Cédula in Paraguay: Procedure, Costs and Real Waiting Times

Why the Cédula matters so much

The residency card (Certificado de Radicación) proves your legal stay. For everyday life, though, you need the Cédula de Identidad. It is the ID with which you open a bank account in Paraguay, sign contracts, register for services and identify yourself officially.

That is exactly why the Cédula is included in every one of our packages. Check with every provider whether it is really part of the price: the most common documented complaint in this industry is offers that only deliver the residency card and then charge dearly for the Cédula later.

The official procedure after residency is granted

The issuing authority is the Departamento de Identificaciones of the Policía Nacional at Denis Roa y Avda. Boggiani in Asunción (Monday to Friday). The prerequisite is the already granted residency. Since September 2024, the residency is completed first, then the Cédula is applied for in a separate step; since then the Cédula is also issued with a chip.

For first issuance to foreigners with Radicación, the National Police requires, among other things: the original of the Certificado de Radicación plus a certified copy of the residence card, a certified copy of the foreign ID, the apostilled birth certificate, civil status documents, the Certificado de Vida y Residencia (from the local police or the justice of the peace), the criminal record certificate from your country of origin, the Interpol report and the Paraguayan police certificate.

• →Official fee: Gs. 8,500 (first issuance and renewal, roughly 1 EUR).
• →Official processing deadline: 60 working days for first issuance, 30 working days for renewal.
• →Collection: only by the holder in person, no power of attorney possible.
• →Validity: as long as your residency, so 2 years with temporary and 10 years with permanent residency.

How long does the Cédula really take? (as of July 2026)

This is where the law and real-world experience diverge. Officially, the National Police states 60 working days for first issuance. Service providers report that with clean paperwork the Cédula is often in hand roughly 4 to 8 weeks after residency is granted. For 2026, however, there are also reports of waiting times of more than 3 months due to bottlenecks at the authority.

A realistic expectation for the whole path, from first entry to Cédula in hand, is, according to experience reports, more a matter of several months than a few weeks. All these time figures from practice are experience values, not commitments. The pace is set by the authority, not by any provider, and the waiting times fluctuate.

What you can do during the waiting time (and what you cannot)

As long as the Cédula has not arrived, your stay is still legal via the residency card. What generally does not work yet without the Cédula are the things for which the chip ID is mandatory: opening a regular bank account, concluding certain contracts or applying for the RUC. The RUC (tax ID) is only possible after you receive the Cédula.

It is worth using the time for preparation: sorting out documents for the bank account, planning the move, familiarizing yourself with the place and the authorities. Anyone who has to collect the Cédula in person should also plan to be on site once more for the collection.

The renewal trap after 10 years

One point many people overlook: renewing the Cédula for foreigners is not a purely administrative act. Under Resolution 215/2020 (Article 24), the National Police again requires fresh proof at renewal, including a new Interpol report, a new police certificate and a current Certificado de Vida y Residencia.

In practice this means: even after years in the country, you again gather several certificates for the renewal. Anyone who knows this early plans the renewal in good time and avoids a gap in their ID. The validity of the Cédula follows the residency; with permanent residency it is 10 years until the next renewal.