Paraguay Residency: The Documents and What Changed in 2026
Law 6984/2022 redesigned every stage. The updated map of documents, timelines and real costs, with the fee schedule in force since July 2026.
In October 2022, Paraguay repealed in full Law No. 978/1996, which had governed the country’s immigration regime for 26 years, replacing it with Law No. 6,984/2022. The change was not cosmetic. It restructured the immigration authority, created a new residency subcategory, changed what happens to existing permanent residents, and altered the order of the stages.
Anyone planning a move to Paraguay on the basis of an undated “5 documents” guide — or one that does not cite the governing statute — risks building expectations around a process that no longer works that way.
This article maps what changed, with the rules cited, and what each document actually enables today.
What changed: from Law 978/1996 to Law 6,984/2022
Law No. 6,984/2022, the Migration Act, was passed on 17 October 2022 and repealed the previous law in full. Three structural changes matter to anyone planning a move:
- The authority was elevated. The former Directorate-General of Migration became the National Directorate of Migration (DNM), with a reinforced structure and alignment to international bodies’ recommendations on migration policy.
- Permanent residency stopped being lifelong without card renewal. Anyone obtaining permanent residency from the new law’s entry into force must renew the card every ten years to keep the Paraguayan Identity Card valid. Anyone who already held a permanent card issued under the 1996 law is exempt from that renewal — the law is not retroactive.
- Temporary residency became a mandatory stage. The new law states explicitly that a foreign national wishing to settle in the country must first obtain temporary residency, and only then access permanent status at the end of the temporary period.
Before and after, side by side
| Dimension | Law No. 978/1996 (repealed) | Law No. 6,984/2022 (in force) |
|---|---|---|
| Responsible authority | Directorate-General of Migration | National Directorate of Migration (DNM) |
| Permanent card renewal | Not required | Mandatory every 10 years (not retroactive) |
| Order of stages | Variable in practice | Temporary is a mandatory stage preceding permanent |
| Status during the process | Less standardised | Residente precario: a formal status permitting entry, exit, study and work while Temporary Residency is processed |
The documents, one by one
Industry material tends to list the documents as isolated products. In practice, they form a sequence.
Residente precario. Not a separate visa: it is the status that Temporary Residency itself confers automatically while the application is being processed by the DNM. In the operational practice reported by firms handling these files, the DNM issues a precarious residency card valid for 90 calendar days, non-renewable — which reinforces the importance of assembling all documentation (including apostilled and translated certificates) before opening the file. Confirm the current period directly with the DNM before travelling, because administrative timelines change by resolution.
Temporary Residency. Authorisation for up to two years, renewable for an equal period under the general regime. It is a mandatory precondition for permanent status. It gives access to the Paraguayan Identity Card, valid for the same period as the temporary residency.
Permanent Residency. Applied for within the three months before the temporary card expires (or up to one month after expiry, subject to a fine). Anyone obtaining it from 2022 onwards must renew the card every ten years.
Foreign National Registration. Issued by the Foreign Nationals Registry Department of the National Police, it is a precondition for the Identity Card. It depends on prior certificates: the Interpol certificate (issued in 24 to 48 hours) and the foreign national IT record certificate (issued immediately). With complete documentation, the registration card itself is usually issued within ten working days — though the total timeline depends on when each prior certificate was obtained.
Paraguayan Identity Card. Issued by the Identification Department after registration with Migration and the Foreign National Registration. Once holding the card, the person ceases to be treated as “foreign” for the purposes of issuing certain documents — including travel documents.
Driving licence. A subsequent formality, conditional on holding the Paraguayan Identity Card.
The Mercosur route
Mercosur member states are parties to the bloc’s Residence Agreement, which simplifies the process for their nationals compared with the general regime applying to other nationalities.
Two relevant differences from the general regime:
- Mercosur Temporary Residency is valid for two years but — unlike the general regime — is not renewable: at the end of the period, the route is to apply directly for permanent status.
- Documentary requirements are simplified relative to the general regime, though criminal record certificates, a birth certificate and apostilled/translated documents remain required.
