Since the Immigration law in Paraguay changed in October 2022, direct application for permanent residency is no longer possible, unless done through the SUACE investment program. Interested migrants to Paraguay must now first apply for temporary residency, and after having temporary residency for a period of 21 months, may apply for permanent residency.

The first two steps in obtaining your residency in Paraguay are the most important, and depend solely on you.

Step 1. Before leaving your home country you must first obtain original copies of the following documents for each member of your family:

Passport: You must possess a valid passport.  Upon your arrival in Paraguay, you must ensure that your passport is clearly marked upon your entry into Paraguay. That entry stamp forms part of the application packet.

Visa: Depending upon whether citizens of your country require it. This can be a consular visa or an airport arrival visa. Once again, depending upon your nation of origin.

Birth certificate. This document must match the name on your passport exactly. If not, you must bring accompanying documentation which explains the difference in the names (Marriage Certificate, Certificate of Name change, Divorce Certificate).

Proof of your Civil Status: Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate (in case of deceased spouse). If applicable.

National Level Police Certificate: This certifies your criminal history within your home country. In the USA this certificate is issued by the FBI, in Canada, it is issued by the RCMP. If you have previous criminal convictions, you should let us know immediately, so we can inquire about their impact on your application request. IMPORTANT: This document cannot be older than 180 days at the time of submission for your cedula, and is not required for minors under the age of 14 years old.

Step 2. You must have all of the aforementioned documents legalized in your home country BEFORE coming to Paraguay. If your country is a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention, you can have your documents apostilled in your nation and they will be accepted as legalized here in Paraguay. 

Once in Asuncion, we will take you to several offices, such as INTERPOL and the Paraguayan National Police, to obtain further documents required for your application. Once these steps are complete, we will accompany you to the Immigration Office to submit your application packet. After the packet is submitted, you may remain in Paraguay or return to your home country while the application is processed. This processing time normally takes about three months. Once your temporary residence card is ready, you will return to Paraguay, we will then accompany you to the Immigration Office again to retrieve your temporary residence card, and then to the National Identifications office to apply for your cedula. The processing time for the cedula application is approximately 45 days.

The cost of this service is 1,800 USD and includes all translation, administrative and governmental fees.