Immigration law in Paraguay

Every person entering or leaving Paraguay must register the movement at a DNM checkpoint. Registration is free and requires a valid passport or, for eligible MERCOSUR nationals, a valid national identity document. Depending on nationality, a visa may be required from the MRE before travel or on arrival. A visa does not guarantee entry because the DNM makes the final border decision. A temporary stay, called Estadía Transitoria, covers tourism, transit, border travel, medical treatment and certain special situations. It normally lasts up to 90 days and may be extended once for no longer than the period originally granted. As of 1 July 2026, the fee for that extension is Gs. 585,385. Staying beyond the permitted period or failing to register an entry can lead to a fine; the current six-unit fine is Gs. 702,462. A person carrying out a lawful occasional activity may use Residencia Espontánea u Ocasional. It allows a stay of up to 90 days and may be extended once in the same year. It is not a qualifying step toward permanent residence. The current eight-unit fee is Gs. 936,616, and the application requires identity evidence, a visa where applicable, entry evidence and a sworn declaration describing the activity and domicile. The usual residence application for settlement and lawful activity is Residencia Temporal. It is granted for up to two years and can generally be extended for another two years. The applicant applies personally to the DNM and normally provides identity and passport documents, a visa where required, proof of entry, a birth certificate, civil-status evidence, criminal-record certificates from the country of origin or the countries of residence during the previous three years, an INTERPOL certificate, a Paraguayan foreigner-background certificate and a sworn declaration of compliance with Paraguayan law and the Constitution. Criminal-record documents issued abroad require an apostille or consular and MRE legalisation, followed by a Spanish translation by an authorised translator; Brazilian Portuguese documents are exempt from translation under the applicable practice. While a complete residence application is being processed, the DNM may issue Residencia Precaria for 90 days, renewable once. It permits residence, departure and re-entry, work and study during the procedure, but it does not guarantee approval. The current combined fee for the temporary residence, the temporary certificate and a category change is Gs. 2,926,925. The identity card normally has the same validity as the residence document. The DNM may request additional documents even after accepting the initial file, and acceptance of a file is not an approval. MERCOSUR nationals from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador can apply for Residencia Temporaria MERCOSUR. The usual evidence includes identity, birth or civil-status documents, proof of entry and a sworn declaration that the applicant has no international criminal convictions. The current temporary MERCOSUR fee is Gs. 2,341,540. Permanent residence is normally requested at least 90 days before the temporary certificate expires; otherwise the applicant may need to change status under the general immigration law. Uruguay has an additional direct permanent-residence basis under Ley 6774/2021, without a temporary prerequisite and without a fee under that basis. Residencia Permanente is indefinite, but the residence card must be renewed every ten years and the Paraguayan identity card every ten years. A temporary resident should apply from 90 days before expiry until 30 days after expiry. A later application may incur a fine, and after more than 30 days the person generally has to extend temporary residence instead, up to six months after expiry. Since 6 July 2026, Resolution DNM 407/2026 sets solvency requirements for permanent residence under the general law and for MERCOSUR applicants. The twelve groups include professionals, technicians, employees, independent workers and businesses, remote workers and digital nomads, property owners, shareholders and partners, farmers and ranchers, religious workers, retirees and pensioners, dependants and students. The applicant must show actual income or means of support; studying alone is insufficient. Children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 do not need to prove solvency. Some family members have direct permanent-residence options. A repatriated Paraguayan national may sponsor a spouse, children, grandchildren up to age 18 and the spouse of a child. The process uses a Certificado de Repatriación from SEDERREC, an identity card from the Policía Nacional and an application to the DNM; the certificate can remove the applicable fee. A foreign spouse or child of a Paraguayan national may also obtain permanent residence by operation of Ley 2193/2003 after applying for the identity card when settling permanently. With a repatriation certificate, the application must generally reach the DNM within 90 days after obtaining the identity card. Investment applicants can use the MIC and SUACE process. The Ministerio de Industria y Comercio, through SUACE, issues a Constancia de Inversionista Extranjero. That certificate can provide access to direct permanent residence through a personal application at SUACE and the DNM. Under the Investor Pass rules in Resolution MIC 0283/2026, a business investment requires at least USD 70,000 and at least five formal jobs, with implementation within 24 months. A financial-instrument investment requires at least USD 200,000 held for at least two years and has no employment requirement. A tourism investment requires at least USD 150,000, a business plan and technical support. The MIC's current document list and assessment control the application. Applications for children and adolescents require a birth certificate and consent from a parent or tutor. If one parent is unavailable, a notarised consent or court authorisation may be required. If no parent is available, the Juzgado de la Niñez y Adolescencia appoints or recognises a tutor. The responsible adult must be Paraguayan or hold valid residence. Lawful migrants have equal access in principle to work, social security, health care, education, justice, culture and leisure. A person must keep the residence card and identity card valid, register entries and exits, report changes of address and sworn-declaration information, and observe absence limits. An absence of more than one year can cancel temporary residence unless the DNM authorises it. An unexcused absence of more than three years can cause loss of permanent residence. Resolution DNM 376/2026 regulates cancellation and authorisation matters. People seeking protection apply to CONARE, the Comisión Nacional de Refugiados, under Ley 1938/2002. The application can be made at the border or inside Paraguay, but not at an embassy. It is personal and free and involves a form, identity information, an interview and a real and legal domicile. The first interview can produce a Constancia de Solicitud de Refugio, which supports regular stay, work, internal movement and basic access to health and education. The certificate must be renewed before expiry and is not a travel or re-entry document. Proceedings are confidential, the first-instance decision can take up to 90 days, recognised refugees receive access to DNM residence and then a Policía Nacional identity card, and non-refoulement and family reunification protections apply. Naturalisation is separate from permanent residence. Under Article 148 of the Constitution, an adult generally needs at least three years of permanent residence, a profession, trade, science, art or industry, and good conduct. The application goes personally to the Corte Suprema de Justicia with a lawyer. Typical evidence includes the permanent residence card, a residence certificate, identity card, passport or birth certificate, Paraguayan and foreign criminal records, proof of work, study or profession, a curriculum vitae, sworn declarations and the applicable fee. No general language examination is evidenced in the applicable requirements. Multiple nationality depends on a treaty or constitutional reciprocity. A naturalised citizen can lose nationality by a judicial process after more than three years of unexcused absence or by voluntarily acquiring another nationality. The DNM may reject an application for missing or false documents, an entry ban, an international warrant, an alert or a formal defect. Permanent residence may also be refused for intentional offences punishable under Paraguayan law by more than two years of imprisonment or for repeated delinquency. Cancellation can follow fraud, forged documents, simulation, unauthorised absence, legal violations or a voluntary request. Cancellation may result in a departure period, expulsion and an entry ban of at least five years, subject to special review where the person is married to a Paraguayan, has Paraguayan children or has held permanent residence for more than ten years. An applicant can challenge an appealable individual administrative act under Ley 6715/2021. Reconsideration normally must be filed within ten days after service, with a decision due within 20 days. A hierarchical appeal may be filed directly or after reconsideration, also within ten days, with a decision due within 20 days. After administrative remedies are exhausted, a contentious-administrative claim normally must be filed within 18 working days. An appeal does not automatically suspend the decision. The DNM or deciding authority may order suspension where serious irreparable harm, a substantial defect or public interest justifies it. A person facing expulsion or loss of status should obtain specialist legal advice immediately and verify the date and method of service.