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Paraguay Residency 2026: Requirements, Fees and Process

How temporary and permanent residency work under Ley 6984, what documents you need, what Migraciones charges from 1 July 2026, and the rules that changed this year.

Last updated: 4 October 2026Fees in force from 1 July 2026Checked against official sources

Paraguay residency in short

Two steps: temporary residency for up to 2 years (extendable once), then permanent residency. SUACE investors and Uruguayans can go straight to permanent.
In person, in Paraguay: you file at a Migraciones (DNM) office after entering the country. Residency cannot be filed online.
Fees from 1 July 2026: temporary ₲2,926,925 (about US$500), permanent ₲2,926,925 (about US$500), Mercosur temporary ₲2,341,540 (about US$400).
No income proof for temporary residency. For permanent residency filed from 6 July 2026, you must prove solvency in one of 12 categories. No minimum amount is set.
No official processing time: Migraciones does not publish one.
Absence limits: temporary residency can be cancelled after more than 1 year abroad, permanent after more than 3 consecutive years.

US dollar amounts use the Central Bank of Paraguay reference rate of ₲5,851 per US$ on 1 October 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so check the official sources listed at the end before you file.

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Paraguay residency routes

Residency is governed by Ley 6984/2022 (De Migraciones), which replaced Ley 978/1996. The Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (DNM) applies it through its own resolutions, several of which changed the rules in 2026. These are the routes that exist today.

Temporary residency (Residencia Temporal, Ley 6984)

The starting point for almost everyone. It is open to any foreigner who comes to Paraguay intending to settle and carry out a lawful activity. There is no list of qualifying jobs, no income requirement and no health certificate.

• Length: up to 2 years, extendable once for the same period (extension fee ₲1,287,847, about US$220).
• While you wait: a precaria card, valid 90 calendar days, lets you stay, work, study, and leave and re-enter Paraguay.
• ID: you can get a Paraguayan cédula valid for as long as your residency.
• Fee: ₲2,926,925 (about US$500), including the precaria card.
• Refusals: the DNM may refuse people prosecuted or convicted for intentional crimes punishable in Paraguay by more than 2 years in prison.

Permanent residency (Residencia Permanente)

Indefinite residency, available once you have completed your temporary residency. You apply in a fixed window before the temporary card expires, and since 6 July 2026 you must prove solvency. Details are in the permanent residency section.

• Validity: indefinite. The card is renewed every 10 years (₲468,308, about US$80).
• Fee: ₲2,926,925 (about US$500).
• Next step: 3 years of permanent residency makes you eligible to apply for naturalisation.

Mercosur residence agreement (Leyes 3565/2008 and 3578/2008)

For citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador.

• Fewer documents: no Interpol certificate and no visa. A sworn statement that you have no international record replaces the international check. Your national criminal record can come from your consulate in Paraguay, and proof of presence can be any document showing you are in the country.
• Lower fee: ₲2,341,540 (about US$400), compared with ₲2,926,925 for ordinary temporary residency.
• Length: 2 years, not extendable.
• Going permanent: apply for Mercosur permanent residency within the 90 days before the card expires (fee ₲2,926,925, proof of solvency required). If you miss that window, you can no longer use the agreement and must start again under Ley 6984.
• Uruguayans can get permanent residency directly under Ley 6774/2021, with no prior temporary residency and no residency fee.
• Ecuadorians: a July 2025 DNM sheet set a reduced Mercosur fee of 2 jornales under the Paraguay-Ecuador visa-waiver agreement. Confirm the current amount with the DNM.

Investor route (SUACE, "Paraguay Investor Pass")

Investors who prove an investment under the SUACE law (Ley 4986/2013) skip temporary residency and apply directly for permanent residency. The investor certificate is issued by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC) under MIC Res. 0283/2026 of 21 April 2026. The minimums are set in US dollars:

• Productive investment: US$70,000 (about ₲409.5 million), at least 5 formal jobs and a business plan.
• Financial instruments: US$200,000, held for at least 2 years, no jobs required.
• Real estate: US$200,000 for economic activity, not personal or family use. No jobs or business plan required.
• Tourism: US$150,000 with a business plan.

