Guides / Living in Paraguay

Your first week in Asuncion: SIM card, apartment, address, money

Updated on July 5, 2026

In your first week in Asuncion you need four things in this order: a SIM card (mandatory passport registration, SIM from roughly Gs. 15,000, about 2 USD), a place to stay (Airbnb or a furnished apartment, the passport is usually enough to rent), proof of address (there is no German registration system, the formal document is the Certificado de Vida y Residencia from the police) and a way to access money, even though without a Cedula you cannot yet get a bank account.

The most important point up front: a regular Paraguayan bank account only comes with the Cedula; under the central bank's rules, the passport alone is not enough for the banks. For the weeks until the Cedula arrives, though, there are clean bridges, above all the mobile wallets Tigo Money and Zimple as well as cash pickup via Western Union, Ria or MoneyGram.

This checklist works through the four areas in order, with the official rules (such as the statutory SIM registration) kept clearly separate from experience values drawn from real-world reports. For all USD amounts there is a caveat, see the box on the exchange rate further down.

SIM card: providers, passport requirement and data plans

There are three mobile providers: Tigo (the best nationwide coverage), Claro and Personal (weakest outside Asuncion). For your first days in the capital, all three work; for trips into the interior, Tigo is the safe choice.

Registering the SIM on your passport is required by law (regulator Conatel), including a form and a fingerprint. For a prepaid card you do not need residency, the passport is enough. A contract (postpaid), by contrast, requires a Cedula. The SIM itself costs roughly Gs. 15,000 (about 2 USD).

The following prepaid data plans are as of January 2026 (experience values from a provider comparison, prices change). The guarani amounts are the stable figure, the USD conversion a rough guide.

SIM price: roughly Gs. 15,000 (about 2 USD).
Passport registration: a legal requirement (Conatel), with a form and a fingerprint.
Prepaid possible without residency, postpaid contract only with a Cedula.
Where: at Silvio Pettirossi airport, in the provider shops in Shopping del Sol and Paseo La Galeria, and at many kiosks.

Provider	Plan	Price (Gs.)	Plan	Price (Gs.)	Plan	Price (Gs.)
Tigo	10 GB	40,000	30 GB	80,000	50 GB	120,000
Claro	8 GB	35,000	25 GB	70,000	40 GB	100,000
Personal	5 GB	25,000	15 GB	50,000	30 GB	80,000

eSIM: volatile, check before your trip

As of 2026, only Claro offers a tourist eSIM; Tigo and Personal sell tourists physical SIM cards only. The eSIM offering changes constantly, so check again shortly before your trip and do not rely on older reports.

Short-term housing: Airbnb or furnished rental

For your first days, Airbnb is the easiest way. In Asuncion the average price according to market data is around 47 USD per night, and a large share of the supply is whole apartments. If you stay longer, you will typically find furnished long-term apartments for 500 to 650 USD a month (experience values from market reports, not fixed prices).

For a regular rental, the passport is usually enough in practice; most landlords do not require a residence permit. A deposit is customary. Foreigners are sometimes asked for a local guarantor (garantia), but according to real-world reports this is often negotiable. It is worth asking for furnished properties with a short minimum term while you are still getting your bearings.

Legal position vs. experience value

That the passport is enough to rent and that the garantia is negotiable are experience values from community and relocation sources, not a statutory guarantee. Individual landlords, especially for high-end properties, require stricter proof. Always settle the deposit, term and garantia in writing before you pay.

Proving your address: there is no German registration system

Paraguay has no registration like Germany. You do not register a residence with a residents' registration office. In practice, a utility bill counts as proof of address, that is from ANDE (electricity), ESSAP (water) or COPACO (telephone), or a registered rental contract.

The formal document that many offices want to see is the Certificado de Vida y Residencia. It is issued by the local Comisaria (police station). According to the national police, you need the application form, copies of the ID documents of you and the witnesses, an ANDE, ESSAP or COPACO bill or a rental contract, and two adult Paraguayan witnesses who are neighbours and not related to you. The certificate is free of charge and is issued from about 24 hours.

You will need this Certificado again later in several places, among them the driving licence and the Cedula. The two Paraguayan witnesses are the point where things get tricky for newcomers, so plan early for who you can ask (landlord, neighbours, local contacts).

Official requirement

Two adult Paraguayan witnesses who are neighbours and not related, plus a utility bill or a rental contract: that is the requirement set by the Policia Nacional for the Certificado de Vida y Residencia. Free of charge, issued from roughly 24 hours. A passport alone, without this proof, is not enough for the certificate.

Moving money before the Cedula arrives

The hard fact first: no Paraguayan bank opens an account on the passport alone. Under the central bank's (BCP) anti-money-laundering rules, the Cedula is mandatory. For the weeks until the Cedula arrives, you therefore need bridges.

