March 20, 2016

As of March 15, 2016, Guatemala Customs is requiring the NIT number—aka the consignee tax ID number—to be included on the Master AWB (MAWB) for international shipments entering Guatemala. 

The NIT number is an identification number issued by the Guatemalan government for tax control.

The NIT number is composed of eight digits, with a hyphen between digits seven and eight.  Here is an example:

            5550551-1

The entry on the MAWB should include the term ‘NIT’ and the eight-digit code. The code should be included in the Consignee Name and Address box on the MAWB document. It is the shipper’s responsibility to include this code. An example is provided below.

Guatemala Customs has advised that not including this code on the MAWB may result in fines and delays in release of the freight.