Rent, salaries and running costs do not count as investment. The DNM fee is the normal permanent residency fee (₲2,926,925) and the DNM sheet says the procedure is in person. Full details: SUACE investor residency guide.

Children (NNA category)

• Since the July 2026 requirement sheets, foreigners aged 0 to 17 are a separate category, "Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes" (NNA), which is exempt from proof of solvency.
• Their parents must already hold residency or apply at the same time.
• The criminal-record certificates are required from age 14. Res. DNM 858/2024 exempts adolescents from Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Spain, Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela from the foreign criminal-record certificate.

Retirees and remote workers

There is no separate rentista or pensioner residency and no digital nomad visa. Retirees and remote workers apply for ordinary temporary residency like everyone else.

The difference comes at the permanent stage, where "retirees and pensioners" and "remote workers or digital nomads" are two of the 12 ways to prove solvency. Retirees show a pension certificate stating the amount and how it is paid; remote workers show an employment certificate stating their income and how it is paid. No minimum income is set. More: retiree and pensioner residency, remote workers and digital nomads, retiring in Paraguay.

Route	Who	Length	DNM fee
Temporary (Ley 6984)	Any nationality	Up to 2 years, extendable once	₲2,926,925 (about US$500)
Temporary (Mercosur)	8 South American nationalities	2 years, not extendable	₲2,341,540 (about US$400)
Permanent (after temporary)	Temporary residents at the end of their term	Indefinite; card renewed every 10 years	₲2,926,925 (about US$500)
Permanent (SUACE investor)	Holders of an MIC investor certificate	Indefinite	₲2,926,925, plus an investment from US$70,000
Permanent (Uruguayans, Ley 6774)	Uruguayan citizens	Indefinite	No residency fee

Documents for Paraguay temporary residency

Article 50 of Ley 6984 sets the list. The July 2026 DNM requirement sheet asks for originals plus authenticated copies (for example, of your proof of entry), so bring both.

Passport or national identity document

From your country of nationality.

Consular visa, if your nationality needs one

Required since 1 July 2023 for nationals of countries without a visa-waiver agreement with Paraguay (see below).

Proof of entry into Paraguay

The stamped entry slip (boleta migratoria) or the entry stamp in your passport. You must already be in the country.

Birth certificate

Apostilled or legalised, and translated into Spanish.

Civil-status certificate

Proof of your marital status, apostilled or legalised and translated.

Criminal record from home

National or federal level, from your country of origin or the country where you lived in the last 3 years. From age 14.

Interpol certificate

From age 14. Issued in Paraguay by the Policía Nacional.

Certificado de Antecedentes para Extranjeros

Issued by the Policía Nacional (Departamento de Informática). From age 14.

Sworn statement to respect the Constitution and laws

Signed as part of the application.

Sworn statement of profession or activity and address in Paraguay

What you declare here is checked again when you apply for permanent residency.

Fee

₲2,926,925 (about US$500), which includes the precaria card.

Not required for temporary residency: proof of income or savings (the DNM's own legal opinion says solvency applies only to permanent residency) and a health certificate (infectious disease is no longer grounds for refusal).

Consular visa rule

Since 1 July 2023, nationals of countries that have no visa-waiver agreement with Paraguay must include a consular visa in their residency application. Venezuelans have needed a valid passport and a consular visa since 10 January 2026. Ask a Paraguayan consulate whether this applies to you before you travel.

