Regulations verified · Law 6984/2022 · DNM Res. 407/2026 in force. See updates
Country guide
Your case follows the general route of Law 6984/2022: Interpol, the full fee, apostilles and sworn translation of everything in English. It is the path with the most preparation, and the bottleneck is almost always in one place: the FBI Identity History Summary and its apostille.
Route: Law 6984/2022, general route
Document checklist
Which exact certificate, with what validity, apostille and order depends on your case (civil status, children, the residency you are after). We give it to you ready-made in the free evaluation.
How it works
We tell you which route applies (Law 6984, MERCOSUR or direct permanent), which documents you need and what it costs. In writing.
Criminal record, birth and civil-status certificates, apostilled. We tell you exactly which ones, in what format and when to request them, and we check every scan before you travel.
In your first week in Asunción we complete the prior steps and the filing together. You leave with 'precaria' status — you can already work, study and travel in and out.
Migraciones decides and issues the temporary admission card. We follow up and keep you posted — even when there is nothing new.
The prior steps and data capture at the Identification Department. We go with you. You collect the card in person.
The switch to permanent residency has a window before your temporary card expires. We remind you in time and prepare your proof-of-means file under DNM Res. 407/2026.
Common mistakes
It is the costliest mistake in this group: sending the FBI report to a state Secretary of State, or the birth certificate to the federal Department of State. Federal documents are apostilled in Washington; state documents in their state. One misaddressed envelope means two or three weeks lost.
Only translations by sworn translators registered with Paraguay's Supreme Court are valid, or those by an authorised foreign translator with the translation itself apostilled. A U.S. certified translation without an apostille is not accepted.
The United States taxes its citizens based on citizenship, not on where they live, and Paraguayan residency does not change that by itself. Check it with a tax adviser at home before making decisions: we do not advise on U.S. law.
Frequently asked questions
No. Migraciones requires a national or federal certificate: in your case, the FBI Identity History Summary, apostilled. A state report or one from a private company does not meet the requirement, even if notarised. And if you lived three years or more in another country, that country's certificate is needed too.
No. Migraciones states that filing is personal and in person, and for the ID card so are data capture and collection: it is handed only to the holder. Interim follow-up can be handled by a representative. In practice it is 3 to 5 business days in Asunción to file, and a second visit for the ID card. Be wary of anyone promising residency without setting foot in the country.
Not automatically. They are separate procedures: the tax residency certificate is issued by DNIT (RG 65/2020) and requires a valid ID card, an active and up-to-date RUC, and the migration movement certificate for the tax year; it is decided in 10 business days and is valid for one year. Paraguay taxes territorially, at up to 10% on Paraguayan-source income. Your position with the IRS is governed by U.S. law: check it with an adviser there.
The evaluation is free and in writing: we tell you which route applies, what it means in your case and our fixed fee, with the ID card (cédula) always included.
As an Argentine you enter through the MERCOSUR Residence Agreement: temporary residency requires no Interpol check and no proof of means, and your documents are already in Spanish. What does get tricky is the apostille and making the names match letter for letter between your birth certificate and your DNI or passport.
As a Brazilian you enter through the MERCOSUR Residence Agreement and your Portuguese documents need no translation: that is an official exception at Migraciones, and it makes for the lightest paperwork of all. The trap is assuming the exception also covers the apostille: it does not.
As a Uruguayan you enter through the MERCOSUR Residence Agreement: temporary residency with no Interpol check and no proof of means, documents in Spanish with no translation and the lowest fee on the table. The delicate part is the calendar: Uruguayan record checks should be requested close to your trip, not months ahead.
Venezuela is not part of the MERCOSUR Residence Agreement, so your case goes through the general route of Law 6984/2022: with Interpol and the higher fee. And one date defines everything: since 10 January 2026 Venezuelan citizens are required to hold a consular visa, and anyone whose entry was registered before that date can start or continue their residency without one.
Spain is not part of the MERCOSUR Agreement, so your case follows the general route of Law 6984/2022: with Interpol and the higher fee, even though your documents are already in Spanish and nothing needs translating. What causes the most misunderstandings is not the procedure itself but confusing immigration residency with tax residency.