The tarjeta de pulmones (lungs card or TB clearance card) is a certificate that proves you do not have tuberculosis or other infectious respiratory diseases. It is one of the most commonly required employment documents in Guatemala, alongside the tarjeta de salud and antecedentes penales. It is a different document from the tarjeta de salud — Acuerdo Gubernativo 72-2003 defines them separately in Article 3 (paragraphs g and h) and Article 12 lists them as two separate obligations for drivers and helpers transporting high-risk unprocessed plant foods. There are two places that issue it: the Liga Nacional contra la Tuberculosis and the MSPAS Dispensario Antituberculoso Central. Neither is an ordinary health centre.

Tuberculosis remains a public health concern in Guatemala, with the country reporting thousands of new cases annually. The tarjeta de pulmones serves as a screening mechanism — particularly for workers in the food industry, healthcare, education, and customer-facing roles. At the Liga route the card rests on a chest X-ray; at the MSPAS Dispensario route, on an in-person medical evaluation.

The two routes differ in one important way. At the Liga you bring a chest X-ray you already had taken elsewhere, together with the radiologist’s signed and sealed report — the X-ray is not performed there. At the MSPAS Dispensario, its director told Prensa Libre the requirement is simply to appear in person for a medical evaluation with your DPI. Both issue the card the same day.

Quick summary: Issued at the Liga Nacional contra la Tuberculosis (9a calle A 0-65, zona 1, Mon-Fri 7:00-17:00) or the MSPAS Dispensario Antituberculoso Central (10 avenida 14-65, zona 1, tel 2232-0643, Mon-Fri 8:00-16:30). Same-day. The Liga charged Q30 per Prensa Libre in January 2024; MSPAS publishes no fee. No renewal period is published for this card — the one-year validity that circulates online belongs to the tarjeta de salud.

Establishment data (addresses, phones, hours) verified against the official MSPAS establishments portal on 1 September 2026. The Liga’s address, hours and Q30 fee come from Prensa Libre reporting in January and June 2024 (the hours and fee were repeated by Guatemala.com in January 2025) and could not be confirmed against any 2026 publication. MSPAS establishment data re-checked on 24 September 2026.

Cost

RoutePublished cost
Liga Nacional contra la TuberculosisQ30 for the exams (Prensa Libre, Jan 2024). The chest X-ray itself is taken elsewhere and paid separately; no source publishes that price.
MSPAS Dispensario Antituberculoso CentralNo fee published by MSPAS.
(For comparison) tarjeta de salud at any health centreQ 0 — free, per the government trámite catalogue and MSPAS via Prensa Libre.

Requirements

At the Liga Nacional contra la Tuberculosis (Prensa Libre, January 2024):

  • A chest X-ray taken at any authorised radiology centre
  • The radiologist’s report — original plus photocopy, with original signature and seal
  • The X-ray film or disc itself
  • DPI, original

At the MSPAS Dispensario Antituberculoso Central (its director, via Prensa Libre, June 2024):

  • Appear in person for a medical evaluation
  • DPI, original (mandatory)
  • Sign the constancia they issue you

If you are unwell on the day, the Dispensario’s director warned that the card will not be issued.

Not published by any source: the accepted payment method, and any validity period for this card.

Step-by-Step Process

Route A — Liga Nacional contra la Tuberculosis

  1. Have a chest X-ray taken at any authorised radiology centre, and collect the film or disc
  2. Collect the radiologist’s report — make sure it carries an original signature and seal, and take a photocopy
  3. Go to the Liga: 9a calle A 0-65, zona 1, Guatemala City — Monday to Friday, 7:00 to 17:00
  4. Present the X-ray, the report and your original DPI
  5. Receive your tarjeta de pulmones the same day

Route B — MSPAS Dispensario Antituberculoso Central

  1. Go to the Dispensario: 10 avenida 14-65, zona 1, Guatemala City — Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 16:30, tel 2232-0643
  2. Be evaluated in person by the doctor
  3. Present your original DPI and sign the constancia they issue
  4. Receive the card the same day, per the Dispensario’s director

No source publishes the queue length or a best time to arrive for either route, so we do not estimate one.

