Assuming Venezuela qualifies under MERCOSUR
The MERCOSUR Residence Agreement lists Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. Venezuela is not on it: the procedure follows Law 6984/2022, with Interpol.
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Regulations verified · Law 6984/2022 · DNM Res. 407/2026 in force. See updates
Country guide
Residency in Paraguay for Venezuelans, step by step
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.
Route: Consular visa + Law 6984/2022 (general route)
Quick facts
- RouteConsular visa + Law 6984/2022 (general route)
- TranslationNot required: your documents are already in Spanish.
- Estimated timeDepends on your country and on Migraciones: months, not weeks. We give you your case's estimate in the evaluation.
Document checklist
Your document list as Venezuelans: in the evaluation
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
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 tell you exactly which ones, in what format and when to request them, and we check every scan before you travel.
- 03
We file at Migraciones, together
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.
- 04
Your residence card arrives
Migraciones decides and issues the temporary admission card. We follow up and keep you posted — even when there is nothing new.
- 05
ID card at Identificaciones
The prior steps and data capture at the Identification Department. We go with you. You collect the card in person.
- 06
Permanent, when it is time
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
Typical mistakes we see
Booking the flight before checking your entry date
The consular visa applies from 10 January 2026. If you were already in Paraguay with your entry registered before that date, your case continues without a visa; if you are entering now, the visa is obtained at the Paraguayan consulate before you travel. It is the first thing we check in the evaluation.
Forgetting the record check from the country where you lived
If you spent three years or more in another country before arriving, Migraciones also asks for that country's record check, proving your residence there. Discovering it at the counter costs weeks and another round of paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions from Venezuelans
Do I need a consular visa for residency?
It depends on your entry date. Since 10 January 2026 Venezuelan citizens on a transit stay permit are required to hold a consular visa. Those whose entry was registered before that date can start or continue the residency procedure without one. When the visa does apply, it goes with the Foreign Ministry's verification.
My teenage child cannot obtain a record check in Venezuela. What do we do?
DNM Resolution 858/2024 exempts teenagers aged 15 to 18 from Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Spain, Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela from the home-country record check when their country does not issue them for minors. Children under 14 are always exempt. From age 14 the Interpol and National Police checks are required, and those are done here.
Can I move on to permanent residency later?
Yes. Temporary residency lasts 2 years and the category switch is requested within the 3 months before expiry, between months 21 and 24. For that stage you need a valid Paraguayan ID card, updated record checks and proof of means with the document for your category (DNM Res. 407/2026): a work certificate stating income, contract and IPS, RUC and tax returns, or a pension statement, depending on your case.
This applies to Venezuelans. What comes next depends on your case.
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.
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.
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.
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.