Requesting the record check too early
It is the most common mistake in the MERCOSUR group: papers are gathered months in advance and arrive stale at the counter. We time the issue date and the apostille with your travel date.
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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 Uruguayans, step by step
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.
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: your documents are already in Spanish.
- ApostilleIn Uruguay, before you travel: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A Paraguayan apostille is no use for Uruguayan documents.
- Criminal recordJudicial record certificate from the Ministry of the Interior, apostilled. Required from age 14.
- Estimated timeApprox. 4 to 8 months in total: 2 to 6 weeks of certificates and apostilles in Uruguay, 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 Uruguayans
The general list is on the Process page. Here we only cover what changes because of where you come from. Process →
- Valid Uruguayan ID card or passport, plus proof of entry into Paraguay: entry stamp or migration slip.
- Judicial record certificate from the Ministry of the Interior, apostilled and recent (we recommend under 3 months old when filed).
- Up-to-date Uruguayan birth certificate, apostilled. Names must match your ID card or passport letter for letter.
- Apostilled civil-status certificate as applicable: marriage certificate, divorce decree or spouse's death certificate.
- No Interpol and no proof of means 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
Forgetting the civil-status certificate
Since it is not an identity document, many people overlook it. It is mandatory for married, divorced and widowed applicants, and it must be apostilled just like the birth certificate.
Counting on an extension that does not exist
MERCOSUR temporary residency lasts 2 years and cannot be extended. Permanent residency is requested within the 90 days before expiry, proving means for your category (DNM Res. 407/2026). Miss the window and you lose that route.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions from Uruguayans
Is my Uruguayan ID card enough for the whole procedure?
It works as the identity document for the file: Migraciones accepts an identity card, an equivalent identity document from your country or a valid passport. What it does not replace is proof of entry into the country or the apostilled birth certificate, which are separate requirements.
What exactly do I gain with the MERCOSUR route?
Three things: no Interpol certificate for temporary residency, no proof of means at that stage, and a lower fee (Gs. 2,341,540 against Gs. 2,926,925 on the general route). The rest of the path is the same: ID card, RUC if you need it and, after two years, the switch to permanent residency.
How much time do I have to spend in Paraguay?
To file, 3 to 5 business days in Asunción: the procedure is personal and in person. Afterwards you can wait abroad on precaria status (90 calendar days, granted once, art. 57), but you must come back for data capture and to collect the ID card, which is handed only to the holder. And one rule worth keeping in your calendar: being away for more than a year in a row is grounds for cancelling temporary residency (art. 54).
This applies to Uruguayans. 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.
Brazilians
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.
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.