Apostille and translation

Paraguay has been part of the Apostille Convention since 30 August 2014, so an apostille from the country that issued the document is enough. Documents from countries outside the convention go to the Paraguayan consulate there, then to the Foreign Ministry (MRE) in Asunción for legalisation. Translations into Spanish must be by a traductor público registered in Paraguay, or by a sworn translator abroad whose translation is then apostilled or legalised too. Portuguese documents issued in Brazil need no translation. Step by step: how to apostille documents for Paraguay.

How recent the criminal record must be

It must be current. Under Res. DNM 754/2024 (June 2024), a home-country certificate with no expiry date printed on it is treated as valid for 6 months from issue. Mexicans, and anyone who lived in Mexico in the last 3 years, need both a federal and a state certificate. People already living in Paraguay for more than 3 years can use a Poder Judicial certificate plus a sworn statement.

US citizens

The law asks for a record at national or federal level. For Americans that is the FBI Identity History Summary, which the FBI lists at $18 per person; a state police check is not a federal record. The FBI result is a federal document, so the US Department of State apostilles it, while a birth certificate issued by a US state is apostilled by that state. More: Paraguay for Americans.

How to apply: step by step

The application is "personal y presencial": you file it yourself, in person, in Paraguay. After filing, the follow-up can be done in person or through a legal representative.

1
Before you travel
Get your birth certificate, civil-status certificate and home-country criminal record. Have each apostilled (or legalised) in the country that issued it and translated into Spanish if needed. Order the criminal record last so it is still current when you file. Check whether you need a consular visa. The law also lets you file documents at a Paraguayan consulate for a residence visa, but the DNM decides on the residency itself.
2
Enter Paraguay and keep proof of entry
Keep the stamped entry slip (boleta migratoria) or the entry stamp in your passport: the application needs it. You can do the online pre-registration (Pre Registro Migratorio) on paraguay.gov.py, which needs a Portal Paraguay electronic identity.
3
Get the Paraguayan certificates
Get the Interpol certificate and the Certificado de Antecedentes para Extranjeros from the Policía Nacional (both from age 14), and prepare the two sworn statements: one to respect the Constitution and laws, one stating your profession or activity and your address in Paraguay.
4
File in person at a DNM office
DNM offices: Asunción (head office), Ciudad del Este, Santa Rita, Encarnación, Pedro Juan Caballero, Concepción, Salto del Guairá, Nueva Esperanza, Pilar and Mariscal Estigarribia, plus a desk inside SUACE. Pay ₲2,926,925 (about US$500) in cash; card payments cost 2-3% more plus VAT.
5
Receive the precaria card
While your application is pending you are a "residente precario". The precaria card is issued once, is valid for 90 calendar days, and lets you stay in Paraguay, work, study, and leave and re-enter.
6
Receive the temporary residency card
The card is valid for up to 2 years. Since Res. DNM 407/2026 it no longer shows your profession; that stays in the DNM system.
7
Apply for your cédula
The Paraguayan cédula is issued by the Departamento de Identificaciones of the Policía Nacional. It costs ₲8,500 and is ready in 30 business days. You will need the DNM residence certificate (certificado de radicación, ₲234,154) and a notary-certified copy of your residency card, among other documents. A temporary resident's cédula is valid for as long as the residency.

Practical guides for the first weeks: arriving at Asunción airport and your first 30 days in Asunción.

Permanent residency in Paraguay

Permanent residency comes after you complete your temporary residency (Ley 6984, Art. 47). The process is in person, and two rules from 2026 change who can switch and what they must prove.

When to apply

• In the 3 months before your temporary card expires.
• Up to 1 month after expiry, with a fine.
• After that, you can only request an extension of temporary residency (₲1,287,847) and apply again at the end of it.
• Absent more than 1 year? Under Res. DNM 081/2026 (26 January 2026), a temporary resident whose migration-movement report shows more than 1 year abroad must extend the temporary residency for the same period instead of switching.

