Notaries in Paraguay: Escribanías and Escribanos
In Paraguay, a notary (escribano or escribana público) works from an escribanía and authorises the public deeds needed to buy property, grant a power of attorney or set up some companies. Their fees are fixed by Paraguayan law.
This guide covers notaries in the Republic of Paraguay. It is not about notaries public in the United States or other countries.
Quick answer
- • Only escribanos de registro (or a Juez de Paz where there is no notary) can authorise public deeds.
- • You need a public deed to buy registrable property, for powers of attorney to act in court or before public bodies, and for some company contracts.
- • Fees are set by Ley 1307/87 in jornales (₲117,077 from 1 July 2026): a power of attorney is ₲585,385 (about US$100) and each signature certification ₲351,231 (about US$60), before IVA.
- • A notary may not charge more than the legal fee. Fee disputes go to a civil court.
US dollar amounts use the Central Bank of Paraguay reference rate of ₲5,851 per US$ on 1 October 2026. The jornal (daily minimum wage) changes every 1 July, so the guaraní fees change with it. This page is general information, not legal advice.
What an escribano does
Under the Código de Organización Judicial, deeds and other public acts can only be authorised by notaries who hold a registro (escribanos de registro). Registros are created by law, and a registro holder must be Paraguayan by birth or naturalisation and hold a notary degree.
Common tasks
- • Authorising public deeds (escrituras públicas)
- • Powers of attorney (poderes)
- • Certifying signatures on private documents
- • Authenticating copies of documents
Rules that protect you
- • Must obtain a Registros Públicos certificate before a property deed
- • May not charge more than the legal fee
- • Deeds are in Spanish; a party who does not speak it signs a minuta translated by a registered translator
When you need an escribanía
Buying property
Under the Civil Code (art. 700), contracts that create, change or transfer real rights over property that must be registered have to be made by public deed. Before authorising a property deed, the notary must obtain a certificate from Registros Públicos; the Código de Organización Judicial (art. 111) punishes failure to do so with removal from office. The notary's fee comes from the percentage scale below; taxes and registry fees are separate.
Buying property in Paraguay →Powers of attorney (poderes)
General or special powers to represent someone in court or before the public administration must be made by public deed (Civil Code, art. 700). This is how a lawyer, relative or other representative gets authority to act for you while you are away. The legal fee is 5 jornales for one grantor, ₲585,385 (about US$100), plus 3 jornales for each additional grantor.
Companies
Company contracts with contributions over 100 jornales (₲11,707,700, about US$2,000), or that include real estate, must be made by public deed (Civil Code, art. 700). The exception is the EAS (Empresa por Acciones Simplificada), which can be formed by private document with the signatures certified by a notary or by the registry official (Ley 6480/2020, art. 5). For deeds forming or changing companies, Ley 1307/87 applies the same percentage scale as other deeds.
Starting a business in Paraguay →Residency, cédula and citizenship paperwork
The Migraciones requirement sheets ask for authenticated copies ("copias autenticadas") of some documents, such as the proof of entry, but do not say who must authenticate them. The Policía Nacional's requirements for a first cédula are specific: for example, a copy of your residency card authenticated by an escribano. The Supreme Court's naturalisation list asks for authenticated copies of several documents.
Ley 1307/87 sets 1 jornal, ₲117,077 (about US$20), per page of copies authenticated. Ask the notary how many pages your set of copies will be before you start. See also doing residency yourself or with a lawyer and the citizenship guide.
Documents crossing borders
Paraguayan notarial documents for use abroad go through the Secretaría General of the Corte Suprema de Justicia and then the Foreign Ministry (MRE) apostille, ₲234,200 (about US$40) per document.
Documents notarised abroad for use in Paraguay need an apostille from the country where they were notarised, or, for countries outside the Apostille Convention, the Paraguayan consulate and then MRE legalisation (₲585,400, about US$100, for a foreign power of attorney). Full steps: apostille guide.
