Sending your belongings to Guatemala by sea
Moving to Guatemala, going home after years in Canada, or sending boxes to family? Personal effects travel in a shared ocean container (LCL groupage) from our receiving warehouses in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver to Guatemala City. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 10 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 54–65 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Guatemala are accepted subject to carrier approval: before you pay, we send your packing list and passport copy to the carrier, and only then is the booking confirmed.
Guatemalans returning after living abroad can apply for exemptions on used household goods; other personal shipments pay import duties and VAT. Customs clearance in Guatemala is done through a licensed customs agent, so the consignee should appoint one in advance.
Guatemala City is in the central highlands, about a day's drive from the ports on either coast, and most of the country's commerce flows through it. Family gift shipments from Canada are common; customs may tax new goods even in personal boxes, so keep receipts and declare values honestly. A clear inventory in Spanish makes clearance easier.
Boxes for Guatemala City. The tariff delivers to the capital, Guatemala City, about 54 days from Toronto or Montreal and about 65 days from Vancouver, so the eastern gateways are the faster option for this route. The carrier lists no special conditions for Guatemala; the general rules apply: approval on the basis of the passport copy and the signed packing list, professional packing of household goods and a declared value of no more than CAD 2,000. Relatives in Quetzaltenango or Antigua collect the boxes in the capital or arrange the last stretch by road.
Rates for household boxes to Guatemala
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala City | USD 10 / cu ft 54 days · min. USD 647.63 | USD 10 / cu ft 54 days · min. USD 646.46 | USD 13 / cu ft 65 days · min. USD 724.16 |
Example: moving boxes from Toronto to Guatemala City
A medium moving box of 18 × 18 × 16 inches holds 3.0 cubic feet; packed with clothes, books and kitchenware it weighs about 15 kg.
- 10 boxes (30 cu ft, 150 kg): USD 647.63
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 865.00
- The smallest shipment: USD 647.63
The totals include the A1 processing fee, surcharges and solar fee. The carrier charges by volume or by weight (1,000 kg per CBM), whichever is greater. From the Prairies, with trucking to the port included: Calgary USD 1,065.00 (via Montreal) and Winnipeg USD 1,065.00 (via Montreal).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Guatemala City
- From Toronto: USD 865.00, about 54 days
- From Montreal: USD 865.00, about 54 days
- From Vancouver: USD 1,045.00, about 65 days
Toronto is both the least expensive and the fastest gateway to Guatemala City. Choose the warehouse you can reach; from other Canadian cities the calculator shows the lowest of the three.
Documents for personal effects
- Passport copy. The photo page of the shipper's passport. It must be valid (not expired) and the name must match the shipper on the booking and on the packing list. We accept a passport from any country, but no other ID.
- Packing list. Our fillable packing list (PDF) names the shipper and the receiver in Guatemala and lists every box: contents, quantity, dimensions, weight and value. Number the boxes and write the same numbers on the list. "Winter clothes, 2 coats, 6 sweaters" is useful; "personal items" is not. Sign it before you upload it.
- Customs value. The total declared value of the shipment may not exceed CAD 2,000.
The carrier's tariff requires a passport copy and a complete, detailed packing list for every personal-effects shipment, and household goods must be professionally packed. More help: how to fill in the packing list.
Packing advice
Your boxes are handled several times: at the warehouse, in the container and at the terminal in Guatemala City. Use new, strong double-wall cartons and fill them completely so they do not collapse under the weight of others; seal every seam with packing tape. Put heavy items such as books in small boxes and light items in larger ones. Write the receiver's name and city in Guatemala on two sides of every box. Many boxes can be strapped onto a pallet on ISPM 15 heat-treated wood; you or your mover prepare the pallet, A1 does not palletize.
What not to pack
The carrier does not accept vehicles or parts with fuel, food, plants, animals, medication, weapons, dangerous goods (aerosols, batteries, paint, flammable liquids), cash, jewellery or other valuables. If you are not sure about an item, ask us before you pack it.
Carrier conditions for Guatemala
The carrier's tariff lists no special conditions for Guatemala beyond the general rules on this page; the destination charges are confirmed for each booking.
Insurance (optional)
Cargo insurance for personal effects is arranged through Marsh Canada (CargoCover): owner-packed goods, all risks, with a USD 300 deductible. To request it, sign the insurance coverage form and complete the valued inventory, then upload both on your booking page before departure. All forms: useful links and forms.
How to book
Calculate the price in the calculator above with the cargo type "Personal effects", accept the quote and upload the passport copy and the signed packing list on your booking page. After the carrier approves the shipment and confirms the destination charges, you pay and receive the labels and the warehouse delivery instructions. You deliver the boxes yourself: A1 does not offer pickup from your home.
Shipping to Guatemala by service
A1 services from Canada: Ocean LCL shipping, personal effects, commercial cargo, air freight (on request).
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to ship 20 boxes to Guatemala?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Toronto to Guatemala City cost about USD 865.00 including all A1 fees. Destination charges, duties and taxes are confirmed separately.
Which ID do I need to ship personal effects to Guatemala?
A copy of the photo page of the shipper's passport: valid, not expired, and in the same name as the shipper on the booking and the packing list. A passport from any country is accepted; no other ID is.
Can A1 pick up my boxes at home?
No. You or a local mover deliver the packed boxes to our receiving warehouse in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver; the warehouse measures and weighs them and the final price follows those measurements.
Rates valid through December 25, 2026; totals include A1 fees of USD 265.00. Destination charges are confirmed by the carrier, duties and taxes are paid by the consignee, and transit days are the carrier's estimate.