Guatemala regulates tattoo and piercing studios as health establishments. MSPAS’s Norma Técnica No 25-2018 applies to every studio in the country and requires a sanitary licence from DRACES, single-use needles and tips, pigment portioned into a disposable cup for each client, sterile gloves per client and a signed consent form. It bans piercing guns, tattooing on infected skin and tattoo studios inside barbershops.
This page turns the standard into what a customer can see and ask in a studio. It is not legal or medical advice, and it does not certify any studio. The standard is read from the copy of Norma Técnica 25-2018 hosted by USAC’s digital health library; the licence-check route is from a government notice of 4 April 2022. Both were read on 31 October 2026.
Quick summary
| Question | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Rule that applies | MSPAS Norma Técnica No 25-2018, Centro de Tatuajes y Perforaciones Corporales |
| Who it covers | Every establishment doing tattoos and body piercing nationwide, including permanent make-up done in beauty salons (Art. 1, 2) |
| Who licenses | DRACES, which grants the Licencia Sanitaria and supervises (Art. 4) |
| Licence check | www.mspas.gob.gt: SERVICIOS, DRACES, accredited establishments (notice of 4 April 2022) |
| Report an unlicensed service | DRACES 2231-2933 or 2231-2937; Avenida Bolívar 28-07, Zona 8 |
| Banned | Piercing guns; tattooing infected or injured skin; reuse of disposables; studios inside barbershops, hair salons or convenience stores (Art. 19) |
| Paperwork | Client record and signed informed consent (Art. 9.6, 9.7) |
| Minimum age | No age rule appears in the hosted text of the standard; its annexes are not in that copy |
Who the standard covers
Article 1 says the standard sets the minimum conditions for establishments doing tattoos and piercings by invasive procedures, including permanent make-up lines done in beauty salons. Article 5.1 defines a tattoo and piercing centre as any establishment that modifies the body with tattoos on any part of the body, including eyelids, lips and eyebrows, or with procedures that pierce the skin. Article 2 applies it to all such establishments in the whole country.
DRACES, the Ministry of Health’s department for regulating, accrediting and controlling health establishments, oversees compliance (Art. 3), grants the Licencia Sanitaria and supervises (Art. 4). Article 11 makes any breach a sanitary infraction, sanctioned under the Código de Salud (Decreto 90-97) and Acuerdo Gubernativo 376-2007. Article 18 gives DRACES control of studio advertising.
Checking a studio’s licence
The government notice of 4 April 2022 says DRACES keeps a register of health-care establishments, and that you can check whether an establishment has a valid sanitary licence on www.mspas.gob.gt under SERVICIOS, then DRACES, then the section for accredited establishments. It names promoción de la salud y estética corporal among the nine groups of establishments DRACES regulates, and gives the register at the time as 12,817 establishments with valid licences.
If you find a service that is not authorised, the notice gives these DRACES channels:
| Channel | Detail |
|---|---|
| Phone | 2231-2933 or 2231-2937 |
| In person | Avenida Bolívar 28-07, Zona 8, Guatemala City |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 16:30 |
A studio’s own advertising is not a licence record; ask to see the licence and check the name against DRACES’s list.
What you should see in the studio
These are the standard’s minimum conditions that a customer can see during a visit.
| What to look for | Requirement | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Needles | Disposable needles and tips | 7.1 |
| Pigment | Individual disposable containers; the portion for the procedure separated per client and thrown away afterwards in the biohazard bin | 7.1 |
| Pigment storage | Kept in the manufacturer’s container, closed and protected from contamination | 7.1 |
| Gloves | Sterile disposable latex or nitrile gloves for each client | 7.1, 7.2 |
| Razor | A disposable razor for each client | 7.1 |
| Work surface | Disposable plastic covering the whole work area; the couch covered with stretch film | 7.1 |
| Staff protection | Disposable gowns and aprons, disposable masks | 7.2 |
| Waste | A biohazard container, a sharps container, labelled red bags for infectious waste | 7.1 |
| Hand washing | A basin in the work area with liquid antiseptic soap and paper towels in a dispenser | 6.10 |
| Room | Separate tattoo and piercing areas with privacy for the client; washable surfaces; floors without carpet | 6.2, 6.8, 6.9 |
| First aid | A first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher | 7.1 |
For piercing jewellery, Article 7.1 lists surgical-grade stainless steel, white or yellow gold, niobium, titanium, platinum, or very dense, low-porosity plastic, and requires the jewellery to be sterilised before use.
