Permanent residency in Paraguay
Already hold temporary residency in Paraguay? Plan your change to permanent residency under your route: Mercosur or Law 6.984/2022. Check when to apply and how to show income or available resources.
Permanent residency under Mercosur
For holders of temporary Mercosur residency from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. Applications open 90 days before expiry, while the card is still valid. If it expires without an application, the DNM directs applicants to residency under Law 6.984/2022; the other route’s grace period does not apply.
Documents for permanent residency under Mercosur
General list from the DNM page for the Mercosur change of category. The DNM may ask for additional documents.
- Valid temporary Mercosur residency card or, if lost, a police report.
- Valid ID from your home country (national ID card or passport), original and certified copy.
- Valid criminal record certificate for foreigners from the Policía Nacional, original and certified copy, from age 14.
- Proof of financial solvency, under the categories explained below.
- Minors under 18 have additional requirements, which depend on whether they are with both parents, one parent or third parties, and are exempt from proving their own solvency.
- Foreign documents need an apostille or legalization. Documents in Portuguese issued in Brazil do not need translation, according to the DNM. Copies of ID documents are certified by a notary (escribanía).
How filing at Migraciones works
According to the official page for the Mercosur route:
- The application is personal and in person: the applicant must go to Migraciones. Follow-up after filing can be done by the applicant or a legal representative.
- Service Monday to Friday, 7:00 to 14:30, first come first served, at the DNM headquarters (Caballero 201 corner of Eligio Ayala, Asunción). Confirm the location and hours before going.
- Submitting the documents does not guarantee that residency will be granted. The decision belongs to the DNM.
Official fee
The DNM fee for Mercosur permanent residency, including the change of category, is Gs. 2,926,925, according to the official page checked on 27/10/2026, for cash payment. Electronic payment carries a provider commission. Criminal record certificates, apostilles and certified copies have their own costs. Fees change, so the quote confirms current amounts before you hire us.
Permanent residency under Law 6.984/2022
Apply for the change of category within the three months before temporary residency expires. The DNM also accepts applications up to one month after expiry, with a fine. After that month, the official page provides only for an extension of temporary residency for the same period, requested up to six months after expiry and with a fine. Request an individual evaluation if your card has expired.
Changing category and renewing the card
Moving from temporary to permanent residency is a change of category. Permanent residency allows an indefinite stay; the card must be renewed every ten years. It gives access to the Paraguayan ID card (cédula) through a separate application. According to the DNM pages, the permanent resident's cédula is valid for ten years.
Separate evaluation and quote
Permanent residency is not included in the published temporary residency plans. An evaluation determines the route, documents and separate quote before you hire us. Official fees and third-party expenses are separate.
How to prove financial solvency
Both official pages require verifiable evidence of actual income or available resources and list these 12 categories. This summary helps you prepare for an evaluation; the DNM assesses the documents and may request more evidence. DNM Resolution 407/2026 applies these criteria, on both routes, to applications filed from 6 July 2026.
University professionals
University degree registered and endorsed by Paraguay’s MEC, plus evidence of active professional practice and income: IPS insured-person certificate; or an employment contract endorsed by the Ministry of Labour, formally approved and registered; or IVA returns for the last three months or IRP for the last year, with a tax compliance certificate and evidence of activity. A degree alone is not enough.
Technical professionals
Technical qualification registered and endorsed by the MEC, plus evidence of activity and income through IPS; or an endorsed, formally approved and registered employment contract; or IVA returns for the last three months or IRP for the last year, with tax compliance and evidence of activity. A qualification alone is not enough. Supporting evidence specified in the annexes requires authenticated copies.
Employees
IPS insured-person certificate or an employment contract endorsed by the Ministry of Labour, formally approved and registered.
Self-employed workers: trade and services
Individual taxpayer registration certificate and IVA returns for the last three months or IRP for the last year, with a tax compliance certificate and evidence of activity.
Remote workers and digital nomads
Work certificate or statement confirming the employment relationship, income and how fees or salary are received. For foreign documents, check apostille or legalization and the applicable translation rule.
