USD Business Account in Guatemala: 2026 Guide

Key takeaways

Article 1 of Guatemala's Ley de Libre Negociación de Divisas, Decree 94-2000, makes the disposal, holding, contracting, remittance, transfer, purchase, sale, collection and payment of and with foreign currency free, including foreign currency deposits and accounts.
The law took effect on 1 May 2001, and the Banco de Guatemala (Banguat) calculates and publishes a daily reference exchange rate between the quetzal and the US dollar.
Under the same decree, any person or company may freely agree with the other party to be paid in foreign currency, although the quetzal remains the default currency.
The Superintendencia de Bancos (SIB) has stated that the quetzal is the only legal tender in Guatemala and that cryptocurrencies are not recognized or authorized as means of payment.
Decree 15-2026, the anti-money laundering law approved in June 2026, requires platforms that operate with cryptocurrencies to apply know-your-customer checks and report suspicious transactions to the IVE.
Airwallex does not list Guatemala as a supported business registration location, and Guatemala is not on Wise's list of countries where customers can hold money.

USD business accounts in Guatemala: the short answer

Guatemala's currency is the quetzal, but dollar accounts are legal and common. Since 2001, Decree 94-2000, the Ley de Libre Negociación de Divisas (free foreign exchange law), has made holding foreign currency deposits and accounts free, and has let companies agree to be paid in foreign currency. So a Guatemalan exporter, importer or service company can keep a dollar account at a local bank alongside its quetzal account.

A buyer abroad pays a Guatemalan bank account by SWIFT, the international network banks use to send cross-border payments, identified by an 8 or 11 character bank code. A Guatemalan account has no US routing number, the 9 digit code that identifies a bank in the United States. Without one, a US buyer cannot pay by ACH, the low-cost US domestic bank transfer system most US companies use for supplier payments, or by Fedwire, the Federal Reserve's same-day system for large dollar payments.

Option	Account holder	How dollars arrive from the United States	Main point to check
Dollar account at a Guatemalan bank	The Guatemalan company	SWIFT wire through the bank's US correspondent	Inbound wire fee and intermediary deductions
USD account details from a provider abroad	The Guatemalan company, if the provider accepts Guatemala	ACH, Fedwire or SWIFT, depending on the provider	Provider eligibility for Guatemala
US company route	A separate US entity	ACH, Fedwire or SWIFT	US formation, Employer Identification Number (EIN) and US tax filings
Stablecoins (USDC, USDT)	Company, through a provider	Blockchain transfer	Not authorized as a means of payment; see the crypto section

Comparison of option types, not a ranking. Sources: Banco de Guatemala, Ley de Libre Negociación de Divisas; provider pages cited below; DPL News, as published on 29 October 2026.

For many Guatemalan companies a local dollar account is enough, because their buyers already pay by SWIFT. US account details matter most for companies that invoice US buyers, whose finance teams prefer to pay every vendor by ACH, and for service exporters with many small invoices, where a fixed wire fee on each payment adds up.

Banguat rules: the free foreign exchange law

Decree 94-2000 was approved by Congress on 19 December 2000, published in the Diario Oficial on 17 January 2001 and took effect on 1 May 2001. It sets a free foreign exchange system, with three main limits: banks and financial companies that handle foreign currency remain subject to the Banguat organic law, the banking law and the rules of the Junta Monetaria (the monetary board) and the SIB; state entities must carry out their foreign currency transactions through Banguat; and issuing securities in foreign currency needs prior authorization from the Junta Monetaria.

