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Documents from Germany for the Paraguay Residency: Criminal Record Certificate, Birth Certificate, Apostille (in the right order)
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From Germany you essentially need two documents for the Paraguay residency: a criminal record certificate (13 EUR) and a recent birth certificate (depending on the registry office, about 10 to 15 EUR), both with an apostille (federal office roughly 22 EUR, state authority roughly 25 EUR per document). The most important rule here has been new since December 2024: for the criminal record certificate you request the apostille first, at the Federal Foreign Office (Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten, BfAA), and only order the certificate afterwards. Plan on 4 to 8 weeks for the complete procurement.
The order matters so much because, in practice, Paraguay only accepts documents that are less than 6 months old at the time of filing. Anyone who tackles the steps in the wrong order or follows an outdated guide quickly loses several weeks and risks that a document is already too old by the time it is filed in Asunción. Many German-language guides online still describe the old procedure from before December 2024, or even the embassy legalization that has not been necessary at all since January 2022.
Here is the complete procedure for Germany: which documents you need, the new BfAA procedure step by step, what it all costs, how to align the timeline with the 6-month window, and why you should have the translation done only in Paraguay.
Which documents do you need from Germany?
The official document list of the Paraguayan immigration authority (Dirección Nacional de Migraciones) requires only a few documents from your country of origin for the temporary residency. From Germany you need to obtain:
- Criminal record certificate, with apostille (required from age 14)
- Birth certificate, with apostille
- If applicable: marriage certificate, divorce decree or death certificate of the spouse, likewise with apostille
- Valid passport (nothing to obtain, but check the validity in good time)
What you do NOT need from Germany
The Interpol certificate, the Paraguayan police certificate and the two sworn declarations are only created on site in Paraguay. And: the official list for the temporary residency contains no proof of assets and no bank deposit. The proof of solvency is only checked later, when switching to permanent residency.
Is the apostille really enough? What applies since January 2022
Yes. Paraguay has been a member of the Hague Apostille Convention since January 6, 2022. Since then, German documents only need an apostille and no longer a legalization by the Paraguayan embassy. The German Embassy in Asunción confirms this on its service page, and the immigration authority also accepts apostilled documents without any further certification steps.
Who issues the apostille? That depends on who issued the document. For federal documents such as the criminal record certificate, the Federal Foreign Office (BfAA) is responsible. For state documents such as the birth certificate, it is an authority of your federal state, for example the Regierungspräsidium or the Bezirksregierung, depending on the state.
Watch out for old guides
The most-read German article on this topic dates from 2019 and still describes the abolished legalization route via the embassy. If a guide talks about "legalization" or "pre-certification for the embassy", it is outdated.
Criminal record certificate with apostille: the new BfAA procedure since December 2024, step by step
Since December 2024, the combination of criminal record certificate and apostille runs in an order that seems counterintuitive at first: you request the apostille before the criminal record certificate even exists. Here is how it works:
- Step 1: Request the apostille at the BfAA online and pay the fee (roughly 22 EUR, as of July 1, 2025). You receive an application number. Keep it safe.
- Step 2: Order the criminal record certificate at the Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz, BfJ), 13 EUR, most easily online via the federal criminal record certificate portal using the online ID function. State that it is intended for a foreign authority and enter the BfAA application number.
- Step 3: The BfJ issues the criminal record certificate and forwards it internally, directly to the BfAA. In this procedure it is not sent to your home first.
- Step 4: The BfAA attaches the apostille and sends you the finished, apostilled criminal record certificate by post.
Official procedure vs. real-world timeline
The procedure itself is officially set up this way (BfAA application portal). The authorities do not state a binding processing time; as an experience value you should plan for about 3 to 6 weeks for the complete run-through. Anyone who orders the criminal record certificate first ends up, in the worst case, with a certificate without an apostille sitting at home, loses weeks and has to reorder.
Birth certificate: registry office plus apostille from your federal state
You order the birth certificate at the registry office (Standesamt) of your place of birth; many registry offices now offer this online. The fee is about 10 to 15 EUR depending on the municipality. Important: have a recent document issued, even if an old copy is still in a drawer. Because of the 6-month practice in Paraguay, the issue date is what counts.
The apostille for the birth certificate is a state matter: the responsible body is the apostille authority of the federal state in which the registry office is located, depending on the state the Regierungspräsidium or the Bezirksregierung. The fee is roughly 25 EUR per document. The easiest thing is to ask the registry office directly which authority is responsible for the apostille; that saves you researching your way through the administrative structure of your federal state.
What does it all cost and how long does it take?
The pure German government fees are manageable, together roughly 70 to 75 EUR per person. The real cost factor is time: 4 to 8 weeks for the complete procurement is a realistic experience value.
| Document / step | Authority | Cost | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apostille for the criminal record certificate | BfAA | approx. 22 EUR | together with the certificate approx. 3 to 6 weeks |
| Criminal record certificate | Federal Office of Justice | 13 EUR | runs in the same pass |
| Birth certificate | Registry office of the place of birth | approx. 10 to 15 EUR | varies by registry office |
| Apostille for the birth certificate | Apostille authority of the federal state | approx. 25 EUR | varies by authority |
| Total | approx. 70 to 75 EUR per person | plan on 4 to 8 weeks |
Check the current fee status
The amounts reflect the status of our research 2025/26. The BfAA adjusted its fee structure as of July 1, 2025 and since then charges roughly 22 EUR per final certification; the states' apostille fees remain at about 25 EUR per document. You will see the exact current amount when you apply in the respective portal, before you pay.
