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Paraguay Residency: Do It Yourself or Hire an Immigration Lawyer?

What doing it yourself involves under the 2026 rules, what a lawyer, agency or gestor can and cannot change, and how to check anyone before you pay them.

Last updated: 4 October 2026Migraciones fee: ₲2,926,925 (about US$500)Filing is in person

Quick answer: do you need a lawyer?

No. No rule requires a lawyer, agency or gestor for Paraguayan temporary or permanent residency. Whoever you hire, the application is personal and in person: you file it yourself at a Migraciones office. A representative can follow up on the file for you, but cannot file it without you, and cannot make Migraciones decide faster.

The government fees are the same either way: ₲2,926,925 (about US$500) for temporary residency and the same again for permanent residency. Lawyer fees for residency work are not regulated, so get an itemised written quote. A lawyer becomes legally required only if you later apply for Paraguayan citizenship.

US dollar amounts use the Central Bank of Paraguay reference rate of ₲5,851 per US$ on 1 October 2026. Migraciones fees are set in daily minimum wages (jornales) and change every 1 July; the figures here are the table in force from 1 July 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.

What doing it yourself involves

These are the steps for ordinary residency under Ley 6984/2022, which is the route for most people who are not Mercosur citizens. The same steps apply whether you do them yourself or pay someone to help. The difference is who reads the Spanish requirement sheets, gathers the papers and follows up on the file.

1. Prepare your home-country documents

You need a birth certificate, a civil-status certificate (for example a marriage certificate), and a criminal record certificate from your country of origin or your country of residence in the last 3 years (from age 14). Each must be apostilled, or legalised through a Paraguayan consulate if the country is not in the Apostille Convention, and translated into Spanish. The translation can be done by a traductor público registered in Paraguay, or by a sworn translator abroad whose translation is then apostilled. Brazilian documents in Portuguese need no translation. If your nationality has no visa-waiver agreement with Paraguay, you also need a consular visa. Details: apostille and translation guide.

2. Arrive in Paraguay and get the local certificates

Proof of entry is a requirement (the passport entry stamp or the stamped entry slip), so you apply from inside Paraguay. From age 14 you also need an Interpol certificate and the Policía Nacional's "Antecedentes para Extranjeros" certificate, plus two sworn statements (to respect the Constitution and laws, and declaring your activity and address in Paraguay). What you declare as your activity matters later: the permanent-residency proof of income must be consistent with it.

3. File in person at Migraciones

The DNM requirement sheet says the procedure is "personal y presencial". 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. The fee is ₲2,926,925 (about US$500) in cash; card payments cost 2-3% more plus VAT.

While the application is pending you are a "residente precario". The precaria card is issued once, is valid 90 calendar days, and lets you stay, work, study, and leave and re-enter Paraguay.

4. Follow up until the decision

The DNM sheet says follow-up "puede realizarse de manera personal o a través de un representante legal" (in person or through a legal representative), so this is a step you can hand to someone else. Migraciones does not publish a processing time for temporary or permanent residency, so do not plan around a promised date.

5. Get your cédula

Once residency is granted, you apply for the Paraguayan identity card (cédula) at the Policía Nacional's Departamento de Identificaciones. Its published fee is ₲8,500, with delivery in 30 business days, and it asks for copies of some documents authenticated by a notary (see the notary guide). A temporary resident's cédula is valid for as long as the residency. If you pay for help, check whether the cédula is included in the price.

6. Switch to permanent residency, about two years later

Apply in the 3 months before your temporary card expires, or up to 1 month after with a fine. After that, only an extension of temporary residency is possible. If you were abroad for more than 1 year during your temporary residency, you must extend it instead of switching (Res. DNM 081/2026).

Since 6 July 2026 you must also prove economic solvency, in one of 12 categories (employees, self-employed, remote workers, retirees, property owners and others), with specific documents for each. No minimum amount is set, a degree alone no longer counts, and the proof must match the activity you declared at the temporary stage (Res. DNM 407/2026). The documents are Paraguayan certificates plus your cédula and card; no new foreign criminal record is listed. The fee is ₲2,926,925 again, and this step is also in person.

Mercosur citizens (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador) can use the Mercosur Residence Agreement instead, with fewer documents and a lower fee of ₲2,341,540 (about US$400). Investors with an MIC investor certificate can go straight to permanent residency. Both routes are explained in the Paraguay residency guide and the SUACE investor guide.

The fixed government costs

These are the same whether you do it yourself or pay for help. Migraciones fees are in force from 1 July 2026 (Decreto 6225/2026, Res. DNM 478/2026), at a jornal of ₲117,077. Cash prices; card payments at Migraciones add 2-3% plus VAT.

