Guatemala to Belize Border Crossing: A Complete Guide

If you’re travelling through Central America, it’s fairly likely you’ll be crossing land borders instead of flying between countries. Land border crossings are usually straightforward and are generally better for the environment than flying. In this guide we’ll detail everything you need to know about crossing the land border between Guatemala and Belize. On this trip we went from Guatemala to Belize, however you can also use this guide in reverse if you’re travelling from Belize to Guatemala.

Below we’ve detailed our own experience of crossing the border at Melchor de Mencos, including information about which transport method we chose, how much it cost us, how long it took, how we changed currency and the entry requirements for each country. This way you’ll know exactly what to expect when embarking on the same journey.

If you’d like to see what we got up to in Belize, make sure to watch our dedicated YouTube video. You can also watch our entire Guatemala series for some extra inspiration.

Guatemala Belize Border Crossing Locations

First, let’s discuss where you can actually cross the border between Guatemala and Belize.

The only land border crossing between these two countries is at Melchor de Mencos in Guatemala. The town immediately across the border in Belize is called Benque Viejo del Carmen. The most common journey that crosses the border is the one from Flores in Guatemala to various destinations in Belize, such as San Ignacio, Belize City or even Caye Caulker.

You can also cross the Guatemala – Belize border by boat. For that you’d need to take a boat from Puerto Barrios in Guatemala to Punta Gorda in southern Belize. Most travellers do this journey if they want to cross the border from Livingston or Rio Dulce in Guatemala.

Note that this post will focus on the land border crossing at Melchor de Mencos. This is the border we crossed on our trip from Flores in Guatemala to San Ignacio in Belize.

Guatemala to Belize with Tourist Shuttle or Public Transport

You can either book a tourist shuttle or take public transport when crossing the border between the two countries. Below we’ll detail the pros and cons of both methods. For reference, we booked a tourist shuttle because we travel with a lot of things and didn’t want to lug our stuff around too much.

Taking the Tourist Shuttle from Guatemala to Belize

The tourist shuttle is easy and convenient because you don’t need to think too much about your journey. This is a great option if you don’t speak much Spanish or are backpacking with a lot of things like we were.

It’s worth noting that whilst the tourist shuttle is (obviously) the more expensive option, don’t expect it to be a luxurious ride. It was comfortable enough, but we were still packed in with a bunch of bags similar to how we were on the Antigua to Semuc Champey and the Semuc Champey to Flores minivan rides.

You can book a shuttle with most agencies in Flores. It doesn’t really matter who you book with as agencies tend to put everyone on the same bus/minivan heading to the border. So you may start on the same transport as people travelling to Mexico via Belize City, but will split into different vehicles once you cross the border. This is why there are only one or two departure times available daily, as they’re designed so that everyone can make their onward transport in time.

The shuttle we booked left at 6AM from Isla de Flores, close to the Peten sign (here on the map). It’s the same location the shuttles pick you up and drop you off from for the Tikal tours.

You should arrive a good 10-15 minutes before departure. The driver will check if your name is on the list and store your big backpacks on top of the minibus. You’ll also get given an immigration form (more on that later).

The road to the border is quite straight, although the smoothness of the ride really depends on the driver! Essentially, you’ll be driving back along the same route you did to get to Tikal and/ or Yaxha.

When we walked out of the Belizean immigration office, the group we travelled with was split into different vehicles depending on the final destination in Belize. We hopped into a minivan with fellow travellers heading to San Ignacio. Other tourists going to Belize City / Caye Caulker took a different vehicle.

Note that we didn’t stop anywhere for a toilet break, and the wait to cross the border was quite long.

Taking Public Transport from Guatemala to Belize

If you’re after a slightly more adventurous border crossing, speak a little bit of Spanish and don’t have too much luggage, then you can consider crossing the Guatemala – Belize border via public transport. Whilst we don’t have personal experience of doing this, based on our research you’ll have to do the following

• Make your way to the Central Bus Station in Flores (Terminal Central de Buses). If you’re staying on the island, it’s best to get a tuk-tuk there.
• Hop on a bus heading to Melchor de Mencos. It should drop you off at the bus station.
• From the bus station, the border is only a short walk across the bridge.
• Once you’ve crossed the border, you can either take a taxi all the way to San Ignacio (around 10 BZD / 5 USD per person) or just to the main bus terminal in Benque Viejo del Carmen. The latter is obviously cheaper (around 5 BZD / 2.5 USD). From Benque Viejo del Carmen you can hop on a bus heading to San Ignacio. They only cost about 2 BZD (1 USD) and take about 20 minutes. The bus drops you off at this bus stop in San Ignacio. It’s actually the same bus we took to visit Xunantunich Maya Ruins.

Entry Requirements to Belize

Please make sure to check up-to-date entry requirements to Belize (or to Guatemala, if you’re doing this trip in reverse) for the passport you’re travelling with.

• Website for British citizens
• Website for US citizens

Usually, you’ll need the following in order to enter Belize:

• 3 to 6 month passport validity. This means that your passport should be valid for more than 3 to 6 months from the date you arrive. On the UK government website they suggest 3 months, but apparently sometimes 6 months are required.
• Pre-booked accommodation in Belize. You’ll need to know the address of the first and last accommodation you’ll be staying at.
• Proof of onwards travel. You may get asked to show a ticket to prove that you’re intending to leave Belize.