Article	What it says	What it means for a USD account
Article 1	Disposal, holding, contracting, remittance, transfer, purchase, sale, collection and payment of and with foreign currency are free; so are foreign currency deposits and accounts	A company may hold dollars in Guatemala or abroad and move them without exchange control forms
Article 2	Institutions in the institutional foreign exchange market report their daily exchange operations to Banguat, for statistical control	Your bank reports your conversions; the reporting is the bank's, not yours
Article 3	Exchange houses must be non-bank companies authorized by the Junta Monetaria and supervised by the SIB	Convert dollars only through banks or authorized exchange houses
Article 4	Banguat calculates and publishes a daily reference rate of the quetzal against the US dollar, used for tax payments, state obligations and dispute resolution	Tax returns use the Banguat reference rate, not your bank's rate
Article 6	Reforms the Monetary Law: the quetzal is the default currency, but any person or company may freely agree to be paid in foreign currency	Contracts and invoices with buyers can be set in US dollars

Source: Banco de Guatemala, Ley de Libre Negociación de Divisas, Decree 94-2000, as published on 29 October 2026. Article 4 bis, on remittance exchange spreads, was struck down by the Constitutional Court on 15 December 2003.

Free movement of dollars does not mean light checks. Guatemalan banks apply know-your-customer reviews, and the anti-money laundering law approved in June 2026 requires financial entities to identify the beneficial owner, the real person who owns or controls an account or transaction.

Option 1: a dollar account at a Guatemalan bank

A Guatemalan company, usually a sociedad anónima, opens a dollar account at a bank supervised by the SIB. The account is in the company's own name and is paid from the United States by SWIFT through the bank's US correspondent. A correspondent bank is a bank that holds an account for another bank and settles payments in its currency.

Give a payer abroad the same set of details every time, and put them on your invoice template so a buyer's accounts payable team does not have to ask.

Detail a payer abroad needs	Where it comes from
Beneficiary name	The company's exact registered name, as on the bank account
Account number	The number of the dollar account, not the quetzal account
Bank name and address	From the receiving bank
Bank SWIFT code	8 or 11 characters, from the receiving bank
Intermediary bank	The bank's US correspondent, if the bank asks payers to route through one
Charge code	OUR, SHA or BEN, agreed in the contract

Standard SWIFT payment details. Ask your bank for its written payment instructions for dollar wires, as published on 29 October 2026.

OUR, SHA and BEN are SWIFT charge codes. OUR means the sender pays all fees, SHA means fees are shared so intermediaries can deduct theirs from the amount, and BEN means the receiver pays all fees. For large invoices, agree OUR terms in the contract so the invoice arrives in full. Our guide to SWIFT fees and the OUR, SHA and BEN codes explains the difference with examples.

When you convert dollars to quetzales, the bank applies its own rate, while tax returns use the Banguat reference rate for the day. Before opening, ask the bank for its fee on each incoming international wire, its fee and cut-off time for outgoing wires, its spread on conversions and the US correspondent it uses.

Option 2: providers that give US account details

US account details, a routing and account number, let US buyers pay by ACH or Fedwire as they would pay a domestic supplier. Article 1 of the free foreign exchange law lets a Guatemalan company hold dollars abroad. The first question is whether the provider accepts companies registered in Guatemala. The table records what each provider states on its own pages.

Provider	What its own pages state for Guatemala	What it means for a Guatemalan company
Airwallex	Guatemala is not on its list of supported business registration locations; it states it cannot process applications from locations not listed	Not available to a company registered in Guatemala at present
Wise	Guatemala is not on its list of countries where customers can hold money	Holding a balance is not available to Guatemala residents at present
Mercury	Accepts only companies formed and registered in the United States or a US territory	Available only through a US company owned from Guatemala

Sources: Airwallex, eligible countries and territories; Wise, where do I need to live to hold money with Wise; Mercury, eligibility. As published on 29 October 2026. Eligibility lists change; check each provider's page before applying.

Before you apply to any provider, check three points. First, whether the US details are in your company's own name or belong to a pooled account in the provider's name, because the buyer's accounts payable team and your auditors will compare the name on the account with the name on the invoice. Second, which rails the details accept: ACH only, or also Fedwire and SWIFT. Third, the cost and timing of moving dollars to your Guatemalan bank when you need them there for payroll, taxes or local suppliers.