Notary fees set by law (Ley 1307/87)
Unlike lawyers' fees for residency work, notary fees in Paraguay are fixed by the Arancel del Notario Público, Ley 1307 of 1987. The law sets them in jornales mínimos (the daily minimum wage for Asunción), so they rise every 1 July with the minimum wage. From 1 July 2026 one jornal is ₲117,077. The guaraní amounts below are the law's scale applied to that jornal; we found no official 2026 fee table. Amounts are before IVA.
Fixed fees
| Act | Jornales | 2026 amount | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power of attorney, one grantor | 5 | ₲585,385 | US$100 |
| Each additional grantor on a power of attorney | 3 | ₲351,231 | US$60 |
| Signature certification, each | 3 | ₲351,231 | US$60 |
| Authentication of copies, per page | 1 | ₲117,077 | US$20 |
| Administrative costs, Asunción and up to 150 km | 5 | ₲585,385 | US$100 |
| Administrative costs, more than 150 km from Asunción | 6 | ₲702,462 | US$120 |
| Deed worth up to ₲1,000,000 (minimum fee) | 5 | ₲585,385 | US$100 |
Deeds: percentage scale
For deeds, the fee is a percentage of the price or value in the deed (Ley 1307/87, art. 4), with a minimum of 5 jornales for deeds up to ₲1,000,000.
| Value in the deed | Notary fee |
|---|---|
| Over ₲1,000,000 | 2% |
| Over ₲50,000,000 | 1.75% |
| Over ₲75,000,000 | 1.50% |
| Over ₲100,000,000 | 1.25% |
| Over ₲150,000,000 | 1% |
| Over ₲200,000,000 (about US$34,000) | 0.75% |
The guaraní thresholds date from 1987 and have never been updated, so most property deeds today are above the top threshold of ₲200,000,000. The text of the law does not make clear whether each percentage applies to the whole value or only to the part within each band, so ask the notary to show the calculation in writing.
What the law says about charging
- • Registered notaries may not charge more than the fees set by law (Código de Organización Judicial, art. 112).
- • At the signing, the notary collects the fee and any taxes due, and must give a detailed receipt showing the type and amount of the act (Ley 1307/87, art. 15).
- • If notary and client do not agree on the fee, a first-instance civil and commercial court sets it (art. 17).
- • IVA, taxes and registry fees are separate from the notary fee. Ask for each to be listed.
- • Fee tables online that use an older jornal (for example ₲84,340 from 2019) are out of date. Recalculate at ₲117,077.
How to check an escribanía
ExpatSettle does not recommend or rank any notary. These checks work for any escribanía you are considering, before you hand over documents or money.
Before you start
- For a deed, confirm the person authorising it is an escribano de registro and ask for the registro number.
- The Corte Suprema de Justicia issues free certificates that a notary is registered and has no sanctions ("constancia de estar matriculado" and "de no poseer sanciones", form FSG001). Ask to see a recent one. You can also check a notary yourself: Buscaescribanía's guide to verifying an escribano with the Corte Suprema (in Spanish) explains how to search the court's online register and its open-data list of notaries.
- Ask for a written estimate that applies Ley 1307/87, with IVA, taxes and registry fees listed separately.
On the day
- Bring your cédula if you have one, or your passport, and the originals of anything to be copied or certified.
- If you do not speak Spanish, the deed is still in Spanish: you sign a minuta that a registered translator renders into Spanish before the notary.
- For property, confirm the notary has the Registros Públicos certificate before you sign.
- Get the detailed receipt the law requires for every payment.
Frequently asked questions
What is an escribanía in Paraguay?
An escribanía is the office of an escribano or escribana público, Paraguay's notary. Only notaries who hold a registro (escribanos de registro), or a Juez de Paz where there is no notary, can authorise public deeds (escrituras públicas). To hold a registro, a notary must be Paraguayan by birth or naturalisation and hold a notary degree.