The most practical bridge is mobile wallets: Tigo Money and Zimple can be opened right after arrival with a passport plus a local SIM. With them you can top up cash at Tigo kiosks, pay bills, send money and shop online. Higher limits require a stricter identity check.

To bring money in from abroad, the fastest method is cash pickup: Western Union, Ria and MoneyGram pay out guaranies at their agents almost instantly. A SWIFT transfer to Paraguay is slow and expensive because of the intermediary banks; for guarani amounts it usually is not worth it if there are alternatives. To exchange cash you use an exchange bureau (casa de cambio): all of them must be licensed by the central bank (BCP), rates are unregulated, comparing saves 1 to 3 percent in our experience, and at the airport it is best to change only a small amount. With crypto there is no direct guarani payout route; the common approach is selling USDT via P2P for a local bank transfer. Crypto is not regulated in the financial system.

Once the Cedula arrives, banking becomes easy: the digital bank Ueno opens an account in minutes via app with a Cedula and a video selfie. That is the moment when the effort of the first weeks dissolves.

No bank account on the passport alone (BCP rule), the Cedula is mandatory.
Bridge available immediately: Tigo Money and Zimple with passport plus SIM.
Cash from abroad: Western Union, Ria, MoneyGram, almost instant.
SWIFT: slow and expensive, only second choice for guaranies.
Exchange: only at BCP-licensed exchange bureaus, compare rates.
After the Cedula: Ueno account in minutes via app.

Exchange rate: why USD tables are only rough bands

A word on all the USD figures in this article and in many other guides: the guarani appreciated sharply in 2025 and 2026. In early 2025 the rate was around 7,800 Gs. per USD, in early July 2026 only about 6,076 Gs. per USD. That is a move of over 20 percent in a good year.

The consequence: many published USD cost tables for Paraguay still use the old rate (often 7,800) and are therefore off when you convert from euros or US dollars. The stable figure is always the guarani amount. Take the USD figures here as rough bands and calculate with the day's rate when it needs to be precise.

Exchange-rate volatility

As of early July 2026: around 6,076 Gs. per USD, against about 7,800 in early 2025. All USD conversions in this article are rough bands based on this rate. Check the current rate before larger amounts; the guarani figures are the reliable reference.

Your checklist for the first week

In the order in which it runs most smoothly:

Buy a SIM card and register it with your passport (airport, shopping centre or kiosk).
Book accommodation for the first days (Airbnb) and look at furnished options in parallel.
Set up Tigo Money or Zimple with passport plus SIM, top up a first amount or bring it in via Western Union.
Change a small amount into guaranies at a BCP-licensed exchange bureau (compare rates).
Secure a rental contract or a utility bill (ANDE, ESSAP, COPACO) as proof of address.
Organise two Paraguayan witnesses and apply for the Certificado de Vida y Residencia at the Comisaria (free, from about 24 h).
After that: once the Cedula arrives, open a Ueno account via app.

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.

Book a package Book a consultation call

Common questions about this

How do I open a bank account in Paraguay?

A regular account only comes with the Cedula; under the BCP rules, the passport alone is not enough for the banks. Until the Cedula arrives, use the mobile wallets Tigo Money or Zimple as a bridge, which you open with a passport plus a local SIM. After that, the digital bank Ueno opens an account in minutes via app with a Cedula and a video selfie.

Can I open a bank account without a Cedula?

At a regular bank, practically no: under the central bank's (BCP) anti-money-laundering rules, the Cedula is mandatory, and the passport alone is not enough. What is possible, though, are mobile wallets such as Tigo Money and Zimple, which you set up with a passport and a SIM, plus cash pickup via Western Union, Ria or MoneyGram. That is enough for everyday life and bills in the first weeks.

Internet and SIM card in Paraguay: what do I need?

There are three providers, Tigo, Claro and Personal, with Tigo having the best nationwide coverage. The SIM costs roughly Gs. 15,000 (about 2 USD) and must by law be registered on your passport, including a fingerprint (Conatel). For prepaid you do not need residency; a contract (postpaid), by contrast, requires a Cedula.

How do I prove my address in Paraguay without registration like in Germany?

There is no German registration system. In practice, a utility bill from ANDE, ESSAP or COPACO or a registered rental contract counts as proof. The formal document is the Certificado de Vida y Residencia from the local Comisaria, which requires two Paraguayan witnesses and a utility bill, is free of charge and is issued from about 24 hours.

What does accommodation cost in your first days in Asuncion?

In Asuncion, Airbnb runs at an average price of around 47 USD per night, and furnished long-term apartments typically at 500 to 650 USD a month. These are experience values from market reports, not fixed prices. Note that USD figures are only rough bands due to the sharp appreciation of the guarani in 2025 to 2026.

Sources

Changelog

July 5, 2026: First published