Paraguay Residency and Citizenship: What Changed in 2026
The US$5,000 deposit has not existed since 2022, yet still appears on dozens of sites. The Investor Pass changed the picture in April 2026.
One error repeats across almost all content about Paraguayan residency: the requirement of a US$5,000 deposit at the Central Bank.
That requirement does not exist. It was abolished in 2022, when the new migration law came into force. Even so, it keeps appearing as though it were the current rule — because the page mentioning it was never updated.
Between 2022 and 2026 the Paraguayan immigration framework changed substantially, and 2026 alone concentrated more regulatory change than the previous four years combined: two resolutions reorganising the financial-means criteria, a new fee schedule and, most significantly for anyone with capital, the creation of a direct permanent residency route through investment — the Paraguay Investor Pass.
This article separates what is in force from what is myth, with the rules cited.
What changed in immigration residency
The general regime is Law No. 6,984/2022, the Migration Act, administered by the National Directorate of Migration (DNM). It replaced the previous framework and removed, among other things, the US$5,000 deposit the old rule required.
The law distinguishes two stages:
- Temporary residency — the initial authorisation, valid for up to two years, renewable for an equal period. During the process, the applicant holds residente precario status, permitting them to leave and re-enter the country, study and work lawfully.
- Permanent residency — extends status for ten years. Conversion from temporary to permanent can only be applied for from month 21 of temporary residency, and before it expires at 24 months. Missing that window means restarting the process.
The documents required under the current rules are seven: a valid passport, an apostilled birth certificate, apostilled criminal record certificates (valid 90 days) from the countries the applicant has lived in over recent years, a medical certificate issued in Paraguay, evidence of financial means, passport photographs and a domicile contract in the country.
The 2026 reorganisation
Two DNM resolutions redesigned parts of the process this year:
- DNM Resolution No. 081/2026 (26 January 2026) — supplements Law 6,984/2022 with administrative criteria, including the special regimes for investors.
- DNM Resolution No. 407/2026 (announced by the DNM in June 2026) — reorganises how a foreign national evidences financial means to access permanent residency, creating twelve specific categories (professionals, technicians, employees, independent workers in commerce or services, remote workers/digital nomads, property owners, company shareholders or partners, farmers and ranchers, religious workers, retirees or pensioners, dependants and students), each with its own documentation. The same resolution removed the profession field from the printed card.
Note on scope: the fee schedule for immigration procedures was updated in 2026 (Decree 6,225/2026 and DNM Resolution 478/2026, effective from 1 July 2026). Amounts in jornales mínimos and in guaraníes change with minimum wage updates; before budgeting for a procedure, we confirm the exact amount with the DNM at the time of verification.
Paraguay Investor Pass: the direct route created in 2026
The most significant development of the year for anyone with capital is the Paraguay Investor Pass, officially launched on 17 April 2026, governed by MIC Resolution No. 283/2026 of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, working alongside Law No. 5,876/2017 on Investment Promotion, Law 6,984/2022 on Migration, and Decree No. 2,523/2024, which governs SUACE (the Unified Company Opening and Closing System).
The core difference: rather than requiring two years of temporary residency before permanent status — the standard path — the Investor Pass grants direct permanent residency, with a Paraguayan identity card valid for ten years, to anyone documenting an investment within one of four eligible categories.
The four options
| Option | Minimum amount | Additional condition |
|---|---|---|
| Productive investment (pre-existing SUACE route) | US$70,000 | Approved business plan; creation of at least 5 formal jobs |
| Financial instruments | US$200,000 | Minimum 2-year holding; no business plan or job creation; annual reporting |
| Real estate | Reference of US$200,000 | Documented asset; lawful source of funds |
| Tourism | Reference of US$150,000 | Investment in a government-approved tourism project |
The Foreign Investor Certificate (CIE) — the document enabling access to the benefit — must be issued within five working days by SUACE from a complete application.
A rarely publicised point: the application is individual. If two foreign partners incorporate a company and jointly acquire a US$200,000 property, only one of them accesses direct permanent residency through that route — for both to qualify, the documented amount must be multiplied in proportion to the number of applicants.
Note on scope: the financial instrument, real estate and tourism options are the newest in the programme — the productive option already existed through SUACE before 2026. The detailed procedures, the list of approved tourism projects and the source-of-funds verification criteria for the newer routes were still in regulatory consolidation at the last verification. Amounts and requirements per category should be reconfirmed with the MIC/SUACE before any investment decision.
