Paraguay (PY)

Valid passport required for all immigration, banking, notarial, school, and rental applications in Paraguay. DNM (Dirección Nacional de Migraciones) and most banks require at least 6 months validity beyond your intended stay. Bring the original plus 3 colour photocopies — DNM, your bank (Itaú/BBVA/Sudameris), and your landlord each typically require a copy. For cedula application: bring the original and a certified notarial photocopy (copia autenticada — a Paraguayan notary authenticates, cost Gs. 30,000–80,000 per page). Store a scanned PDF in encrypted cloud storage (Bitwarden, Google Drive) in case of loss or theft. If your passport expires within 18 months, renew before departing — home-country renewal from Paraguay takes significantly longer: UK FCDO from abroad 10–15 weeks; US passport 12–18 weeks standard, 6–8 weeks expedited; EU: varies by embassy (some have limited consular representation in Asunción). Cost: home-country renewal fees apply (UK £88.50; US USD 165; EU €60–130).

Required for: temporary and permanent residency applications at DNM (dnm.gov.py); cedula de identidad issuance; marriage registration in Paraguay; school enrolment (some international schools); notarial matters and estate/inheritance. Must be apostilled by the issuing country and officially translated into Spanish by a certified Paraguayan translator (traductor matriculado registered with the Corte Suprema de Justicia). Apostille costs: UK FCDO online £15 (3–5 business days), premium £75 same-day; US Secretary of State per state USD 20–50 (2–8 weeks); Germany Landesverwaltungsamt €15–30 (2–4 weeks); France Cour d'appel €10–25 (2–6 weeks); Australia state government AUD 15–60 (1–4 weeks). Paraguayan certified translation: Gs. 80,000–200,000 per page (certified translators listed at csj.gov.py — Corte Suprema de Justicia translator registry). Obtain at least 3 apostilled originals — each residence application, notarial deed, and school application will consume one copy. DNM may query birth certificates older than 5 years — request a fresh certified copy from the issuing country civil registry before travel.

Mandatory for all temporary and permanent residency applications at DNM (dnm.gov.py) for applicants aged 14 and over. Required from your home country and any country where you have resided for 12 or more months in the previous 5 years. Critical timing: DNM requires certificates issued within 3 months of application submission. Home-country processing times: UK ACRO Police Certificate (acro.police.uk): 2–3 weeks, £65; US FBI Identity History Summary (identityhistory.fbi.gov): 8–14 weeks standard USD 18, or 3–5 days via approved FBI channeler USD 75–150; Australia AFP National Police Check (afp.gov.au): 1–2 weeks, AUD 42; Germany Bundeszentralregister (bfj.bund.de): 3–6 weeks, €13; France Bulletin No. 3 (justice.fr): 1–3 weeks, free online; Brazil (Polícia Federal): 2–4 weeks, BRL 80–120. Apostille is required and adds processing time: UK FCDO apostille on ACRO certificate adds 3–5 business days (£15 online / £75 same-day). Plan 12–16 weeks in advance if using standard US FBI processing. Paraguayan certified translation: Gs. 80,000–200,000 per document (csj.gov.py translator registry). If you have already been in Paraguay 6+ months, a Paraguayan police clearance from INTERPOL Paraguay (Ministerio del Interior) is also required — apply in person with your passport and immigration record at the División de Seguridad e Identificación, Palma y Chile, Asunción (Tel: 021 414 9800; fee Gs. 50,000–100,000; processing 5–10 business days).

Issued locally by INTERPOL Paraguay (Ministerio del Interior, División Seguridad e Identificación, Asunción) once you are in-country. Required during the residency process — DNM requests this as part of the local criminal background check. Apply in person with: original passport, entry/immigration record, and Gs. 50,000–100,000 fee. Processing: 5–10 business days. This document does not require an apostille as it is a Paraguay-issued document for internal use. If DNM requests a SENAVE or other sector-specific certificate, they will advise. Keep a copy once obtained — it may be needed again for cedula issuance, notarial matters, or naturalisation.

