Immigration:
Frequently Asked Questions

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• How does the Paraguayan residency permit process works? 

A: The foreigner must apply for the most appropriate authorization to settle in Paraguay. The processes that approve the settlement in Paraguay are the following:​

- Temporary Residency;

- Permanent Residency;

- Temporary Residency for Mercosur citizens;

- Permanent Residency for Mercosur citizens.

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• What are the basic documents required from my home country to apply for permanent residency?

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- Current and valid Passport or Identity Card;

- Visa On Arrival, when applied;

- Birth and Marriage Certificates, Apostilled or legalized by the correspondent Embassy of Paraguay;

- Updated Criminal Record Apostilled or legalized by the Embassy of Paraguay;​​

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• How long do I have to stay in Paraguay to apply for the stay?

A: From 2 to 3 working days.

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• How long can I stay in Paraguay after applying for the residence permit?

A: If upon entering Paraguay, the customs office granted 90 days, the foreigner will probably have his residence before the expiration of the term of stay. If you do not obtain the residency within 90 days, you will have to leave and enter the country again or pay the corresponding fine in Migrations. In the case that the Customs has granted less time in its entrance, the term must be respected.

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• I have a job offer from a company domiciled in Paraguay. How does this help me to apply for residency?

A: The work proposal and the company's corporate documents can be used as proof of economic solvency, a legal requirement to be presented in applications for temporary or permanent residency.

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• What are the possibilities I have to prove economic solvency?

A: You can prove economic solvency by presenting one of the following possibilities:

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Apostilled or legalized 3rd degree Diploma, in the case of professionals; 2. Deposit in guarantee in the Banco Nacional de Fomento; 3. shareholders, farmers, and pensioners may also be eligible. Check out all the possibilities with one of our consultants! The requirements for the demonstration of economic solvency are not exhaustive, being able to prove such solvency with licit means of life that allow the subsistence of the petitioner and his family group.

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• I am a national of a Mercosur member country and I intend to stay more than 2 years in Asuncion. What type of permit should I apply for?

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A: Residence via Mercosur obliges the interested party to first apply for a temporary permit and after 2 or 4 years, for a permanent one. The costs and deadlines for approval of the request are very similar to those of the permanent residency. So if the candidate has the means to prove economic solvency initially, we recommend that he/she apply directly for the permanent residency, avoiding future renewals and unnecessary expenses.

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• I am going to Paraguay transferred by my company. Will my residence permit be linked to my employment?

A: No, although the economic solvency in the process of applying for a residence permit has been verified by means of documents from the company and promise of work, the residency is not linked to the company or the employer.

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• How is the residency process through SUACE? 

A: Special procedure for foreign investors of all nationalities, under the Unified System of Opening and Closing of Companies (SUACE). To be included in this system, the foreigner must commit to make a minimum investment in the country. The processing of the permanent establishment occurs in parallel to the opening of the company. 

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• What is the validity of each type of establishment? 

- Temporary Residence: 2 years;

- Mercosur Temporary Residence: 2 years;

- Permanent Mercosur Residency: 10 years. Requires the Mercosur Temporary Residence first.

- Permanent Residence: 10 years.

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• How long does a person have to enter PARAGUAY with an entry visa?

A: It depends on the date granted by the Chancellery or Customs. There are visas granted for 10 years and others granted for 6 months. Note that there are multiple entry Visas and there are Visas that the citizen can only enter once.

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i When a foreign citizen obtains one of these visas, he/she may enter Paraguay on the date he/she wishes, respecting the validity of the visas. 

ii. For the visas requested by Paraguayans for abroad, these must be withdrawn until the date of the trip informed in the application. However, there is no penalty for not withdrawing the VISA.

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• Is it necessary any health information of the employee to apply for residence authorization? 

A: Yes, in order to obtain Permanent or Temporary Residence, via Mercosur or not, the foreign citizen must present a Health Certificate, in which it is stated that the applicant is in good physical and mental health and has no infectious-contagious disease, issued by a clinical doctor authorized by the Ministry of Health of Paraguay. The document must be endorsed by the Ministry of Health of Paraguay. 

 

• How long does it normally take for the authorities to analyze and approve the process after the application? 

A: In the case of precarious residency, the estimated time is 30 days. For temporary or permanent residency, via Mercosur or not, the estimated time is 90 days.

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• When can a foreign citizen be included in the payroll of employees of a Paraguayan contracting company, according to the immigration laws? 

A: When the foreigner has his residence (temporary or permanent Admission Card) and is registered in the Instituto de Provisión Social - IPS and the Ministry of Labor.

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• I was born in a country but I have nationality of another country, in which I currently reside. How should I submit the documents for my application for permanent residency?

A: The candidate must present the birth certificate legalized or apostilled in the country of origin, the documents that prove his new nationality legalized or apostilled, his identity card or valid passport and a criminal record certificate legalized or apostilled from the country where he has lived in the last 5 years. If the nationality was before the last 5 years, you must also present the criminal record certificate from the country of origin.

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• Once I apply for my residency authorization, will I be able to leave the country while the application is in process?

A: The temporary residence application grants the benefit of the precarious residency, which gives the foreigner a status of resident for up to 90 days, allowing the foreigner to leave and re-enter the country as needed. 

 

It's worth noting that the specific requirements and limitations can vary depending on the  case. It's important to consult with a qualified immigration professional or legal expert to fully understand the needs of each expat, and to determine if it is the right option for your specific circumstances.