How old may the documents be? The 6-month window
The most common mistake is not the wrong authority but the wrong timing: documents are obtained too early and are too old by the time they are filed in Asunción. As a rule of thumb for your timeline: only start the procurement once your Paraguay trip is realistically coming up in the next 3 to 4 months. With 4 to 8 weeks of procurement time, that leaves enough buffer within the 6 months, even if an appointment shifts.
Official rule vs. real-world experience
The official document list of the immigration authority does not state an explicit age limit for each individual document. In practice, however, there is a firm consensus across authority practice and all reputable providers: the criminal record certificate, birth certificate and civil status documents should be less than 6 months old at the time of filing. Align your timeline consistently with that, instead of hoping for a more generous interpretation.
Translation: have it translated only in Paraguay, not in Germany
All foreign-language documents have to be translated into Spanish for filing. What matters is who translates: the authority expects translations by a translator registered in Paraguay (traductor público). A certified translation from Germany does not replace this, it only costs extra money. Skip this item entirely and bring the apostilled originals untranslated to Asunción.
The translation on site is a routine step and done within a few days. Some individual sources additionally report a further certification step for the translations in Asunción; this is not officially confirmed. Anyone who enters with support does not have to deal with it themselves anyway.
Checklist: the right order as a timeline
This is what the complete procedure looks like if you do everything yourself. Married applicants request the marriage certificate including the state apostille in parallel with the birth certificate; it is the same route.
| Timing | Step | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Request the apostille for the criminal record certificate online, pay the fee, secure the application number | BfAA |
| Week 1 | Order the criminal record certificate with the BfAA application number | Federal Office of Justice |
| Week 1 | Order a recent birth certificate (for married couples, also the marriage certificate) | Registry office |
| Week 2 to 3 | Request the apostille for the birth certificate (and, if applicable, the marriage certificate) | Apostille authority of the federal state |
| Week 4 to 8 | All documents are in: check apostilles, names and dates | you |
| Afterwards | Plan the trip to Asunción; have the translation into Spanish done only on site | registered translator in Paraguay |
If you want to hand off the paperwork
On request, we take over the document procurement including the apostilles as an add-on (from 290 EUR); in any case, you receive from us in writing the precise roadmap with the responsible authorities for your federal state.
Ready for the next step?
You can book your package directly online: all-in price, 30% deposit, document roadmap included. If you want certainty first, book the optional consultation call (45 minutes, 300 EUR) with a written roadmap and the process PDF.
Common questions about this
Does the criminal record certificate have to carry an apostille?
Yes. Since January 2022, Paraguay accepts German documents with an apostille; an embassy legalization is no longer necessary. For the apostille on the criminal record certificate the Federal Foreign Office (BfAA) is responsible, and since December 2024 the rule is: first request the apostille at the BfAA, only then order the criminal record certificate at the Federal Office of Justice.
Which documents do I need to immigrate to Paraguay?
From Germany: a valid passport, an apostilled birth certificate, an apostilled criminal record certificate (from age 14) and, depending on marital status, an apostilled marriage certificate or divorce decree. The remaining documents such as the Interpol certificate, the Paraguayan police certificate and the two sworn declarations are only created on site in Paraguay. The official list for the temporary residency does not require a bank deposit.
Do I have to appear in person in Asunción, or can it be done remotely?
The residency application itself is an in-person procedure: the immigration authority requires your presence in Asunción, including fingerprints. The German documents, however, can be obtained entirely remotely; the criminal record certificate and apostilles run online and by post. Reckon with a trip of about one week.
How long does it take until I receive the residence permit and Cédula?
Reckon in three stages: 4 to 8 weeks for the German documents including apostilles, then as an experience value about 45 days to 4 months for the temporary residency, and afterwards 1 to 3 months for the Cédula. The officially stated deadlines are shorter; in practice, the authority sets the pace.
How difficult is it to immigrate to Paraguay?
The procedure is a normal administrative procedure and quite manageable for Germans; the hurdle is organization rather than difficulty: the right order in the BfAA procedure, the 6-month window for the documents, Spanish-language dealings with the authorities in Asunción. Anyone who sets up the timeline cleanly gets through without drama. It only becomes difficult, almost exclusively, through outdated guides and wrong timing.
Sources
- Federal Office of Justice: criminal record certificate (fee, online application)
- Federal Foreign Office (BfAA): applying for an apostille
- German Embassy Asunción: apostille instead of legalization since 2022
- Migraciones Paraguay: Residencia Temporal (official document list)
- Agencia IP: requirements and procedure for the temporary residency (May 2026)
Changelog
- : First published