Quick answer
To get a Paraguayan cédula (ID card), a foreigner first obtains residency from the immigration authority (DNM): temporary residency, which lasts 2 years, and then permanent residency, which requires proof of financial means (Res. DNM 407/2026). Each procedure carries an official DNM fee. With residency granted, you apply for the cédula at the National Police's Identificaciones department. Residency must be requested in person.
These are the requirements for the Paraguayan cédula (national identity card) for foreigners in 2026: first residency, granted by the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (DNM, the immigration authority), and then the document itself, issued by Identificaciones, a department of the National Police. The guide applies to all nationalities, with the rules in force and the offices in Ciudad del Este. It is not an unusual procedure: in 2025 the DNM received 47,687 residency applications and granted 40,600, according to its official figures of 26/01/2026.
What does a foreigner need to get a Paraguayan cédula?
First you need residency (radicación) from the DNM and, with it, you apply for the cédula at the National Police's Identificaciones department. The usual path has three stages: temporary residency, permanent residency and the cédula. The residency procedure is personal and in person, and there is no official way to obtain it without travelling.
| Stage | Authority | Validity or timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Temporary residency | DNM (office or MigraMóvil) | 2 years; then you apply for permanent residency |
| 2. Permanent residency | DNM | Card renewable every 10 years |
| 3. Identity card (cédula) | Identificaciones (National Police) | Once residency has been granted |
Sources: DNM and Law 6984/2022, checked on 26/09/2026. Each DNM procedure has its own official fee.
The exception is investment: the Paraguay Investor Pass (from US$70,000 of productive investment with 5 formal jobs, among other options) and SUACE's investor residency grant permanent residency directly, without going through temporary residency.
Which residency applies to your situation?
Most foreigners start with temporary residency, which lasts 2 years, and apply for permanent residency before it expires. Depending on nationality, the DNM may apply the temporary residency of Law 6984/2022, which can be extended for the same period. Investors can go straight to permanent residency.
| Situation | Route | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| First residency | Temporary residency | 2 years; then you apply for permanent residency |
| Depending on nationality | Temporary residency (Law 6984/2022) | Extendable for the same period (art. 46), with a DNM fee |
| Investor | Investor Pass or SUACE investor residency | Direct permanent residency, with an investment and its own requirements |
DNM — temporary residency, consulted on 26/09/2026. Some nationalities have their own requirement sheets: confirm the route and the current list for your country with the DNM before you travel.
What documents are required for temporary residency?
The DNM asks for a valid identity document, a birth certificate, an apostilled criminal record certificate from your country of origin, the National Police's criminal record certificate for foreigners, a sworn statement that you have no international criminal record, proof of entry and, where applicable, a marital status certificate. Everything must be presented as an original and a certified copy.
| Document | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|
| Valid identity document | National ID card or passport |
| Birth certificate | Copy of the original, certified and apostilled in the country of origin |
| Criminal record certificate from the country of origin | Nationwide scope, apostilled or legalised; from age 14 |
| Criminal record certificate for foreigners | Issued by Paraguay's National Police |
| Marital status certificate | Copy of the original, certified and apostilled in the country of origin (if applicable) |
| Sworn statement | That you have no international criminal record |
| Proof of entry into the country | Stamp, entry slip, sworn statement provided by the DNM or another document that proves your presence |
Official DNM list for temporary residency, checked on 26/09/2026. For the Law 6984/2022 route, confirm the list with the DNM.
- Criminal record certificates from within Paraguay: the DNM also accepts certificates issued by your country's consulate in Paraguay.
- Interpol: the Interpol report is not on the official list for temporary residency, but Identificaciones asks for it later for the cédula.
- Certificate of life and residence: not required for temporary residency; it is requested later, for the cédula and for a driver's licence.
Before you go, always register your entry into the country: it is mandatory and free. At the Friendship Bridge in Ciudad del Este, the DNM's Immigration Pre-Registration is available, a web form that generates a single-use QR code and speeds up the checkpoint.
Do documents need an apostille and a translation?
An apostille is required: foreign documents are presented with an apostille, obtained in the issuing country, or legalised. Translation depends on the language: the DNM requires every document in a foreign language to be translated into Spanish, with one exception, Brazilian documents in Portuguese (Law 3582/2008). Documents already in Spanish are not translated.
- With an apostille, no consular legalisation or further validation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is needed.
- Who translates: a public translator registered in Paraguay or a sworn public translator authorised in the country of origin; in the latter case, the translation must also be apostilled or legalised.
- Brazilian documents in Portuguese: the DNM exemption covers the passport, identity card, birth or marriage certificates and criminal record certificates.
