Paraguay is a landlocked country in the heart of South America. After a major war in the 1850’s, Paraguay’s development proceeded at a far slower rate than that of the countries surrounding it.
Around the turn of the 21st century however, that began to change rapidly as a new democratic government replaced the military dictatorship. The early years in the 2000s were marked by rapid growth and expansion… and also very loose regulation that allowed for fraud to go rampant.
However, in the past decade, this situation has stabilised greatly, and today Paraguay consistently shows the highest economic growth in the region, accompanied by stable ratings from the world’s international credit agencies.
Paraguay offers Residency to anyone who has a clean criminal record and who can pay the fees set by the Government.
The “standard” pathway to Permanent Residency is by first applying for Temporary Residency. Temporary Residency carries all the benefits of Permanent Residency, except that it expires in 2 years.
During the 2 year period of Temporary Residency, the applicant must not remain absent from Paraguay for more than 365 days. In the case that this happens, the applicant will have to renew for another 2 year period before progressing to Permanent Residency
21 months after Temporary Residency has been granted, A person can apply for Permanent Residency, the only added condition is that the applicant must show proof of solvency, or economic ability.
There are a few options for this, but the most practical is to open a Tax File Number (RUC) here in Paraguay, at least 3 months before application for Permanent Residency, and declare income in Paraguay at least equivalent to the minimum wage.
So what is the Cedula Paraguaya?
It is the ID card that is used by locals and foreigners alike to open bank accounts, do business, and dozens of other day to day tasks in Paraguay.
It functions much like a key to interacting with Paraguay, without the Cedula, you cannot do much!!
It is issued to Temporary and Permanent Residents, and the application for it is included in our process for those residencies respectively.
After holding Permanent Residency for 3 years, a person may apply for Citizenship.
This is a process that takes place in the Supreme Court of Paraguay, where individuals are issued with a Letter of Naturalization, which is a conferral of Citizenship.
A Paraguayan Passport allows Visa free access to 86 countries, Visa on arrival to a further 47, and ETA access to 8.
Our experienced legal team can guide you to becoming a Citizen of Paraguay.
