保证期间是指保证人能够“容忍”债权人不积极行使权利的最长期间,在该期间内债权人不行使权利,则债权人对保证人的请求权消灭,相应的保证人将免除保证合同中的保证责任。从性质上讲,保证期间既不属于诉讼时效也不属于除斥期间,属于民法中的第三类消灭时效,是保证合同债权人请求权的消灭期间。 The guarantee period refers to the longest period during which the guarantor can “tolerate” the obligee’s active exercise of rights. During this period, the obligee does not exercise the right, and the obligee’s right of claim against the guarantor is extinguished. The corresponding guarantor will be exempt from the guarantor liability in the guaranty contract. In essence, the guarantee period neither belongs to the limitation of action nor belongs to the period of exclusion, belongs to the third category of civil law to eliminate the limitation of time, is to ensure the contract creditor’s right to eliminate the period.