Temporary residence in Paraguay allows you to reside, work, and invest in the country for two years. Moreover, temporary residence can be extended before its expiration, or even converted into permanent residence after 21 months.
When discussing obtaining residency in Paraguay, the information encountered is often contradictory. This is mainly due to the fact that the law significantly changed with regulation N°6984/22 of 2022, which introduced a long series of changes to the process of obtaining temporary and permanent residency. Some changes were also introduced in September 2024, now requiring a second trip in order to apply for the ID card.
With this new law, the role of temporary residence has become more important than before. The requirements to obtain it are fewer than before the law changed, and in particular, the obligation to prove one’s financial solvency has been removed. Furthermore, obtaining temporary residence has become the easiest way to then move on to permanent residence. If you need assistance to obtain your Temporary Residency in Paraguay, feel free to get in touch with us.
Temporary residence in Paraguay: what documents are needed?
The process to obtain residence requires a long list of documents. Only some of these can be requested in your home country, while others can only be obtained once you arrive in Paraguay. Assistance from professionals is very helpful in assembling the necessary documentation, especially that which must be directly requested in Paraguay.
The current requirements include presenting:
- Valid passport from your home country;
- Entry visa – This requirement does not apply to those coming from a country that does not require an entry visa, such as most European and Latin American countries, as well as Canada and the United States;
- Birth certificate with apostille, strictly issued and apostilled from the country where the applicant was born. In case your birth country does not authenticate the documents through the apostille, the birth certificate must be validated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then stamped by a consulate or embassy of Paraguay;
- In case you are or were married, you will also need the original and an apostilled or legalized copy of the following documents:
- Marriage certificate if you claim to be married;
- Divorce decree if you claim to be divorced;
- Death certificate of the spouse if you claim to be widowed.
- Criminal background certificate, again presenting both the original copy and a legalized or apostilled version. Three cases are distinguished:
- If in the last 3 years you lived in your home country, the document must come from your home country;
- If in the last 3 years you have been a resident of another country, you must present the documents of this country along with all the documentation that certifies how long you have been residing there (usually an ID card or residency certificate);
- If the applicant is under 14 years old, no criminal background certificate is required.
- Criminal background certificate issued by the Interpol of Paraguay, a procedure that must be carried out directly in the country;
- Certificado de antecedentes para extranjeros – Literally “background check for foreigners”, which must be requested from the IT Department of the Paraguayan national police. This process can only be carried out once you arrive in the country, by direct request from the interested party to the competent authorities;
- Certificado de vida y residencia – Literally “certificate of life and residency”, which must be issued by the national police. This certificate has the indication of your address in Paraguay and you will need to present an electricity or water bill, as well as a sworn statement by two paraguayan nationals, to receive it. It can also only be issued by the closest police station to your place of residency in the country.
- Sworn statement declaring the intention to respect the Constitution, the laws, and the current regulations in Paraguay;
- Sworn statement of the profession or work activity to be carried out in Paraguay. This process can be done electronically directly when applying for residence at the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones.
All the documentation must be presented at the central office of the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones. After a careful analysis, you will immediately receive the Residencia Precaria, which is a 3-month residency permit meant to cover the time between the application and the issuance of the residency card. After 90 days on average, you will receive your Temporary Residency card and Temporary residency certificate. At this point, you will be able to apply for the cédula.
Additional requirements for those under 18 years old
In the event that the applicant is under 18 years old, you will also need to present:
- Original copy and authenticated or apostilled copy of the parent’s ID, or the legal guardian;
- If one or both parents do not appear for the procedure, the original and an authenticated or apostilled copy of the document certifying that the person accompanying the minor is legally authorized to apply for residency is required. If a legal guardian appears, they must be a citizen or a resident of Paraguay.
Do my documents need to be in Spanish?
For documents to be accepted for the necessary procedures to obtain residency, they must be presented in Spanish. The only exception is documents written in Portuguese and considered valid in Brazil; in all other cases, a translation is required. This can be done directly in Paraguay, by turning to a public translator listed in the official registry of those practicing this profession in the Republic of Paraguay. Alternatively, one can use a foreign translator accredited by the relevant authority in that country, but the document must then be apostilled or legalized to be accepted in Paraguay.
In practice, it’s challenging for Paraguayan authorities to verify that a translation done abroad was conducted by an official translator registered with the national board. Many countries don’t even have such a role. For this reason, it’s decidedly more convenient to arrive with documents apostilled in the country of origin and then have them translated directly in Paraguay.
The apostille and legalization
The apostille is a method by which documents are internationally validated. It’s an official stamp that can be affixed by all countries that ratified the Hague Convention of 1961, including Paraguay. In total, 115 countries worldwide have signed this convention. When a document is apostilled in one of these countries, it can then be recognized as original and valid by all others.
Specifically, it is important to have all documents coming from one’s country of origin apostilled: birth certificate, criminal record certificate, documentation related to one’s civil status, and in the case of minors, all documents covered earlier.
Each nation has its offices responsible for apostilling documents. For instance, in Italy, the court directly apostilles the pending charges certificate; the birth certificate must be apostilled at the Police Headquarters. The critical thing is to determine well in advance which offices are responsible so that one arrives in Paraguay with all the documentation already apostilled.
If coming from a country that hasn’t signed the Hague Convention, the documents will need to be legalized at the Paraguayan Consulate in the country of origin.
