Guatemala Healthcare and Money

By | May 9, 2022

Health care

Vaccinations

Vaccination needed receipt required
Eat Drink 5
malaria 4
Typhoid & Polio 3
cholera 2
yellow fever 1

Overview

Health care is good in Guatemala City. Larger hotels have their own doctor. Inland, medical care is inadequate. It is recommended to take out travel health insurance and travel repatriation insurance. An individual first-aid kit should be taken with you and protected according to the temperatures on the way. Check directoryaah for more information.

Notes vaccinations

[1] A vaccination certificate against yellow fever is required for all travelers who want to enter within 6 days of staying in the infected areas designated by the WHO and who are over one year old. Excluded are travelers who have not left the transit area in the infected areas and transit travelers in Guatemala. [2] A cholera vaccination is not an entry requirement, but there is a risk of infection, especially in the districts of Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Petén, Quetzaltenango, Quiché, Retalhuleu, Sacatepéquez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Sololá, Suchitepequez, Totonicapán, Zacapa. To protect yourself, you should practice careful drinking water and food hygiene. However, contrary to official regulations, a cholera vaccination certificate may occasionally be required; this is particularly the case when entering from a country with cholera infections or outside the capital’s international airport. Since the effectiveness of the vaccination is disputed, it is advisable to seek medical advice in good time before you travel. [3] Typhoid occurs, poliomyelitis does not. Typhoid vaccination is recommended for backpacking and long-term stays. [4] Malaria occurs year-round at altitudes below 1500 m, especially in Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Petén, Esquintla, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Quiché and Retalhuleu. Guatemala City is malaria free. The less dangerous form Plasmodium vivax (Malaria tertiana) predominates. Sufficient protection is provided by long-sleeved clothing, mosquito nets and insect repellent. Emergency medication is recommended for risk areas. [5] Nationwide there is an increased risk of gastric and intestinal infections. Water should generally either be boiled or otherwise sterilized before it is used for drinking, brushing teeth and making ice cubes, or it should be bought packaged. When buying packaged water, you should make sure that the original packaging has not been opened. Bottled water is readily available. Milk is unpasteurized, dry milk and canned milk are available. Dry milk should only be mixed with sterile water. Avoid local dairy products. Eat only well-cooked meat and fish dishes that are served hot. Raw salads should only be consumed in restaurants with good hygienic standards. Otherwise, pork, raw salads, raw vegetables and mayonnaise should be avoided at all costs. Fruit should be peeled.

Other risks

Chagas disease is caused by assassin bugs. There is a low risk of infection. Travelers who stay in simple huts and in the open air are recommended to use mosquito nets to protect them from insects. Dengue fever, transmitted by mosquitoes, occurs nationwide. An effective insect repellent is recommended. Filariasis caused by insects occurs occasionally. Travelers reduce the risk of transmission if they use an effective insect repellent. Hepatitis A and hepatitis B occur. A hepatitis A vaccination is generally recommended. Vaccination against hepatitis B should be given for longer stays of more than three months and close contact with the local population, as well as for children and young people in general. Leishmaniasis, transmitted by butterfly mosquitoes, occurs in isolated cases. Protection is offered by skin-covering clothes and insect repellents. rabies occurs. For bites, especially from dogs or bats, seek medical attention as soon as possible. The Zika virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. Symptoms include fever, joint pain and conjunctivitis. The infection often goes unnoticed or only has mild symptoms. The isolated deaths documented so far were mainly related to other pre-existing conditions. The Federal Foreign Office advises pregnant women against non-essential travel to areas with current Zika outbreaks because the virus is suspected of causing microcephaly in the unborn child. There is neither a vaccination nor a medicinal prophylaxis. Consistent compliance with personal mosquito protection measures is recommended.

Money

Currency

1 quetzal = 100 centavos. Currency code: Q, GTQ (ISO code). Banknotes come in denominations of 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 quetzal, coins in denominations of 1 quetzal and 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 centavos.

Credit cards

Common credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express are partially accepted. Card payment is not possible in rural areas. Details from the issuer of the relevant credit card.

ATMs

Bank cards Money can be withdrawn from many ATMs with a credit card. The Girocard (formerly ec card) with the Cirrus, Plus or Maestro symbol is accepted worldwide. It can be used in Guatemala at a few ATMs with the Cirrus, Plus or Maestro symbol. Credit card fraud is a common crime in Guatemala. It is therefore recommended that you only withdraw money from monitored ATMs. To be on the safe side, travelers should always have an alternative source of money such as cash. Further information from banks and credit institutes. Attention: Travelers who want to pay with their bank customer card abroad and withdraw money,

Travelers cheques

Traveller’s checks are no longer available in Germany and Switzerland and are hardly available in Austria. Travelers checks are only accepted in Guatemala City at a bank (BAC Credomatic) and at an airport exchange office. Travelers checks should be made out in US dollars.

Bank opening hours

Mon-Fri 09.00-16.00/18.00, e.g. T. Sat 09.00-13.00 (deviations are possible).

Foreign exchange regulations

Unlimited import and export of local and foreign currency. Obligation to declare from an amount equivalent to US$ 10,000.

Currency Exchange

The quetzal is rarely available outside of the country. All unused quetzals should be exchanged back before departure (amounts up to US$100). It is advisable to take US dollars with you. Damaged banknotes are difficult to change. Banks, exchange offices and larger hotels exchange US dollars.

Currencies

Code Symbol Exchange rates (no guarantee)
GTQ Q 1 EUR = 7.89Q
1 CHF = 9.38Q
1 USD = 7.54Q

Guatemala Money