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Getting residency in Paraguay: the 2026 guide
Short answer
You first apply to the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones for temporary residency, valid for up to 2 years and renewable for the same period, for ₲2,926,925 (about 493 USD). In the 3 months before it expires, you switch to permanent residency, which requires proof of income. Citizens of 8 Mercosur countries, including Brazil and Argentina, follow a lighter route. Migraciones publishes no processing time and the migration law (Ley 6984/22) sets none. Under its article 57, the Residencia Precaria card you hold while you wait is valid for 90 calendar days and is issued only once.
The steps
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Gather your documents at home
Bring your birth certificate and, if relevant, a marriage, divorce or death certificate. From age 14, the criminal record certificate depends on where you lived. If you spent more than 1 year in another country during the past 3, Migraciones requires that country's certificate and proof that you lived there. Foreign documents need an apostille or legalization.
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Enter Paraguay and keep proof of entry
The entry stamp in your passport, or the migration slip stamped at the border, goes into the file, along with your visa if your nationality needs one.
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Complete the file in Paraguay
From age 14, add an INTERPOL record check and the Policía Nacional record check for foreigners. A public translator registered in Paraguay can translate it into Spanish. A public translator authorized abroad is also accepted if the translation is apostilled or legalized. Brazilian documents in Portuguese are exempt from translation.
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Apply in person
At the Migraciones head office, Caballero 201 at Eligio Ayala in Asunción, Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 14:30, first come first served, with a copy of each original certified by an escribanía (notary). The fee is ₲2,926,925. While your application is processed, you have “residente precario” status and may work, study, leave and re-enter the country. The card for this status is valid for 90 calendar days and is issued only once.
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Receive temporary residency, then your cédula
The resident card is valid for up to 2 years and can be extended for the same period, for ₲1,287,847. The cédula, the Paraguayan ID card issued by the Policía Nacional, has the same validity.
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Switch to permanent residency
You apply in the 3 months before your temporary card expires, or up to 1 month after with a fine. The permanent card and the cédula are then renewed every 10 years.
Official costs
| Procedure | Cash fee | In jornales |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary residency | ₲2,926,925 (about 493 USD) | 25 |
| Temporary residency extension | ₲1,287,847 (about 217 USD) | 11 |
| Permanent residency | ₲2,926,925 (about 493 USD) | 25 |
| Mercosur temporary residency | ₲2,341,540 (about 395 USD) | 20 |
| Certificado de radicación (proof of residency) | ₲234,154 (about 39 USD) | 2 |
| Permanent card renewal | ₲468,308 (about 79 USD) | 4 |
| Fine for overstaying | ₲702,462 (about 118 USD) | 6 |
| Apostilles, translations, lawyer | To be confirmed | To be confirmed |
Fees in force since July 1, 2026 (Decreto N° 6225/2026 and Resolución DNM N° 478/2026), set in jornales, the daily minimum wage of ₲117,077. By card, Migraciones adds a 2% to 3% fee plus VAT.
Dollar amounts use the Banco Central del Paraguay reference rate of September 22, 2026 (₲5,935 to 1 USD). Lawyer or agency fees are optional and not included here.
Proving your income for permanent residency
Permanent residency requires proof of income or resources, depending on the category you apply under. A degree alone is not enough.
- Employee, with an IPS social security certificate or an employment contract approved by the Ministerio de Trabajo.
- Self-employed, with your taxpayer registration and VAT returns for the last 3 months, or your income tax return for the last year.
- Remote worker or digital nomad, with a letter from your employer stating your income and how it is paid, apostilled and translated.
- Retiree, with a pension statement showing the amount and the account it is paid into.
- Property owner, with a title recorded in the land registry (RUN) within the past 2 years.
- Company partner, farmer or rancher, member of a religious order, adult student, or dependent of a resident spouse or child, each with its own document list.
Mercosur citizens
Citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador can apply for Mercosur temporary residency. It costs ₲2,341,540, lasts 2 years and cannot be extended.
The file is lighter than under the general rules, with no visa and no INTERPOL check, and your criminal record check can come from your country's consulate in Paraguay.
Mercosur permanent residency must be requested from 90 days before the temporary card expires, or the right is lost. It requires the same proof of income and is the only route to a cédula.