What it costs today
DNM fees are set in jornales mínimos — a unit that adjusts automatically with the statutory minimum wage, preventing the amount from falling out of date. Since 1 July 2026 a new schedule has applied (Decree No. 6,225/2026 and DNM Resolution No. 478/2026), with the statutory minimum wage at Gs. 3,044,000 and the jornal mínimo at Gs. 117,077.
As a reference point before that adjustment, Mercosur Permanent Residency cost Gs. 2,230,040, and general-regime Temporary Residency Gs. 2,787,550 (equivalent to 25 jornales mínimos). Amounts in guaraníes change with each minimum wage adjustment; the base in jornales mínimos is what stays stable. Confirm the exact fee for your application at migraciones.gov.py before paying — the schedule is updated by resolution, with no editorial announcement.
Paraguayan citizenship: the three years almost nobody explains properly
Naturalisation is decided by the Supreme Court of Justice — not an electoral body, unlike in other countries in the region. Article 148 of the 1992 National Constitution sets four cumulative requirements: majority age, a minimum of three years of settlement in national territory, the regular exercise of a profession, trade, science, art or industry, and good conduct as defined in law.
Two points regularly cause confusion:
- The three years run from permanent residency, not from temporary. The settlement period required to open a naturalisation file is counted from the date of the resolution granting permanent admission — not from arrival in the country.
- The physical presence bar is softer than in other countries in the region. Continuous presence is not required, nor a minimum number of days per year: for a year to count as “settled” in Paraguay, it is enough to have been in the territory at least one day in that calendar year. That is a structural difference from countries requiring short absences or meaningful minimum annual presence — and it should be treated with care: the central statutory requirement remains settlement and the “regular exercise” of activity in the country, assessed case by case by the Court.
Dual nationality is permitted under Paraguayan law — which does not remove the need to check the rules of your country of origin.
Note on scope: part of the residency regime for investors, retirees and rentiers has been the subject of recent DNM administrative resolutions (such as DNM Resolution No. 081/2026, on special regimes) that are still being interpreted in practice by the firms working with these files. The residente precario periods and the fees are set by resolution and change without much publicity. Before any travel or payment decision, we confirm the current text directly at migraciones.gov.py, and we do not work from third-party screenshots or out-of-date summaries — including our own content, if published more than a few months ago.
Frequently asked questions
Does immigration residency in Paraguay make me a tax resident?
They are distinct processes, with their own authorities and criteria — the DNM decides immigration settlement; tax matters follow Law No. 6,380/2019 and are administered by the DNIT. It is possible to be a legal resident without meeting the tax residency criteria, and the reverse occurs in specific situations.
Do I have to go through temporary residency even if I already have funds to invest?
Yes, under the current design of the law temporary residency is a mandatory precursor to permanent status in the general regime. Special regimes for investors exist, but they operate within that same staged logic, with their own documentation.
Does the Paraguayan Identity Card replace my home passport?
No. The Identity Card is a Paraguayan identity document, issued after settlement. Your home passport remains the international travel document, unless you naturalise.
How long does the full process take?
There is no single timeline: it depends on obtaining apostilled certificates in your country of origin, on the DNM’s scheduling and on the National Police. Local police certificates (Interpol and the IT record) are quick, but preparing documents at home is usually the stage that consumes the most time.
How to verify for yourself
- Law No. 6,984/2022, the Migration Act — official text at the National Directorate of Migration.
- Temporary Residency — official procedure page at the DNM.
- Permanent Residency (change of category) — official page at the DNM.
- Current immigration fees — official schedule at the DNM.
- Naturalisation Certificate — official requirements at the Judiciary.
The starting point
Paraguay changed the law governing all foreign settlement less than four years ago, and adjusted fees less than a month ago. A guide that does not cite the governing statute is not a shortcut — it is a risk of rework.
If Paraguay is on your horizon, the next step is to look at your specific position: nationality, the time available for travel, and whether the objective is immigration settlement alone or also the tax and wealth structuring on the other side of the border — including setting up a company and understanding the territorial tax regime.
One conversation is enough to know where to begin.
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.