Assuming “in Portuguese” means “no apostille needed”
The official exception covers translation, not the apostille. Every Brazilian certificate must be apostilled at a cartório before you travel; without that seal the file is not accepted.
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Official fees verified on 17 Aug 2026 (Decree 6225/2026 · DNM Res. 407/2026 in force). See sources
Country guide
Residency in Paraguay for Brazilians, step by step
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.
Route: MERCOSUR Residence Agreement
Quick facts
- RouteMERCOSUR Residence Agreement
- Approx. official fees≈ US$ 435 per person: MERCOSUR temporary residency Gs. 2,341,540 + National Police Gs. 24,500 + certificate of residence Gs. 234,154 + ID card (cédula) Gs. 8,500 (fees in force since 1 July 2026).
- TranslationNot required: Portuguese documents issued in Brazil are exempt from translation, both at Migraciones and at Identificaciones.
- ApostilleIn Brazil, before you travel: any cartório authorised by the CNJ to issue the Hague Apostille. Yes, even though the document is in Portuguese.
- Criminal recordNationwide criminal record certificate (certidão de antecedentes criminais) from the Polícia Federal, apostilled. Required from age 14.
- Estimated timeApprox. 4 to 8 months in total: 2 to 6 weeks of certificates and apostilles in Brazil, 3 to 5 business days filing in Asunción, 1 to 3 months until the residence card and up to 60 business days (official) for the ID card.
Document checklist
Documents specific to Brazilians
The general list is on the Process page. Here we only cover what changes because of where you come from. Process →
- Valid Brazilian RG or passport, plus proof of entry into Paraguay: entry stamp or migration slip.
- Polícia Federal criminal record certificate, apostilled at a cartório and recent (we recommend under 3 months old when filed).
- Up-to-date birth certificate (certidão de nascimento), apostilled. Names must match your identity document letter for letter.
- Apostilled civil-status document as applicable: marriage certificate, certificate showing the divorce annotation, or spouse's death certificate.
- No translation and no Interpol for MERCOSUR temporary residency: you add the Paraguayan National Police record check (Gs. 24,500), obtained in Asunción, and the sworn statement of no international criminal record.
- If you travel with children: an apostilled birth certificate for each and both parents' signatures; if only one parent travels, a notarised authorisation from the other, apostilled. Children under 14 present no record checks.
How it works
The path, step by step
- 01
We evaluate your case
We tell you which route applies (Law 6984, MERCOSUR or direct permanent), which documents you need and what it costs. In writing.
- 02
You gather documents at home
Criminal record, birth and civil-status certificates, apostilled. We check every scan before you travel — nobody lands in Asunción with an expired document.
- 03
We file at Migraciones, together
In your first week in Asunción: Interpol, National Police, certified copies and the filing itself. You leave with 'precaria' status — you can already work, study and travel in and out.
- 04
Your residence card arrives
Migraciones decides and issues the temporary admission card (2 years). We follow up and keep you posted — even when there is nothing new.
- 05
ID card at Identificaciones
Certificate of residence, proof of life and address, foreigner registration and data capture at the Identification Department. We go with you. You collect the card in person.
- 06
Permanent, at month 21
The switch to permanent residency is requested within the 3 months before your temporary card expires. We remind you in time and prepare your proof-of-means file under DNM Res. 407/2026.
Common mistakes
Typical mistakes we see
Bringing a certificate issued months ago
Migraciones publishes no validity period but requires recent record checks: we recommend no more than 3 months old when filed. Since Brazilian certificates are issued quickly, request them once your travel date is set.
Letting MERCOSUR temporary residency lapse
It lasts 2 years and cannot be extended. MERCOSUR permanent residency is requested within the 90 days before expiry, and there you do prove means with the document for your category (DNM Res. 407/2026). We remind you from month 18.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions from Brazilians
Do my Portuguese documents need translation?
No. It is an official exception: Portuguese documents issued in Brazil require no translation, neither for the residency file at Migraciones nor for the ID card at Identificaciones. What they do need, without exception, is the apostille done in Brazil.
Is it true that Brazilians have the easiest procedure?
It is the lightest in paperwork: MERCOSUR route, no Interpol and no proof of means for temporary residency, no translation and a lower fee (Gs. 2,341,540 instead of Gs. 2,926,925). It is not faster to decide: the timeline is set by Migraciones and is the same for everyone. In 2024, of 28,464 residencies granted, 17,139 went to Brazilians (60.21%), according to Migraciones' own figures.
I live near the border. Can I do it without going to Asunción?
The file can be submitted at the central Migraciones office or at its regional offices, and there are regularisation drives in border cities such as Ciudad del Este, Pedro Juan Caballero and Salto del Guairá. We accompany you in Asunción, where Interpol, the National Police, the notaries and Identificaciones sit on a single three-to-five-day circuit. Data capture and collection of the ID card are always done in person.
This applies to Brazilians. What comes next depends on your case.
The evaluation is free and in writing: we tell you which route applies, your exact document list and the total cost, with official fees in plain sight and our fee fixed, with the ID card (cédula) always included.
Other country guides
Argentines
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.
Uruguayans
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.
Venezuelans
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.
Spaniards
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.
Americans
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.