Paraguayan citizenship: what the Constitution actually requires
The route to Paraguayan nationality by naturalisation is governed by Article 148 of the National Constitution, not by a specific ordinary statute — a gap the Chamber of Deputies itself acknowledges in ongoing legislative discussion.
Article 148 sets four cumulative conditions:
- Majority age.
- A minimum of three years of settlement in national territory.
- Exercise in the country of some profession, trade, science, art or industry.
- Good conduct, as defined in law.
In practice, the process runs before the Supreme Court of Justice (Civil Chamber), under the procedure established by Agreement No. 464/07, which includes a written examination on elementary knowledge of Spanish or Guaraní and evidence of ties to the community. Because no formal statute regulates the process in detail, the procedure has been described — in the explanatory memoranda of bills currently before Congress — as subject to timelines that in practice stretch to between three and five years, even though the Constitution requires only three years of actual settlement.
Two further points, from the Constitution:
- Article 149 — addresses multiple nationality, on the basis of reciprocity between states.
- Article 150 — naturalised Paraguayan nationality is lost only through unjustified absence from Paraguay for more than three years, judicially declared, or through the voluntary acquisition of another nationality.
Once the naturalisation certificate is granted, the new citizen receives an identity card without the “foreign national” field and may apply for a Paraguayan passport.
The other side of the border: what much of the content ignores
No analysis that ignores the home-country position serves a family well — and here is a point most commercial content about Paraguay simply omits.
Brazil and Paraguay signed a Convention to Avoid Double Taxation on 20 September 2000, and the Brazilian Congress approved the text in 2003, by Legislative Decree No. 762/2003. So far, the position looks identical to Uruguay’s, which has had a treaty in force with Brazil since 2023.
It is not identical. Unlike the Uruguayan case, the available public documentation does not unambiguously confirm that the Brazil–Paraguay convention completed bilateral ratification and is in force as a full instrument — the matter still appears on the tax negotiation priority lists published by industry bodies in recent years. Which means planning a move to Paraguay on the premise that an automatic bilateral tax credit mechanism with Brazil exists is an unverified risk.
That sits alongside the changes already affecting any non-resident still receiving income from Brazil, whatever the destination country:
- Law No. 15,270/2025, in force since 1 January 2026: profits and dividends remitted to beneficiaries resident abroad are subject to 10% withholding at source, with no minimum threshold.
- Law No. 14,754/2023: continues to apply while the holder remains a Brazilian tax resident, with annual taxation of foreign financial investments and of profits of controlled entities.
The practical conclusion: Paraguayan immigration residency resolves your life in Paraguay. It does not, on its own, resolve the position of assets in your home country — that depends on correctly closing tax residency there, a subject covered in detail in our article on tax residency and exemptions in Paraguay.
Frequently asked questions
Does the US$5,000 deposit for Paraguayan residency still exist?
No. That requirement was abolished when Law 6,984/2022 came into force. Content still mentioning it is out of date.
Does the Investor Pass replace traditional residency?
No. It is an additional, faster route for anyone documenting investment within the four options in MIC Resolution 283/2026. The traditional route (temporary → permanent within 24 months) remains in force and is cheaper for anyone without capital to invest.
How many years are needed for citizenship?
Three years of actual settlement, under Article 148 of the Constitution. In administrative practice, the full process usually takes longer.
Does being a legal resident in Paraguay automatically make me a tax resident?
No. They are distinct processes, addressed separately in our article on tax residency.
How to verify for yourself
- Law No. 6,984/2022 on Migration and DNM Resolution No. 407/2026 — National Directorate of Migration.
- Paraguay Investor Pass — MIC Resolution No. 283/2026 — Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
- Articles 148, 149 and 150 of the National Constitution and Agreement No. 464/07 — the Judiciary.
- Legislative Decree No. 762/2003 (Brazil–Paraguay convention) — Brazilian Federal Senate.
- Law No. 15,270/2025 — Brazilian Chamber of Deputies.
The starting point
Paraguay changed more in 2026 than in any other recent year — and much of the available content still describes the country of 2022.
If Paraguay is on your horizon, the next step is to work out which route fits your case: traditional residency, the Investor Pass, or a combination with broader succession and wealth planning — always accounting for both sides of the border.
One conversation is enough to know whether it makes sense to proceed.
Informational content. It does not constitute legal, tax, immigration or investment advice. The rules cited were verified against the official sources indicated in July 2026 and may be amended or further regulated. Individual situations produce different outcomes and should be analysed case by case.