Documents

• Home-country ID document
• Paraguayan cédula
• Temporary residency card
• Proof of any change in your personal details
• Policía Nacional certificates: police record (Identificaciones, ₲24,500) and Antecedentes para Extranjeros
• Poder Judicial judicial record (₲43,051)
• Interpol certificate (all certificates from age 14)
• Migration-movement report
• Proof of solvency (below)

No new home-country criminal record is listed: the certificates are Paraguayan.

New since 6 July 2026: proof of solvency

Res. DNM 407/2026 applies to permanent residency applications filed from 6 July 2026, under both Ley 6984 and the Mercosur agreement. You choose one of 12 categories, each with its own documents. No minimum amount is set, but solvency "cannot be presumed in any case": you must document it.

Professionals

Technicians

Employees

Self-employed

Remote workers or digital nomads

Property owners

Shareholders

Farmers and ranchers

Religious workers

Retirees and pensioners

Dependants

Students

• It must match what you declared. The proof has to be consistent with the profession or activity in your temporary residency application.
• A degree alone is not enough. Professionals and technicians must show IPS social-security registration, an employment contract registered with the Labour Ministry, or VAT returns for the last 3 months or the last year's IRP return.
• The bank-account route is gone. The July 2025 sheet let single dependants use a Paraguayan bank-account certificate; the July 2026 rules do not. "Dependants" now covers only spouses, parents or grandparents, and people with disabilities who are supported by a resident or a Paraguayan.
• Property owners need a title registered in the Registro Unificado Nacional (RUN) for at least 2 years.
• Retirees show a pension certificate stating the amount and how it is paid; remote workers show an employment certificate stating income and how it is paid. Foreign documents must be apostilled or legalised (and translated, for remote workers' certificates).

Fee: ₲2,926,925 (about US$500). With the certificado de radicación (₲234,154) the usual total is ₲3,161,079 (about US$540). Permanent residency is indefinite; the card is renewed every 10 years and the cédula is valid for 10 years.

Paraguay residency fees in 2026

Migraciones fees are set by law in jornales (the daily minimum wage) and change every 1 July when the minimum wage changes. The table below is in force from 1 July 2026 (Decreto 6225/2026, Res. DNM 478/2026), with a jornal of ₲117,077 and a monthly minimum wage of ₲3,044,000 (about US$520). Amounts are for cash; card payments add 2-3% plus VAT.

Procedure (DNM)	Jornales	₲ (cash)	About US$
Temporary residency, Ley 6984 (includes precaria card and change of category)	25	₲2,926,925	US$500
Permanent residency (includes change of category)	25	₲2,926,925	US$500
Temporary residency, Mercosur	20	₲2,341,540	US$400
Extension of temporary residency	11	₲1,287,847	US$220
Spontaneous or occasional residency	8	₲936,616	US$160
Extension of stay (prórroga de permanencia)	5	₲585,385	US$100
Residency card replacement	5	₲585,385	US$100
Permanent card renewal (every 10 years)	4	₲468,308	US$80
Certificado de radicación, migration-movement certificate, change of information, cancellation (each)	2	₲234,154	US$40
Fine: overstay or no entry record	6	₲702,462	US$120

Other official costs

Item	₲	About US$	Note
Cédula (Paraguayan ID), Policía Nacional	₲8,500	US$1.50	Ready in 30 business days
Police record certificate, Policía Nacional	₲24,500	US$4	Issued on the spot; needs a cédula
Judicial record certificate, Poder Judicial	₲43,051	US$7	Plus up to ₲4,400 at bank counters
MRE legalisation of a foreign birth certificate or criminal record (only for documents from countries outside the Apostille Convention)	₲351,250	US$60	Per document

Seeing ₲2,787,550? That was the temporary and permanent fee from July 2025 to June 2026. Any page or quote still using it is out of date.

Not set by law: lawyer, translator and agency fees vary. Get a written, itemised quote that lists government fees separately so you can check them against the table above. Notary fees are the exception: they are fixed by Ley 1307/87 (see the notary guide).