- When translation is still required: documents for minors (the DNM's section on children and adolescents), the digital nomad category, naturalisation and the cédula, because Identificaciones asks for documents not in Spanish to be translated. Notaries and banks may also require a translation.
What fees does the DNM charge for residency?
Each residency procedure has an official DNM fee, updated on 01/07/2026 by Res. DNM 478/2026. Fees are calculated in minimum daily wages (jornales mínimos), are adjusted every July together with the minimum wage and are charged per person. For the cédula, you also pay for the residency certificate.
- Procedures with their own fee: temporary residency, permanent residency or the temporary residency of Law 6984/2022, the residency certificate, extension of temporary residency, renewal and replacement of the residency card, and extension of a tourist stay.
- Fines: overstaying and entering without registration are fined.
- Payment method: in cash; card payments carry a 2% to 3% surcharge plus IVA (VAT).
Fees published by the DNM, in force since 01/07/2026. Confirm the current amount with the DNM before you go.
EC Paraguay's fees are separate, charged per person and quoted according to the procedure.
How do you move from temporary to permanent residency?
With temporary residency, you can apply for permanent residency from 90 days before your temporary card expires. It has its own fee, plus the residency certificate, and requires proof of financial means under one of the 12 categories of Res. DNM 407/2026, which applies to applications filed from 06/07/2026. A professional degree on its own is not enough.
| Category (examples) | How it is proven |
|---|---|
| Employee | IPS registration or employment contract |
| Self-employed | RUC with 3 months of IVA returns (or the annual IRP return) and tax compliance |
| Retiree | Apostilled certificate showing the amount and how the pension is paid |
| Property owner | Title registered in the RUN (national registry) for at least 2 years |
| Shareholder or partner (including an EAS) | For an EAS, a certificate from the DGPEJBF |
| Student | Proof of enrolment, plus own income or family support proven with transfers or deposits |
Examples from the annex to Res. DNM 407/2026, dated 28/05/2026. The other categories are professional, technician, digital nomad, farmer or rancher, religious worker and dependant. Minors are exempt.
Important: if your temporary residency expires before you apply for permanent residency, you must start again under Law 6984/2022, with a new temporary residency, certificate and fine, which ends up considerably more expensive.
If you hold the temporary residency of Law 6984/2022, the DNM publishes the requirements for the change of category to permanent resident.
How do you apply for the cédula at Identificaciones?
The foreigner's cédula is issued by the National Police's Identificaciones department once the DNM has granted residency. At which stage you can apply is confirmed case by case, because official sources do not agree. Identificaciones asks, among other documents, for the DNM residency certificate and the certificate of life and residence.
- Temporary or permanent: the DNM states that holders of 2-year temporary residency must first obtain permanent residency. Identificaciones titles its page "temporary or permanent residency", although its list asks for the residency certificate and the permanent residency card. Confirm your case before you go.
- What else Identificaciones asks for: an identity document from your country of origin, an apostilled or legalised birth certificate, an Interpol report, the criminal record certificate for foreigners and the criminal record certificate from your country of origin. Documents not in Spanish must be translated by a public translator.
- Certificate of life and residence: issued by the Justice of the Peace court (Juzgado de Paz) or the police station for the area where you live. It usually requires a form, an identity document, a utility bill from ANDE, ESSAP or COPACO (or a rental contract) and witnesses with a cédula. Confirm the current list at the police station.
- Validity, cost and timing: according to the DNM, permanent residency gives access to a cédula valid for 10 years. The fee and the delivery time for the cédula are confirmed at the counter.
Requirements published by the National Police: first identity card for foreigners with residency, consulted on 26/09/2026.
Where are the procedures done in Ciudad del Este?
In Ciudad del Este, the immigration office is on Avda. Rogelio Benítez casi 4 de Mayo, open Monday to Friday, 07:00 to 14:30. The National Police's Identificaciones office is on the Súper Carretera, Área 1 (phone 061-573916), Monday to Friday, 07:00 to 15:00. In Alto Paraná, Identificaciones also has offices in Santa Rita, Minga Guazú and Presidente Franco.
| Office | Address | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration (DNM), Ciudad del Este | Avda. Rogelio Benítez casi 4 de Mayo | Monday to Friday, 07:00–14:30 |
| Immigration (DNM), Santa Rita | Barrio La Amistad | Monday to Friday, 07:00–15:00 |
| Identificaciones, Ciudad del Este | Súper Carretera, Área 1 (phone 061-573916) | Monday to Friday, 07:00–15:00 |
| Identificaciones, other offices in Alto Paraná | Santa Rita, Minga Guazú (Km 16) and Presidente Franco | Monday to Friday, 07:00–15:00 |
Addresses and hours checked in September 2026 with the DNM and the National Police. Confirm before you go.
