Driving licence in Paraguay: what applies, what it costs, and the MPU question

Is my German driving licence recognized in Paraguay?

No. The German Embassy in Asuncion makes it clear: "The German driving licence is not recognized in Paraguay." The same applies to Austria and Switzerland; as things currently stand, no bilateral recognition agreement exists between Paraguay and any of the DACH countries.

What applies as a stopgap: the international driving permit (IDP), which you present together with your national licence, is recognized in Paraguay for 90 days. It is a travel solution for the first few weeks, not a substitute for the Paraguayan licence. Anyone staying longer must apply for the local licence.

Important in practice: you do not hand in your German licence in the process. You keep it and acquire the Paraguayan one in addition. This is exactly why the question of whether a detour via Paraguay overrides a German suspension or MPU is an entirely different one, more on that below.

Foreigner licence or regular licence: which fits you?

Paraguay distinguishes by your residence status. Both routes build on your valid foreign licence, and in both cases the theory and practical exam are waived.

For residents the route runs through their own municipality. In Asuncion that is the Municipalidad. Bring a valid foreign licence, otherwise the authority treats you as a new driver and the exam exemption falls away.

• →Non-resident (without a Cédula): you get a "Licencia para extranjeros", valid for 1 year, issued on the basis of your foreign licence. For a temporary stay or the time until your Cédula.
• →Resident with a Cédula: you obtain the regular Paraguayan licence at your municipality. This is the permanent route, once your residence card and Cédula are in hand.
• →In both cases: holders of a valid foreign licence are exempt from the theory and practical exam (Municipalidad de Asuncion).

Which documents do I need in Asuncion?

The Municipalidad de Asuncion lists the following documents for issuance to foreigners. Some items are handled on site (psychophysical test, vision and hearing test), others you bring along or obtain beforehand from other offices. Relocation guides add the blood group certificate and the Certificado de Vida y Residencia; both are common in practice.

• →Valid foreign ID card or passport
• →Valid foreign driving licence
• →Residence card (temporary or permanent Admisión)
• →Psychophysical test
• →Vision and hearing test
• →First aid certificate
• →Blood group certificate
• →Certificado de Vida y Residencia (from the Policía Nacional)
• →Municipal application form

What does the licence cost in Asuncion? (official fees 2025)

The following table lists the official fees of the Municipalidad de Asuncion for 2025, as published by ABC Color citing the municipality. The first issuance adds up to Gs. 258,000. For a sense of scale: at roughly Gs. 6,076 per US dollar (Wise, early July 2026) that comes to about 42 USD. The guaraní appreciated strongly in 2025 and 2026 (from roughly 7,800 to roughly 6,076 Gs. per USD), so treat any euro or dollar conversion as a rough band and calculate with the current daily rate.

International driving permit from Paraguay: only via the TACPy

If you want to drive abroad with your Paraguayan licence, you need an international driving permit issued in Paraguay. This is issued exclusively by the Touring y Automóvil Club Paraguayo (TACPy). The requirements are your Cédula and a valid Paraguayan licence. The international permit is always valid only together with the underlying Paraguayan licence, never on its own.

The MPU question: what some services advertise and why we do not offer it

Some providers aggressively advertise a "licence back without MPU via Paraguay". The idea: acquire a Paraguayan licence and later use it in Germany to circumvent an MPU. We mention this here only as a known provider claim, because you will run into it during your research, and put it into context soberly.

For people resident in Germany this route is legally doubtful. There is no bilateral recognition agreement between Paraguay and Germany. Whether a licence acquired in Paraguay overrides a German suspension or an MPU order is a German legal question that depends on your actual residence and the German rules, not on the Paraguayan issuance.

So our clear position: we do not offer an MPU workaround and give no individual legal advice on German law about it. If this question affects you, clarify it with a lawyer specialized in traffic law in Germany before you take any steps. Our driving licence add-on helps you drive legally in Paraguay; it is not a circumvention product.

Converting after the Cédula: what guides report

Several relocation guides report that you should have your licence converted within 90 days of receiving the Cédula. This deadline does not appear in the official sources (Embassy Asuncion, Municipalidad), so we explicitly flag it as "guides report", not as an official rule.

Also from practice, not officially confirmed: according to individual guides, the exchange with a valid foreign licence takes roughly 1 to 2 hours and is issued the same day, with total costs on the order of roughly Gs. 225,000 to 240,000. Treat these time and cost figures as experience values; the concrete official fee table for Asuncion is above.