Property owners
Property title registered with the Public Registries, now Registro Unificado Nacional (RUN), observing the annex’s reference to prior registration within the last two years. The DNM may request additional evidence of income from the property. Ask the team to confirm how the registration criterion applies.
Shareholders or partners, including EAS
Authenticated copy of registered incorporation documents naming the applicant as a shareholder; or authenticated registered shareholder books or an electronic certificate identifying the applicant. For EAS, the annex requires a DGPEJBF certificate. Company ownership does not guarantee approval.
Farmers and livestock producers
Registered title to property used for production, a tax compliance certificate and an individual taxpayer certificate; or evidence of production purchase/sale or a registered production mark, with a tax compliance certificate.
Religious workers
MEC certificate of congregation registration and a letter from the congregation or entity confirming the applicant’s role and covering living expenses.
Retirees or pensioners
Retirement or pension certificate stating the amount received and the financial channel used for payment. The annex requires legalization or an apostille of the documents.
Dependants
Spouse supported by the other spouse: legalized or apostilled marriage certificate and authenticated copy of the supporting spouse’s Paraguayan identity document or residency card. Parents or grandparents supported by children or grandchildren: proof of relationship and authenticated Paraguayan identity document or residency card of the provider. Persons with disabilities: SENADIS certificate or legalized/apostilled foreign equivalent, proof of relationship and the supporting relative’s Paraguayan identity document or residency card, within the annex’s listed relationships (parents, grandparents, siblings or uncles/aunts).
Adult students
For in-person study in Paraguay: regular student certificate, evidence of academic continuity and tuition/enrolment payments or school records covering the two years of temporary residency. For distance or virtual study, in Paraguay or abroad: a regular student certificate specifying that mode and payments or school records for the same period; if the course is abroad, the certificate must be apostilled. Students must also show their own income or support from parents, grandparents, siblings or uncles/aunts, with relationship evidence, proof of actual funds sent (transfers, deposits or remittances) and an authenticated copy of the provider’s identity document.
Children aged 0–17 are exempt from providing their own solvency evidence; their legal representative bears financial responsibility. Other documents and authorizations for minors are still required.
Read the annexes together with the general observations. The observations exempt Portuguese-language documents issued in Brazil from translation, while some annex entries call for Spanish translations of foreign documents. The team must confirm with the DNM how that exception applies, along with required apostilles/legalization and authenticated copies.
Declaring an occupation or being enrolled is not enough. This summary sets no minimum income and does not replace the DNM’s assessment. Do not send bank statements, financial records or identity documents through the public form.
Official sources consulted on 27 October 2026; links at the end of this guide. Reconfirm requirements before applying.
How Legaliza Paraguay helps
- Evaluation of your current status and of when to apply.
- Checklist and document review.
- Organization of the in-person stages.
- A fee quote before you start.
Official fees are separate and paid by the client. This guidance does not decide the application and does not promise approval or a timeline.
Questions
Do I need temporary residency first?
This guide covers the change of category for holders of temporary Mercosur residency or temporary residency under Law 6.984/2022. The team checks the route and card status before advising on an application.
What is a permanent resident permit in Paraguay?
It is DNM authorization to reside indefinitely, with card renewal every ten years. Both routes described require proof of financial solvency and give access to the Paraguayan ID card through a separate application. This requirement applies to applications filed from 6 July 2026 (DNM Resolution 407/2026).
How much does it cost?
Permanent residency has its own quote, presented before you hire us. The official DNM fee for Mercosur permanent residency is Gs. 2,926,925 (official page checked on 27/10/2026), paid by the client separately from our fees.
Can someone else file the application for me?
No. According to the DNM, the permanent residency application is personal and in person. After filing, follow-up can be done by the applicant or a legal representative. The team helps prepare the documents and organize the visit to Migraciones.
Do you guarantee approval?
No. The decision belongs to the competent authority. The work is to prepare the application well to reduce errors and rework.
Check the current rules on the official pages. They can change.
Request an evaluation
Leave your name and WhatsApp. The team replies on WhatsApp with initial guidance and the plan that fits your case. Do not send personal documents here.