The paperwork
Article 9 requires every studio to keep a physical file. Two items concern you directly:
- Your client file must contain Annex D, the Ficha del Usuario, and Annex E, the Consentimiento Informado, duly signed (Art. 9.6, 9.7). Expect to fill in and sign both.
- The artist’s file must hold a health card or medical certificate and proof of vaccination against tetanus and hepatitis B, or a laboratory antibody result signed and stamped by a professional, plus proof of training in infectious-waste handling, disinfection and sterilisation, and first aid (Art. 8.3, 8.4, 9.1).
The studio must also keep a biosafety manual, a procedures manual and an emergency plan (Art. 9.2 to 9.4).
What the standard bans
Article 19 lists five prohibitions:
- Itinerant tattooing and piercing, and tattooing or piercing at fairs or exhibitions, unless DRACES authorises it in advance on a written request with a sketch and the exact location.
- Tattoo and piercing studios inside other businesses where cross-contamination is a risk, naming barbershops, hair salons and convenience stores.
- The piercing gun: “No se permite en EL ESTABLECIMIENTO el uso de pistola perforadora”, because these instruments cannot be sterilised between procedures.
- Tattooing or piercing skin with an infection or other injury, such as pustules, abscesses, acne or dermatitis.
- Reusing disposable material, listed as gloves, needles, tips, razors, individual pigment containers and leftover pigment.
Article 13 requires all of that disposable material to be discarded under the hospital solid-waste regulation, Acuerdo Gubernativo 509-2001.
What the standard does not cover
The hosted copy of Norma Técnica 25-2018 sets no minimum age for a tattoo, and its Annexes A to E are not included in that copy. Article 21 calls for the standard to be revised within three years, so ask DRACES whether a later version applies. The standard also sets no aftercare timetable, and this page gives none; ask your own clinician about personal health questions.
After the tattoo: blood donation
If you plan to donate blood in Guatemala, IGSS’s notice of 14 January 2025 for the Hospital General de Enfermedades blood bank lists among its requirements: “Si tiene tatuajes o perforaciones deben tener por lo menos un año”. The full donor rules are on our blood donation in Guatemala page.
Related
- Beauty salon sanitary licence, for the salon side of MSPAS licensing.
- MSPAS health establishment licence, for the DRACES licence process from the owner’s side.
- Altitude and elevation in Guatemala, for another travel-health question.
Sources
All read on 31 October 2026.
- MSPAS Norma Técnica No 25-2018, Centro de Tatuajes y Perforaciones Corporales (copy hosted by USAC)
- Gobierno de Guatemala: verify that health establishments have a sanitary licence (4 April 2022)
- IGSS: Donar sangre, un acto de amor al prójimo (14 January 2025)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do tattoo studios in Guatemala need a licence?
Yes. MSPAS’s Norma Técnica No 25-2018 applies to every establishment that does tattoos or body piercing anywhere in the country, and Article 4 makes MSPAS’s Departamento de Regulación, Acreditación y Control de Establecimientos de Salud (DRACES) responsible for granting the Licencia Sanitaria and supervising them.
How can I check a tattoo studio's licence in Guatemala?
A government notice of 4 April 2022 says you can verify a valid sanitary licence on the Ministry of Health website, www.mspas.gob.gt, under SERVICIOS, then DRACES, then the accredited-establishments section. Unauthorised services can be reported to DRACES on 2231-2933 or 2231-2937.
Can a Guatemalan studio pierce my ears with a piercing gun?
No. Article 19.3 of Norma Técnica 25-2018 bans the piercing gun in tattoo and piercing establishments, because the instrument cannot be sterilised between procedures.
Will I have to sign anything before a tattoo in Guatemala?
The standard requires each studio to keep a client file containing two annexes, a Ficha del Usuario and a Consentimiento Informado, duly signed (Articles 9.6 and 9.7).
Can I get a tattoo at a market stall or fair in Guatemala?
Article 19.1 prohibits itinerant tattooing and piercing, and tattooing or piercing at fairs or exhibitions, unless DRACES authorises it in advance on a written request with a sketch and the exact location.
Can I donate blood in Guatemala after getting a tattoo?
IGSS’s blood-donation notice of 14 January 2025 for the Hospital General de Enfermedades blood bank says tattoos or piercings must be at least a year old.
