Paraguay residence permit (temporary residence)

Temporary residence is for foreigners entering Paraguay with the intention of settling for a determined period to carry out any lawful activity under Law 6984 of 2022 and its regulation, for example employment, self-employment, study or running a business. The DNM records the profession, activity or occupation and the address in a sworn declaration generated by its system. Where the DNM visa table requires a visa for residence, as it does for most nationalities outside MERCOSUR, the file includes the consular visa verified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Bring originals with authenticated copies of: a valid identity document from your country; the consular visa and its verification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where required; proof of entry (stamped migration slip or passport stamp); a birth certificate, apostilled or legalised; a civil status certificate if applicable; and a valid criminal or police record certificate from your country of origin, apostilled or legalised, required from age 14. If you lived in another country for more than a year during the last three years, add that country's certificate too.

Paraguay also asks for an INTERPOL record certificate and a certificate for foreigners from the National Police IT Department, both from age 14, and you sign sworn declarations on respecting Paraguayan law and on your activity and address. Documents in a foreign language must be translated into Spanish by a public translator registered in Paraguay, or by an authorised foreign translator with the translation apostilled.

The card can be renewed for the same period, for 11 jornales (PYG 1,287,847). To move to permanent residence, file the change of category within the three months before the temporary card expires; it can still be filed up to one month after expiry with a fine. After that month only a renewal of temporary residence is possible, up to six months after expiry, again with a fine.

While the application is processed, the applicant holds 'residente precario' status, which allows leaving and re-entering Paraguay, studying and working for its duration. Once granted, the temporary resident can obtain a Paraguayan identity card from the Identification Department of the National Police, valid for the same period as the residence.