What to Bring to Guatemala to Donate: A Packing List and the Customs Rules

What are the most useful things to bring to Guatemala to donate?

The most useful items are the ones a rural school goes through fast. Start with a Smile Project's packing list for travelers with spare luggage space has five groups: hygiene, school supplies, toys, clothing and shoes, and food. Current needs also include school supplies, shoes, backpacks, recess games for the elementary schools and a computer.

Plan for a wide age range. The 7 schools the project supports in Las Delicias del Jobo, Taxisco, serve more than 700 children ages 6 to 16, from elementary school through telesecundaria (rural middle school). The full list is on our How to help page.

What school supplies should I bring to Guatemala?

• Notebooks. The project has delivered more than 4,000 and hands out supplies to about 500 children every year.
• Crayons, markers, pens and paints. They're light and get used every day.
• Backpacks, which are on the current needs list.
• Children's books in Spanish and coloring books.
• Working used computers, ideally laptops, with their chargers and your personal data wiped.

If you can choose your travel dates, check the school calendar. In 2026, classes in Guatemala's public schools ran from February 2 to October 30, under Ministerial Agreement 4817-2025, as reported by La Hora (in Spanish). Supplies that arrive before the next school year get used from day one. For more ideas, see donating school supplies and donating books in Guatemala.

What hygiene items, clothes and shoes should I pack?

For hygiene: toothpaste and toothbrushes, soap, sanitary pads, hygiene kits and towels. A toothbrush and toothpaste go into every Christmas gift pack the project hands out, along with a nutritious food item and a toy.

For clothing: clothes, shoes, sandals, socks, caps and sunscreen. It makes sense, since many children walk to school on dirt roads, under sun or rain. For the 2022 Christmas delivery, the project also asked for flat shoes (no heels) for children and adults, sweaters in sizes S and M, bar soap and blankets, according to Guatemala.com (in Spanish).

What toys should I bring for kids in Guatemala?

Toys kids can share and that hold up on a dirt playground: jump ropes, soccer balls, dolls, toy cars, stuffed animals and coloring books. Recess games for the elementary schools are on the needs list. In 2022 the project asked for toys that aren't war-themed, so leave toy guns at home.

Donated toys stretch what money buys: one recent Christmas, they took the project from 500 gift packs to about 1,000 gifts. If you're traveling in December, read donating toys in Guatemala at Christmas.

How much can I bring into Guatemala duty-free?

Anything you bring to give away doesn't count as personal luggage. The traveler guide from the SAT, Guatemala's tax and customs agency, calls it mercancías distintas al equipaje, or goods other than baggage: anything that isn't for your own use. Its own example: you can enter with one laptop, but if you bring three, two of them are goods other than baggage.

What the SAT says about those goods:

• They're duty-free up to US$500 in value, as long as you haven't used the exemption in the previous 6 months and you've been out of the country for at least 72 hours.
• Above US$500, or if you already used the exemption, you pay whatever duties customs assesses.
• Above US$1,000, or if the goods are for commercial purposes, you need a licensed customs broker.

The exemption doesn't carry over, and it counts as fully used even if you apply it to only part of the amount (RECAUCA, art. 582). Declare everything, with quantities and values, on the Regional Traveler Declaration, which you fill out online for free. Rules can change, so confirm them with the SAT before you fly.

How should I pack donations in my suitcase?

• Liquids and creams go in your checked bag. At security, the TSA only allows containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less in carry-ons, and Canada's CATSA uses the same 100 ml limit. Full-size toothpaste and sunscreen belong in the hold.
• Laptops go in your carry-on. The FAA only allows lithium-battery devices in checked bags if they're completely powered off and protected, and spare batteries can't be checked at all.
• Check your airline's baggage allowance before adding a second suitcase.
• Group items by category and keep receipts or a list with values: the SAT asks travelers to be able to quantify or show the value of what they declare.

How do I hand off my donations in Antigua?

1. Message us before your trip on WhatsApp at +502 5562 3313, by email at amaliajarquin@gmail.com or through the contact form, with your dates and what you're bringing.
2. We'll arrange with you how to receive it in Antigua Guatemala.
3. Amalia and the volunteers hand everything to the children, and deliveries are posted with photos on Facebook and Instagram (@proyectosonrisas.gt).

Before you zip the suitcase, read what not to bring and whether it makes sense to buy some donations in Guatemala. For every way to help, see where to donate in Antigua Guatemala. No room in your luggage? Donate on GoFundMe. Got room? Message us and we'll coordinate your in-kind donation.