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I will be getting married in Guatemala. My brother (a US citizen) is an excellent photographer, and I would love for him to take some photos before and after the wedding (he will be in the best man, so can't photograph the actual service).

I have two related questions:

  1. Can he legally do this as a tourist? Or would this count as work, and require a work visa even though I won't be paying him?

    This expats post says that working for free for an organization that typically charges a salary is not permitted (in the US). It doesn't mention whether the same restriction applies to freelance types of work.

  2. Assuming he can do it, can he bring equipment with him as a tourist, or will the fact that he's bringing professional photography equipment* as a tourist raise red flags at customs and immigration (that he should either be on a work visa, or that he's importing equipment, etc)?

*This would likely include not only his camera--which is normal fare for a tourist--but reflectors, lighting, etc.

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Flimzy
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1 Answers1

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It is a gray area, and to get a definitive answer, you will have to send a complete list of equipment and shooting sites to a Guatemalan lawyer.

Most landscape photographers I know travel around on tourist visa, although this is not completely legal. But they were never caught, mainly because they won't carry that much equipment, since artificial lighting of the Sierra Nevada would require at least one NPP, which falls under the hazardous goods restrictions and exceeds the weight limits. ;)

While a professional photographer, going on vacation with some of his professional equipment, shooting photos for the primary purpose of keeping a memory for himself (and secondary purpose of showing them around to his family and friends), is clearly still a tourist, reflectors and "studio shots" is another thing entirely.

Throw in a room rented/lent for the shots, and you are one step further on the way to "work" - only the "for my relative" and the "not for money" part left to distinguish him from a paid professional.

You should really consider how much risk to take, or whether slightly less professional photos are still good enough for the family album. Is there any requirement for indoor shots with studio equipment?

Alexander
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