Option 3: a US company with its own account

Some Guatemalan owners form a US company, usually a limited liability company (LLC) or a Delaware corporation, and open a US account in its name. Mercury, for example, requires the company to be formed and registered in the United States or a US territory, and states that founders do not need to be US citizens or residents.

The US company needs an Employer Identification Number (EIN), the US federal tax number for a business. The IRS instructions for Form SS-4 state that applicants with no principal place of business in the United States may call 267-941-1099, from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday to Friday, and that only international applicants can receive an EIN by telephone.

The cost is a second company: state filings, a registered agent, separate accounts and US tax returns. Money paid to the US company belongs to the US company, not the Guatemalan one. If your contracts and invoices are issued by the Guatemalan company, a buyer paying the US company creates a mismatch your bank, your auditors and the Guatemalan tax authority will ask about. Take Guatemalan and US tax advice before choosing this route.

Documents Guatemalan banks ask for

Guatemalan banks ask for the company's legal documents, its tax registration and identification for everyone who signs on the account. The list below is the one Biz Latin Hub, a firm that helps companies open accounts in the region, publishes; it notes that each bank sets its own rules.

Document	What it is
Deed of incorporation	Copy of the public deed that created the company
Appointment of the legal representative	Copy of the current registered appointment
Commercial patent and company patent	Registrations issued by the Mercantile Registry
RTU	Copy of the company's tax registration, or its tax ID
IDs of signatories	Personal ID of the legal representative and other signatories
Proof of address	Water, electricity or company phone bill for the business address
Commercial references	From suppliers or other business partners

Source: Biz Latin Hub, how to open a corporate bank account in Guatemala (updated 26 December 2025), as published on 29 October 2026. Each bank sets its own list.

Providers that give US account details ask for a similar file, often with more evidence of trade: contracts or purchase orders with main buyers and suppliers, sample invoices, an ownership chart down to every person holding 25% or more, and a short description of the business and its expected monthly volumes. Keep the same company name on every document.

Stablecoins and crypto in Guatemala

Stablecoins are digital tokens designed to hold a steady value against a currency. USDC and USDT are the two most widely used dollar stablecoins. Guatemala has no law that authorizes crypto assets as money, and none that prohibits holding them; since 2026 it brings crypto platforms under anti-money laundering rules.

The SIB's position. In November 2024 the SIB stated that, under the monetary law in force, the quetzal is the only legal tender in the country, and that cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, ether and XRP are not recognized, have no backing and are not authorized to be used as means of payment in Guatemala. DPL News summarized the position as crypto being neither prohibited nor authorized, with users responsible for their own decisions.
Banguat's position. In January 2025 the president of Banguat said that cryptocurrencies are not money and are outside the central bank's functions, as reported by CriptoFácil.
Decree 15-2026. Guatemala's Congress approved a comprehensive anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing law in June 2026. Platforms and companies that operate with cryptocurrencies must apply know-your-customer checks and report suspicious or unusual transactions to the Intendencia de Verificación Especial (IVE), the financial intelligence unit within the SIB. The rules cover exchanging crypto for legal tender, transfers to third parties and custody.

Question	What the sources say
Is crypto legal tender?	No; the quetzal is the only legal tender
Is it an authorized means of payment?	No, according to the SIB
Is holding it prohibited?	Not prohibited and not authorized, as reported
Are crypto platforms supervised?	For anti-money laundering: KYC and reports to the IVE under Decree 15-2026
Penalties for not reporting	Fines of $500 to $300,000, plus criminal liability for legal persons, as reported by AGN

Sources: DPL News, the SIB on cryptocurrencies (26 November 2024); CriptoFácil, Banguat on cryptocurrencies (24 January 2025); Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias, anti-money laundering law (5 June 2026). As published on 29 October 2026.

