Guatemala starts from a comfortable position for moving to Spain: visa-free entry, a dual nationality treaty, the apostille and driving licence exchange. The hardest part is usually getting your certificates in time and securing an appointment at the consular section of the Embassy in Guatemala City. Here are the most common routes and what to prepare.
Key facts
- Entry: Guatemalan passport holders can stay in the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This does not allow work and does not, on its own, let you settle.
- Citizenship: as a national of an Ibero-American country you can apply for Spanish citizenship after 2 years of legal, continuous residence. The Spain–Guatemala dual nationality treaty lets you keep Guatemalan nationality.
- Documents: Guatemala has applied the Hague Convention since 2017, so an apostille is enough and no translation is needed.
- Driving: there is an exchange agreement. Once resident you can drive for six months on your Guatemalan licence and exchange it without a test for cars and motorcycles.
How people usually move
- Studies. A degree, master’s or vocational course (FP) with a study authorisation, which allows work up to 30 hours a week. Time as a student does not count towards the 2 years for citizenship. Study permit
- Work in Spain. A contract with a Spanish company, a highly qualified professional profile or an EU Blue Card. Employment permit
- Family. Marriage or registered partnership with a Spanish or EU citizen; if your relative is a non-EU resident in Spain, the route is family reunification. Family member of a Spanish or EU citizen Family reunification
- Remote work. The digital nomad visa suits people working remotely for companies or clients outside Spain, with a relationship of at least three months. You can apply at the Embassy or from Spain while legally there. Digital nomad
- Ancestry. If your father or mother is Spanish by origin and born in Spain, you can opt for citizenship with no residence period. The grandchildren route under the Democratic Memory Law closed in October 2025. If you were born outside Spain and your father, mother, grandfather or grandmother was originally Spanish, you can apply for citizenship by residence after just 1 year of legal, continuous residence. Spanish citizenship
Documents and apostille
- Certificate of no criminal record (constancia de carencia de antecedentes penales) from the Organismo Judicial and, if requested, the police record from the Policía Nacional Civil (PNC). Have them apostilled at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Birth and marriage certificates from the National Registry of Persons (RENAP), recent and apostilled.
- University degrees, apostilled, if you plan to have them recognised or apply for a skilled visa.
- Passport valid long enough for the procedure, and health insurance with no co-payments or waiting periods where the visa requires it (for example, non-lucrative residence).
What to keep in mind
- Visas are handled by the consular section of the Embassy of Spain in Guatemala City. Files are submitted by appointment, requested by email as explained on the Embassy’s website.
- Certificates usually need to be recent: get your appointment date first and request your criminal record and apostilles afterwards.
- Even without a visa, border officers may ask for a return ticket, a hotel booking or letter of invitation and proof of funds.
- In Spain: register at the town hall (padrón) and, if you came with a residence visa, apply for your TIE within the first month.
Frequently asked questions
Can I enter as a tourist and apply for residence from Spain?
For some permits, yes. While legally in Spain you can apply for the digital nomad visa, the highly qualified professional permit, a study authorisation or residence as a family member of a Spanish or EU citizen. Employment or non-lucrative residence require a visa from Guatemala. If you stay beyond 90 days without a permit, your stay becomes irregular.
Will I lose Guatemalan nationality if I become Spanish?
No. Under the Spain–Guatemala dual nationality treaty you keep both. You apply after 2 years of legal, continuous residence and pass the CCSE test of the Instituto Cervantes; the DELE language test is not required because Spanish is an official language of Guatemala.
Which record do I need: criminal or police?
It depends on the procedure. Long-stay visas require a criminal record certificate from every country where you have lived in the last 5 years; in Guatemala it is issued by the Organismo Judicial. Check the requirements sheet for your visa in case it also asks for the PNC record, and apostille both.