How to Get Temporary Residency in Paraguay in 2026

Temporary residency in Paraguay is one of the most accessible legal residency options available worldwide. It allows foreign nationals to live, work, and invest in Paraguay for two years, with the possibility of renewal or conversion into permanent residency after 21 months.

Despite its simplicity, information available online is often confusing or outdated. This is largely due to major legislative reforms introduced by Law No. 6984/22 in 2022, followed by procedural updates implemented in September 2024, particularly regarding the issuance of the Paraguayan ID card (cédula).

At Paraguay Gateway, we work daily with these regulations as they are applied in practice. This guide reflects the current legal framework in force in 2026 and explains the process step by step. If you need assistance to obtain your Temporary Residency in Paraguay, feel free to get in touch with us.

Asunción, Paraguay.

Why Temporary Residency Matters More Than Ever

Under the current legal regime, temporary residency has become the cornerstone of Paraguay’s immigration system.

Key advantages include:

• Fewer requirements than before 2022

• No obligation to demonstrate financial solvency

• No mandatory bank deposit

• A clear and direct path to permanent residency

• Eligibility for work, business, and investment activities

  
  

For most applicants, temporary residency is now the simplest and most reliable route to long-term legal status in Paraguay.

If you require professional assistance to obtain your Temporary Residency in Paraguay, our team is available to guide you through every step.

Temporary Residency in Paraguay: Required Documents

Obtaining temporary residency involves documentation from two sources:

1. Documents that must be obtained in your country of origin, and

2. Documents that can only be issued in Paraguay.

   
   

Professional assistance is strongly recommended, particularly for coordinating local procedures and ensuring compliance with formal requirements.

Documents to Bring From Your Home Country

You must arrive in Paraguay with the following:

• Valid passport

• Entry visa or passport stamp, depending on nationality

• Birth certificate, apostilled

  • Must be issued and apostilled in the country of birth

  • If the country does not use apostilles, the document must be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then by a Paraguayan consulate

• Civil status documents, if applicable (apostilled or legalized):

  • Marriage certificate

  • Divorce decree

  • Death certificate of spouse (if widowed)

• Criminal background certificate, apostilled or legalized:

  • Issued by your country of nationality if you lived there in the last 3 years

  • Issued by the country of residence if you lived elsewhere, plus proof of residence (usually an ID card or residency certificate)

  • Applicants under 14 years old are exempt

Documents Obtained in Paraguay

Once in Paraguay, the applicant must personally obtain:

• Interpol criminal background certificate (Paraguay)

• Certificado de antecedentes para extranjeros - Literally "Criminal background certificate for foreigners", issued by the IT Department of the Paraguayan National Police

• Certificado de Vida y Residencia - Literally “certificate of life and residency” issued by the closest police station yo your place of residency in the country.

  • Requires proof of address (water or electricity bill)

  • Requires sworn statements from two Paraguayan nationals

• Sworn declaration committing to respect the Constitution and laws of Paraguay

• Sworn declaration of profession or intended economic activity, submitted electronically to the Migration Department

Filing the Residency Application

All documentation must be submitted at the central office of the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones.

Upon submission:

• You will receive a Residencia Precaria, valid for 90 days

• This provisional status covers the period until the final decision

• After approximately 90 days, you receive:

  • Temporary Residency Card

  • Temporary Residency Certificate

Once issued, you may proceed to apply for the Paraguayan ID card (cédula).

Applying for the Paraguayan ID Card (Cédula)

Temporary or permanent residency is a mandatory prerequisite for obtaining a cédula.

Additional Documents Required

In addition to your residency documents, you must present:

• Interpol certificate, authenticated twice:

  • Police Personnel Department

  • Ayudantía

These two offices verify the authenticity of the certificate.

• Certificado de Vida y Residencia, authenticated three times:

  • Police Personnel Department

  • Ayudantía

  • Commandancia of the National Police

This document provides your address in Paraguay

• Carnet de Extranjero, issued by the National Police

• Temporary Residency card

• Temporary Residency certificate

  
  

• Notarized copies of all documents

The application is filed at the Office of Identifications, where fingerprints and signatures are captured electronically.

