Frequently asked questions about Paraguayan residency and the ID card

For temporary residency (Law 6984/2022): valid passport, proof of entry, apostilled birth and civil-status certificates, apostilled criminal record from your country (from age 14), Interpol and National Police record checks (obtained in Asunción) and two sworn statements generated by the Migraciones system. Everything with a notarised copy and translated if not in Spanish. The MERCOSUR route asks for less: no Interpol or proof of means for the temporary stage.

Yes. Citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador can use the MERCOSUR Residence Agreement: temporary residency requires no proof of means or Interpol check, costs less (Gs. 2,341,540) and Brazilian documents in Portuguese need no translation. Note: that temporary permit lasts 2 years and cannot be extended; permanent residency is requested in the 90 days before expiry.

There is no deposit. That requirement belonged to the previous law and disappeared in 2022, although many websites still publish it. Since 6 July 2026, DNM Resolution 407/2026 applies: for permanent residency you prove means with the document for your category (contract and IPS if employed, RUC and returns if self-employed, proof of income if working remotely, pension statement if retired, title if a property owner…). Paraguay publishes no minimum amount — it publishes a document per profile, and requires income to be verifiable.

Migraciones publishes no validity period, but in practice requires them to be recent. We recommend no older than three months when filed, and we time the issue date with your travel date so they do not arrive expired.

It is the international Hague Convention seal that makes a public document from your country valid in Paraguay. It is always done in the country that issued the document, before you travel: a Paraguayan apostille does not work for foreign documents. If your country is not in the Convention, the document is legalised at the Paraguayan consulate and then at the Foreign Ministry.

Anything not in Spanish is translated by a sworn translator registered at Paraguay's Supreme Court (or by an authorised foreign translator, with the translation itself apostilled). Official exception: Brazilian documents in Portuguese need no translation. The Complete package includes up to four translations.

Minors have their own file and are exempt from proof of means; children under 14 also present no record checks. Both parents sign (with valid residency or applying at the same time). If only one parent travels, a notarised authorisation from the other or a court order is needed. We charge a reduced fee per child.

Migraciones publishes no processing deadline. What we see today: 2 to 8 weeks to gather documents in your country; 3 to 5 business days in Asunción to file; 30 to 90 days until the card; and up to 60 business days (official) for the ID card. Overall, 4 to 8 months from start to ID card in hand. We put it this way because promising 30 days would be lying to you.

Yes. Migraciones states that the procedure is personal and in person: nobody can file it for you. With documents ready, filing takes 3 to 5 business days in Asunción. Afterwards you may wait for the card abroad; for the ID card you must come back — data capture and collection are done by the holder in person.

Yes. When you file, you receive precaria status (art. 57 of Law 6984), which lets you leave and re-enter, work and study while Migraciones decides. It lasts 90 calendar days and is granted once; if the decision takes longer, we tell you how to handle it.

It is the provisional status Migraciones grants the day your residency file is submitted. It is included in the temporary residency fee and allows you to work, study and enter and leave the country while it is decided. It is not a definitive card and does not yet allow you to request the ID card.

The Identification Department's official timeline is up to 60 business days from data capture; the fee for a foreigner's first ID card is Gs. 8,500. Only the holder can collect it, in person. We tell you the same day it is ready.

Two parts. The official fees you pay the State: about US$ 550 per person on the general route (temporary residency Gs. 2,926,925, Interpol, Police, certificate of residence and ID card) and about US$ 435 on the MERCOSUR route, at the rates in force since 1 Jul 2026. And our fee, which we give you in writing in the free evaluation: fixed, with the ID card always included, and different depending on your route, country and how many people travel. What we sign is what you pay.

It can happen: fees are set in minimum daily wages and rise with the minimum wage. If it does, we tell you before you pay and you pay the current fee to the State, with a receipt. Our fee does not change.

Each additional person in the same family pays a reduced fee, and children under 14 even less (no record checks or proof of means). The exact amount goes in your written quote. Official fees are per person and are charged by the State.

The fee is paid 50% to start (when you receive your document list and the review begins) and 50% the day we file at Migraciones. Official fees are paid by you directly to the State, in front of us and with an official receipt. We will never ask you to pay “fees” into our account.

It is your taxpayer registration with DNIT; its number is your ID card number. You need it to invoice, to open an account at many banks and for the tax residency certificate. And one detail almost nobody mentions: if you will prove means as self-employed for permanent residency, the RUC must exist and have returns filed months in advance. That is why in the Complete package we obtain it as soon as you have the ID card.

With the Paraguayan ID card and the RUC, yes, at most banks. Each bank applies its own know-your-customer policy (proof of address, source of funds). We go with you to the branch with the file prepared the way they ask. The final decision is the bank's.

Not automatically. Immigration residency and tax residency are different things. The tax residency certificate is issued by DNIT (RG 65/2020) if you have an active, up-to-date RUC and present your migration movement certificate; it is valid for one year. Law 6380/2019 defines tax residency by effective presence and centre of economic interests; the famous “120 days” come from the tax-domicile criterion (art. 152 of Law 125/1991), not from an automatic rule. Paraguay taxes on a territorial basis (IRP up to 10% on Paraguayan-source income). Your home country applies its own rules — consult a tax adviser there.

The category switch is requested within the three months before the temporary card expires (i.e. between months 21 and 24). If the card has already expired, there is a one-month grace period with a fine; after that you can no longer switch category, only request an extension. There are direct routes to permanent residency without the temporary stage: spouses and children of Paraguayans, relatives of returnees and investors with a SUACE certificate.

Naturalisation is a separate judicial procedure, after permanent residency, with its own settlement requirements (years of effective residence, conduct, means of living). We do not sell it as part of the package nor promise timelines: when the time comes, we point you to a lawyer.

No — and be wary of anyone who does: the decision belongs to Migraciones. What we do guarantee is our work: a complete and correct file, review of every document before you travel, in-person accompaniment and weekly follow-up. If a document we approved is rejected, we handle the correction at no additional fee.

The accompaniment is done by our team in Asunción and the file is reviewed by a registered lawyer [PENDIENTE name and bar number]. Full details are on the About page. If your case requires court action (naturalisation, name correction), we refer you clearly and with a separate price.

Typical signs: quoting the “residency” and charging for the ID card separately later (US$ 2,000–3,000 for a procedure whose official fee is Gs. 8,500); asking you to pay “official fees” into a private account; promising guaranteed approval or “one single trip”; demanding 100% upfront in cash or crypto; and publishing requirements that no longer exist (US$ 5,000 deposit). Migraciones has officially warned about fake invoices in its name. Always ask for the total price in writing with the ID card included.