Guatemala
Guatemala Passport Ranking
The Guatemalan passport is currently ranked 40th place on the Guide Consultants Passport Ranking Index. It provides visa-free access to 132 countries. This grants it an overall high mobility score and makes it a desirable passport. Guatemalan passport holders have visa-free access and visas on arrival to countries such as Singapore, United Kingdom, Russia, Israel and the entire European Union. This allows almost instant travel opportunities to worldwide prime destinations. Guatemalan passport holders do however require a visa to enter about 97 destinations. Some countries where a visa is required are China, the United States and Australia.
Guatemala Passport Ranking
The Guatemala passport ranking relative to other global passports is calculated by adding up the number of countries that allow Guatemala passport holders to enter without a visa (i.e. visa-free countries) and those that allow Guatemala passport holders to enter by obtaining a visa on arrival (i.e. visa-on-arrival countries) or an electronic travel authorization (eTA). There are currently a total of 100 Guatemala passport visa-free countries, 30 Guatemala visa-on-arrival countries, and 2 eTA destinations.
Altogether, Guatemala passport holders can enter a total of 132 destinations—either without a visa, through a visa on arrival, or via an eTA. As a result, the Guatemala passport ranks 40 in the world.
Separate from these Guatemala visa-free countries and visa-on-arrival countries, there are 97 additional destinations which Guatemala passport holders either need a physical visa to enter or an eVisa (i.e. visa required countries).
About Guatemala
The Republic of Guatemala consists of 22 departments. The most important departments are Guatemala, Alta Verpaz and Huehuetenango. The country is situated in Central America, bordering El Salvador, Honduras, Belize and Mexico. It has a total surface of 108,889 square kilometers. The country’s terrain is characterized by three types: highlands, coast and lowlands. Its climate is tropical but cooler in the highlands.
The overall population is approximately 17.2 million people. The capital of the country is Guatemala City. It is also the most populous city with over 2.8 million inhabitants. Other major towns are Mixco and Villa Nueva. The country’s largest airport is La Aurora International Airport (GUA) with over 3 million annual passengers. This makes it the 4th busiest airport in Central America. The airport provides access to regional and North American destinations.
Guatemalan culture is a mix of Spanish and indigenous heritage. The majority of the population is Catholic. The official language is Spanish. The Guatemalan legal system is the civil law with judicial review of legislative acts. The government form is a presidential republic. Both positions of the chief of state and head of government are held by President Alejando Giammattei.
The official currency is the Guatemalan Quetzal (GTQ), it has a current exchange rate of GTQ 7.7 to the USD. The country has an open economy, generating a GDP of approximately $145 billion, placing on the 10th spot in the Caribbean and Latin American countries. Its citizens have a per capita income of $8,413. The GDP is mostly made up of the industrial and agricultural sector. These sectors are a very important contributor to the economy with exports of products such as textiles, clothing, furniture, chemicals, sugar and bananas. Furthermore, foreign remittances from Guatemalans abroad contribute as much as 10% of the GDP.
Guatemala is a developing tourism destination known for its abundant nature and beaches. The main activities for tourists are market visits, hiking, trekking, diving and animal watching. There are three UNESCO world heritage sites. Some of the main destinations include the Mayan Ruins of Tikal, Antigua Guatemala, Lake Atitlán, the Chichicastenango Market and Semuc Champey. Guatemala has a total of approximately 2.5 million tourists visiting every year. Most of the tourists are originating from the Americas. The country has developed cruise ship ports in order enable major cruise companies to schedule stopovers in the country and bring further day visitors.
Guatemala City
