Day-by-day residency timeline. From landing to cédula in hand.

Phase 1 · Before you fly

Pre-arrival (4–6 weeks).

These three documents have to be apostilled in your home country and translated by a Paraguayan sworn translator. Most failures here are translation deadlines, not government delays.

1. Birth certificate

   Apostilled (or legalized via Paraguay consulate if your country isn't in the Hague Convention) within the last 3-6 months.

   US$ 30–80 + apostille fee in your country · 1–4 weeks

2. Criminal record (FBI / EU equivalent / police certificate)

   Country-wide criminal record. US: FBI identity history summary (use a channeler — 24-hour turnaround). EU: per-country (Bundeszentralregister, casier judiciaire, etc.).

   US$ 18–80 · 1–3 weeks

3. Marriage / divorce certificates if applicable

   Apostilled. Required if family is included.

   US$ 20–50 · 1–2 weeks

Tip: order all three at the same time. Don't wait for one before requesting another. The bottleneck is shipping originals to Paraguay, not government processing.

Phase 2 · First two weeks in Paraguay

Arrival (Days 1–14).

You can do all of these in a week with a working car or US$ 50/day in Bolt rides. Most are concentrated in central Asunción.

1. Day 1–2: Translate apostilled documents

   Sworn translator (traductor público matriculado) on the MEC list. Birth certificate + criminal record + marriage cert into Spanish.

   US$ 30–80 per document · 3–5 business days

2. Day 3: Medical certificate

   Any IPS-licensed doctor or major private hospital. Standard form — no real exam, just signatures.

   US$ 25–50 · Same day

3. Day 4: Interpol clearance

   Departamento de Identificaciones (Interpol Asunción). Fingerprints + photo. The certificate prints in 1–3 days.

   Gs. 111,502 (~US$ 18) · 1–3 days

4. Day 5: Antecedentes Penales (CSJ judiciary)

   Poder Judicial / Corte Suprema de Justicia. Local Paraguay record check. Issued same day if you go before noon.

   Gs. 50,000 (~US$ 8) · Same day

5. Day 6–7: Open the file at DNM

   Submit everything at Dirección Nacional de Migraciones, central office. They review on the spot, accept or send back to fix.

   Gs. 2,787,550 (~US$ 450) government fee · 30 min review at counter

Most foreign residents use a despachante (filing agent) for the DNM appointment — costs US$ 200–400 but saves 1–2 fixing trips. A Paraguay-experienced lawyer is US$ 500–1,500 and adds review of paperwork.

Phase 3 · The wait

DNM processing (4–8 weeks Standard; CIE certificate fast, PR ~3–6 months for Investor Pass).

Nothing to do here except track the case number. DNM does not email; check the online tracker once a week.

• Standard: 6–8 weeks for the residency certificate. With MigraMóvil mobile sessions, 5–10 days.
• SUACE: 8–10 weeks (parallel paperwork via the SUACE single-window).
• Investor Pass: the CIE investor certificate is issued within ~5 business days; the permanent-residency application itself runs about 3–6 months.
• Things that delay it: missing translation page, expired criminal record (>3 months), wrong photo size, unpaid government fee receipt.
• You can leave Paraguay during this wait. Re-entry as a tourist is fine; just keep your DNM file number.

Phase 4 · Residency certificate

Receive the certificate.

DNM emails once. Pick up in person at the central office. Bring your passport.

• The certificate is a single A4 sheet with photo, file number, and category (temporary or permanent).
• Standard: temporary 2-year certificate. After 22 months you apply to convert to permanent (file at month 22 to avoid lapse).
• SUACE / Investor Pass: permanent immediately.
• Make 5 copies; you'll use them for bank account, RUC, school enrollment, and lease.

Phase 5 · Cédula appointment

Get the cédula (national ID).

Identificaciones Policiales handles cédula issuance. Walk-in is possible; appointment via web is better.

• DocumentsResidency certificate (original + copy), passport (original + copy), 2 ID-size photos, proof of address.
• CostGs. 75,000 (~US$ 12) standard. Express in 48 hours: Gs. 320,000 (~US$ 53).
• WaitStandard: 30–45 days. Express: 48–72 hours. MigraMóvil: same day.
• PickupIn person, with the receipt. Cédula is plastic card with chip — passport-style ID.

Phase 6 · After cédula

What to do once you have it.

