On June 17, 2026, Decree 15-2026 of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala was published in the Diario de Centro América (Official Gazette). This decree contains the Comprehensive Law for the Prevention and Repression of Money Laundering and Other Assets and the Financing of Terrorism. The law was declared to be of public interest and its purpose is to regulate these matters by establishing a new administrative regime of a preventive nature.
Within this preventive regime, the law introduces new corporate obligations for Guatemalan commercial companies. The main ones are outlined below.
I- Registration of the Appointment of Directors and Managers
The law introduces the obligation to register the appointment of all members of the management body, as well as managers, before the General Mercantile Registry of the Republic (Registro Mercantil General de la República).
II- Notice of Changes in Shareholding Structure
Stock corporations must notify the General Mercantile Registry of the Republic of any change in their shareholders, through the means that the registry establishes for this purpose. The notice must be filed within ten (10) business days following the corresponding registration or transfer. Information relating to shareholders will be confidential and may only be shared with the Superintendency of Banks (Superintendencia de Bancos) and the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público).
This obligation applies to both individual and legal-entity shareholders, and the registration must include the number of shares and their identification.
III- Recording of Information by Notaries
For their part, notaries must keep, for each client, a record containing minimum information and documentation. For individuals, this record must contain: full name, place and date of birth, nationality, gender, marital status, profession or occupation, type and number of the Personal Identification Document (DPI), residential address and, where applicable, immigration status.
For legal entities, the record must contain: type of entity, corporate name, trade name, registration details, Tax Identification Number (NIT), form and place of incorporation, tax domicile and information on the legal representative.
In both cases, the date and the professional service provided must also be recorded.
IV- Information Retention Period
The information collected must be retained for a minimum period of five (5) years, counted from the date of the transaction or from the termination of the relationship with the client, as applicable.
V- Verification and Supervisory Authority
Decree 15-2026 retains the Special Verification Intendancy (IVE), attached to the Superintendency of Banks, as the special verification authority responsible for supervising and registering Obligated Persons, as set forth in Articles 116, 117, 124 and 127 of the decree. Likewise, the Superintendency of Banks, through the IVE, must issue the regulations implementing the law within a maximum period of six (6) months from its entry into force.
VI- Entry into Force and Transitional Regime
Under Article 128 of Decree 15-2026, the law will enter into force three (3) months after its publication in the Official Gazette. Since publication took place on June 17, 2026, the entry into force falls approximately in mid-September 2026. The decree expressly repeals Decree 67-2001, the Law Against Money Laundering and Other Assets, and Decree 58-2005, the Law to Prevent and Suppress the Financing of Terrorism, consolidating both subjects into a single body of law.
Title VI of the decree provides for a transitional regime for commercial companies already incorporated. Among its deadlines, the following stand out:
- Six (6) months, counted from the entry into force, to register all members of the management body with the Mercantile Registry.
- One (1) year, counted from the entry into force, to update the share registry of stock corporations in accordance with Article 125 of the Commercial Code.
- Sixty (60) days for Obligated Persons already registered with the IVE who have pending procedures to update their information and documentation.
At Consortium Legal, we closely monitor these new provisions and are available to advise our clients on complying with these new corporate and notarial obligations. For more information, you may contact us at contact@consortiumlegal.com or visit www.consortiumlegal.com.