Required when applicable for: spouse-based residency applications at DNM; property purchase (escritura pública); wills and estate planning; and some employment background checks. A certificate of single/divorced/widowed status from your home country civil registry confirms your marital status. Must be apostilled and translated into Spanish by a Paraguayan certified translator. Apostille costs: same as birth certificate (UK FCDO £15 online 3–5 days; US per state USD 20–50; EU €10–30). Paraguayan translation: Gs. 80,000–200,000 per page. Divorced applicants must also provide the divorce decree (apostilled and translated) as a separate document. Obtain 2 apostilled copies. If your country does not issue a formal marital status certificate, a notarial declaration (affidavit of single status) apostilled by a notary in your home country is usually accepted by DNM.

Required for: spouse dependent residency at DNM; joint property transactions (escrituras); banking joint accounts; family-based school enrolment; estate and inheritance planning; and social benefit applications. Must be apostilled in the issuing country and translated into Spanish by a certified Paraguayan translator. Apostille costs same as birth certificate. Translation: Gs. 80,000–200,000 per page. For same-sex marriages: Paraguay does not legally recognise same-sex marriage domestically, but a foreign same-sex marriage certificate may be submitted to DNM for dependent residency consideration — consult an Asunción immigration lawyer (abogado migratorio) before applying, as practice varies. Bring 2 apostilled copies. For marriages registered abroad that you wish to legalise in Paraguay, the full apostilled certificate plus translation must be submitted to the Dirección General del Registro Civil (registrocivil.gov.py; Tel: 021 450 002) in Asunción.

Required for: dependent minors' residency applications at DNM; school enrolment (all Paraguayan public and private schools); sports club registration; health insurance declarations; custody documents; and international travel permissions (menor acompañado / no acompañado forms from the DIJODE — Dirección de Justicia de la Niñez y la Adolescencia, Tel: 021 414 4000). Apostille required from issuing country; translation into Spanish required. Same apostille costs as adult birth certificates. Paraguayan translation Gs. 80,000–200,000 per page. Obtain at least 3 apostilled copies per child — residency, school, and health insurance each consume a copy. For unaccompanied international travel of children under 18 from Paraguay: you need a notarised travel authorisation (autorización de viaje) from the absent parent or legal guardian, apostilled if the parent resides abroad, plus the child's birth certificate.

Entry stamp in your passport (land border or airport) or the electronic migratory record (acta migratoria) from DNM (dnm.gov.py) confirms your legal entry. Required for: DNM residency applications; cedula issuance; proving your immigration status to employers or landlords; and any police or official matters. Keep boarding passes and border entry receipts until temporary residency is granted. If your entry stamp is faint or illegible: go to DNM (Andrés Barbero esquina Artigas, Asunción; Tel: 021 446 033) and request a certificado de movimiento migratorio (Gs. 30,000–60,000; issued same day or next day) — this is an official printout of your full entry/exit history in Paraguay and is accepted by all institutions.

Required for all residency routes and categories at DNM to demonstrate you can support yourself. Accepted evidence varies by residency category: Employment-based (relación de dependencia): signed employment contract in Spanish on company letterhead with salary stated in Gs. or USD, plus payslip from a Paraguayan-registered company; salary must typically meet or exceed the minimum wage (Gs. 2,899,048/month in 2026 — verify at mtess.gov.py). Pensionado/Rentista: apostilled pension award letter or certified investment income statement from a regulated financial institution showing regular income of at least USD 1,500/month. Business owner (empresario): Paraguayan company registration (RUC certificate from SET, set.gov.py) and 3 months of bank statements showing business turnover. Remote worker (freelancer): 6–12 months of bank statements from the home-country account showing regular income transfers; client contracts; invoices or tax returns from home country. Bank statements in a foreign language: must be translated into Spanish by a certified Paraguayan translator (csj.gov.py). Gs. 80,000–200,000 per page. Banks acceptable for Paraguay KYC: Itaú Paraguay, BBVA Paraguay, Sudameris, GNB, Regional — 6–12 months of statements in PDF or printed format, stamped by the bank.

Required for: regulated profession licensing in Paraguay (medicine, law, engineering, architecture, nursing, pharmacy, accounting); some employer background checks; Convalidación (credential recognition) at the MEC (Ministerio de Educación y Ciencias — mec.edu.py; Tel: 021 450 010) for teachers and those seeking local professional practice rights. Apostille from the issuing country is required for MEC convalidación. Translation into Spanish by a Paraguayan certified translator (Gs. 80,000–200,000 per document) is required. Degree certificates from Argentine, Brazilian, Bolivian, Chilean, and Uruguayan universities benefit from Mercosur mutual recognition arrangements, which may reduce processing time. MEC convalidación processing: 3–12 months; fee Gs. 100,000–500,000 depending on degree level. Professional council fees apply separately: Colegio de Médicos del Paraguay (Tel: 021 610 200); Colegio de Abogados (aag.com.py); Colegio de Ingenieros del Paraguay (cip.org.py). Submit certified copies, never originals, to any professional council or MEC. If you intend to teach at an international school in Paraguay: most schools accept foreign credentials directly without MEC convalidación, but request their specific requirements.

