Paraguay Temporary Residency: Your Legal Gateway in 2026

Since October 2022, Migration Law N° 6.984/2022 has run on a two-tier system: you first obtain temporary residency for two years, then upgrade to permanent residency, which is valid for ten years and renewable. The same reform abolished the old $5,000 bank-deposit route, making Paraguay one of the most accessible residency programs available to Americans and Europeans in 2026.

Once approved, temporary residency carries no minimum-stay requirement. You can live in Asunción year-round or visit only occasionally — your status remains valid either way, though we recommend periodic visits to keep your file in good standing for the permanent-residency upgrade.

This 2-year residence permit is the right fit for:

• Remote workers and digital nomads who want a legal base in South America with 0% tax on foreign-source income.
• Retirees looking for a low cost of living, mild climate, and a straightforward immigration system.
• Families planning a full relocation with affordable private schooling and healthcare.
• Plan-B seekers who want a solid second residency without any obligation to move immediately.

Paraguay is a MERCOSUR member, so nationals of MERCOSUR countries also benefit from a simplified route.

The document list is short, but every item must be correctly issued, apostilled, and translated. The three core documents you gather in your home country are:

• Apostilled birth certificate, recently issued by your civil registry.
• Clean criminal record certificate, apostilled, from the country where you have lived in recent years.
• Valid passport with enough validity to cover the whole process.

We handle everything else: sworn Spanish translations, the notarized power of attorney, immigration forms, government fees, and appointment scheduling are all included in our packages.

We validate every document before filing. Most rejections and delays we see in DIY applications come down to incorrectly issued apostilles, expired criminal record certificates, or translations Migraciones will not accept. Checking everything before you fly is the single biggest reason behind our 98% approval rate.

Here is how to get temporary residency in Paraguay with our team:

1. Free WhatsApp consultation. We review your case, nationality, and goals. A $100 USD deposit secures your spot and is credited to your package.
2. Document preparation. We guide you through obtaining your apostilled birth certificate and criminal record certificate, then verify each document before filing.
3. Trip to Asunción. We file your application with the immigration office in person, together with your biometrics.
4. Approval. Immigration typically processes temporary residency in 90–120 days. You do not need to stay in Paraguay while you wait.
5. Paraguayan cédula. Once residency is approved, we process your national ID card.

Total timing depends on the package you choose:

We work with fixed, all-in prices — no surprise fees. Promotional pricing is valid until November 30, 2026:

• Essential — $2,300: temporary residency + cédula across two coordinated trips, including sworn translations, government fees, notarized power of attorney, and home delivery of your documents.
• Premium — $2,800: everything in Essential plus your RUC (tax ID) and first invoice book, completed in a single trip of 5–7 business days, with private airport transfer and executive transport.
• Investor — $15,000: direct permanent residency via the investor route + cédula + RUC, also in a single 5–7 business-day trip.

You can compare all three packages in detail on our pricing page. The $100 USD deposit that reserves your spot is credited in full against your package.

Residency approval is only half the journey. What actually lets you operate in Paraguay is the cédula — the national ID card you need for banking, signing contracts, and getting a driver's license. Every one of our packages includes it.

If you want to invoice from Paraguay or establish tax residency here, the next step is the RUC, the Paraguayan tax ID. Paraguay runs a territorial tax system under Law 6380/19: 0% tax on foreign-source income, a flat 10% on Paraguay-source income, 10% VAT, and no wealth or inheritance tax. With a RUC in place, you can also obtain a tax residency certificate — see our tax residency service for details.

After two years of temporary residency you can apply for permanent residency, valid for ten years and renewable. Three years into permanent residency you become eligible for Paraguayan citizenship under Article 148 of the Constitution — roughly five years in total from day one, with naturalization granted by the Supreme Court after a civics interview in Spanish.

You can technically file the application yourself. In practice, DIY files tend to hit the same walls: Spanish-only forms, shifting documentary criteria, criminal record certificates that expire while you wait for an appointment, and extra flights to fix mistakes that were avoidable from the start.

Our firm is different from agencies and middlemen:

• Lead attorney Antonia Alonso de Mostafa is licensed by Paraguay's Supreme Court (CSJ license No. 16,068) with over 10 years of experience.
• More than 500 successful cases and a 98% approval rate.
• A real office in Asunción and direct communication throughout the process.
• Fixed pricing that already covers government fees, sworn translations, and the notarized power of attorney.

Learn more about the team on our About page, or browse the FAQ.