Item	Fee	About
Temporary residency, Ley 6984 (25 jornales)	₲2,926,925	US$500
Temporary residency, Mercosur (20 jornales)	₲2,341,540	US$400
Permanent residency (25 jornales)	₲2,926,925	US$500
Extension of temporary residency (11 jornales)	₲1,287,847	US$220
Certificado de radicación (2 jornales)	₲234,154	US$40
Permanent card renewal, every 10 years (4 jornales)	₲468,308	US$80
Fine for overstay or no entry record (6 jornales)	₲702,462	US$120
Cédula, first issue (Policía Nacional)	₲8,500	US$1.50
Police record certificate (Policía Nacional)	₲24,500	US$4
Judicial record certificate (Poder Judicial)	₲43,051	US$7

From first application to permanent residency, the two Migraciones fees come to ₲5,853,850 (about US$1,000) per person under Ley 6984. Costs that no Paraguayan authority fixes come on top: your home-country certificates and apostilles, translations, the Interpol and Informática certificates (we could not confirm their fees from an official source), notary copies (fees set by Ley 1307/87), and any lawyer, agency or gestor.

Add up the government fees for your family

The free calculator uses the Migraciones fees in force from 1 July 2026, by nationality and family size.

Use the calculator →

What a lawyer, agency or gestor can and cannot change

What paid help can do

Check your documents against the current DNM sheets before you travel, so a missing apostille or translation does not cost you a second trip.
Read and explain the Spanish requirement sheets and resolutions, and fill in forms with you.
Follow up on your file as your legal representative and answer any observation Migraciones raises.
Handle side steps: Paraguayan certificates, the cédula, the migration-movement report.
Deal with harder cases: a criminal record, a refusal, a residency that lapsed or was cancelled for absence, a request to be away longer (Res. DNM 376/2026), or choosing the right solvency category for permanent residency.

What paid help cannot do

File for you. The residency procedure is personal and in person, for temporary, permanent and SUACE residency alike.
Speed up Migraciones. There is no official fast track, and no published processing time to hold anyone to.
Lower the government fees, which are fixed in the official DNM fee table.
Waive requirements: proof of entry, criminal records, the 1-year absence limit before permanent residency, the solvency proof from July 2026.
Guarantee approval. The DNM decides, and it may refuse people prosecuted or convicted of intentional offences punishable in Paraguay by more than 2 years in prison.

Lawyers, agencies and gestores

A lawyer is registered (matriculado) with the Corte Suprema de Justicia. A gestor is a paid agent who handles paperwork and queues but is not a lawyer. An agency is a business that may use lawyers, gestores or both. Ask who will actually handle your file, and in what capacity.

If someone will act for you before Migraciones or another public body, ask what authority they will use. Under the Civil Code (art. 700), a power of attorney to represent someone before the public administration must be granted by public deed (escritura pública) before a notary. The legal notary fee for a power of attorney is 5 jornales, ₲585,385 (about US$100), plus IVA (Ley 1307/87).

How to decide

Doing it yourself is realistic if

• You read Spanish well enough to follow the DNM requirement sheets, or someone you trust does.
• Your case is simple: no criminal record, documents that are easy to get and apostille, no past immigration problems.
• You can be in Paraguay to file in person and to deal with any follow-up.
• You will keep track of the dates: the 3-month window for permanent residency and the 1-year absence limit.

Paid help is worth considering if

• You cannot read Spanish.
• You have a criminal record, a previous refusal or an overstay.
• Your temporary residency lapsed, you were abroad for more than a year, or your residency was cancelled for absence.
• You are unsure which solvency category fits your income. For example, the 2026 annex dropped the old "rentista" wording, so people living on investment income need another category.
• You are applying for Paraguayan nationality, where a lawyer is required.

Downsides to plan for on either route

• You must be in Paraguay and file in person, for temporary and again for permanent residency.
• The paperwork is in Spanish, and foreign documents need apostilles and Spanish translations.
• A temporary resident who is abroad for more than 1 year cannot switch to permanent and must extend instead. Permanent residency can be cancelled after more than 3 consecutive years abroad without justification.
• Since 6 July 2026, permanent residency needs documented proof of income or means, checked against what you declared two years earlier.

How to check a lawyer, agency or gestor before you pay

ExpatSettle does not recommend or rank any lawyer, agency or gestor. These checks work for anyone you are considering.

1
If they say they are a lawyer, check the registration
Ask for their matrícula number with the Corte Suprema de Justicia and a recent CSJ "constancia de estar matriculado" and "de no poseer sanciones" (certificates that they are registered and have no sanctions). The CSJ issues these free of charge on its form FSG001. We did not find a public online lookup, so ask to see the certificate itself.
2
Confirm a physical address in Paraguay
An office you can visit, not only a WhatsApp number.
3
Get an itemised written quote
Their fee for each step, with the government fees listed separately at the official amounts in the table above. Lawyer fees for residency are not regulated, so compare more than one quote.
4
Sign a written contract
It should say what is included (temporary residency only, or also the cédula, certificates and permanent residency), who your legal representative is, and what happens if Migraciones raises an observation or refuses.
5
Get a receipt for every payment
And ask for proof of each government fee paid on your behalf.