Required for: international school enrolment (most require up-to-date childhood vaccination records — MMR, polio, hepatitis A and B, varicella, DPT booster); private health and life insurance underwriting (pre-existing conditions must be disclosed — keep medical history in Spanish for Asunción-based insurers or have it translated); import of controlled medications (DINAVISA — Dirección Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria, mspbs.gov.py, requires a prescription from your home-country doctor for controlled medicines; apply at least 4 weeks before travel; fee Gs. 50,000–150,000). Paraguay has no mandatory vaccination requirement for entry from most countries; yellow fever vaccination proof is required if arriving from or transiting through a yellow fever risk country (sub-Saharan Africa, some South American jungle regions). Paraguay MSPyBS (mspbs.gov.py) provides free childhood vaccines at public health centres (centros de salud). For children: bring their international vaccination booklet (Carnet de Vacunación) — the yellow WHO booklet or a home-country equivalent. If medical records are not in Spanish: translation by a Paraguayan certified translator (csj.gov.py; Gs. 80,000–200,000 per page) is required for insurance and school purposes. Dental X-rays and specialist reports: keep a copy in PDF format for continuity of care.

Foreign driving licences are generally valid in Paraguay for tourist stays (up to 90 days) and for temporary residents for a limited period while the local licence is being obtained. After obtaining residency, conversion to a Paraguayan driving licence (brevete) through the relevant municipal or MOPC process is required — the licence-issuing body in Paraguay is each municipality (Municipalidad) rather than a national authority. Asunción licence conversion: Municipalidad de Asunción (municipal.gov.py; Tel: 021 490 000) — requires: original foreign licence plus certified Spanish translation if not in Spanish or English; medical/psychophysical examination (including vision and reaction test — cost Gs. 80,000–200,000 at an MOPC-approved centre); MOPC practical and/or theory test may be waived for conversions from many countries; municipalidad fee Gs. 100,000–300,000; processing 1–4 weeks. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is strongly recommended for the initial arrival period if your licence is in a non-Latin script (Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian) — it prevents complications during police stops. IDP is issued in your home country by your national motoring association before departure (AA UK, AAA US, RAC, RACQ Australia — typically USD 15–25, valid 1 year). Driving without a valid licence after the permitted period: fines Gs. 500,000–2,000,000 and potential vehicle impoundment. MOPC road authority: mopc.gov.py; Tel: 021 414 7000.

Pet imports to Paraguay are regulated by SENACSA (Servicio Nacional de Calidad y Salud Animal — senacsa.gov.py; Tel: 021 650 110) and DINAVISA (mspbs.gov.py) for quarantine health checks. Paraguay is rabies-present, so import requirements are less restrictive than island nations, but documentation must be complete and current before arrival. Mandatory documents for dogs and cats: (1) ISO 11784/11785 microchip certificate (15-digit); (2) Current rabies vaccination certificate (vaccination must have been given at least 30 days before travel, and no more than 12 months before travel for dogs — verify with SENACSA for current rules); (3) Official government veterinary health certificate (Certificado Sanitario Oficial) issued by the home-country government veterinary authority within 10 days of travel; (4) SENACSA import permit (apply at senacsa.gov.py at least 30 days before travel; fee Gs. 50,000–100,000). Anti-parasitic treatment (ticks, fleas, worms) documentation is required — treatment must have been administered 1–5 days before travel. For dogs: proof of distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis, and leptospirosis vaccination. Quarantine: if documentation is incomplete, the animal may be held at Silvio Pettirossi Airport (ASU) or at the port of entry at the owner's cost (Gs. 50,000–150,000/day) until corrected. Processing tip: contact SENACSA (senacsa.gov.py; Tel: 021 650 110) directly to confirm your country's current certificate template before finalising pet travel — requirements update periodically. Allow 6–8 weeks to gather all required documentation.