Open a Paraguay company. Single shareholder, no minimum capital, 72-hour target.

From the law itself

What Ley 6480/2020 actually authorises.

EAS — *Empresa por Acciones Simplificadas* — is the structure created specifically to let a single shareholder, including a foreign individual or legal entity, incorporate a Paraguayan company without minimum-capital friction. The operative line:

La Empresa por Acciones Simplificadas (EAS) es una persona jurídica constituida por una o más personas físicas o jurídicas, nacionales o extranjeras, que solamente serán responsables hasta el monto de sus respectivos aportes.

The Simplified Joint-Stock Company (EAS) is a legal entity constituted by one or more natural or legal persons, national or foreign, who shall be liable only up to the amount of their respective contributions.

Pick the structure first

EAS, SRL or SA — which Paraguayan company structure should I pick?

Paraguayan commercial law offers three operating-company forms. Foreign founders pick EAS in 2026; SRL and SA only when a bank, client or regulator specifically demands them.

• EAS

  Shareholders

  1 (natural or legal)

  Capital

  None mandated

  Setup time

  5–10 business days (72-hour target)

  Cost

  US$ 50–1,500

  Best fit

  The default for new foreign founders, SaaS holdings, consulting firms, single-owner operations.

• SRL

  Shareholders

  2 minimum

  Capital

  ~PYG 5 M practical floor

  Setup time

  2–4 weeks

  Cost

  US$ 3,000–5,000

  Best fit

  Specific bank or client preference; two founders sharing equity; cuotas-based ownership.

• SA

  Shareholders

  2 minimum

  Capital

  ~PYG 50 M typical

  Setup time

  4–6 weeks

  Cost

  US$ 8,000–15,000

  Best fit

  Capital-intensive projects, external investors planned, regulated activities.

• Branch (Sucursal)

  Shareholders

  N/A (foreign parent)

  Capital

  Assigned

  Setup time

  4–8 weeks

  Cost

  US$ 5,000–12,000

  Best fit

  Foreign parent already has contracts or brand equity that need legal continuity in Paraguay.

*Capital* is the headline practical floor, not the statutory minimum — Paraguayan law leaves company capital to the founders, but banks, public-procurement registers and some clients impose informal expectations. *Setup time* assumes documentation in order and SUACE workflow without re-submission cycles.

EAS — the recommended path

How do you actually file an EAS in Paraguay, step by step?

Six concrete steps from decision to operational company. With paperwork in order, the entire flow runs in two to six weeks end-to-end.

1. 01

   Decide name + shareholding

   Reserve the corporate name through SUACE (free, ~24 hours to confirm). Single shareholder is permitted — yourself, or your foreign parent company. Decide who the *Representante Legal* will be (often a local lawyer initially, replaced after the founder gets a cédula).

2. 02

   Prepare the constitutive act

   EAS uses standardised bylaws built into the portal flow — far less drafting than SRL/SA. If your corporate structure needs custom clauses (vesting, preferred shares, foreign-board veto rights) a Paraguayan lawyer drafts an attachment. Typical lawyer fee for custom bylaws: US$ 800–1,500.

3. 03

   File via eas.mic.gov.py

   Upload the act, ID/passport scans, proof of address and the legal representative's acceptance. SUACE then routes the file in parallel to: Registro Público de Comercio (commercial registry), DNIT (for RUC issuance), IPS (social-security registration as employer), and the municipal patente. Published target: 72 hours. Realistic in 2026: 5–10 business days.

4. 04

   Receive RUC + activate billing

   Once DNIT issues the RUC, the company can invoice (timbrado + electronic invoicing). The first timbrado authorisation runs 1–2 days. From this point, the company exists in the tax system and can sign contracts in its own name.

5. 05

   Open the bank account (the bottleneck)

   All major Paraguayan banks accept EAS clients but KYC is tighter than incorporation. Documents typically required: notarised constitutive act, RUC, ID of legal representative, beneficial-ownership disclosure, business plan, proof of address (utility or lease in company name), source-of-funds documentation for the initial deposit. Plan 2–4 weeks for compliance review. Banks worth approaching: Itaú, Continental, GNB, Sudameris, Banco Familiar.

6. 06

   Hire an accountant + start operations

   Even an IRE Simple regime (turnover under ~PYG 2 bn) needs monthly bookkeeping and an annual filing. Retainer ranges US$ 200–350/month (IRE Simple) or US$ 350–500/month (IRE General). Local hires generate employer IPS at 16.5% on top of salary; the worker withholds 9%.

Foreign founders without a Paraguayan cédula can still register an EAS — the legal representative carries the cédula requirement, and you appoint a local representative initially. Once you have your own cédula (issued at the same time as the residency card under the Investor Pass) you replace the representative with yourself.

What it actually costs

What does opening a Paraguay company actually cost in 2026?