Processing Time

• Standard processing: 30 days

• In practice, with professional assistance, most IDs are issued within 10 days

Once issued, the cédula allows you to:

• Open bank accounts

• Obtain a driver’s license

• Register a business

• Sign contracts

• Fully integrate into Paraguay’s legal and economic system

Additional Requirements for Minors (Under 18)

For applicants under 18 years old, additional documentation is required:

• Apostilled or legalized ID of parents or legal guardian

• If one or both parents are absent:

  • Apostilled or legalized authorization document

  • The accompanying legal guardian must be a Paraguayan citizen or resident

Do Documents Need to Be in Spanish?

Yes. All documents must be in Spanish to be accepted.

Exceptions:

• Portuguese documents issued in Brazil are generally accepted

Translations can be:

• Done in Paraguay by a public translator registered locally (recommended), or

• Done abroad by an accredited translator, then apostilled or legalized

In practice, translating documents in Paraguay is faster, safer, and less prone to rejection.

Apostille and Legalization Explained

The apostille is an international certification under the Hague Convention of 1961, ratified by Paraguay and 115 other countries.

All foreign documents must be:

• Apostilled in the issuing country, or

• Legalized by a Paraguayan consulate if the country is not a Hague Convention signatory

The apostille must be applied to the original document, not to copies.

Step-by-Step Process to Obtain Temporary Residency

The steps are updated to the laws in force today.

Before Arriving in Paraguay

• Collect passport, ID card, birth certificate, civil status documents, and criminal record

• The documents related to one’s civil status, the birth certificate, and the criminal record certificate must then be apostilled or legalized by the nearest Paraguayan consulate if the country hasn't signed the Hague Convention.

• 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) Send documents in advance for certified translations in Paraguay ensuring to have them translated by a public translator registered in the appropriate board in Paraguay, even before departing. The translations will be ready before the client arrives in the country, minimizing the time needed to complete the process.

After Arriving in Paraguay

Before you can apply for temporary 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 office (fingerprints and background check)

• Local police station (vida y residencia certificate)

• Police Human Talent Department - 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 Receiving Temporary Residency

In principle, once you obtain the temporary residence card, you are allowed to live in Paraguay for two years. However, there are notable restrictions: you lack an official identification card, which could lead to problems if stopped by law enforcement or if you need to demonstrate to your home country that you have relocated. 

Because of this, the process is not finalized until you have submitted an application for and acquired the ID card (commonly referred to as “cedula”). Current immigration policies require residents to apply for their ID card within 180 days of gaining residency. 

To obtain the ID, you must take the required documents along with your temporary residence card to the Department of Identifications. Start by going to the second level where they manage registrations for foreigners. A police officer will verify all the documents and then guide you to one of the counters on the ground floor, where you will electronically give your fingerprints and complete the required forms. 

After that, you simply need to wait for the ID card to be issued. This process can take up to 90 days, though that is uncommon. Particularly with assistance from a manager or attorney knowledgeable about the procedure, it can be quicker: more than 95% of our clients received their ID within 10 days of applying. 

Cost of Temporary Residency in Paraguay (2025)

Government Fees

• Temporary Residency: 2,690,675 PYG (~USD 350)

• Residencia Precaria (optional, valid for 90 days and meant to cover your stay until you receive the temporary residency card and certificate, ): 538,135 PYG (~USD 75)

Additional Costs

• Interpol certificate (40$)

• Sworn translations (30-50$ 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)

Total estimated cost without professional assistance: USD 1,200–1,400

Professional services typically range from USD 2,000 to USD 6,000, depending on scope and quality.

All Paraguay Gateway packages are turnkey and all-inclusive, covering:

• Government fees

• Translations

• Transportation

• Power of attorney

• Assistance at all offices

• Travel coordination

How Long Does the Process Take to Get the Temporary Residency?

• Standard timeline without professional help: 45 to 100+ days

• With professional assistance:

  • Application can be filed within 72 hours of arrival

  • One can decide to either fly away or stay in Paraguay.

  • Residency card and residency certificate can be collected via power of attorney

Over 95% of our clients receive their cédula within 10 days of applying.

Need Assistance?

If you have questions or would like an evaluation of your situation, contact Paraguay Gateway. We reply in less than 24 hours and provide guidance in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.

Temporary residency in Paraguay is straightforward—but doing it correctly the first time makes all the difference.