Guatemala boosts border staffing as El Salvador introduces vehicle‑scanner crossings for August travel surge

Guatemala’s Institute of Migration (IGM) will reinforce personnel at the main border posts of Valle Nuevo, Pedro de Alvarado, Nueva Anguiatú and San Cristóbal, as well as at La Aurora International Airport, to manage an expected increase of Salvadoran visitors during El Salvador’s August festivals. In the first ten days of August 2025, 70,673 Salvadorans entered Guatemala, with 33,590 crossing at Valle Nuevo; officials anticipate more than 78,000 arrivals in 2026.

At the same time, El Salvador’s immigration authority, the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), has deployed mobile scanners, electronic scales, recognition cameras and real‑time data‑sharing systems at land borders with Guatemala and Honduras. The new technology allows vehicles to remain inside the car while immigration checks are performed. A new control point opened at El Coco in Chalchuapa (Santa Ana) on 13 March 2026, speeding vehicle flow for private travellers and truckers.