- Remote setup
- Visit needed
- Visit, notary or lawyer
- Notary deed
- Local director
- Not stated
- Registered address
- Not stated
- Minimum capital
- Q200 paid-in minimum
- Yearly upkeep
- Not stated
- EU member
- No
- IWG business address
- 4 centresfrom $47/mo
What the registry requires
| Company type | Sociedad Anónima (S.A.) |
|---|---|
| Registry | Registro Mercantil General de la República (Ministerio de Economía), online portal; NIT from the SAT |
| Government filing fee | GTQ 597 — PRO GUATEMALA (Ministerio de Economía) quotes US$77 for authorised capital up to US$64,516 at its reference rate of Q7.75, i.e. about Q597; above that US$475 plus US$1.10 per additional thousand, capped at US$5,215. The Registro Mercantil tariff is Q8.50 per thousand of authorised capital from Q500,000 (max Q40,000) plus Q150 for the legal-representative appointment and Q100 for the empresa mercantil. |
| Registration time | PRO GUATEMALA's estimate for registering a sociedad anónima; the testimonio must be filed within one month of the deed. |
| Resident director | No official page consulted states a residency requirement for administrators. |
| Visit, notary or lawyer | The constitution must be in a public deed; the testimonio is presented to the Registro Mercantil within the month following the deed and the registration is completed through the registry's web portal, which also enrols the company with the SAT for its NIT. |
| Registered address | No official page consulted states address requirements. |
| Minimum capital | Q200 paid-in minimum |
| Corporate tax | Régimen sobre las Utilidades: 25% on net profits; alternatively the simplified regime taxes gross income at 5% on the first US$3,870.97 and 7% above. |
| Every year | No annual registry fee is stated on the pages consulted. |
What it costs
- Government filing fee
- GTQ 597
PRO GUATEMALA (Ministerio de Economía) quotes US$77 for authorised capital up to US$64,516 at its reference rate of Q7.75, i.e. about Q597; above that US$475 plus US$1.10 per additional thousand, capped at US$5,215. The Registro Mercantil tariff is Q8.50 per thousand of authorised capital from Q500,000 (max Q40,000) plus Q150 for the legal-representative appointment and Q100 for the empresa mercantil.
- Every year
- Not stated
No annual registry fee is stated on the pages consulted.
- Not included
- Provider fees
Registered agent or address, notary fees, accounting and bank onboarding vary by provider — ask for a quote in the request form.
How to register a company in Guatemala, step by step
- Agree the statute with a Guatemalan notary and fix authorised and paid capital (at least Q200 paid).
- Deposit cash contributions above Q2,000 in a bank before the deed.
- Execute the constitutive public deed before the notary.
- File the testimonio through the Registro Mercantil portal within one month of the deed and pay the tariff.
- Register the legal representative (Q150) and the empresa mercantil (Q100).
- Obtain the NIT from the SAT through the same portal and choose the income-tax regime.
Corporate tax in Guatemala
25% on profits. Régimen sobre las Utilidades: 25% on net profits; alternatively the simplified regime taxes gross income at 5% on the first US$3,870.97 and 7% above.
Rates are the headline figures published by the tax authority; your effective rate depends on residence, activity and treaties. This is not tax advice.
Common mistakes
- Filing the testimonio more than a month after the deed.
- Paying capital above Q2,000 to an administrator instead of depositing it in a bank.
- Under-budgeting: the Q8.50-per-thousand tariff applies to authorised capital from Q500,000, not only paid capital.
Compare Guatemala with alternatives
| Yearly upkeep | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 GuatemalaS.A. | GTQ 597 | 5-7 days | 25% on profits | Not stated | Notary deed | Not stated | Not stated |
 ArgentinaS.A.S. | Varies | 72 hours (IGJ) | 25-35% progressive | 1 resident admin | Online via TAD + CDI | Sede in Buenos Aires | Not stated |
 ChileSpA | CLP 0 | Not stated | 27% (Régimen General) | Resident legal rep | FEA or notary | Not stated | Not stated |
 ColombiaS.A.S. | Varies | Not stated | 35% | Not stated | Sign in person/notary | Colombian domicile | Not stated |
4 of 4 · official sources, checked September 27, 2026. Government fees only; agent and address costs are extra.≈ USD at ECB reference rates of September 25, 2026.
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Sources
- PRO GUATEMALA (MINECO) 2026: S.A. registration 5-7 days, US$77 up to US$64,516 capital, US$475 above (+US$1.10 per thousand, max US$5,215); 25% on profits or 5%/7% simplified; portal enrols with SAT — mineco.gob.gt, checked September 27, 2026
- Registro Mercantil: public deed, testimonio within one month, Q200 minimum paid capital, bank deposit above Q2,000, Q8.50 per thousand from Q500,000 (max Q40,000), Q150 appointment, Q100 empresa — principal.registromercantil.gob.gt, checked September 27, 2026 (search extract)
- Registro Mercantil tariff list (arancel) — principal.registromercantil.gob.gt, checked September 27, 2026 (search extract)
- SAT: requirements to register a company for a NIT (page returned 403) — portal.sat.gob.gt, checked September 27, 2026 (search extract)