To obtain a bank account in Guatemala you need to have permanent residency in the country. At least that is the official answer, and the answer you will get if you try and open an account with Banco Quetzal.

However, if you try at Banco Reformador you will be asked to only present your passport and a copy of your utility bill, and possibly letters from two Guatemalans that know you. If you can’t produce two letters, then you may want to try Banco G&T, as all they require for you to open a bank account is a copy of your passport and a utility bill.

Foreigners are often told that they cannot open accounts in Guatemala, and while that may techincally be the law, it seems that in some situations these laws are being overlooked. If you do open an account without residency, be careful as to how much money you put into that account. If a bank fails and is forced to close the probability that you will get your money out is much less, since you opened the account without residency.

So while the technical answer is no, you can’t open a bank account in Guatemala without residency, in all actuality you can.

Related posts:

• Visas and Staying Legal in Guatemala
• Exchanging Money In Guatemala, from Dollars to Quetzals
• Using the ATM machine and Credit Cards