US dollar amounts use the Central Bank of Paraguay reference rate of ₲5,851 per US$ on 1 October 2026. The guaraní rose against the dollar through 2026, so older dollar figures for the same guaraní fee were lower.

How long does Paraguay residency take?

Migraciones does not publish a processing time for temporary or permanent residency. None appears on its residency pages, its July 2026 requirement sheets or its fee page. A "30-90 days" or "3-6 months" figure from a website or agent is an estimate, not a DNM commitment.

Where "90 days" comes from

The only 90-day period in the residency law is the precaria card: it is issued once and is valid for 90 calendar days (Ley 6984, Art. 57). It is the document that covers you while the application is pending. It is not a promise that the DNM will decide within 90 days.

How busy Migraciones is

The DNM received 47,687 residency applications in 2025. In the first quarter of 2026 it received 18,071 (85% more than a year earlier) and granted 14,275 residencies, 64% of them to Brazilians.

The periods that are fixed: the 6-month validity of a home-country criminal record with no expiry date, the 90-day precaria card, the 30 business days for a cédula, and the 3-month window to apply for permanent residency. Plan around those.

Keeping your residency: absences and renewals

Absence limits (Ley 6984, Art. 55)

• Temporary: can be cancelled after more than 1 year of unjustified absence.
• Permanent: can be cancelled after more than 3 consecutive years of unjustified absence.
• The DNM sources we checked set no minimum number of days per year in Paraguay beyond these limits and the 1-year rule for switching to permanent.

Res. DNM 376/2026 (12 May 2026)

• The DNM checks absences every six months using its entry and exit records.
• Cancellations are reported to the Policía Nacional (cédula), the Supreme Court and the DNIT tax office.
• After cancellation you are treated as a tourist and must leave within 30 days or apply for residency again. A cancelled temporary resident cannot extend and must start a new temporary application.

Absence authorisation

If you need to be away longer, ask the DNM before the limit: at least 3 months before for permanent residents (who can be authorised for up to 1 extra year) and at least 1 month before for temporary residents. You must show ties to Paraguay, such as a property title, lease, bank account, company, RUC tax number or family. The fee is 2 jornales (₲234,154). Late requests are refused and the residency is cancelled.

Recovering and renewing

• Recovering permanent status: possible within 3 years of cancellation. You first hold a spontaneous or occasional residency (₲936,616) and stay in Paraguay while it is valid, then apply at the Asunción office with fresh criminal records and proof of ties. You keep your original ID number.
• Card renewal: the permanent card is renewed every 10 years (₲468,308, about US$80); the cédula is valid for 10 years and its renewal costs ₲8,500.

Common mistakes in Paraguay residency applications

Most problems come from documents or deadlines, not from eligibility. These are the ones that follow from the current rules.

Filing with an expired criminal record

Under Res. DNM 754/2024, a home-country certificate with no stated expiry is treated as valid for 6 months from issue. Order it last, after your other documents are ready. A certificate that has expired may still be accepted if it was valid when you entered Paraguay, is no more than 12 months past expiry and you have not left the country since, but do not plan around that.

Apostille from the wrong place

Each document must be apostilled in the country that issued it, not the country where you live. Documents from countries outside the Apostille Convention need the Paraguayan consulate there and then legalisation at the Foreign Ministry (MRE) in Asunción.

Missing or invalid translations

Translations into Spanish must be done by a traductor público registered in Paraguay, or by a sworn translator abroad. If the translation is done abroad, the translation itself must also be apostilled or legalised. Portuguese documents issued in Brazil are exempt.

A local or state criminal record instead of a national one

The law asks for a national or federal record, so a US state police check, for example, does not meet it. Mexicans, and anyone who lived in Mexico in the last 3 years, need both a federal and a state certificate (Res. DNM 1272/2024).