Red flags

• "Guaranteed" or "fast-track" approval for an extra fee. No official fast track exists.
• An offer to file your residency online or without you coming to Paraguay. Residency cannot be filed online.
• A claim that the SUACE investor route is fully electronic. The DNM requirement sheet says it is personal and in person.
• A "digital nomad visa" or "rentista visa" with a set income threshold. Neither exists as a separate category; remote workers and retirees use ordinary temporary residency.
• Government fees quoted above the official table, or not separated from the service fee.
• No written contract, no address, or pressure to pay everything before any work is done.

Citizenship is the step where a lawyer is required

Naturalisation is decided by the Corte Suprema de Justicia, not Migraciones, and the petition must be filed "bajo patrocinio de abogado" (signed by a lawyer). You can apply after 3 years of permanent residency, counted from the date of the permanent-residency resolution, and you must pass an exam on basic Spanish or Guaraní, Paraguayan history and geography, and the constitutional rules on losing nationality. The court fee is ₲43,051 (about US$7); the lawyer's fee is on top. Foreign documents for naturalisation must be translated by a CSJ-registered translator.

Paraguay citizenship guide

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about doing Paraguay residency yourself or with a lawyer.

Do I need a lawyer for Paraguay residency?

No. No rule requires a lawyer, agency or gestor for temporary or permanent residency. Whoever helps you, the application is "personal y presencial": you file it yourself, in person, at a Migraciones (DNM) office. Following up on the file can be done by you or by a legal representative. A lawyer is legally required only if you later apply for Paraguayan nationality (naturalisation) at the Supreme Court.

How much does a Paraguay immigration lawyer cost?

There is no official fee scale for residency work, so lawyers, agencies and gestores set their own prices, and they vary. Ask for an itemised written quote that lists their fee separately from the government fees. The government fees are fixed: ₲2,926,925 (about US$500) for temporary residency and the same again for permanent residency, from 1 July 2026. Notaries are different: their fees are set by law (Ley 1307/87).

How much does it cost to get residency in Paraguay?

The Migraciones fee is ₲2,926,925 (about US$500) for temporary residency under Ley 6984 and ₲2,926,925 again for permanent residency, so ₲5,853,850 (about US$1,000) per person from first application to permanent status. Mercosur nationals pay ₲2,341,540 (about US$400) for temporary residency. Smaller Paraguayan fees come on top (cédula ₲8,500, police certificate ₲24,500, judicial certificate ₲43,051, certificado de radicación ₲234,154), plus your home-country documents, apostilles, translations and any paid help. Migraciones fees are set in daily minimum wages and change every 1 July.

Can a lawyer or agency make Migraciones process my residency faster?

There is no official fast track, and Migraciones does not publish a processing time for temporary or permanent residency. A careful representative can catch mistakes that would send a file back, and can follow up for you, but nobody can legitimately buy a faster decision. Treat any offer of "fast track" or "guaranteed" approval as a warning sign.

Can I apply for Paraguay residency online, without travelling?

No. You must be in Paraguay (proof of entry is a requirement) and file in person at a DNM office. The DNM's online services cover only side procedures: pre-registration, extension of stay, the certificado de radicación, the migration-movement certificate, and paying fees and fines, through paraguay.gov.py. Be wary of anyone who offers to file your residency fully online.

How do I check that a Paraguayan immigration lawyer is genuine?

Lawyers in Paraguay are registered (matriculados) with the Corte Suprema de Justicia. Ask for their matrícula number and a recent CSJ certificate showing they are registered and have no sanctions ("constancia de estar matriculado" and "de no poseer sanciones"); the CSJ issues these free of charge. Also check for a physical office address, sign a written contract with an itemised quote, and get a receipt for every payment.

What is the difference between an immigration lawyer, an agency and a gestor?

A lawyer is registered with the Corte Suprema de Justicia. An agency is a business that may employ or contract lawyers, gestores or both, so ask who will actually handle your file. A gestor is a paid agent who handles paperwork and queues but is not a lawyer. For residency none of them is required, and none of them can file the application without you being there in person.

Do I need a lawyer for Paraguayan citizenship?

Yes. The naturalisation petition to the Corte Suprema de Justicia must be filed "bajo patrocinio de abogado", that is, signed by a lawyer. You can apply after 3 years of permanent residency, counted from the date of the permanent-residency resolution, and you must pass an exam. The court fee is ₲43,051 (about US$7). The lawyer's fee is on top and is not set on the CSJ page.

Can I get Paraguay residency without speaking Spanish?

Yes. The residency rules have no language requirement. But the requirement sheets, forms and resolutions are in Spanish, foreign documents must be translated into Spanish, and the permanent-residency step now asks for specific proof of income. If you cannot read Spanish, budget for a translator or paid help. Naturalisation is different: its exam tests basic Spanish or Guaraní.

Sources

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