Legal center

Guatemala supplement

Last updated: August 2026 · Legal obligations specific to the country where Vribe operates

This supplement gathers what applies only in Guatemala and complements the Terms of Service and the rest of the legal centre. Where this document and the Terms say different things about an operation in Guatemala, this one prevails. One difference is worth knowing up front: in Guatemala, as in the rest of the world outside Europe, optional cookie categories come switched on and you can switch them off whenever you like from the footer. The European regime — where nothing that is not essential is activated until you accept it — applies only to those connecting from there. The Cookie policy explains it in detail.

Definitions

Booking:
The agreement between a traveler and a host for the use of a vehicle on specific dates, created on the platform and governed by the contract both sign.
Rental:
The amount corresponding to use of the vehicle for the booked period, excluding deposit and delivery fee.
Security deposit:
Refundable amount that answers for damage, missing items, fuel, fines and other charges under the contract.

1. Governing law and jurisdiction

Every transaction carried out through Vribe in Guatemala is governed by the laws of the Republic of Guatemala.

1.1 Which laws govern

The Civil Code and the Commercial Code of Guatemala apply, together with any special rules relevant to the subject matter — among them those on insurance and on consumer protection.

1.2 Where disputes are resolved

Once the Platform's dispute process is exhausted, any controversy is resolved before the competent judicial body. Vribe imposes no arbitration and no class-action waiver: the ordinary judicial route remains open.

1.3 Rights that cannot be waived

Consumer-protection provisions that Guatemalan law declares non-waivable prevail over any clause of the Terms that contradicts them. No clause in our corpus purports to limit them.

2. Mandatory vehicle insurance

The vehicle's insurance is the linchpin of everything else in Guatemala: without it, no booking is possible.

2.1 Mandatory insurance

Every listed vehicle must carry the mandatory motor insurance required by Guatemalan law (Decree 12-2012 and its amendments). It is a legal requirement of the vehicle, not a commercial demand from Vribe.

2.2 Who arranges it and who pays

The host arranges it with the insurer of their choice, and its cost is included in the daily rate they set. Vribe does not charge separately for insurance, is neither an insurer nor an insurance agent, and receives no commission on that policy.

2.3 How the Platform verifies it

The policy is uploaded to the Platform and its details are cross-checked. Until it is verified, the vehicle accepts no bookings at all; and no booking may end after the policy's expiry date, even if the calendar is free. The same check applies to date changes and extensions.

3. Who may drive in Guatemala

The requirements for driving a vehicle booked on Vribe within Guatemala are these:

  • Be at least 21 years old.
  • Hold a valid driver's licence issued in Guatemala, in Central America, or in a country with a recognition agreement.
  • Additional drivers — up to three, at no cost — need their own Vribe account with verified identity and licence, and must accept the invitation before the trip starts.
  • If your licence is foreign, confirm with the Guatemalan traffic authorities under what conditions and for how long it entitles you to drive in the country. Vribe accepting it for booking does not replace that requirement.

4. Vehicle documents

The host is responsible for the vehicle being road-legal. Specifically:

  • Valid registration document, inside the vehicle throughout the trip.
  • Insurance policy valid and verified on the Platform.
  • Documents must be produced when the authorities require them, and when the Platform requests them for a verification or a dispute.
  • Keeping them current is the host's responsibility for as long as the vehicle is listed.

5. Traffic fines and infringements

Fines and infringements generated during a trip are borne by whoever was driving, even if the notice arrives weeks later and even though the vehicle is registered to the host. When that happens, the security deposit answers for them as set out in the deposits document. The host must pass the notice to the Platform with the evidence, not collect it off-Platform.

6. What to do after an accident or theft

The order matters: people first, paperwork second. These are the steps:

  • Call the emergency numbers at the end of this document and follow the authorities' instructions.
  • Report the incident on the Platform immediately, from the affected booking. Either the traveler or the host can open it.
  • Notify the vehicle's insurer. The policy is the host's, and it is the host who handles the claim with their insurer.
  • If there was theft, the report to the authorities is filed by the host as owner. Vribe may release the traveler's identity documents for that filing, case by case, as set out in the Privacy Policy.
  • You do not need to gather evidence yourself: the sealed photo inspections and the signed contract already form the case file.

7. Host tax obligations

The income you generate as a host on Vribe is taxable income in Guatemala. Vribe does not withhold taxes on your behalf and does not file returns in your name.

7.1 Registration with the SAT

If your income exceeds the Income Tax thresholds, you should register as a taxpayer with the Superintendency of Tax Administration. The regime that applies to you and the exact amounts depend on your situation: check them with the SAT or your accountant.

7.2 Where to see your income

In your host dashboard, the payouts section shows the history of every payment we transferred to you, with its trip, its date and its amount. That is the basis for your returns. Vribe does not issue tax certificates or invoices on your behalf.

8. Offering your vehicle with a chauffeur

When you offer your vehicle with a person who drives it, you are not renting: you are providing a passenger transport service. What both parties accept is in the "Rental with Chauffeur" Conditions; this is what Guatemala adds to that document.

8.1 What it is under Guatemalan law

Under the law you are the carrier: the Commercial Code governs the passenger transport contract and makes the carrier liable for the safety of passengers and their luggage during the trip, except in cases of fortuitous event, force majeure or the passenger's fault. If your chauffeur is not you, the relationship with that person is yours —employment or services— with everything each implies under the Labour Code and the IGSS. Vribe connects, collects on your behalf and records; it is not a party to the service.

8.2 Permits

Paid passenger transport has its own rules in Guatemala. You are responsible for holding the permits, registrations or licences your activity requires. Vribe does not verify them today: publishing with a chauffeur does not certify that you comply, and if Vribe ever requires a document for this mode it will tell you before you can activate it.

8.3 The chauffeur's licence

Vribe verifies that your chauffeur has a verified identity and a valid driving licence, and checks again when you invite them, when they accept and each time you assign them. It does not verify the licence category: making sure it is the one the Traffic Law requires for the vehicle and for driving paying passengers is your responsibility.

8.4 Insurance with passengers

The policy Vribe requires for publishing is the same one. Many private policies exclude paid passenger transport: before activating the mode, confirm with your insurer that yours covers it. Vribe is not an insurer and does not check that coverage for you.

8.5 Traffic rules

Your chauffeur complies with the Traffic Regulations: no more occupants than the vehicle's seats, and everyone wears a seat belt. Fines arising from driving during the service are yours or your chauffeur's, as the law provides; only those directly caused by the conduct of the passenger or their companions can be attributed to them.

9. Emergency numbers in Guatemala

Save these numbers before you need them. In an accident, a theft or a medical emergency during a trip, call here first and report on the Platform afterwards:

  • National Civil Police (PNC)110
  • Volunteer Fire Brigade122
  • Municipal Fire Brigade123
  • Guatemalan Red Cross125
  • CONRED (disasters)119

What this supplement is NOT

It is not legal or tax advice, and it does not replace the Terms of Service: it complements them. Nor is it a complete guide to Guatemalan law — it describes the obligations that touch your use of Vribe, not every obligation you may have. For your particular situation, consult a professional or the competent authority.

In the event of any discrepancy between the translated versions of this document, the Spanish version prevails.