Temporary residency in Paraguay: this guide explains the practical steps, documents and points to check when preparing your plans. Temporary residency in Paraguay is the usual first step for foreign nationals settling in the country under Law 6984/2022. It is issued by the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (DNM) for a period of up to two years and may be extended for an equal period.
This practical guide explains what to prepare before travelling, which documents to obtain in Paraguay, where to submit your application and what comes next. It follows the Destination Paraguay free guide and official Migraciones requirements reviewed on 2 October 2026.
Cover: illustrative Temporary Residency card. The residence card issued by Migraciones and the cédula issued by the National Police are separate documents.
What is temporary residency?Residencia temporal
Temporary residency allows a foreign national to settle in Paraguay for a fixed period and carry out lawful activities. Under the general procedure, it is normally the preliminary residence category before applying for permanent status. Approval is a decision by Migraciones; collecting the documents does not guarantee a successful application.
| Key point | General procedure under Law 6984/2022 |
|---|---|
Residence validity | Up to two years, extendible for an equal period. |
Application | Personal, in-person submission to Migraciones. |
While the application is pending | The provisional status called residente precario permits exit and re-entry, work and study during its validity. |
ID Card | Access to a separate Paraguayan cédula application, with validity corresponding to the Temporary Residency. |
Permanent status | A separate application is required; it is not granted automatically after two years. |
Check your route first. The temporary MERCOSUR procedure is different. Migraciones lists Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador as eligible nationalities. That residence lasts two years and is not extendible. Its official page states that Permanent Residency under that regime is required before obtaining the cédula. Do not mix the MERCOSUR checklist with the general checklist below.
Documents for temporary residencyDocumentos para la residencia temporal
Prepare the original documents and the certified copies required by Migraciones. Foreign civil-status and criminal-record documents must be duly apostilled or legalised. The ten items below follow the official general checklist; some apply only to particular ages, nationalities or family situations.
1. Valid passport or accepted national identity documentPasaporte vigente / Documento de identidad vigente
Bring a valid passport or an accepted national ID issued by your country of origin, with one copy certified by a notary. Make sure the names and identity details agree across your documents.
Where to obtain it: your country’s passport or identity authority, or its competent consulate.
2. Consular visa, if requiredVisa consular, si corresponde
If your nationality requires a visa, include the visa and its verification by Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This requirement is conditional; it does not apply to every applicant.
Where: the competent Paraguayan consulate and the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MRE).
3. Proof of entry into ParaguayConstancia de ingreso al país
Keep the migration entry slip or the entry stamp in your passport, with a certified copy. Check this before leaving the airport or border control area.
Where: the authorised immigration checkpoint where you enter Paraguay, including Silvio Pettirossi International Airport.
4. Birth certificateCertificado de nacimiento
Provide the certificate issued by the competent authority, apostilled or legalised, with a certified copy and an accepted Spanish translation when needed.
Where: the civil registry or other competent authority responsible for your birth record.
5. Civil-status documents, if applicableCertificado de matrimonio / Sentencia de divorcio / Certificado de defunción
Married applicants provide a marriage certificate; divorced applicants provide the divorce judgment; widowed applicants provide the spouse’s death certificate. The applicable foreign document must be apostilled or legalised.
Where: the relevant civil registry or court in the issuing country.
6. Current national or federal criminal recordCertificado de antecedentes penales o policiales
This normally applies from age 14. Provide a current national or federal criminal or police record, apostilled or legalised, with a certified copy and translation where needed.
Which country? If you live in your country of origin, use its certificate. If you have lived in another country for more than one year during the last three years, Migraciones requires the certificate from the latest country of residence together with proof of that residence. Nationality alone does not determine which record to obtain.
Special cases: applicants resident in Paraguay for more than three years have a specific judicial-record and sworn-declaration route, subject to checks on recorded movements. Mexican applicants must provide federal and state records. Certain adolescent exemptions are country-specific; there is no general exemption for everyone under 18.
Where: the competent national criminal-record, police or justice authority in the relevant country. Confirm the accepted certificate and its validity before ordering it.
7. INTERPOL certificate issued in ParaguayCertificado de antecedentes de INTERPOL
Required from age 14, in original with a certified copy. This is the Paraguayan INTERPOL certificate, separate from your foreign criminal record.
Where: Departamento de INTERPOL de la Policía Nacional, in Asunción. Check the current service location and opening hours before attending.
8. Police background certificate for foreignersCertificado de antecedentes para extranjeros
Required from age 14, in original with a certified copy. This blue document is issued by the National Police’s IT department. It is a different certificate from the INTERPOL record.
Where: Departamento de Informática de la Policía Nacional, Paraguay.
9. Declaration to respect the Constitution and lawsDeclaración jurada de respeto a la Constitución Nacional y las leyes
This declaration is generated through the Migraciones application system at the time of filing. It is not a foreign certificate to order before travelling.
Where: Migraciones, during your residence application.
10. Declaration of occupation and addressDeclaración jurada de profesión, actividad u oficio y domicilio
Declare your profession, activity or trade and your address in Paraguay. The application system generates the declaration. Provide accurate address and contact information.
Where: Migraciones, during filing.
Financial means: the general temporary-residency checklist does not list a separate financial-solvency document among these ten items. Do not import the permanent-residency solvency checklist into this procedure. Migraciones may still request additional documents appropriate to an individual case.