For a Guatemalan trading company, the practical reading is that invoices should be set in quetzales or US dollars, not in stablecoins, because the SIB does not treat crypto as an authorized means of payment. Take Guatemalan legal advice before accepting stablecoins from a buyer, and keep the invoice and shipping documents for any receipt that starts as a stablecoin.

Where a Helm USD account fits

Helm is a financial technology company, not a bank. Accounts are held with regulated partner institutions. Helm serves companies registered in Guatemala, with USD account details in the company's own name: a US routing and account number that receives ACH, Fedwire and SWIFT. A US buyer pays the invoice as it would pay a domestic supplier, instead of sending an international wire to Guatemala. Article 1 of the free foreign exchange law allows a Guatemalan company to hold dollars this way.

Collecting from US buyers by ACH or Fedwire into an account in the company's own name, so the name on the account matches the invoice. Funds can be held in USD or converted.
Paying suppliers abroad through international payments by SWIFT and by local rails in the supplier's currency where available, with the rate, fee and expected arrival shown before sending. EUR details (IBAN, SEPA and SWIFT) and GBP details (sort code, Faster Payments and SWIFT) sit alongside the USD details.
Stablecoins: the account can receive, send and convert USDC and USDT to USD. Given the SIB's position, a Guatemalan company should use this only after taking local legal advice.
Trade finance: supplier finance, receivables finance and working capital, arranged case by case.

Each account has a named account manager, and review questions are answered in writing within one business day. Helm agrees pricing with each business in writing before the account opens.

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USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, with a named account manager.

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Questions

Can a company in Guatemala have a US dollar bank account?

Yes. Article 1 of the Ley de Libre Negociación de Divisas, Decree 94-2000, makes holding and managing foreign currency deposits and accounts free. A Guatemalan dollar account is paid from abroad by SWIFT, not by ACH.

Does Guatemala have exchange controls?

No. Since 1 May 2001 the free foreign exchange law has made the holding, transfer, purchase, sale, collection and payment of foreign currency free. Banks report their exchange operations to Banguat for statistical purposes.

Can a Guatemalan company invoice in US dollars?

Yes. Decree 94-2000 reformed the Monetary Law so that any person or company may freely agree with the other party to be paid in foreign currency. The quetzal remains the default currency if nothing else is agreed.

Which exchange rate is used for taxes in Guatemala?

Banguat calculates and publishes a daily reference rate between the quetzal and the US dollar, which the law uses for tax payments, state obligations and dispute resolution. Banks apply their own rates to conversions.

Who regulates banks in Guatemala?

Banks are supervised by the Superintendencia de Bancos (SIB) and are subject to the rules of the Junta Monetaria and the Banguat organic law. Exchange houses must be authorized by the Junta Monetaria and are supervised by the SIB.

Can a Guatemalan company get US routing and account numbers?

Yes, from a provider that accepts companies registered in Guatemala, or through a US company. Airwallex and Wise do not list Guatemala on their eligibility lists, and Mercury accepts only US-formed companies, so check each provider's own page.

Is crypto legal in Guatemala?

Crypto is not legal tender and not an authorized means of payment, according to the SIB, but holding it is not prohibited. Since Decree 15-2026, crypto platforms must apply know-your-customer checks and report suspicious transactions to the IVE.

Can a Guatemalan company accept USDT from customers?

The SIB has stated that cryptocurrencies are not authorized as means of payment in Guatemala. Take Guatemalan legal advice before accepting stablecoins, and keep invoices in quetzales or US dollars.

Can a Guatemalan owner get a US EIN?

Yes, for a US company. The IRS instructions for Form SS-4 let international applicants call 267-941-1099 and state that only international applicants can receive an EIN by telephone.

References

HelmHelm is a business account for companies that trade internationally: USD, EUR and GBP accounts, international payments, collections and currency exchange, with a named account manager. Questions: [email protected].

This guide is general information for businesses, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and timings were checked against the sources listed on the review date and may change.

USD business account in Guatemala