• Open a Paraguay bank account (see /banking/) — Itaú, Continental, or Sudameris.
• Apply for a RUC if you'll have any Paraguay-source income — DNIT, takes 2 days, free.
• If you'll drive, exchange your foreign license at the municipality (see /driver-license/) — 1–2 hours, US$ 45.
• Schedule annual tax filing — even at 0% on foreign income, you file the IRP form (DNIT). Due May 31 each year.
• If using the Standard path: calendar a reminder for month 22 — you must file the conversion to permanent before month 24.

Investor Pass fast track

CIE certificate in days; permanent residency in 3–6 months.

If you qualify (US$ 70k SUACE / 150k tourism / 200k stocks or commercial real estate), you skip the temporary stage — but only the investor certificate is fast; permanent residency itself follows on the normal timeline.

• Day 0: Complete document set submitted via the Investor Pass digital portal.
• Day 3–5: SET/DNIT review of investment documentation.
• Within ~5 business days: the CIE investor certificate is issued — this is the only step the 5-day rule covers.
• After that: the permanent-residency application is filed separately at DNM and realistically runs about 3–6 months, with cédula issuance once PR is granted.
• Three of the four tracks have no job-creation requirement — your money doesn't need to hire.

Compare all tracks

Four routes to permanent residency.

USD figures use BCP referencia 6,189 PYG/USD (May 2026). Total cost ranges below assume DIY filing for Standard / Marriage and lawyer-assisted for SUACE / Investor Pass.

Constitution Art. 148 requires 3 years of legal residency for naturalization regardless of track. Marriage to a Paraguayan does not shorten this requirement.

Investor Pass — 4 categories

Choose your investment lane.

Resolución MIC Nº 283/2026. All four categories deliver direct PR; tourism / stocks / commercial real estate skip the 5-job requirement.

The 8% IDU dividend rate is the standard resident rate under Ley 6380/2019, available to any Paraguayan tax resident — it is not an Investor Pass perk. Non-residents pay 15%.

MigraMóvil program

Compressed timeline at the mobile sessions.

MigraMóvil is the DNM's outreach program — temporary residency desks set up in interior cities. File at a session and the wait drops from weeks to days; the steps below show what gets compressed.

• TR approval — under 5 days from filing.
• Carnet de Residencia — issued same-day at the session, or delivered to your regional office within 15 days.
• Cédula — can be issued the same day if Identificaciones is co-located at the session.
• 2026 calendar published at migraciones.gov.py — sessions rotate through Ciudad del Este, Encarnación, Pedro Juan Caballero, Concepción, Pilar, plus Asunción residency drives.

Important notes

Quick legal facts that prevent expensive mistakes.

• Criminal record requirement

  You need apostilled antecedentes from your country of origin AND from every country where you had a residence in the past 3 years. Documents must be issued within the last 3 months.

• Apostille validity

  Paraguay accepts the Hague Apostille (Convention 1961). Documents should be apostilled within 3 – 6 months of filing — older apostilles get rejected at the DNM desk.

• Dual citizenship — allowed

  Paraguay recognises dual nationality. You don't have to renounce your original passport when naturalising (Constitution Art. 149).

• Military service (citizens)

  Paraguayan male citizens aged 18 – 50 are subject to obligatory military service (alternative civic service available). Naturalised citizens fall under the same rule unless exempt by age.

• Fee schedule reference

  Government fees in this guide reflect Decreto Nº 4122/2025 + DNM Resolución 513/2025, effective 1 July 2025. The Gs. amount is canonical; USD conversions use BCP referencia 6,189 PYG/USD.

Total cost

Cost summary.

• Government fees (Standard)US$ 450
• Translations (1 person, 3 docs)US$ 90–240
• Medical + Interpol + CSJUS$ 43–68
• Despachante (optional)US$ 200–400
• Lawyer (optional)US$ 500–1,500
• Standard path total (DIY, 1 person)US$ 590–770
• Standard path total (lawyer + family of 3)US$ 2,500–3,800
• Investor Pass legal fees (typical)US$ 4,000–8,000

Fees as of May 2026. USD figures use the BCP referencia rate of Gs. 6,189/USD; the canonical Migraciones tasa is Gs. 2,787,550 (cash) under decree 4122/2025. Most expat 'horror stories' come from agents charging US$ 5,000+ for the standard path. The base service cost is real but bounded.