Belize Immigration Form

When we got on the shuttle bus, the bus driver gave everyone an immigration form. Make sure to bring a pen because you’ll have to fill it out before you get to the border. We highly recommend filling it out before the driver starts driving, otherwise it will be way more difficult to do nicely.

You need to provide the following details on this form: name, gender, nationality, country of residence, date of birth, passport details, home address, mode of transportation, occupation, port of embarkation, number of days in Belize, number of previous visits to Belize, purpose of visit, special interests, and the address of your first and last accommodations in Belize.

You’ll get the bottom part of the form, ‘Departure Records’, back, which you should keep in a safe place for when you leave the country.

Note. If you’re crossing the Guatemala – Belize border with public transport, you’ll get this form once you enter the Belize immigration office.

Guatemala – Belize Border Opening Times

The border is open every day between 6AM and 10PM.

Crossing the Guatemala – Belize Border: What to Expect at the Immigration Offices

When we got to Melchor de Mencos in Guatemala we had to get off the bus and take all our bags. We walked to the entrance and joined a relatively long queue to get our exit stamp.

The queue moved quite slowly and it was swelteringly hot too. Once we got to customs though, getting our exit stamp only took a minute. Then we had to walk across ‘no-mans-land’ to the Belizean border. Here an official checked if we had our immigration form filled out, but you’ll get the chance to do so if you haven’t already. Luckily, we didn’t need to wait long to get our entry stamp, and we killed the time by chatting to one of the customs officers that was checking our immigration papers.

We didn’t get asked a lot of questions, but it depends on the agent you get. Typical questions include the purpose of your visit, where you’re staying, how long you’re staying in Belize for and where you want to visit.

Along with our entry stamp, we also got the ‘Departure Records’ part of the immigration form back. Nobody checked our big bags, but we saw one guy in front of us get a random check. So be prepared for it to happen.

After that, you’re officially in Belize.

Guatemala to Belize Border Crossing Time

It took us around 2 hours to get to Melchor de Mencos from Flores with the tourist shuttle. On public transport it might take slightly longer.

Then it took us about an hour just to get through the Guatemalan part of the border. We arrived at the same time as many other shuttles and coaches, which is one downside of the tourist shuttle. Luckily, entering Belize was much quicker, and it only took about 20 minutes to get our passports stamped.

You may get a random bag check or longer queues, so overall it could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to get across the border.

Once you’re in Belize, you can be in San Ignacio in about 15 to 20 minutes. If you’re going to Belize City or Caye Caulker, it will be a few more hours before you reach your destination.

Cost of the Guatemala to Belize Border Crossing

Tourist shuttle cost. We paid Q120 per person to travel from Flores, Guatemala to San Ignacio, Belize. Although it seemed like transport to Belize City cost the same. If you’re travelling all the way to Caye Caulker from Flores, then it will cost you around Q250, which includes the boat ride between Belize City and Caye Caulker.

You can also travel to Bacalar or Chetumal in Mexico, which will be over Q300. From Chetumal, you can travel to popular places like Tulum or Cancun. Read our guide on bus travel in Mexico for more information.

Public transport cost. You’ll need to pay for a tuk-tuk ride to the bus terminal in Flores, which should cost around Q10 per person. Then the colectivo bus to Melchor de Mencos should cost about Q50 per person. A taxi from the border to San Ignacio will cost around 10 BZD per person. A taxi from the border to Benque is around 5 BZD, and then the bus from there to San Ignacio is around 2 BZD.

Guatemala exit fees. If you’re leaving Guatemala you DO NOT have to pay an exit fee. Make sure not to pay anyone asking you for money. However, to travel from Guatemala to Mexico via Belize you’ll need to pay the 20USD Belize exit fee.

Belize departure tax. If you leave Belize by land (or water) to either Guatemala or Mexico, you’re required to pay a departure tax of 40 BZD (20 USD) at the border. If you leave by air, this tax is usually included in the airfare.  

Exchanging Money at the Guatemala – Belize Border

The official currency of Belize is the Belize Dollar (BZD). The exchange between USD and BZD is fixed at 2 BZD to 1 USD.

Just before we arrived at the border in Guatemala, someone hopped onto the bus with Belizean Dollars we could exchange our Quetzales for. We saw a few more people lingering around the immigration office too. Although we didn’t see anyone on the other side of the border, we’re sure you can exchange money there as well.

If you have leftover Guatemalan Quetzales, we recommend changing them to Belizean Dollars either before or after you cross the border. We always use the Xe app so that we can easily check the up-to-date exchange rates on our phones. Thankfully, we were offered a pretty good rate for our remaining Quetzales, which was a nice surprise.

Final Thoughts on Crossing the Guatemala – Belize Border in Central America

Crossing the land border from Guatemala to Belize was very easy and straightforward. For us, booking the tourist shuttle was a great decision even though we usually prefer to travel by public transport. Getting in and out of multiple vehicles (tuk-tuks, minivans, taxis, and local buses) with our big bags would’ve been a bit of a chore. Instead, we only had to change vehicles once.

Overall, we found the tourist shuttle very well organised. Other than immigration being a little bit slow on the Guatemalan side, we had no issues crossing the border. Well, it would’ve been nice to have a toilet somewhere, but luckily we didn’t have to travel too far after entering Belize.

We hope that our guide has given you a good idea of what to expect from your border crossing. Have you ever crossed the land border between Guatemala and Belize? If so, how was your experience? Let us know in the comments below.