Missing the permanent-residency window

Apply in the 3 months before your temporary card expires, or at most 1 month after with a fine. After that you can only extend the temporary residency (₲1,287,847) and wait again. Mercosur residents who miss the 90-day window lose the right to use the agreement and must start again under Ley 6984.

Declaring a profession you cannot back with income later

Since 6 July 2026, proof of solvency for permanent residency must match the profession or activity you declared for temporary residency. A degree on its own is no longer enough: professionals must show IPS social-security registration, a registered employment contract or tax returns.

Leaving Paraguay for more than a year

A temporary resident who is away for more than 1 year can have the residency cancelled, and under Res. DNM 081/2026 cannot switch to permanent residency and must extend the temporary residency instead. If you need to be away longer, request an absence authorisation in advance to avoid cancellation.

Forgetting the consular visa

If your country has no visa-waiver agreement with Paraguay, the residency file must include a consular visa. Venezuelans have needed a passport and consular visa since 10 January 2026. Check with a Paraguayan consulate before you travel.

Also: scan or photograph every document before you file, and keep the receipts for every fee you pay.

Warning signs of a residency scam

Offers to file your residency online or without you present. Residency filing is personal and in person; only side procedures (pre-registration, extension of stay, certificates, fee payments) are online.
A "fast track", "express" service or guaranteed decision date. The DNM fee table has no express fee and the DNM publishes no processing time.
A guarantee that you will be approved. The DNM decides each case and can refuse residency, for example to people prosecuted or convicted for serious intentional crimes.
"Government fees" that do not match the official table at migraciones.gov.py/aranceles-migratorios.
A "digital nomad visa", "rentista visa" or permanent residency without temporary residency first (other than for SUACE investors and Uruguayans). These categories do not exist.

Do it yourself or use a lawyer?

The DNM requirement sheets do not require a lawyer. You must file in person either way; after filing, a legal representative can follow up for you. The paperwork, the offices and the requirement sheets are in Spanish, and the permanent stage now needs documents that match your declared activity, so how much help you need depends on your Spanish, your time in Paraguay and how straightforward your case is.

If you hire someone, check these first

Confirm the person is a lawyer registered in Paraguay (ask for their matrícula number), not an unregistered intermediary.
Get a written, itemised quote that separates government fees from professional fees, and check the government fees against the official table.
Never pay for a guaranteed approval or a fast-tracked result: the DNM decides each case and has no express fee.
Ask for copies of everything filed in your name and the official receipts.

More on the trade-offs: Paraguay residency: DIY or lawyer.

After you get residency

Cédula. Apply at the Policía Nacional (₲8,500, 30 business days). You need it for permanent residency, the RUC tax number and the Paraguayan police certificate.

RUC tax number. The tax office (DNIT) registers foreign individuals with a cédula or passport issued in Paraguay, so the cédula comes first. For residents with a cédula, the RUC number is the cédula number. How tax works for residents is covered in our Paraguay tax guide.

Citizenship. Naturalisation needs 3 years of permanent residency, counted from the date of the permanent-admission resolution, plus an exam, and is decided by the Supreme Court. With up to 2 years of temporary residency first, that is about 5 years from arrival for most people; SUACE investors can apply 3 years after their permanent residency. See Paraguay citizenship.

Banking

Opening an account as a resident.

Taxes

How Paraguay taxes residents.

Housing

Neighbourhoods and renting in Asunción.

Healthcare

Hospitals and health insurance.

Buying property

How foreigners buy property in Paraguay.

Starting a business

Company options for residents.

Paraguay residency FAQ

How long does Paraguay residency take? Is it 90 days?

Migraciones (the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones, DNM) does not publish a processing time for temporary or permanent residency, so any fixed figure, including '90 days', is not an official one. The 90 days in the law is the validity of the precaria card you receive when you file: it is issued once and lasts 90 calendar days. For scale, the DNM received 47,687 residency applications in 2025, and 18,071 in the first quarter of 2026, when it granted 14,275 residencies.

What are the requirements for Paraguay temporary residency?