Numbers below are practical 2026 ranges — what a Paraguayan accountant or lawyer typically quotes a foreign founder. Exact pricing varies by counsel and complexity.

• EAS setup — DIY through the portal
  US$ 50–150
  Pure government fees + notarial certification of the legal representative's signature. Realistic for founders comfortable working through eas.mic.gov.py in Spanish.
• EAS setup — lawyer-assisted with custom bylaws
  US$ 800–1,500
  Local counsel drafts custom bylaws, handles SUACE submission, replies to comments. Recommended for non-Spanish-speaking founders.
• Notary + Gazette publication
  US$ 250–490
  Standard fees for the *escritura pública* (if used) plus official-gazette filing for the constitutive act.
• Monthly accounting — IRE Simple
  US$ 200–350 / month
  Turnover under ~PYG 2 bn (~US$ 320k). Includes IRE filing, IVA returns, IPS reporting.
• Monthly accounting — IRE General
  US$ 350–500 / month
  Full books, applicable above the IRE Simple threshold. Includes payroll for up to a small headcount.
• Annual audit (large SA only)
  US$ 3,000–8,000
  Only required for SAs above certain thresholds. EAS and SRL are generally not audited unless contractually required.
• Minimum wage (in effect since July 2025)
  PYG 2,899,048 / month
  Set on CONASAM's recommendation (a 3.6% rise from PYG 2,798,309). Employer cost: ~US$ 600–700/month all-in including IPS 16.5%. The next adjustment lands at the end of June 2026, effective July.
• Bank-account opening
  Free, but timed
  No fee, but 2–4 weeks of KYC. Some banks request a minimum deposit (PYG 5–10 M).

Realistic *first-year all-in* for a single-founder EAS without local employees, lawyer-assisted: US$ 4,000–6,000 including incorporation, the first year of accounting, banking and small operational filings. Self-service founders trim this to ~US$ 3,000.

The bank-account step in detail

Why is opening a Paraguayan bank account harder than incorporating the company?

Paraguay's 2022 FATF mutual evaluation rated the country partially compliant on several recommendations. BCP and SEPRELAD's response was tighter KYC for non-resident-controlled entities — which is the universe most foreign founders sit inside.

• Documents typically requested in 2026

  Notarised + apostilled constitutive act; RUC certificate; ID of legal representative (cédula or carné de migración); beneficial-ownership disclosure naming the ultimate human beneficiary; business plan (1–3 pages, what the company actually does); proof of company address; source-of-funds documentation for the initial deposit (bank statements, sale-of-business proof, payroll history).

• Realistic timeline

  2–4 weeks at major banks. Faster at smaller banks willing to onboard with extra documentation. Some non-resident founders end up with a fintech / EMI-style account first while the bank file moves through compliance.

• Banks worth approaching

  Itaú, Banco Continental, GNB, Sudameris, Banco Familiar. Each has a slightly different KYC posture; the right answer is to file at two simultaneously and proceed with whoever clears first.

• What to do while waiting

  The company can be operational on RUC + electronic invoicing without a bank account — clients can pay into a personal account temporarily, into a foreign account of the parent, or into an interim fintech. None of these are ideal long-term but none block first-month operations.

Honest line: "Cheap to incorporate, slower and more paperwork-heavy to actually open the bank account — budget 4–6 weeks total from EAS filing to a fully operational PYG/USD account." This is normal and predictable; plan for it.

Pairing with residency

Should I pair my Paraguay company with the Investor Pass for residency?

Foreign founders frequently pair an EAS with personal permanent residency via the Investor Pass productive track — US$ 70,000 investment in the company over the initial period, plus five formal Paraguayan jobs, in exchange for direct permanent residency without going through the two-year temporary stage.

• Productive Investment track

  US$ 70,000 minimum invested in productive activity. 5 formal jobs with IPS coverage. Business plan filed with MIC. Rent, salaries and recurring administrative costs do not count toward the US$ 70,000 — the threshold is meant for actual capital deployment (equipment, fit-out, inventory, technology). Constancia de Inversionista Extranjero target: 5 business days.

• What "5 jobs" actually means

  Five Paraguayan-resident workers (cédula holders), employed formally with IPS contributions, at least at minimum wage. They can be from any sector — a manufacturing line, a software team, hospitality staff, an admin office. Contractors invoicing through RUC do not count; only employees on payroll.

• Other Investor Pass tracks

  Tourism US$ 150,000, Real Estate US$ 200,000 (registered deed or notarised contract ≥30% paid), Financial Instruments US$ 200,000 with 2-year minimum hold. These don't require the company route — useful for founders whose model is property-based or portfolio-based rather than operating.

• Residency maintenance

  Permanent residency requires at least one visit every three years to remain in good standing. Substance requirements on the productive track persist: MIC and DNIT cross-check that the company actually employs five people and conducts the activity stated in the plan.

*See Investor Pass for the four tracks in full detail. For the rest of the residency framework see the Full Guide.*