Paraguay Residency 2026: Requirements and the Path from Temporary to Permanent

Who can apply for residency, and do you need a visa?

Germans, Austrians and Swiss enter Paraguay visa-free and may stay as tourists for up to 90 days. The basis is bilateral agreements (Germany 1962, Austria 1969, Switzerland 1964) that are listed in the DNM's official visa table from January 2026. A one-time extension for a further 90 days (Prórroga de Permanencia) is possible, costs 557.510 Gs. (roughly 65 EUR) and can be applied for online.

Residency itself is in principle open to all nationalities. For citizens of Germany, Austria and Switzerland the general route under Ley 6984/2022 applies, which this article describes. Nationals of Mercosur countries use a separate, slightly different route (more on that further below).

You can enter practically right away: there is no waiting period and no minimum length of stay before filing the application. What matters is that your documents from your country of origin are complete, apostilled and translated into Spanish when you submit them.

How does the two-stage system work since Ley 6984/2022?

Since Ley 6984/2022 the path always runs through two stages. Stage 1 is the temporary residency: it is valid for up to 2 years and, on the general route, can be extended once by the same period. Stage 2 is the category change (cambio de categoría) to permanent residency: the status is then indefinite, and the card is renewed every 10 years.

For the category change a hard time window applies: you can apply for it at the earliest 90 days before your temporary card expires, that is from month 21. After the card expires there is a grace period of 30 days, but then with a late penalty of 702.462 Gs. (roughly 85 EUR). The DNM expressly reminded people of these deadlines in a dedicated notice from October 2025.

For the category change, in addition to your Paraguayan identity documents, the DNM requires four fresh certificates from Paraguay (police antecedentes, criminal record certificate from the national police, judicial certificate from the Poder Judicial and Interpol) as well as, for the first time, proof of economic solvency under the 12 categories of Resolution 407/2026. Until a pending application is decided, by the way, you count as a "residente precario": you may leave and enter the country, work and study.

Which documents do you need for the temporary residency?

The following list is the complete official DNM document list for the temporary residency on the general route (as of July 2026):

• →Valid passport or national identity document, original plus certified copy
• →Visa, original plus certified copy, only "where necessary" (see the note on the visa table above)
• →Proof of entry: entry stamp in the passport or Boleta Migratoria
• →Birth certificate, apostilled
• →Proof of marital status, if applicable: marriage certificate, divorce decree or death certificate of the spouse, apostilled
• →Criminal record certificate from your country of origin or your country of residence over the last 3 years, apostilled; required only from age 14
• →Interpol certificate, issued in Paraguay, from age 14
• →Certificate from the Paraguayan national police, from age 14
• →Affidavit no. 1 in the DNM system: undertaking to respect the constitution and laws of Paraguay
• →Affidavit no. 2 in the DNM system: declaration of the planned activity or employment and of residence in Paraguay

What about proof of funds and translations?

The most important point that almost all outdated guides get wrong: the official document list for the temporary residency contains no bank deposit and no proof of economic solvency whatsoever. In its place stands the affidavit about your planned activity. The proof of solvency only comes into play at the category change to permanent residency, then under the 12 categories of Resolution 407/2026.

On formalities: documents with an apostille under the Hague Convention are accepted without any further legalization. All foreign-language documents need a translation into Spanish. For the criminal record certificate, birth certificate and apostilles from your country of origin, realistically plan for 4 to 8 weeks, and make sure the papers are still fresh when you submit them; expired criminal record certificates are, according to experience reports, among the most common reasons for rejection at the counter.

The two certificates from Paraguay you obtain directly on site: the Interpol certificate is issued by the Interpol department of the national police in Asunción, officially in about 24 to 48 hours; it is only available in Paraguay, there is no online option. The national police certificate for foreigners without a Cédula is, according to experience reports, issued in around 24 hours and costs about 63.000 Gs., that is under 10 EUR. Both certificates are one of the reasons why the application trip to Asunción is unavoidable.

What does the residency cost in official fees?

All central fees are published on the DNM's pages. Here are the official amounts in Guaraníes with a rough euro conversion (rounded, as of July 2026; the Guaraní exchange rate fluctuates):

Do you have to appear in Asunción in person?

Yes. On its official page, the DNM expressly describes the procedure as a "trámite personal y presencial", that is a personal procedure with a presence requirement. This applies to every person in the application, including children. Only the follow-up on an application that has already been filed can be handled by a legal representative.

On top of that comes practice: the Interpol certificate is only available on site in Asunción, and the later Cédula may, according to the national police, be collected exclusively by the holder in person. A fully remote-controlled procedure is therefore already technically ruled out. Realistically, a trip of about one week is enough for filing the application, if all documents from your country of origin are fully prepared: the Interpol and police certificates come together within a few days, and filing with the DNM is doable in a single day with a complete dossier.

Mercosur route or general route: which path applies to you?

Paraguay has two procedures. The Mercosur route is open to nationals of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. As a German, Austrian or Swiss citizen you automatically go through the general route under Ley 6984/2022.

The differences at a glance: on the Mercosur route the temporary residency is not extendable, the fee is lower (2.341.540 Gs. instead of 2.926.925 Gs.), the Interpol certificate is not required, and an affidavit is added stating that you have no international criminal record. Since Resolution 407/2026, however, the same 12 solvency categories apply to both routes at the switch to permanent residency.

For you as a DACH citizen this means in concrete terms: Interpol certificate yes, a slightly higher fee, but in return the option to extend the temporary stage once, in case you cannot or do not want to use the window for the category change.

What changes in 2026: Resolution 407/2026 and the 365-day rule

There are two new developments you should factor in from the start, because they decide your later category change. First the solvency rule: on 25 June 2026 the DNM issued Resolution 407/2026, which applies to applications from 6 July 2026. It standardizes the proof of economic solvency into 12 categories, from employees through self-employed people and remote workers to retirees, and requires proof of actually earned income that fits the declared activity. A diploma alone is no longer enough. Self-employed people need a RUC with a few months of tax history, which is why you should not tackle the tax ID only shortly before the permanent application.

Second, presence: under Article 55 of Ley 6984/2022 the temporary residency is annulled if you stay away from the country for more than 1 year continuously and without an approved reason; for permanent residents the limit is 3 years. Since 1 January 2026 the DNM checks these absences at the category change using your entry and exit data. How the cut-off date is calculated in detail is not conclusively clarified officially; you are on the safe side with at least one entry within every 12-month period. The DNM publicly reminded people of these grounds for annulment in April 2026.

Both topics have their own detailed articles with the official texts and all categories; you will find them below under "Read more".