Permanent Residency in Paraguay in 2026: Requirements, Proof of Solvency and Procedure

Since July 2026, obtaining permanent residency in Paraguay has required more than a temporary residence card that has reached its term. Resolution DNM No. 407/2026 requires proof of real income or resources, consistent with the occupation declared in the temporary residency application, at a time when Migraciones is handling a record number of applications.

This guide covers the full process: the status itself, what the reform changes, proof of solvency according to your profile, the procedure, official fees and life after approval.

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01What is permanent residency in Paraguay?

Permanent residency (residencia permanente) is the authorization, issued by the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (DNM), Paraguay's immigration authority, to reside in Paraguay with no time limit. Under the general route, it follows temporary residency, granted for at most two years, through a change of category (cambio de categoría). It is also the status from which the qualifying period for naturalization is counted.

A status without a time limit, a card to renew

Ley N° 6984/2022 defines permanent residency as the authorization to “residir indefinidamente” in the country. What is renewed every ten years is the permanent resident card issued by Migraciones (carnet de admisión permanente, which the law calls carnet de residencia), not the status itself.

Once you hold this card, the National Police issues the permanent resident cédula de identidad, valid for ten years according to Migraciones. It becomes your sole identity document in Paraguay.

Routes to permanent residency

Most foreign nationals go through the change of category. The law provides for other routes, some of which do not require prior temporary residency.

The investment route requires at least 70,000 USD for a productive project creating at least five formal jobs, under an approved business plan, and 200,000 USD for a real estate or financial investment; a financial investment must be maintained for at least two years. Property for exclusively personal or family use is not taken into account. Our guide to the Investor Pass and SUACE sets out the conditions in detail.

What permanent residency changes compared with temporary residency

• Absences. A temporary resident absent for more than one year loses access to conversion and risks cancellation of their residency; a permanent resident may be absent for less than three years, and longer with authorization.
• Naturalization. The three years required to apply for citizenship are counted from the date permanent residency is granted.

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02Resolution DNM No. 407/2026: what really changes

Resolution DNM No. 407/2026, signed on 28 May 2026, unifies the criteria for proving economic solvency (acreditación de solvencia económica) required for permanent residency. According to Migraciones, it applies to applications filed from 6 July 2026. Its logic comes down to one idea: solvency is no longer presumed; it must be demonstrated.

What the text says

The resolution replaces the 2024 lists of supporting documents with a single grid of twelve categories, and sets out four principles:

• A condition of admissibility

  The applicant must show means of subsistence that are “lícitos, suficientes y verificables”, which can never be presumed.

• Consistency with temporary residency

  Supporting documents are assessed against the occupation declared in the temporary residency application, unless a change is proven.

• The sworn statement

  Every residency application, together with its documents and information, constitutes a sworn statement (declaración jurada).

• Occupation removed from the card

  It remains recorded in the Migraciones system but is no longer printed on the residence card.

The text also protects the applicant: where the documents reveal their actual situation, officials must place the application in the most appropriate category. The DNM nevertheless retains the power to refuse an application in which solvency has not been established.

What does not change, and what remains open

The reform essentially concerns solvency. The timetable for the change of category, the basic list of documents and the requirement of prior temporary residency remain those of Ley N° 6984/2022 and the Migraciones regulations, and the text sets no minimum income figure.

Two points remain poorly covered. The article on digital nomads breaks off in the text published by the DNM: only the first of the options it provides for appears there. The documents required for companies refer to shareholders and to EAS (simplified joint-stock companies), but say nothing about partners in an SRL (limited liability company).

Finally, the resolution covers the general route and the Mercosur agreement approved by Ley N° 3565/2008. It does not mention the agreement extended to Bolivia and Chile (Ley N° 3578/2008): its application to nationals of those two countries is set out neither in the resolution nor in the known texts.

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03Proving solvency: the 12 categories

For the change of category, proof of solvency for permanent residency in Paraguay is provided under one of the twelve categories of Resolution DNM No. 407/2026. Each has its own documents, but all follow the same rule: show a real economic situation consistent with the occupation declared at the temporary residency stage. A change of situation remains possible, provided it is proven.

Categories and their documents

Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled, then translated into Spanish where applicable. Proof of activity for professionals and technicians is submitted as certified copies.

