Declaración Única Centroamericana)

Fees

SAT importer registry enrollment is free; MSPAS storage sanitary license fees apply

Time to obtain

1 to 5 business days for SAT registration; 15 to 30 business days for warehouse sanitary licensing

Required

yes

Process

Sanitary registration (Registro Sanitario) must be obtained from DRCA for every spirit SKU before import and commercialization. The product file undergoes document review, laboratory verification/analysis, and label evaluation according to the Central American Technical Regulation RTCA 67.01.06:11.

Authority

MSPAS - Dirección del Área de Salud / Departamento de Regulación y Control de Alimentos (DRCA)

Documents and samples

Application form, Certificate of Free Sale (apostilled or consularized) from the country of origin, original commercial label and proposed Spanish supplementary label, Certificate of Analysis (physicochemical, alcoholic strength, methanol, contaminants), and product samples if requested for laboratory testing

Fees

Approximately USD $100 to $150 (Q800 to Q1,200) per product/SKU

Renewal

Valid for 5 years; renewable upon submission of updated application and Certificate of Free Sale

Time to obtain

30 to 60 business days

Imports require a local Importer of Record. Shipments clear customs using the DUCA declaration and require valid sanitary registration numbers approved by MSPAS on the import permit. State alcohol monopoly does not exist. Physical strip stamps (marbetes) are not required, but SAT requires registration in the tax distribution registry under Decreto 21-2004.

Standard MFN import duty (Derechos Arancelarios a la Importación - DAI) on spirits (HS heading 2208) under the Central American Tariff System (SAC) ranges from 15% to 30% ad valorem on CIF value (mostly 20% to 30%). Qualifying products originating under free trade agreements (CAFTA-DR, EU-Central America Association Agreement, etc.) enter duty-free (0%) when accompanied by an authorized Certificate of Origin.

1) Distribution Tax on Distilled Spirits (Decreto 21-2004, Art. 6): 8.5% calculated on the manufacturer's or importer's suggested retail price (excluding VAT and the distribution tax itself). 2) Value-Added Tax (IVA): 12% ad valorem on CIF + DAI upon customs clearance, and 12% on domestic sales.

Private retail model (supermarkets, independent liquor stores, convenience stores, restaurants, bars, and hotels). Commercial sales and public consumption are subject to a mandatory nationwide curfew from 01:00 AM to 06:00 AM daily (Acuerdo Gubernativo 56-2022). Drinking alcoholic beverages in streets and open public spaces is banned (Código de Salud Art. 126).

allowed

Must comply with RTCA 67.01.06:11. Mandatory information in Spanish (stickers allowed): generic/commercial product name, brand, alcohol strength by volume (% Alc./vol. or °GL), net volume in metric units, name and address of manufacturer and importer/distributor, country of origin, sanitary registration number (RS / Reg. San.), lot number, and the statutory health warning: 'El consumo excesivo de bebidas alcohólicas perjudica a la salud'. Expiration dates are required only if ABV is below 10% or contains perishable ingredients (e.g. dairy creams). Aging statements must specify full elapsed calendar years.

Regulated under Decreto 90-97 (Código de Salud Art. 49, amended by Decreto 50-2000) and Acuerdo Gubernativo 127-2002. All alcohol advertisements across media (print, TV, radio, billboard, digital) require prior authorization from MSPAS. Ads cannot portray direct drinking, use models under 25, feature athletes or sports uniform motifs, or depict alcohol consumption as enhancing performance or social success, and must carry standard health warnings.

Governed regionally by Central American technical norms (RTCA) and nationally by COGUANOR standards and Código de Salud (any beverage > 0.5% ABV is legally an alcoholic beverage; distilled spirits are produced by alcoholic fermentation of agricultural raw materials followed by distillation, generally standardized at 35% to 55% ABV depending on spirit class). Guatemalan Rum also maintains strict aging standards under national denomination rules.

Nationwide daily retail sales and consumption ban between 01:00 AM and 06:00 AM across all commercial establishments and public spaces. Strict election dry laws ('Ley Seca') prohibit sales and public consumption from 12:00 PM on the day prior to an election until 06:00 AM the day following the vote (Ley Electoral y de Partidos Políticos Art. 223(d)). Public drinking on public thoroughfares is banned nationwide.

• Continued enforcement of the nationwide 01:00 to 06:00 sales and public consumption curfew updated by Acuerdo Gubernativo 56-2022.
• Further migration of MSPAS sanitary registration filings, renewals, and import permit clearances to automated online platforms under administrative modernization programs.

Guatemala's market offers expanding opportunities for premium international distilled spirits, particularly high-end whiskies, tequilas, and craft gins, driven by urban consumer trade-up and 0% preferential tariffs under CAFTA-DR and the EU-Central America agreement.

• Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT)
• Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social (MSPAS) - Departamento de Regulación y Control de Alimentos (DRCA)
• Ministerio de Economía (MINECO)

1. Código de Salud de Guatemala (Decreto 90-97 y reformas)
2. Decreto Número 21-2004: Ley del Impuesto Sobre la Distribución de Bebidas Alcohólicas Destiladas, Cervezas y Otras Bebidas Fermentadas
3. Reglamento Técnico Centroamericano RTCA 67.01.06:11 Bebidas Alcohólicas Destiladas. Requisitos de Etiquetado
4. Decreto 536 - Ley de Alcoholes, Bebidas Alcohólicas y Fermentadas
5. U.S. International Trade Administration - Guatemala Country Commercial Guide: Import Requirements and Documentation