You must be in Paraguay and file in person. Ley 6984 asks for a passport or ID, a consular visa if your nationality needs one, proof of entry, a birth certificate, a civil-status certificate, a national or federal criminal record from your home country or wherever you lived in the last 3 years, an Interpol certificate, a Policía Nacional certificate for foreigners (the three criminal-record documents from age 14), two sworn statements and the fee of ₲2,926,925 (about US$500). Foreign documents must be apostilled or legalised and translated into Spanish. No proof of income and no health certificate is required.

How much does Paraguay residency cost in 2026?

From 1 July 2026, the Migraciones fee is ₲2,926,925 (about US$500) for temporary residency and the same for permanent residency. Mercosur temporary residency costs ₲2,341,540 (about US$400). Fees are set in daily minimum wages and change every 1 July. Apostilles, translations, certificates and any lawyer come on top. Lawyer and translator fees are not set by law, so ask for a written, itemised quote.

How do I get permanent residency in Paraguay?

Most people hold temporary residency first and apply to switch in the 3 months before the temporary card expires (or up to 1 month after, with a fine). You need your cédula, Paraguayan police, judicial and Interpol certificates and, for applications filed from 6 July 2026, proof of solvency in one of 12 categories. No minimum amount is set, but the proof must match the profession you declared when you applied for temporary residency. If you were abroad for more than 1 year during temporary residency, you must extend it instead of switching. SUACE investors and Uruguayan citizens can go straight to permanent residency.

Can US citizens get Paraguay residency?

Yes, through the same temporary-then-permanent process as other nationalities. The law asks for a criminal record at national or federal level. For Americans that is the FBI Identity History Summary ($18 per person, according to fbi.gov), not a state police check. Because it is a federal document, the US Department of State apostilles it; a birth certificate issued by a US state is apostilled by that state.

Do I need a work permit to work in Paraguay?

Residency is what authorises you to work. While your temporary residency application is pending, the precaria card lets you work, study, and leave and re-enter Paraguay (Ley 6984, Art. 57). Temporary residency itself is granted to foreigners who come to settle and carry out a lawful activity.

Who can use the Mercosur residence agreement in Paraguay?

Citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. Mercosur temporary residency costs ₲2,341,540 (about US$400), lasts 2 years and cannot be extended. It needs fewer documents than ordinary residency (no Interpol certificate and no visa). You must apply for Mercosur permanent residency within the 90 days before the card expires, or you lose the right to use the agreement. Uruguayans can instead get permanent residency directly, with no residency fee, under Ley 6774/2021.

How long can I stay outside Paraguay without losing residency?

Temporary residency can be cancelled after more than 1 year of unjustified absence, and permanent residency after more than 3 consecutive years. Since Res. DNM 376/2026 the DNM checks absences every six months. If you need to be away longer, request an absence authorisation in advance: at least 3 months before the limit for permanent residents, 1 month for temporary residents. A temporary resident who was abroad for more than 1 year also cannot switch to permanent and must extend the temporary residency instead.

Does Paraguay have a digital nomad visa or a rentista visa?

No. No law, decree or DNM resolution creates a digital nomad visa, and there is no separate rentista or pensioner residency. Remote workers and retirees apply for ordinary temporary residency. Since 6 July 2026, 'remote workers or digital nomads' and 'retirees or pensioners' exist only as ways to prove solvency for permanent residency, with no minimum income set.

Can I apply for Paraguay residency online or from abroad?

No. Residency applications are personal and made in person at a DNM office, and you must show proof that you entered Paraguay. You can prepare your documents before you travel. Some side procedures are online at paraguay.gov.py: pre-registration, extension of stay, the certificado de radicación, the migration-movement certificate and fee payments. The law also lets you file documents at a Paraguayan consulate for a residence visa, but the DNM decides on the residency.

Sources

Official sources used for this page. Checked 4 October 2026.