Cases that call for particular attention

• Foreign-source income

  A foreign pension falls under the retirees category. A remote employee of a foreign company in principle falls under the remote workers and digital nomads category. Neither requires a RUC. For digital nomads, since the text is incomplete, it is advisable to obtain an employment certificate that is very precise about income and how it is paid. Our guide for digital nomads in Paraguay covers this point further.

• Property owners

  The wording “con registro previo en los últimos dos (2) años” can be read either as registration dating back more than two years, or as registration made within the last two years. No official clarification is known to date.

• A spouse with no occupation

  A person declared as “ama de casa” at the temporary residency stage falls under the dependents category, according to the official Migraciones procedure sheet.

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04Traders and the self-employed: the case of most expatriates

The category of self-employed workers in trade and services concerns most expatriates settled in Paraguay, because this is often the profile under which they obtained their temporary residency. Since Resolution DNM No. 407/2026, this profile can no longer be proven by tax registration alone: a genuine, declared and up-to-date activity must be demonstrated.

What the DNM checks

At the time of conversion, the occupation declared at the temporary residency stage serves as the point of comparison. An applicant registered as a trader therefore submits the documents for the self-employed category, or proves that they have changed activity.

The file comprises the taxpayer registration certificate (Constancia de Persona Física), the tax compliance certificate (constancia de cumplimiento tributario) and IVA returns for the last three months, or the IRP return for the last year.

Planning ahead for RUC registration and tax returns

A tax history cannot be built up in a few weeks: RUC registration and tax filings must begin well before the filing window, ideally in the first months of temporary residency.

Tax returns then call for regular accounting follow-up. Our team offers an annual accounting service designed for this requirement, covering IVA returns and, where applicable, IRP returns. Our IRP guide sets out the rules.

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05Converting to permanent residency, step by step

The change of category to permanent residency is filed in person with Migraciones within the 90 days before the temporary residence card expires. The file brings together identity documents, record certificates issued in Paraguay and proof of solvency. Once the permanent resident card has been obtained, a second procedure with the National Police leads to the cédula.

When to file the application

The expiry date is calculated from the date of issue shown on the temporary residence card (Carnet de Residencia Temporal). For a two-year card, the window therefore opens around the 21st month.

1. 90 days before expiry

   Filing window opens

   The change of category can be filed with Migraciones, with a complete file and proof of solvency ready.

2. Up to 30 days after

   Late filing, with a fine

   The change of category remains possible, subject to a fine set by the Migraciones fee schedule.

3. Up to six months after

   Extension of temporary residency

   According to the Migraciones procedure sheet, it is then the extension (prórroga) of temporary residency that may be requested, with a fine; the law also requires a cédula that is still valid. Failing that, a new temporary residency application remains possible.

For Mercosur nationals, the agreement provides for the same 90-day period before expiry, but no grace period.

An absence may be authorized in advance, on a request made no later than one month before the one-year mark. Its effect on conversion remains an open question. Resolution DNM No. 81/2026 refers any absence of more than one year to the extension procedure, without exception, whereas the more recent Resolution DNM No. 376/2026 allows the absence to be authorized up to the day before the deadline for conversion or extension. Before an extended stay outside Paraguay, it is advisable to have your situation confirmed by Migraciones.

Required documents

The official Migraciones procedure sheet, updated in July 2026, sets out the following list. Each document is submitted in original with a certified copy, and the certificates are required from the age of 14.

To these are added a record of migratory movements, issued free of charge by Migraciones, and a sworn statement of electronic domicile (declaración jurada de domicilio electrónico).

Apostille, translation and validity of certificates

Any foreign document must be valid and legalized or apostilled. It is translated into Spanish by a public translator registered in Paraguay, or abroad by an authorized public translator, in which case the translation itself must be apostilled or legalized. Mercosur nationals are exempt from having their passport, identity card, birth and marriage certificates and criminal record certificate translated; Migraciones may nevertheless require a translation in case of doubt.

The “six-month” rule applies only to foreign criminal records that do not state a validity period, in applications filed with Migraciones. Other documents simply need to be valid and up to date at the time of filing.

Filing, follow-up and processing times

The procedure is personal and done in person; follow-up of the file can then be entrusted to a legal representative. The Migraciones headquarters in Asunción (Caballero N° 201, corner of Eligio Ayala) receives the public Monday to Friday, from 07:00 to 14:30, on a first-come, first-served basis. Regional offices, notably in Ciudad del Este and Encarnación, and mobile units complete this network.