Main Location

Liga Nacional contra la Tuberculosis

  • Address: 9a calle A 0-65, zona 1, Guatemala City
  • Hours: Monday to Friday, 7:00 to 17:00
  • Source: Prensa Libre, January 2024 and June 2024. The Liga has no reachable official website, and we found no phone number published by any source.

Dispensario Antituberculoso Central (MSPAS)

  • Address: 10 avenida 14-65, zona 1, Guatemala City
  • Phone: 2232-0643
  • Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 16:30
  • Status: Funcionando
  • Source: official MSPAS establishments portal, read 1 September 2026

Outside Guatemala City

Only one location outside the capital is published anywhere we could find. In Quetzaltenango the card is issued at an annexe of the Hospital Nacional Rodolfo Robles, Diagonal 11 D8-013, zona 1 — which Prensa Libre describes as the only authorised centre in that region. It is a national hospital annexe, not a Liga branch.

For every other department, no issuing location is published. If you live elsewhere, call before travelling rather than assuming a local office exists.

When You Need This Document

Employers commonly ask for the tarjeta de pulmones in these sectors (the legal requirement we could verify is narrower: AG 72-2003 Art. 12, for drivers and helpers transporting high-risk unprocessed plant foods):

  • Food industry employment — restaurants, comedores, food factories, bakeries, supermarkets
  • Healthcare workers — hospitals, clinics, pharmacies
  • Education sector — teachers and school staff
  • Domestic workers — many households require it
  • Hotel and tourism — front-of-house and kitchen staff
  • Government positions — many public sector jobs require it
  • General employment — an increasing number of employers in all sectors request it

In practice, the tarjeta de pulmones has become a near-universal employment requirement in Guatemala, much like the antecedentes penales and antecedentes policiacos.

From the US (Diaspora Info)

The tarjeta de pulmones cannot be obtained from abroad — both routes require you to appear in person in Guatemala (at the Liga with your chest X-ray and report, or at the MSPAS Dispensario for a medical evaluation):

  • If you are returning to Guatemala to work, plan to get the tarjeta de pulmones during your first few days. The process is same-day
  • Both issuing points (the Liga and the MSPAS Dispensario) are in zona 1 of Guatemala City; outside the capital only Quetzaltenango has a published location
  • If you are sending a family member to work, remind them to get both the tarjeta de pulmones and the tarjeta de salud — most employers require both
  • For US immigration or employment: The tarjeta de pulmones is NOT equivalent to the medical examination required for US immigration (which must be done by USCIS-approved physicians). These are completely separate processes

Edge Cases & Special Situations

Details

No source we could find publishes an exemption or alternative for pregnant applicants at the Liga. What is published is that the MSPAS Dispensario Antituberculoso Central route lists no X-ray: its director told Prensa Libre (June 2024) the requirements are an in-person medical evaluation, your original DPI and signing the constancia. If you are pregnant, ask the Dispensario (tel 2232-0643) before arranging an X-ray.

Details

The X-ray is taken and reported at the radiology centre you choose, not at the Liga. No source publishes how the Liga handles a report showing a non-TB finding. The legal definition (AG 72-2003 Art. 3 g) is that the card certifies you do not have an infectious lung disease; the Dispensario’s director told Prensa Libre that a card is not issued to an applicant who is ill on the day.

Tips & Common Mistakes

  1. Go early in the morning. Prensa Libre (June 2024) advises arriving as early as possible; no source publishes actual queue times.

  2. Do not confuse it with the tarjeta de salud. The tarjeta de pulmones (TB clearance) and the tarjeta de salud (general health card) are different documents from different institutions. The pulmones card comes from the Liga Nacional Contra la Tuberculosis or the MSPAS Dispensario Antituberculoso Central. The tarjeta de salud comes from MSPAS health centers. Most employers require BOTH.

  3. Get the chest X-ray done before going to the Liga. The X-ray is taken at an authorised radiology centre of your choice, not at the Liga; bring the film or disc plus the radiologist’s signed and sealed report.

  4. Get both employment health cards in the same week. Since the tarjeta de pulmones and the tarjeta de salud are at different locations, plan to visit the Liga on one day and the centro de salud on another day during the same week. This way, you are fully ready for employment within a few days.

  5. If you test positive for TB, do not panic. Active TB is curable with a full course of treatment. Ask the doctor who evaluates you where to be referred for treatment.