How to get Paraguay citizenship: all ways to obtain a travel-friendly passport

1. Social benefits. Citizens of Paraguay get access to national healthcare and public education.

How to get Paraguay permanent residency by investment

2. Tax exemptions. Tax residency in Paraguay may help you reduce the tax burden. There are no foreign income, inheritance, and property taxes. The tax rates for corporate and personal incomes are 10%.

3. No need to give up the first passport. You can obtain a Paraguay passport as the second without the need to renounce previous citizenship. Citizens of Spain and Italy can get double citizenship with Paraguay.

4. Travel without a visa to 141 countries. The list includes 27 countries of the Schengen Area, the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, and many others.

As for the USA, a Paraguay citizen may get a 5-year nonimmigrant business E‑2 visa to the country.

5. Business opportunities. Paraguay is a member of a union called MERCOSUR. It means with a Paraguay passport, you may conduct business on the territory of other member states as well. MERCOSUR includes Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.

6. Affordable living. According to the cost of living database Numbeo, life in Paraguay is cheaper than it is in many other countries of South America, like Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, or Uruguay.

In the capital of Paraguay, Asuncion, the estimated cost of monthly living for a single person is $466. For a family of four, it is $1,646 without rent. Renting a single-bedroom apartment in the city centre costs around $370, and a three-bedroom apartment — approximately $730. On average, the price of a square meter to buy an apartment in Asuncion varies between $952 and $1,141.

7. Expat-friendly immigration rules. A candidate may get a temporary residence permit even before they get a job or business in the country. There is no requirement for a bank deposit anymore, and it is not necessary to live in the country to keep the status.

Foreigners can acquire citizenship in Paraguay after getting permanent residency by investment. To obtain the status, one has to spend at least $70,000 per year for 10 years.

8. Captivating nature and unique culture. Paraguay boasts waterfalls, savannas, forests and various peaks with panoramic views across the country. The people of Paraguay honour their traditions: they hold carnivals, make colourful lace Nyandutu, and speak the indigenous language of Guarani.

A passport of Paraguay can be obtained in one of four main ways:

1. Birth — children born in Paraguay automatically get citizenship of the country.

2. Descent — if a person was born to a family where at least one parent is a Paraguayan citizen can obtain a passport, if they move to the country.

3. Naturalisation — this option is available to foreigners who moved to and settled in Paraguay;

4. Naturalisation after making an investment — a simplified way to get a passport for foreign entrepreneurs who commit to invest at least $70,000 in a new business in Paraguay;

Let’s discuss each of the ways in detail.

A person who has lived in the country for three years is eligible to get Paraguay citizenship by naturalisation.

There are three major steps a foreigner is required to take to be granted citizenship. First, they get a temporary residence permit, then permanent residency status, and only after that can they apply for citizenship.

Temporary residence permit is valid for two years. There is no payment requirement or a bank deposit. An applicant should have grounds to get a temporary permit in Paraguay. It could be a job offer, study, business, a sports contract, or joining a religious congregation.

A temporary resident does not need to stay permanently in the country to keep the status. It is enough to visit the country 2—3 times a year.

Documents for application for a temporary residence permit:

• a passport of the country of origin with a Paraguayan visa if applicable;

• a birth certificate;

• a marriage certificate if applicable;

• a certificate of no criminal record;

• a certificate of life and residence permit, which is issued at the police station of the district the candidate will reside in;

• a job contract or other documentation proving one’s reason to obtain residency.

The certificates must be apostilled or by the Paraguayan embassy in the issuing country. You have to submit the documents to the Migration Service in Asuncion personally. It may request additional documents.

Permanent residence. The status is permanent, but the residency card has to be renewed every five years. To get it, a foreigner proves their reason to stay in Paraguay — marriage, work, business, study or other.

To apply, a temporary resident provides the same list of documents as for temporary residency and adds to the package additional papers:

• proof of grounds to stay in Paraguay;

• a bank statement;

• a temporary residence permit.

An applicant submits the documents to the Migration Service in person. The fee for issuing the permanent residence is approximately $220. The residence card is normally delivered within three months.

Citizenship. To be eligible, you need to stay in the country at least 183 days per year for three years.

The criteria for obtaining Paraguay citizenship by naturalisation include the following:

1. Age over 18.

2. Legal residence in Paraguay for more than three years.

3. Professional activity in the country: job, science, art, industry, or entrepreneurship.

4. No criminal records.

An applicant will need to learn the national anthem and pass two exams: in Spanish or Guarani language and in Paraguay politics and history. The citizenship may be renounced if a new citizen by naturalisation is absent from the country for more than three years.

According to the Paraguayan Constitution, there is no separate option for getting citizenship by marriage. Spouses obtain citizenship by naturalisation in a common way.

Technically, there is no such thing as Paraguay citizenship by investment. However, investors may get nationality by naturalisation in a simplified way. This path allows foreigners to skip the temporary residence stage and obtain permanent residence right away.

As a means for investors, the government of Paraguay established a special programme operated by SUACE — ”Unified System of Opening and Closing Companies”. It allows foreign investors to get residency within three months.

How to get Paraguay permanent residency by investment

To participate in the SUACE programme, an investor needs to open a company in Paraguay and invest in it at least $70,000. It does not need to be a lumpsum payment. Instead, investors may provide a business plan and commit to contributing at least $7,000 per year for the next 10 years.

The expenses include fees for permission to conduct business, opening a company, and getting a residence card. The total sum is approximately $14,000.

There is also a natural way to obtain nationality. Any child born in Paraguay becomes the country’s citizen. For example, if a foreign tourist gives birth while in Paraguay, the baby becomes its citizen. This principle is called jus soli, ‘the right of the soil’.

A child whose parent is a Paraguay citizen is entitled to obtain the country’s nationality if the family resides in the Republic. For instance, if a Paraguayan couple lives abroad and does not intend to return to their home country, their child will not get Paraguay nationality automatically. However, a child of a Paraguayan parent can still get citizenship by petitioning to the Paraguayan Civil and Commercial Court of Appeals.

Also, children of unknown parents found in Paraguay obtain the country’s citizenship. Children born abroad to a Paraguayan mother or a father who is at the country’s service.

1. Paraguay passport has various benefits: visa-free travel to 141 countries, a 10-year visa to the USA, tax exemption, and the ability to live in an affordable country with a warm climate.

2. A foreigner may obtain Paraguay citizenship by naturalisation. The requirements are to integrate into the local economy and live in the country for three years.

3. Without investments, an applicant needs to get a temporary residence permit for two years, then find a job or start a business in Paraguay. After that, to get permanent residence.

4. An investor can get a Paraguay passport in a simplified way. They need to invest at least $70,000. The sum may be paid over 10 years. After presenting a business plan with future investments, they get a permanent residence without a temporary status.

5. A potential citizen has to pass exams in Spanish or Guarani language, politics and the history of Paraguay.

6. Issuance of the passport may take up to several years.