How to get a Paraguay Visa and Overview

This page provides an overview of Paraguayan visas. This page can be read by all those interested in Paraguayan visas

— Move to Paraguay with Ease: A Second Residency, Low Taxes & Global Freedom —

🇵🇾 Why Paraguay?

Paraguay is one of the most tax-friendly countries in the world, and you can become a permanent resident after just one visit. To learn more about the attractions, please see the following article.

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Paraguay Visa and Nationality

Some countries in Paraguay require an entry visa and others do not.

Countries where an paraguay visa for arrival is not required

including the USA, Canada, UK, EU member states, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and more 

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Countries where an paraguay visa for arrival is not required

including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Saudi Arabia, or elsewhere

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General Paraguay Visa Application

The current status of visa applications in Paraguay is still a bit confusing due to the October 2022 amendment to the Immigration Law (Regulation No. 6984). It is necessary to obtain a visa for a year, after which the visa can be converted to permanent residence.

On the other hand, there are some advantages. At one time, one had to deposit 32 million guaranis (about US$4,500) in an account at BNF Bank, but this requirement has now been eliminated.

First, to obtain permanent residency in Paraguay, one must apply for a two-year residence visa.If you apply for a two-year residence visa, you may live, work, and invest in Paraguay for two years. After one year and nine months (three months before the expiration date), the applicant may begin applying for permanent residence.

Paraguay Visa for Investor

If you are an investor you can get a visa in one shot. It is to invest more than $70,000 in Paraguay and apply for Permanent Cedula through SUACE, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

This way, you can apply directly for Permanent Residency and Permanent Cedula without the need to obtain a 2-year visa, which greatly shortens the process. Click here to apply for Permanent Residency in one shot!

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Requirements for a Paraguay 2-year Visa

1. Valid passport of your country and the page with the entry stamp to Paraguay (copies of both with the notary public's authentication stamp of Escribania are required.)

2. Birth certificate and marriage certificate (both must have the apostille stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country, or in the case of the U.S., of the State Department).

3. If married, a marriage certificate is required.

4. If divorced, a divorce decree is required.

5. If bereaved, a spouse's death certificate is required.

6. Certificate of non-criminality (must be obtained from the police of the country in which you have resided for the past three years and stamped with an apostille by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country in which you have resided for the past three years) Police certificates of non-criminality from different countries have different expiration dates, so you must enter the country before the expiration date. If the certificate has no expiration date or is valid for more than 180 days, the applicant must have entered Paraguay within 180 days from the date of issue.

   
   
   
   

Additional requirements for those under 18 years of age

If the applicant is under 18 years of age, the following must also be presented

• If both parents are present, an original and a photocopy (with notary seal) of each parent's passport is required.

• If one or both parents are not present, the child's travel authorization and a special power of attorney from a notary public in the applicant's home country for permission to submit documents must be brought. (In the case of one parent, the consent and power of attorney of the other parent is required. These must also be apostille or legalized).

• This is at the time of entry, but the Paraguayan State does not require that the child of one parent be formally identified as his or her child at the time of entry. Some countries, such as Canada, require documentation in advance, but Paraguay does not. However, it is a good idea to have apostilled documents or other documents in case of emergency. (To avoid complicated procedures at the immigration office).

Things to keep in mind when applying for a Visa

All documents must be translated into Spanish

In order to receive the necessary documents for the procedures required for the two-year residence visa, you will need to submit them in Spanish.

This can be done directly in Paraguay by hiring an official translator registered with the Supreme Court of the Republic of Paraguay. Translation fees usually cost between US$100 and US$200 per person.

Apostille and legalization are mandatory

In particular, the apostille is a way for documents to be internationally verified. This official seal can be stamped in all countries that have ratified the 1961 Hague Convention, including Paraguay. One hundred and fifteen countries have signed the Convention. Documents apostilled in these countries are recognized and valid as originals in all other countries.

Specifically, it is important to apostille birth certificates, police certificates with no criminal record, marriage certificates, and in the case of minors, all of the aforementioned documents. Note that in some countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can handle apostille certification directly, while in others, there is a one-stop service where you can apply at the notary office of your place of residence and have it certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Legalization = refers to a method of authentication in the case of documents from countries that are not signatories to the Hague Convention. Legalization requires that the document be legalized by the Paraguayan Embassy in the country of residence.

Time required to obtain a 2-year visa and 2-year Cedula (ID)

Obtaining a 2-year visa usually takes a minimum of 90 days (3 months) after entry into Paraguay; a 2-year Cedula can be applied for after the 2-year residence visa has been obtained, which takes approximately another 45-60 days.

However, this time period varies greatly depending on the procedure. There are some patterns where you can get a visa and Cedula in a much shorter period of time. (It depends on the agency. (Of course, there is some additional cost involved.)

