Paraguay offers one of Latin-America’s easiest paths to residency. Simply by declaring an intent to establish oneself in the country and having the means to do so, applicants can obtain a 2-year temporary residence permit.
In year 2, the applicant is eligible for permanent residency.
After 3 years of holding Paraguayan PR, applicants are eligible for citizenship, provided they speak one of the national languages and demonstrate a cursory familiarity with the country’s civics.
To qualify for Paraguay temporary residency as a person of independent means is very simple, and you will merely need to provide the following:
The applicant must visit Paraguay to apply for the initial temporary residency, which has a two-year validity.
Immediately upon application, the applicant receives a “precarious residence card,” which allows him to remain in the country for the next 90 days (if desirable) while awaiting the processing of temporary residency application.
Typically issued within 90 days, the temporary residency is valid for two years, and also entitles the holder to obtain a Paraguayan cédula (national ID card), which can be used to, for example, open a bank account or get a local driver’s license.
Paraguay imposes no physical presence requirements at this stage.
Prior to the expiration of the 2-year temporary residence permit, the individual can apply for permanent residency.
To obtain PR, the applicant will need to show some substance in Paraguay. This may take the form of, for example, forming a company, maintaining bank accounts, buying real estate, or similar.
Once permanent residency is granted, the applicant receives a permanent residency ID card, valid for ten years, and renewable indefinitely.
After three years of being a permanent resident of Paraguay, individuals may apply for citizenship. To be approved for naturalization, the applicant must have spent at least six months each year in Paraguay during the preceding three years, speak Spanish or Guaraní, and demonstrate knowledge of the country’s political constitution.
Browse 195 countries’ paths to citizenship in the hyper-detailed IMI Citizenship Catalog.
Applications for this program may be directed to the Directorate General of Migration.
Legislation upon which this program is based: Law No. 6984 on Migration.
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See more statistics on this program and others in the IMI Data Center.