Migraciones does not announce a processing time for permanent residency, and the record volume of applications in 2026 has led it to put a contingency plan in place. A prudent timeline takes this into account.

The permanent resident cédula

Once the permanent resident card has been issued, the temporary cédula is renewed as a permanent resident cédula with the Identification Department of the National Police. The file includes the old cédula, a certified copy of the permanent resident card (Carnet de Admisión Permanente) and of the identity document from your country of origin, the Interpol certificate, a certificate of life and residence (certificado de vida y residencia), the foreigners' registry card (Carnet del Registro de Extranjeros) and the record certificate from the Identification Department. No criminal record from the country of origin is required at this stage.

The cédula can only be collected by its holder, which means being present in Paraguay again.

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06How much does permanent residency cost?

The official fees for permanent residency in Paraguay are set in jornales, the unit corresponding to the legal minimum daily wage, i.e. 117,077 Gs since 1 July 2026. The change of category costs 2,926,925 Gs, plus the radicación certificate and, where applicable, a fine or update fees.

Official fees

These amounts are those of the fee schedule published by Migraciones, applicable since 1 July 2026. The Migraciones regulations provide for a fine for late filing without setting its amount: it is the fee schedule that sets the figure. Payment by card adds a fee of 2% to 3%, plus IVA. You should also budget for the cédula renewal, the other police and judicial certificates, apostilles, translations and notarized copies.

Professional support

The cost of professional support depends less on the procedure than on the file: the solvency category, consistency with temporary residency, the tax situation and the documents to be reconstituted. It is set after a review of the file, following an initial consultation.

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07After obtaining permanent residency

Permanent residency in Paraguay is retained as long as the holder complies with the law and is not absent for three years or more without authorization; the residence card, for its part, is renewed every ten years. After three years, it opens the possibility of applying for Paraguayan citizenship.

Renewing the residence card every ten years

The new permanent resident card is valid for ten years from its date of issue. The application includes certified copies of the card, of the cédula if you have one and of the identity document from your country of origin, together with proof of any change of occupation or personal details. The fee is 468,308 Gs.

Absences: the three-year rule

Under Ley N° 6984/2022, a permanent resident absent for more than three years without justification loses their status; the Migraciones procedure, for its part, refers to absences of three years or more. As a precaution, it is therefore advisable to return before the third anniversary of departure.

A longer absence may be authorized, for up to one additional year, on a request made no later than three months before the three-year deadline, demonstrating the intention to return to live in Paraguay and with proof of ties to the country. The request costs 234,154 Gs; a late request is refused, and silence from Migraciones for 60 days amounts to a refusal.

A lost status can be recovered within three years of the cancellation. You must first obtain spontaneous or occasional residency (residencia espontánea u ocasional) and stay in Paraguay for its duration, then file the application at the Migraciones headquarters. It costs 2,341,540 Gs, plus 936,616 Gs for the spontaneous residency and the cost of the required documents.

Toward naturalization

The Paraguayan Constitution allows a foreign national to apply for nationality by naturalization if they are of legal age, can show three years of residency, carry on an activity in Paraguay and are of good conduct. According to the regulations of the Supreme Court of Justice, the three years are counted from the date permanent residency is obtained.

This residency must be continuous, with an actual domicile in Paraguay, and the Court rejects applicants who have been absent for more than three months per year during the three years preceding the application. An oral or written examination covers one of the official languages (Spanish or Guarani), history, geography and the constitutional rules on loss of nationality.

The Constitution allows multiple nationality only under an international treaty of reciprocity of constitutional rank: this point should be checked country by country before starting the process.

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08A successful permanent residency application

Permanent residency in Paraguay remains accessible to temporary residents who prepare their file in time. Since Resolution DNM No. 407/2026, however, it hinges on proof of a real economic situation. Three points make the difference:

• Anticipate the filing window, which opens 90 days before the residence card expires.
• Prepare proof of solvency from the temporary residency stage onward, particularly for traders and the self-employed, whose tax returns must reflect activity.
• Submit a file consistent with the occupation declared at the temporary residency stage, proving any change that has occurred since.

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09Frequently asked questions

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Official sources