What Not to Bring to Guatemala as Donations (and What to Do Instead)

What shouldn't I bring to Guatemala as donations?

A simple rule: if you wouldn't give it to someone in your own family, don't pack it. Start with a Smile Project asks for five kinds of things: hygiene items, school supplies, toys, clothing and shoes, and food. Here's what to leave at home:

• Torn or stained clothes, and worn-out shoes or high heels.
• Toy weapons, and broken or incomplete toys.
• Medicine, fresh food, seeds and plants.
• Loose lithium batteries and power banks meant as gifts.
• Children's books in English, when what's needed is children's literature in Spanish.
• Lots of identical units of the same new item, which can look like merchandise for sale.

What does help is on our How to help page and in the guide what to bring to Guatemala to donate.

Can I donate used clothes in Guatemala?

Yes, as long as they're clean, complete and in good shape: the project's list includes clothes, shoes, sandals, socks and caps. What doesn't work:

• Torn, stained or faded clothing. Children and their families deserve something you'd wear yourself.
• High heels. For Christmas 2022, the project asked for flat shoes for children and adults, according to Guatemala.com (in Spanish).
• Badly worn shoes. Many children walk to school on dirt roads, under sun or rain, and some cross rivers.

Keep in mind that clothes you bring to give away aren't your personal luggage: under the SAT traveler guide, they're declared as goods other than baggage, with quantity and value. More in donating clothes in Antigua Guatemala.

Which toys and books shouldn't I bring to Guatemala?

• Toy weapons, such as toy guns, rifles or swords. In its 2022 Christmas drive, the project asked for toys that aren't war-themed.
• Broken toys or toys with missing pieces. A puzzle with gaps can't be finished.
• Children's books in English. What the project asks for is children's literature in Spanish.

What works: jump ropes, soccer balls, dolls, toy cars, stuffed animals and coloring books. Recess games for the elementary schools are on the current needs list. For December, read donating toys in Guatemala at Christmas.

Can I bring medicine or food to donate in Guatemala?

Better to keep them out of your suitcase. In its customs FAQ, the SAT, Guatemala's tax and customs agency, says you need the corresponding permits to bring in weapons, ammunition, plants, animals or medicine, and it explains who issues them:

• Ministry of Public Health: sanitary import permits for processed food and for medicine.
• Ministry of Agriculture (MAGA): sanitary and phytosanitary permits for live species and unprocessed food.

Medicine isn't on the project's list. Food is (vitamins, fortified flour and powdered milk), but it's simpler to buy it in Guatemala, as our guide on bringing donations or buying them in Guatemala explains. Leave fruit, vegetables, meat, seeds and plants at home.

What can't go in my checked bag?

If you fly from the United States, the FAA is clear about lithium batteries:

• Spare batteries and power banks must travel in your carry-on only.
• Batteries carried for sale or distribution are prohibited, so don't pack them as donations.
• A laptop or tablet can only be checked if it's completely powered off and protected; the safer choice is to keep it with you in the cabin (FAA).

Liquids work the other way around: the TSA only allows containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less in carry-ons, so full-size toothpaste or sunscreen belongs in your checked bag.

What happens if I don't declare donations at Guatemalan customs?

It can get expensive. The SAT warns that filling out the traveler declaration with false or incomplete information, such as leaving out goods other than baggage, can lead to fines and penalties, seizure of your belongings and even criminal charges.

Declaring doesn't mean paying. According to the SAT, those goods are duty-free up to US$500 if you haven't used the exemption in the previous 6 months and you've been out of the country for at least 72 hours. What causes trouble is looking commercial: the exemption only applies if, by quantity and type, the goods aren't for commercial purposes (RECAUCA, art. 582), and commercial goods need a customs broker whatever their value. Carry a list with quantities and values, and confirm the rules with the SAT before you travel.

What can I do instead of filling a suitcase?

Still deciding who to support? Start with where to donate in Antigua Guatemala. If you've decided, you have three options:

• Message us before you pack on WhatsApp at +502 5562 3313 or through the contact form. We'll tell you what's needed and arrange the hand-off in Antigua.
• Buy in Guatemala anything heavy or anything that needs a permit, like food.
• Give money on GoFundMe. With financial support, the project bought 500 Christmas gift packs one recent year. It's a personal fundraiser, so there's no tax-deductible receipt.

Donate on GoFundMe or message us to coordinate your in-kind donation, so every pound in your suitcase reaches someone who will use it.