The complete process to obtain temporary residency in Paraguay
Below is the entire process necessary to obtain temporary residency in Paraguay. These are the steps that we personally follow, and in the last 5 years, we’ve already helped over 500 people from everywhere in the world achieve it. The steps are updated to the laws in force today.
The entire process can, if desired, be done alone and independently. The law doesn’t require assistance from a lawyer or an agent, but in practice, it’s highly recommended. Even if, in theory, it seems easy to follow all these steps by oneself, a single detail might compromise the entire operation’s outcome. The benefits of seeking help are explained later, and anyone interested can also learn more by sending us an email.
Before arriving in Paraguay
Before arriving, the focus should be on rounding up all the documents. The documents to collect are:
- Passport and ID card
- Documentation related to any marriage, divorce, or death of a spouse
- Birth certificate
- Criminal record certificate
The documents related to one’s civil status, the birth certificate, and the criminal record certificate must then be apostilled. If they come from a country that hasn’t signed the Hague Convention, they must be presented to the nearest Paraguayan consulate for legalization. Please note that the apostille must be applied to the original document, as one on a notarized copy or photocopy would not be accepted.
For our clients, we ask that these documents be sent to us even before departing. As required by law, we have them translated by a public translator registered in the appropriate board in Paraguay. The translations will be ready before the client arrives in the country, minimizing the time needed to complete the process.
Once You Arrive in Paraguay
Before you can apply for permanent residency upon arrival, you need to visit several offices. These steps ensure all your documents are verified, obtain any missing ones, allow Paraguayan authorities to perform necessary checks, and finally present yourself to the Migration Department with all required papers in order.
Mandatory visits include:
- IT Department of the national police – This department will check any past related to cybercrimes and issue a document certifying the applicant has no pending legal proceedings.
- Interpol – The Interpol office will review legal documentation and take the applicant’s fingerprints.
- Local police station (relevant station depending on your address in Paraguay) – Apply for the certificado de vida y residencia, with a water or electricity bill and two Paraguayan nationals as witnesses.
- Human Talent Department of the National Police – Have your certificado de vida y residencia and your background check issued by the IT Department stamped;
- Sworn Declaration of Profession – Prepare a sworn declaration of the profession you plan to practice in Paraguay, which can be sent electronically to the Migration Department.
- Sworn Declaration about respecting Paraguay’s laws and Constitution – Prepare this second sworn declaration.
- Migration Department – Register your photo and submit all required documentation to obtain the temporary residence. You then pay the fees mentioned in the section below and wait to receive the temporary residence card.
It is also very important to visit a notary public and obtain notarized copies of all these documents.
After Obtaining Temporary Residency Card
In theory, after getting the temporary residence card, you have the right to reside in Paraguay for 2 years. But there are significant limitations: you don’t have a proper ID card, which can cause issues if stopped by the police or if you need to prove to your home country that you’ve moved.
For this reason, the process isn’t complete until you’ve applied for and received the ID card (also known as “cedula“). The current residency rules mandate that a resident applies for their ID card within 180 days of becoming a resident.
To apply for the ID, you’ll need to bring the necessary documentation and the temporary residence card to the Department of Identifications. First, head to the second floor where they handle registrations for foreign nationals. A police officer will check all documents and then direct you to one of the ground floor counters, where you’ll provide fingerprints electronically and sign all necessary forms.
Then, all you have to do is wait for the ID card’s issuance. It can take up to 90 days, but that’s rare. Especially with the help of a manager or a lawyer familiar with the process, it can be faster: over 95% of our clients received their ID within two days of applying,
Cost of Temporary Residency in Paraguay
Currently, the price for temporary residency is 2.690.675 guaraníes (about $350) according to official rates, payable directly to the Migration Department when you apply. If you want a certification of your precarious residency in the meanwhile, there’s an additional one-time fee of 538.135 guaraníes (about $70).
Then you should take into account the following costs:
- Interpol certificate (40$)
- Sworn translations (30$ per page)
- Background check by the IT Department of the national police (20$)
- Authentication of the certificado de vida y residencia and Interpol certificate (45$)
- Certified copies of your documents (10$ per page, 5 copies of each page)
Adding everything up, you can expect to pay 1.200-1400$ to complete the residency process on your own. Usually, if you hire a professional to help with the paperwork, these costs are covered in the service fee. In our case, for example, all direct expenses are included in our package; this also covers transportation, translation costs for official documents, and various counter fees before applying for residency.
For those seeking professional help, the costs can vary significantly depending on the professional’s experience and capability. Some offer a more comprehensive service, with advice and support in English, while others simply provide assistance at the counters. The cheapest services we are aware of today start at $1,700 for the entire temporary residency process, while the most expensive reach $6,000.
Our complete package for obtaining temporary residency is priced at $2,300. It encompasses everything from initial consultation to assistance in Paraguay, including support in four languages and covering all direct costs. Furthermore, our service includes acquiring the ID card, driving license, and the documents certifying our client’s fiscal residency in Paraguay. Our package is specifically designed for those coming to Paraguay from non-Mercosur countries, optimizing all fiscal aspects and ensuring the process progresses swiftly and smoothly.
How long does it take to get temporary residency?
The process to obtain temporary residency ranges from a minimum of 2 days after arriving in Paraguay to more than 100 days. This duration depends on how the process is carried out. With the help of an immigration firm, it is possible to start the paperwork before arriving in Paraguay and completing in just 48 hours the application for Temporary Residency. Then one can decide to either stay in Paraguay or come back a second time, for 3 business days, to obtain the cédula.
If you have any questions or doubts, feel free to send us an email: we always reply in less than 24 hours.