Temporary residency: Apostilles, translations and certified copies
Before travelling: obtain your foreign certificates and have them apostilled by the competent authority in the issuing country. Where the apostille system does not apply, follow the required legalisation chain. An apostille authenticates a document; it does not renew the issue date of an expired certificate.
Translations: foreign-language documents need a Spanish translation by a public translator registered in Paraguay, or an authorised foreign translator whose translation is duly apostilled or legalised. Migraciones expressly exempts documents in Portuguese issued in Brazil from translation.
Certified copies: use a Paraguayan notary, called an escribano, to prepare the required certified copies. Present the originals together with those copies. Migraciones states that originals are returned after comparison with the certified copies.
Prepare a final check of names, dates, passport number, apostilles, translations and certificate validity before filing. Documents that are valid when ordered may no longer be current when your application is submitted.
Temporary residency: Where to go and how to apply
| Step | Action | Authority or place |
|---|---|---|
1. Before departure | Passport, birth and applicable civil-status certificates, relevant foreign criminal record, apostilles or legalisation. | Issuing authorities in the relevant country; Paraguayan consulate if a visa is required. |
2. Enter Paraguay | Keep your proof of lawful entry. | Immigration checkpoint at the airport or border. |
3. Prepare local documents | INTERPOL and police certificate for foreigners; accepted Spanish translations; certified copies. | INTERPOL, Policía Nacional Informática, registered translator and escribano. |
4. File in person | Submit the complete file, check the generated declarations and retain your application documents. | Dirección Nacional de Migraciones. |
5. Follow up | Respond to requests for additional documents and monitor your case. | Migraciones; personally or through an authorised representative. |
6. After approval | Collect your Temporary Residency card and prepare the separate cédula application. | Migraciones, then Departamento de Identificaciones of the National Police. |
Migraciones headquarters: Caballero No. 201, corner of Eligio Ayala, Asunción. The official page lists public service from Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Check the current office arrangements before visiting.
The first application must be submitted personally. Follow-up may be carried out by the applicant or a legal representative. A provisional residence document has its own validity; keep track of it while waiting for the final decision. The official checklist does not guarantee a fixed processing time.
Temporary residency: Applying with children
Applicants aged 0–17 have additional family requirements. Parents generally sign the application, and at least one parent must hold valid residence or apply for residence at the same time. Bring the required parental identity documents and residence cards where applicable.
If only one parent attends, an express authorisation from the absent parent or the applicable court decision is required. If a parent has died, provide the death certificate. Applications made through a third party involve additional guardianship or authorisation rules. Foreign documents must follow the apostille, legalisation and translation requirements.
Parents or guardians assume economic responsibility for the child. Check the official minors section before travelling, particularly for separated parents, guardianship or different surnames. The age-14 criminal-record rules and the special rules for minors must be read together.
Temporary residency: After approval: the residence card and the cédula
Your Temporary Residency card proves the immigration status granted by Migraciones. Under the general Law 6984/2022 procedure, you can then apply separately for a Paraguayan ID Card through the National Police. The cédula’s validity follows the Temporary Residency validity. The residence filing receipt is not a cédula.
Planning the change to permanent residencyCambio de categoría a residente permanente
For the standard change of category, prepare the permanent application during the three months before your Temporary Residency expires. Approval is not automatic: Permanent Residency has its own documents and financial-solvency requirements. Migraciones provides limited late-filing procedures with penalties, so plan around the normal deadline.
Immigration residency, a cédula, tax registration and a tax-residency certificate are separate procedures. Read our guide to Paraguay tax residency and minimum-day rules before drawing tax conclusions from your residence card.
Frequently asked questions
Can I complete the entire application from abroad?
No. The general procedure requires personal submission in Paraguay. You can prepare your foreign certificates and apostilles before travelling, then obtain the local documents and file in person.
Do I need to buy property or open a company?
Neither a property purchase nor company formation appears as a general requirement in the ordinary temporary-residency checklist. Investor procedures are separate routes with their own conditions.
Can I work while the application is pending?
Migraciones states that provisional resident status, residente precario, permits work and study, as well as exit and re-entry, during its validity. Check the validity and conditions of the document actually issued to you.
Is the Temporary Residency card the same as the cédula?
No. Migraciones issues the residence card; the National Police issues the cédula through a separate procedure. Under the general route, temporary residents have access to a cédula with corresponding validity.
Must every foreign document be translated in Paraguay?
No. A registered Paraguayan public translator is one accepted option. The official checklist also allows an authorised foreign translation that is duly apostilled or legalised. Portuguese documents issued in Brazil are exempt from translation.
Will I automatically become a permanent resident after two years?
No. You must apply for the change of category and meet the current permanent-residency requirements. Prepare during the three months before your Temporary Residency expires.
Does this checklist apply to temporary MERCOSUR residency?
No. The MERCOSUR route has its own eligibility rules, documents and consequences for the cédula. Consult the separate official checklist before choosing the procedure.
Official sources
- Migraciones: temporary residency under Law 6984/2022, including the minors section
- Migraciones: downloadable temporary-residency checklist
- Migraciones: the separate temporary MERCOSUR procedure
- Migraciones: change from temporary to Permanent Residency
- National Police: first cédula application for foreign residents