How much does a notary cost in Paraguay?
Notary fees are set by law (Ley 1307/87) in daily minimum wages (jornales), which are ₲117,077 each from 1 July 2026. A power of attorney is 5 jornales, ₲585,385 (about US$100); each signature certification is 3 jornales, ₲351,231 (about US$60); deeds are charged on a percentage scale with a minimum of 5 jornales. IVA is added on top. Notaries may not charge more than the fee set by law.
How much does a power of attorney cost in Paraguay?
Ley 1307/87 sets 5 jornales for a power of attorney with one grantor, which is ₲585,385 (about US$100) at the 2026 jornal, before IVA. Each additional grantor adds 3 jornales (₲351,231). The law also sets 5 jornales for administrative costs, so ask whether your quote includes them.
Do I need a notary for Paraguay residency?
For some steps. The Migraciones requirement sheets ask for authenticated copies ("copias autenticadas") of some documents, such as the proof of entry, without saying who must authenticate them. The Policía Nacional's cédula requirements ask for copies authenticated by an escribano, for example of your residency card, and naturalisation asks for authenticated copies. You also need a notary if someone will represent you before a public body under a power of attorney.
Can a notary in Paraguay charge more than the legal fee?
No. The Código de Organización Judicial (art. 112) says registered notaries may not charge more for their professional services than the fees set by law. When notary and client do not agree on the fee, it is set by a first-instance civil and commercial court (Ley 1307/87, art. 17).
Do I need a notary to buy property in Paraguay?
Yes. Under the Civil Code (art. 700), contracts that create or transfer real rights over registrable property must be made by public deed, which only a registered notary can authorise. Before a property deed, the notary must obtain a certificate from Registros Públicos. The notary fee comes from the percentage scale in Ley 1307/87; taxes and registry fees are separate.
Do I need a notary to start a company in Paraguay?
It depends on the company. Under the Civil Code (art. 700), company contracts with contributions over 100 jornales, or that include real estate, must be made by public deed. An EAS (Empresa por Acciones Simplificada) can be formed by private document, with the signatures certified by a notary or by the registry official (Ley 6480/2020).
Can I use a document notarised abroad in Paraguay?
Yes, if it is apostilled in the country where it was notarised (Paraguay is in the Apostille Convention). If that country is not in the Convention, it needs the Paraguayan consulate and then Foreign Ministry legalisation; for a foreign power of attorney the MRE fee is ₲585,400 (about US$100). Documents not in Spanish also need a Spanish translation.
Can a Paraguayan escribano certify a document for use abroad, for example for a foreign pension or health insurer?
A Paraguayan notarial document for use abroad goes through the Secretaría General of the Corte Suprema de Justicia and then the Foreign Ministry (MRE) apostille, which costs ₲234,200 (about US$40) per document. Check with the foreign body exactly what it accepts before you book the notary.
Sources
Official sources used for this page. Checked 4 October 2026.
- Código de Organización Judicial, Ley 879/81 (CSJ edition): notaries, arts. 99-139
- Ley 1307/87: Arancel del Notario Público (notary fee scale), BACN
- Código Civil (Ley 1183/85), art. 700: acts that require a public deed, BACN
- Ley 6480/2020: Empresa por Acciones Simplificada (EAS), art. 5
- DNIT: tax base of notarial professional fees (cites Ley 1307/87)
- Corte Suprema de Justicia: form FSG001, certificates of registration and no sanctions
- Policía Nacional: first cédula for foreign residents (notary-authenticated copies)
- DNM requirements: temporary residency, Ley 6984 (sheet dated 1 July 2026)
- Corte Suprema de Justicia: naturalisation requirements
- Foreign Ministry (MRE): apostille and legalisation
- MTESS: minimum wage and jornal from 1 July 2026
- Banco Central del Paraguay: reference exchange rate
Continue planning your move
Notaries are one part of settling in Paraguay. These guides cover the rest.