Hi! Thanks for the question.
Here are the basics of starting a company in Guatemala.
?Foreign investment in Guatemala is usually carried out by
establishing a local company or a branch of a foreign company.?
?Legally establishing a local company in Guatemala is a simple and
quick procedure, taking approximately two weeks for provisional
registration and a maximum of four months for final registration. A
company may begin operations under provisional registration.?
Registration Requirements for a local company:
?A minimum of two persons, individual or corporate, are required to
form a company. To operate in most sectors of the economy, there is no
requirement for local participation in a Guatemalan company. Likewise,
no restrictions are placed on foreign participation. The charter of
the company must be executed in a public and notarized document.?
?A certified copy of the charter must be filed with the Commercial
Registry (Registro Mercantil) within fifteen days. The company's
accountant or accounting firm must be registered with the Ministry of
Finance.?
?Fundesa?s Business Guidebook?
http://www.quetzalnet.com/Bus_Guide.html#3
Here is the contact information for Registro Mercantil in Guatemala.
This is the place for registering your business.
REGISTRO MERCANTIL GENERAL DE LA REPÚBLICA
6 Calle 7-57 Zona 1,
01001, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
Phone: 232-0719 / 253-7823
?TRADE AND INVESTMENT?
http://www.guatemala-embassy.org/sourcesofinformation.asp
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If you have an existing company in some other country like the US, you
will need to register as a branch of a foreign company. Our next link
provides the necessary steps for registering such a company.
?Establishing a Branch of a Foreign Company?
http://www.guatemala-embassy.org/branchofaforeigncompany.asp
In order to register for the Internal Revenue Bureau, here is the
contact information:
Ministry of Finance
Edificio de Finanzas Públicas
8a. Avenida y 21 Calle, Zona 1
Guatemala, Guatemala
Telephone: (502-2) 530-988
Fax: (502-2) 530-981
Contact: Mr. Rolando Escobar
Position: Director of Internal Revenue
?Strengthening of the Tax Administration?
http://www.iadb.org/exr/doc98/apr/gu4480e.htm
-----------------------------
In order to get a better perspective before you setup a business in
Guatemala, please read the following links:
?TRADE AND INVESTMENT TOPICS?
http://www.guatemala-embassy.org/tradeandinvestment.asp
?Fundesa?s Business Guidebook?
http://www.quetzalnet.com/Bus_Guide.html
-----------------------------
Advantages / Disadvantages of Investing in Guatemala:
The next link provides an easy to understand enumeration of the
advantages of investing in Guatemala.
?Why Invest in Guatemala?
http://www.quetzalnet.com/Inv_15Reasons.html
Disadvantages;
- Political instability
- Serious crime and corruption linked to drug trafficking
- Growing human rights violations
?2003 Latin American Business Environment Report?
http://www.latam.ufl.edu/publications/LABEP2003.pdf
Our next link is a rather dated document but it would also be good to
read it since it mentions other problems in entering the Guatemalan
business arena.
?Foreing Direct Investments in Guatemala?
://www.google.as/search?q=cache:HUfWDhljD24J:www.infoguate.com/m%26m/foreing.htm+disadvantages+business+guatemala&hl=en&start=8
The World Bank also has this brief snapshot or glance on important
business statistics in Guatemala.
?Entrepreneurs can expect to go through 15 steps to launch a business
over 39 days on average, at a cost equal to 62.8% of gross national
income (GNI) per capita. They must deposit at least 33.4% of GNI per
capita in a bank to obtain a business registration number, compared
with the regional average of 32.3% of GNI and the OECD average of
47.0% of GNI.?
?Snapshot of Business Environment ? Guatemala?
http://rru.worldbank.org/DoingBusiness/ExploreEconomies/BusinessClimateSnapshot.aspx?economyid=81
Business Notes:
?Guatemalan businesspeople tend to be rather formal and conservative.
Normal courtesies should be observed and appointments should be made.
Punctuality is appreciated and calling cards can be useful. Office
hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1800, Sat 0800-1200.?
?GUATEMALA Business Profile?
http://www.travel-guide.com/data/gtm/gtm490.asp
Search terms used:
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"Registro Mercantil" Guatemala
"Dirección General de Rentas Internas" Guatemala
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I hope these links would help you in your research. Before rating this
answer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or if
you would need further information.
Thanks for visiting us.
Regards,
Easterangel-ga
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