In general, it is important not to make mistakes, to understand the sequence of required office visits, and to submit all appropriate documents to the immigration office as soon as possible.

It is also possible to use a power of attorney to receive visas and Cedulas on your behalf and ship documents to your home country while you are back home.

Without the proper experience and information, it will usually take many more days to do everything yourself. Please note that incomplete documentation or failure to obtain required documents will significantly delay the issuance of your visa.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a message via whatsapp, email, or box and we will reply within 24 hours.

Before Arriving in Paraguay

Before arriving in Paraguay, you should focus on getting all your documents in order. Documents to be gathered include

• Passport (valid for at least 6 months)

• Marital status certificate regarding marriage, divorce, or death of a spouse (must be apostilled at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the nearest notary public)

• Birth certificate (apostille required at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or local notary office)

• Non-criminal certificate issued by the police of the country in which you have resided for the past three years (if a police-issued certificate was issued outside of your country of birth, proof of residence in that country for the past three years is required).

Please send us a photo or PDF of the above documents in advance. Translation will be completed prior to your arrival in Paraguay, which will greatly reduce the time required for the procedure.

Also, please let us know your arrival time and accommodation in advance so that we can arrange for you to be picked up at the airport smoothly.

Once you arrive in Paraguay

Designate a date, time, and location in advance, and accompany the local agent to begin gathering documents to obtain a visa. If your arrival date is a holiday or national holiday, the immigration office will not be available, so you will begin the process on a weekday.

If the arrival time is late, the procedure will start the next day. However, if you arrive early in the morning on a weekday, a car will be arranged at the airport and you will go directly to the procedure. However, regardless of your arrival time, we will arrange a car to pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel.

About the 2-year Cedula after obtaining a 2-year residence Visa

Theoretically, after obtaining a two-year residence visa, you can reside in Paraguay for two years. However, there is a serious limitation: if you do not have a Cedula (national ID card), you may be stopped by the police or have problems if you need to prove that you emigrated from your home country.

Obtaining a Cedula is not mandatory in Paraguay, but it may affect your application for a permanent residence visa. Also, if you will leave Paraguay for more than one year after obtaining a 2-year visa, you will need to submit a Statement of Reasons to the Department of Immigration, just in case.

(This is because you must declare your intention to reside in Paraguay in order to maintain your 2-year visa and to obtain a future Cedula or Permanent Resident visa. Please note that the application for the 2-year Cedula is filed at the Police Identification Department, which has a different jurisdiction than the Immigration Office for the 2-year visa. Also note that when applying for a Cedula, unlike when applying for a 2-year residence visa, it is necessary to obtain multiple police certificates for documentation. After that, go to the second floor where the Alien Registration Office is located.After the police officer checks all the documents, you will be taken to the counter on the first floor, where you will submit your electronic fingerprints and sign the necessary documents. All that remains is to wait for the issuance of the Cedula. It takes approximately 45 to 60 days to be issued. If you are not in Paraguay at the time of issuance, you can also have a power of attorney written and mailed from Paraguay to your home country (Fedex or DHL).

Application Fees for Two-Year Residence Visa and Permanent Residence Permit

The current application fee for a 2-year visa including temporary residence permit is 2,989.639 guaranis (approximately depending on the exchange rate). This is paid directly to the Department of Immigration at the time of application. If you overstay at the time of visa application, you will have to pay an additional fine of 618,545 guaranis (about $85).

In addition to the above, you will also have to pay for local transportation, application of other documents, translation, photocopying of photos, notary certification, and taxes. Therefore, even if you obtain a visa perfectly on your own, you should expect to spend at least US$750 per person for a maximum of 2 years - Cedula. In addition, the application fee for the Permanent Resident Visa (after 1 year and 9 months after the issuance of the 2-year visa) and the Permanent Resident Cedula will cost another 500 USD or more, so it will cost about 1,250 to 1,500 USD per person if you apply for everything from the 2-year visa to permanent residence by yourself.

Normally, if you hire a professional or an agency to prepare the documents for you, these costs will be covered by a service fee. In our case, all direct costs are included in the package. This includes local transportation, translation of official documents, and various communication costs prior to visa and Cedula application.

Currently, the cheapest service we know of starts at $1,300 per person for the entire two-year residence visa process, with the highest reaching $5,000. When choosing an agent, make sure you know what you are paying for. You should also carefully check what specific services are included in the fees of agents who are too cheap.

Our Service Lines and Service Pricing

We offer 2-year visa and CEDRA applications, permanent residence applications, investor visas, and entry visas, as well as a Visa Express course to shorten the visa issuance process. We also offer corporate incorporation and tax reduction products.

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