Paraguay temporary residence: two years, about $500, and the income proof comes later
The card every foreigner now starts on under Law 6984/2022. Here's what the July 2026 checklist asks for, what it costs, and the question to settle before you fly.
Temporary residence is a card of up to two years, and Paraguay grants permanent residence only to people who've held one. You file in person in Asunción, and the income paperwork mostly waits for the permanent step.
The numbers that shape this card
$500
Government fee
Gs. 2,926,925, September 2026
2 years
How long the card lasts
Extendable once, same length
90 days
Visa-free visit for U.S. citizens
Paraguay's Law 7314 of 2024
1 year
Longest unjustified absence
Past that, the card can be canceled
3 months
Window to file for permanent
Before the card expires
10 years
Permanent card renewal
The status itself is indefinite
Who this card suits
Remote workers, freelancers paid from abroad and retirees who want a legal base they can actually reach. It's a poor fit if you can't show up in Asunción in person or expect to be gone for more than a year at a stretch.
What goes in the folder
Passport and proof of entry
A valid passport plus the entry stamp or the stamped entry card from the border.
Apostilled birth certificate
Plus your marriage certificate, divorce decree or spouse's death certificate if one applies, also apostilled.
Home-country criminal record
Current, national level and apostilled. Lived over a year in another country in the last three? Bring that country's record too.
Interpol and Paraguayan records
An Interpol certificate and the National Police record for foreigners, each required from age 14.
Sworn Spanish translation
By a public translator registered in Paraguay, or a sworn foreign translator with that translation apostilled.
Two sworn statements
Printed by Migraciones when you file: your planned activity and address, and a pledge to follow Paraguayan law.
Settle the visa question before you book
Paraguay's January 2026 visa table lets U.S. citizens visit for 90 days without a visa but marks them "requires visa" for residence. The checklist asks for a consular visa where one is required. Some facilitators still file for Americans after a visa-free entry. Ask a Paraguayan consulate or licensed Asunción lawyer which applies to you.
Filing it, in order
Filing is personal and in person, and handing in the folder doesn't guarantee approval. Migraciones can ask for more documents.
- Apostille your U.S. documents, then enter Paraguay and keep your proof of entry.
- Get sworn Spanish translations and notarized copies; originals come back only against notarized copies.
- File and pay the fee. You get precarious status, which lets you work, study, leave and re-enter while you wait.
- Once approved, apply for your cédula, valid as long as your card.
- Facilitators report 60 to 90 days for approval, four to seven months from start to card.
Keeping the card, and trading up
Don't disappear for a year
An unjustified absence of more than one year lets Migraciones cancel temporary residence, unless it approved the absence.
Extension: about $220
Gs. 1,287,847 buys up to two more years. You'll need fresh Interpol and Paraguayan police and judicial records.
File for permanent on time
Use the last three months of the card. One month late still works with a fine; after that, only an extension.
Prove real income
For permanent files lodged since July 6, 2026, Resolution 407/2026 sorts applicants into 12 income categories.
Remote workers: one letter
An apostilled, translated work certificate stating what you earn and how you're paid. Retirees show a pension certificate with the amount.
Permanent means 10-year cards
Status is indefinite, but more than three years away without justification ends it.
What Paraguay taxes, and what the IRS still does
Paraguay taxes Paraguayan-source income. You're a tax resident after more than 120 days a year in the country. Services performed abroad count only when provided to Paraguayan taxpayers.
The IRS still taxes your worldwide income, so keep filing at home and ask an accountant how work done from Asunción is treated.
People who work on Paraguay moves
BKM Internacionmal Sociedad
Paraguay Relocation and Real Estate
BKM works on relocation and real estate in Paraguay, including finding a home base once you land.
Christine Reynolds
Paraguay Local Guide, Malaysia Local Guide
Christine Reynolds is a local guide for Paraguay who helps newcomers get oriented, and she guides in Malaysia too.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
MyExpatTaxes prepares U.S. tax returns for Americans living abroad.
Paraguay temporary residence questions
How long can I be outside Paraguay on temporary residence?
Law 6984/2022 lets Migraciones cancel temporary residence after an unjustified absence of more than one year, unless it authorized the absence. Permanent residents can lose their status after more than three years away without justification.
Will Paraguay tax my U.S. income?
Paraguay taxes Paraguayan-source income. You become a tax resident after more than 120 days a year in the country, and services performed abroad count as taxable only when provided to Paraguayan taxpayers. The U.S. still taxes citizens on worldwide income, and the foreign earned income exclusion's physical presence test needs 330 full days abroad in 12 months.
How much does Paraguay's temporary residence cost?
The government fee is Gs. 2,926,925, about $500 at September 2026 exchange rates. Migraciones' July 2026 checklist says it includes the interim precarious residence and the change of category. A certificado de radicación costs Gs. 234,154, about $40. Apostilles, sworn translations, notarized copies and any facilitator are extra.
How long does Paraguay's temporary residence take?
Migraciones doesn't publish a processing time. Facilitators report 60 to 90 days for approval after filing, and four to seven months from gathering documents to holding the card, usually with two trips. Filing itself must be done in person in Paraguay.
Can I work remotely while my Paraguay residence is processing?
Yes. While the application is pending you hold precarious resident status, which Migraciones says lets you work, study, leave and re-enter Paraguay. Remote workers and digital nomads are also one of the 12 income categories accepted for permanent residence.
Is there a minimum income for Paraguay's temporary residence?
The July 2026 checklist for the temporary card lists no income or bank-balance document for adults. Income proof comes when you switch to permanent residence. Under Resolution 407/2026, remote workers show an apostilled, translated work certificate stating their income and how they're paid, and retirees show a pension certificate with the amount.
Do Americans need a visa to apply for temporary residence in Paraguay?
For a visit, no: U.S. citizens can stay up to 90 days without a visa under Paraguay's Law 7314 of 2024. For residence, Migraciones' January 2026 visa table marks U.S. citizens as needing a visa, and the temporary residence checklist asks for a consular visa where one is required. Some facilitators still file for Americans after a visa-free entry, so confirm with a Paraguayan consulate or a licensed Asunción lawyer before you travel.
Can I become a Paraguayan citizen and keep U.S. citizenship?
Citizenship guides say naturalization needs three years of permanent residence lived in Paraguay, which puts it about five years after your first temporary card. Paraguay has no dual-nationality treaty with the U.S., and the naturalization oath includes renouncing your prior citizenship, which one guide says Paraguay doesn't enforce. Get legal advice before you file.
Is Paraguay the right base for you?
Talk to an Expatsi advisor about your income, your timeline and where you want to land.
Why not you?