Residency Requirements
The exact documents you need to prepare before traveling to Paraguay. Get your apostilles right the first time.
Quick Summary
- Birth Certificate: Recent original + Apostille.
- Criminal Record: Clean, valid + Apostille.
- Passport: Valid for 6+ months.
- Family: Marriage/birth certs if applicable.
Basic Paraguay Residency Requirements
Exact requirements depend on your nationality, family situation and current law. The categories below apply to most applicants, but you should always confirm details with a Paraguayan consulate and the immigration authority (Migraciones).
Your Personal and Family Situation
First, identify which category describes you, because it affects which documents you need:
- Single, widowed or divorced, no children
- Married couple, no children
- Married or unmarried couple with children
Typical Home-Country Documents
The exact names and formats differ by country, but most Paraguay residency applicants deal with the following:
Full Birth Certificate
- Request a recent original from your civil registry, city hall or national records office.
- It should show your full name, date and place of birth, and an official stamp or seal.
- For international use, many countries treat birth certificates as “fresh” only for a limited time.
- To be safe, request them 3–4 months before you travel.
Criminal Record / Police Clearance Certificate
- Issued by your Ministry of Justice, National Police, Interior Ministry, or equivalent.
- Usually required for each adult, and sometimes teenagers (e.g. from age 14–16+; confirm exact rules).
- In practice, Paraguay expects a clean record. Any entry can create complications.
- The certificate must be clearly official (stamp, seal, QR code or verification link) and within its validity period when used.
Valid Passport
- Should be valid for at least 6 months after your planned entry into Paraguay.
- If you plan a longer stay or move, aim for 2+ years of validity to avoid renewing mid-process.
Marital and Family Documents (If Applicable)
- Marriage certificate for legally married couples.
- Birth certificates of children.
- Family registers or court documents proving parent–child relationships, custody, or name changes.
- Unmarried couples with children may need extra documents showing legal parentage or guardianship.
Apostille and Legalisation
Paraguay typically requires foreign public documents to be officially validated before acceptance:
- Apostille (if your country is part of the Hague Apostille Convention), or
- Consular legalisation (if your country is not part of the Convention).
- Hague Apostille: Most European countries (UK, Germany, France, Spain, etc.) are members of the Hague Convention, making the Apostille process standard and efficient.
- Multilingual Certificates: If your country issues "International" or "Multilingual" birth certificates (Formula A), get one. While Paraguay still typically requires a local translation, the multilingual format is easier to verify and widely accepted.
Commonly apostilled/legalised documents include:
- Birth certificates
- Criminal record / police clearance certificates
- Marriage certificates
- Relevant court or family documents
| Applicant | Document | Needs Apostille/Legalisation? | Completed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| You | Birth certificate | Yes | ☐ |
| You | Criminal record | Yes | ☐ |
| Partner | Birth certificate | Yes | ☐ |
| Partner | Criminal record | Yes | ☐ |
| Child | Birth certificate | Yes | ☐ |
| Family | Marriage certificate / court docs | Yes | ☐ |
Pre-Departure Checklist (3–4 Months Before Travel)
- [ ] Confirm your family category (single, couple, with children).
- [ ] Request fresh full birth certificates for each applicant.
- [ ] Request criminal record / police clearance certificates for each adult (and teenagers if required).
- [ ] Request marriage and family documents (if applicable).
- [ ] Get all required documents apostilled or legalised.
- [ ] Create digital scans and store them securely (cloud + offline).
- [ ] Check validity periods so your documents are not “too old” at filing time.
Ready for the next step?
Once you have your documents ready, learn about the filing process in Paraguay.