Extending a visa in Guatemala

[daveg]

Hi,
I'm in Guatemala and was only able to get a 1 month visa for me and the bike. The customs guy at the border was telling me that he could only give me a month and that I had to do something to extend it. Unfortunately, it was in spanish so I pretty much missed what he said.

so... Can I extend my visa somewhere other than at a border? I am going to be in Xela or antigua for a month studying spanish. I don't have alot on my schedule, so if I do need to go to a border, which is the easiest (least crowded)?

thanks
dg

[AndyT]

When I was in GT in '06 I got 90 days for me and 40 for the bike at the La Mesilla border, don't know why you got less. According to the rules then, you should have got 90 day tourist visa good for a cumulative 90 days in the CA4 (Guat, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua).

The expat Americans I talked to in Antigua said they go to a border, exit and come back, to get a fresh 90 days on their tourist visas. They used to go to El Salvador as it is closest, but now with the CA4, they have to go to Mexico or Belize. Of course if you have a bike, you would have to do a border run every 40, or in your case 30, days.

[peter-denmark]

Either you can do a "visa run" ie - exit the country and re-enter. Or you can go to Guata City and get it done at the immigration there.

Those are the options as far as I know.

The same goes for the bike.