MigraMóvil: the next edition of the DNM's mobile service in Ciudad del Este is scheduled for 2 to 6 November 2026, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Centro Cultural Mangoré, with 250 appointments a day handed out on the same day from 7:30 a.m. Dates and venue may change: confirm them on the official MigraMóvil page before you go.
To visit us, see our office in Ciudad del Este.
How long does it take to get residency?
Through the ordinary route, residency can take around 90 days, and the press reports cases of up to 4 months. At the MigraMóvil, cards for applications filed and approved in the first 3 days are delivered the following Saturday; the rest, in 30 to 45 days. No one can guarantee the DNM's timeframe.
What does depend on you is arriving with a complete file: apostilled documents, certified copies and proof of entry. An incomplete file is the most avoidable cause of delays.
How is residency renewed and when can it be lost?
The 2-year temporary residency is not renewed: it is replaced by permanent residency. The temporary residency of Law 6984/2022 can be extended for the same period, with a DNM fee. The permanent residency card is renewed every 10 years. The DNM can cancel residency for long unjustified absences: more than 1 year for temporary residency and more than 3 consecutive years for permanent residency.
| Residency | Renewal | Absence that may lead to cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary (2 years) | Apply for permanent residency before it expires | More than 1 year outside the country |
| Temporary (Law 6984/2022) | Extension for the same period (art. 46) | More than 1 year outside the country |
| Permanent | Card renewal every 10 years | More than 3 consecutive years outside the country |
Law 6984/2022, arts. 46 and 55. Cancellation for absence does not apply if the DNM authorised the absence before you travelled.
For the cédula, confirm the renewal cost with Identificaciones. According to the DNM, the cédula obtained with permanent residency is valid for 10 years.
Does the Paraguayan cédula give you citizenship or tax residency?
No. A foreigner's cédula is not citizenship: naturalisation requires, among other things, 3 years of residency and is processed before the Supreme Court of Justice. Nor is it the same as tax residency: for the DNIT (Paraguay's tax authority), an individual is a tax resident when they hold permanent residency (Decree 3181/19, art. 2), not because they have a cédula.
- Naturalisation: legal age, 3 years of residency (the Judiciary counts them from permanent residency), a profession or trade and good conduct; a court fee is paid and the application is handled by a lawyer domiciled in Asunción (Judiciary).
- Marriage: marrying a Paraguayan does not grant citizenship; it gives access to residency as a dependant.
- Taxes: your home country applies its own tax residency rules. See our guide to taxes in Paraguay.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get residency or the cédula without travelling to Paraguay?
No. The residency procedure is personal and in person, at a DNM office or at the MigraMóvil, and the cédula is requested in person at Identificaciones. Be wary of anyone who promises residency without travelling or a fast-track cédula, or who charges fees other than the official ones.
Can I work in Paraguay with temporary residency?
Yes, temporary residency allows you to work legally. Employment is also one of the categories for proving financial means when you apply for permanent residency: it is proven with IPS (social security) registration or an employment contract (Res. DNM 407/2026).
How do my spouse and children get residency?
Each family member has their own file and pays their own fee. For permanent residency, a spouse without their own income can prove financial means as a dependant, with an apostilled or legalised marriage certificate and a copy of the other spouse's residency card or cédula. Foreign documents for minors must be translated into Spanish, according to the DNM's section on children and adolescents, and both parents sign the application. Minors are exempt from proving financial means.
What if I did not register my entry into the country?
Registering your entry is mandatory and free, and failing to register is fined according to the DNM's fee schedule. For residency, the DNM accepts as proof of entry the stamp, the entry slip, a sworn statement provided by the DNM or another document that proves your presence in the country.
Official sources
We checked each figure against these sources on the update date. Rules change: always confirm the current version.
- DNM — Immigration fees (in force since 01/07/2026, Res. DNM 478/2026) migraciones.gov.py
- DNM — Temporary residency: requirements migraciones.gov.py
- DNM — Permanent residency by change of category (Law 6984/2022) migraciones.gov.py
- DNM — Res. 407/2026: proof of financial means for permanent residency (archived) web.archive.org
- BACN — Immigration Law 6984/2022 bacn.gov.py
- National Police — Identity card for foreigners policianacional.gov.py
- National Police — First identity card for foreigners with residency policianacional.gov.py
- National Police — Identificaciones in Alto Paraná policianacional.gov.py
- DNM — Foreigner admission offices migraciones.gov.py
- DNM — MigraMóvil migraciones.gov.py
- DNM — Residencies in 2025: official figures migraciones.gov.py
- MTESS — Minimum daily wage and minimum wage since 01/07/2026 mtess.gov.py
- Judiciary — Naturalisation certificate pj.gov.py
General information, updated on the date shown. It does not replace a review of your case by a licensed professional.