The 365-day rule: how not to lose your Paraguay residency

What exactly does the authority check since January 1, 2026?

When you apply to switch from temporary to permanent residency, the DNM pulls up your Movimiento Migratorio, that is, the official record of all your entries and exits. It checks whether, since your temporary residency, there is a gap of more than 365 consecutive days outside Paraguay. If there is such a gap, the application for permanent residency is rejected.

What matters is the uninterrupted absence, not the total number of days you spent in the country. You do not have to spend a minimum number of days per year in Paraguay. From Article 55 comes the practical reading: at least one registered entry within every 12-month period protects your status. This 'one visit per year' formula is a common interpretation of the legal text, not a literal wording in the law.

Several specialist sites have consistently reported that the systematic check started on January 1, 2026. It was officially backed up in April 2026: in an official statement, the DNM expressly reminded people of the grounds for revocation in cases of unjustified absence under Ley 6984/2022.

The legal basis: Article 55 of Ley 6984/2022

The migration law Ley 6984/2022 governs the loss of residency due to absence in Articles 54 and 55. The core: the authority can revoke your residency if you are out of the country for too long at a stretch without justification, unless the DNM has approved the absence in advance.

When does the 365-day clock start? Two readings in circulation

Here things get uncomfortable, and we say it openly: the available sources contradict each other on the start of the deadline, and there is no official clarification from the DNM to date (as of July 2026).

Reading 1, card issuance: English-language guides describe the deadline as running from the issue date of the temporary residency card. On this reading, the first 365-day clock starts with the card, and every later entry resets it.

Reading 2, last exit: German-language specialist sites describe the deadline as running from the date of your last registered exit from Paraguay. On this reading, every exit counts as the start of a new clock.

In most people's histories, both readings lead to the same result, because in the end what counts is the longest uninterrupted absence. Differences arise in edge cases, for example when a lot of time passes between card issuance and the first exit. As long as the authority does not officially clarify the start point, you calculate safely by always working from the earlier of the two possible dates.

How to request your Movimiento Migratorio

The Constancia de Movimiento Migratorio is the official certificate of all your registered entries and exits. This is exactly the document the authority uses for the 365-day check, so you should request it and review it yourself before every permanent application. The fee for online issuance is Gs. 223,004, roughly 27 EUR depending on the exchange rate.

• →Online: Through the 'Constancia de Movimiento Migratorio en línea' service on migraciones.gov.py, you file the request digitally, pay the fee online, and receive the certificate immediately according to the authority.
• →In person: At the DNM in Asunción, issuance takes 1 to 3 business days according to official information.
• →Time range: The record only goes back to 2007, older movements are not captured. For the 365-day check, this makes practically no difference.
• →Review: Check whether each of your entries and exits is recorded correctly. Specialist sites report that at land borders crossings are not always registered cleanly. What counts is the record, not your feeling or your passport stamp.

What happens if you have exceeded the 365 days?

The immediate consequence is documented consistently in several places: the application for permanent residency is rejected if the Movimiento Migratorio shows an absence of more than 365 consecutive days.

On what comes next, individual sources report that those affected have to start over and apply for a new temporary residency for 2 years. This legal consequence is not officially confirmed so far, but it matches the logic of the law. If it were true, it would mean in concrete terms: new government fees (temporary residency officially costs Gs. 2,926,925, roughly 360 EUR depending on the rate), fresh apostilled documents from the country of origin, and another trip to Asunción.

If you already know in advance that you have to stay away for more than a year, for example due to illness, caregiving or work, look closely at Article 55: an absence approved in advance by the DNM interrupts the ground for revocation. Clear such a case directly with the authority or a lawyer licensed in Paraguay before you leave, not afterward.

Decision tree: are you on the safe side?

Go through the points from top to bottom and stop at the first one that applies to you:

• →You live in Paraguay permanently? Then you meet the rule automatically, nothing changes for you.
• →You are abroad and your last registered entry was less than 11 months ago? All good. Put the latest date for your next entry in the calendar anyway.
• →Your last entry was 11 to 12 months ago? Book a flight now. A short visit interrupts the absence, and the law does not state a minimum length of stay.
• →You are not sure when your last registered entry was? First request your Movimiento Migratorio online (Gs. 223,004, roughly 27 EUR) and only then plan.
• →Your temporary card expires soon? Watch out, second deadline: the category switch is possible from 90 days before expiry and up to 30 days after with a penalty fee (Gs. 702,462, roughly 85 EUR). Time your entry so you can file the permanent application during the same stay.
• →You have already been outside for more than 365 consecutive days? Do not file blindly. Talk to the DNM or a lawyer licensed in Paraguay about your options first, including the question of whether your absence can count as justified.

And after permanent residency?

With permanent residency, the leash gets considerably longer: the status is open-ended, the card is renewed every 10 years, and the ground for revocation only kicks in at more than 3 years of uninterrupted, unjustified absence.

Still, you should not forget the record entirely. Anyone who later aims for Paraguayan citizenship has to prove genuine roots (Arraigo) in court, and for exactly that the court pulls up the same Movimiento Migratorio. A status maintained only on paper shows up there at the latest.

The practical line stays the same as in the temporary phase, just more relaxed: visit Paraguay well before the 3 years are up and keep an eye on your Movimiento Migratorio.