Temporary, then permanent
- No investment needed
- Temporary card for up to 2 years
- Permanent needs proof of real income
Step by step · checked 8 Oct 2026
How to get residency in Paraguay
What happens from your home country to your cédula: police checks, translations, filing at Migraciones and the move to permanent residency.
At a glance
- Migraciones feeGs. 2,926,925 per stage
- Temporary cardUp to 2 years
- File for permanentLast 3 months of the card
- While processingPrecarious status: work & travel
- WhereIn person at Migraciones
Ley 6984/2022 · Decreto 6225/2026 · Res. DNM 407/2026 · Res. MIC 283/2026
Four tracks
Which one applies to you?
Most US, Canadian and European applicants use the standard track. The investor routes skip the temporary stage.
For South American nationals
- 2-year temporary residency
- Lower fee: Gs. 2,341,540
- Not available to US, Canadian or EU citizens
Productive investment
- Direct permanent residency
- Business plan and 5 formal jobs
- Now one of the Investor Pass routes
Real estate, securities, tourism
- Direct permanent residency
- CIE within 5 business days
- Compare the routes
The standard track
Paraguay residency in seven steps.
Migraciones publishes no official processing times. Where we give one, it's what was reported in 2026.
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Prepare documents at home
Birth certificate, civil-status certificate and a national-level criminal record, all apostilled (or legalised by a Paraguayan consulate). Full checklist
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Arrive and get local certificates
A Paraguayan police certificate and an INTERPOL certificate, plus sworn Spanish translations of your foreign documents.
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File for temporary residency
In person at Migraciones: your documents, two sworn declarations, biometrics and the fee. You receive precarious status, which lets you work, study and travel while you wait.
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Temporary residency granted
Your card is valid for up to 2 years and renewable. From now on, don't stay abroad more than 1 year in a row without justification (Ley 6984/2022, Art. 55).
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Get your cédula
At the Departamento de Identificaciones with your residency certificate. New photo, fingerprints and signature. Cédula requirements
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Build your income evidence
Since 6 July 2026, permanent residency needs proof of real income that matches the activity you declared, e.g. a remote-work certificate, pension certificate, or RUC with real IVA filings. What counts
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File for permanent residency
In the last 3 months before your temporary card expires, with your income proof and Paraguayan police, judicial, good-conduct and INTERPOL certificates. The permanent card is renewed every 10 years (Migraciones). Permanent residency in detail
On the ground in Paraguay
The local paperwork.
Policía Nacional
Police certificate
- Certificado de antecedentes for foreigners
- Bring your passport and copies
- Pay the fee; some offices issue it the same day
INTERPOL Asunción
INTERPOL certificate
- Passport, forms, fingerprints and photo
- Pay the fee and come back on the given date
- Since late 2025, some nationalities report longer waits while the home country confirms
Translators & notaries
Translations & copies
- Sworn translation by a traductor público matriculado
- Brazilian documents in Portuguese are exempt
- An escribano (notary) certifies copies; ask for a quote first
Filing day
What to bring to Migraciones.
Originals + authenticated copies
Your file
- Passport (or national ID) and proof of entry
- Apostilled birth and civil-status certificates, translated
- Home-country criminal record, apostilled and translated
- Paraguayan police and INTERPOL certificates
- Marriage and family documents, if they apply
On the day
What happens
- Sign two sworn declarations (respect for the law; your activity and address)
- Photo, fingerprints and signature
- Pay in cash in guaraníes; cards add a 2–3% + IVA commission (Migraciones fee table)
- Keep your receipt and file number
- Expect possible requests for extra documents
Too good to be true
"Same-day" or "48-hour" residency isn't how Migraciones works. Every route needs you in person, and legitimate files take weeks to months. More on scams
Sources
Checked 8 October 2026.
- Migraciones: temporary residency requirements
- Migraciones: permanent residency (change of category)
- Migraciones: fees from 1 July 2026
- Migraciones: absence limits (Art. 55)
Informational content only, not legal advice.
Ask us before you file.
Send us a message or a WhatsApp and we'll help you check your documents and your timing.