Paraguay relocation guide 2026

01The country in 30 seconds

Paraguay is a quiet, cheap country in the middle of South America, between Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia. There is no sea, but there are big rivers, heat, orange trees on the streets and a very relaxed pace.

For a Russian citizen there are two big pluses. First, visa-free entry for up to 90 days. Second, one of the easiest residence permits in the region: a 2-year temporary permit is filed right in Asunción, and later you can switch to permanent residence.

There are downsides too. English barely helps, banks don't like foreigners without a local ID, and since July 2026 income checks for permanent residence are stricter.

• Russians: visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180
• No dedicated digital nomad visa — remote workers use the regular temporary residence
• Temporary residence: 2 years, filed in-country, government fee about ₲2.9 million (roughly $500)
• After 2 years: permanent residence, but now you must prove real income
• Budget: about $1000–1800 per month for one person in Asunción
• Facts checked in November 2026. Rules change — check official sources before you go

02Who it's for

Paraguay suits you if:

• You work remotely for foreign clients or an employer and want a legal residence permit without consulate queues
• You want a backup residence in South America with a clear path to permanent residence
• You are ready to learn Spanish — without it even banks and doctors are hard
• You like a calm life, not a scene: there is no big nomad community like in Mexico or Colombia
• You want to travel the region: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and Uruguay let Russians in visa-free

It's not for you if:

• You need to live by the sea — the nearest beach is a flight away in Brazil or Uruguay
• You don't handle heat well: summer (December–February) can go above 40°C
• You count on English and fast service
• You want a local bank card right away — before you get a cédula (local ID) it's almost impossible

What to explore in and around the country:

• Asunción — the old centre on the Paraguay River, and the Villa Morra and Carmelitas areas with cafes and malls
• San Bernardino and Lake Ypacaraí — summer houses of city people, about an hour from Asunción
• Encarnación — a riverside promenade on the Paraná, summer city beaches and carnival. Nearby are the Jesuit mission ruins of Trinidad and Jesús (UNESCO site)
• Iguazú Falls — from Ciudad del Este it's a short hop to Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil, and to Puerto Iguazú on the Argentine side
• The Chaco — a huge dry wilderness in the west, Mennonite colonies like Filadelfia, wildlife
• Visa-free for Russians next door: Buenos Aires and Misiones in Argentina, São Paulo and Rio in Brazil, Bolivia with the Uyuni salt flat

03Entry & visa

Russians don't need a visa for Paraguay. Visa-free travel works under a 2013 agreement that came into force on October 20, 2014.

The rule: up to 90 days in every 180-day period, counted from your first entry. Days from several trips add up. A short trip to Argentina or Brazil does not give you a fresh 90 days.

Visa-free entry is for trips only. If you plan to live there longer than 90 days, work or run a business, the agreement says you need the proper status. That's what the residence permit is for — see the next section.

What you need at entry:

• Passport. The UK Foreign Office says it must be valid for your whole stay, but airlines often want more — 6 months is safer
• A migration card — you fill it in at entry (name, date of birth, citizenship, profession, address in Paraguay)
• A return or onward ticket and a booking — not always checked, but good to have

There is no online pre-arrival form like Thailand's TDAC. For land crossings there is an optional online pre-registration on the immigration website — it just speeds things up.

Cash and cheques of $10,000 or more must be declared at customs.

Extending a visa-free stay in-country is a grey area: sources don't give a clear rule for Russians under the 90/180 agreement. It's safer not to wait until the end and to apply for temporary residence within your first 90 days — while it's being processed, you stay legally.

04Residency & legalization

Paraguay has no dedicated digital nomad visa. Remote workers take the regular route: 2-year temporary residence (residencia temporal) → permanent residence (residencia permanente). It all runs under the new immigration law Ley 6984/2022, handled by the National Directorate of Migration (DNM).

Temporary residence — the main option

• Valid for up to 2 years, can be extended once for the same period
• No income threshold at this stage. You sign sworn statements about your activity and your address in Paraguay
• Government fee — about ₲2.9 million (roughly $500 at the autumn 2026 rate). Extension — about ₲1.3 million
• Fees are set in minimum daily wages and recalculated every July 1. In 2025 the same fee was ₲2.79 million — so expect it to keep rising
• You apply in person inside Paraguay, at a DNM office, with proof of entry. There's no online application. The law also allows filing through Paraguay's Foreign Ministry, but the normal way is in-country
• Since July 1, 2023, citizens of countries without a visa-waiver agreement need a consular visa. Russia has a waiver, so you don't — you just enter on a normal stamp

Documents:

• Passport with an entry stamp
• Birth certificate and a civil-status document — apostilled
• Criminal record certificate from Russia or from wherever you lived in the last 3 years (from age 14). If you spent 2 years in Georgia or Serbia, you need one from there
• Interpol certificate and a Paraguayan National Police certificate for foreigners — you get these locally
• Two sworn statements: respect for the law, and your activity and address

All Russian documents need an apostille, which is issued only inside Russia (the Interior Ministry apostilles the criminal record certificate, the civil registry office does birth certificates). Then you need a Spanish translation. Ask a lawyer in advance which paper they will accept as proof of civil status.

While your application is processed, you get a temporary document (residencia precaria) valid for 90 days. With it you can live, work, leave and come back. Law firms say the whole process takes about 3–6 months. After approval you get a cédula — the local ID card — from the National Police (very cheap, about ₲8,500).

With a lawyer or gestor it costs more: fees usually start around $2000, and big firms charge several thousand dollars. You can do it yourself, but you need Spanish.

Permanent residence — after 2 years

You apply in the last 3 months of your temporary permit (with a fine, up to one month after). Government fee — about ₲2.9 million plus ₲234,000 for the registration certificate, about $540 in total. The permanent card has no end date, but you renew the card every 10 years.

The resolution sets no minimum amount. That's both good and risky: the decision is up to the officer. And the profession you declared for temporary residence must match the income you show later.

Can you get permanent residence right away?

• SUACE — an investment programme: $70,000 invested in a Paraguayan company over 10 years plus at least 5 local jobs. Gives permanent residence at once. It's for a real business, not for a remote worker
• Investor Pass — a new programme since April 2026: investment from $150,000 (tourism) or $200,000 (real estate or securities), with one entry every 3 years. It's very new and details are thin — only with a lawyer

Can Russians get it in practice?

The law has no nationality restrictions, and visa-free entry removes the hardest step — the consular visa. The main problems for Russians are different: getting apostilles in Russia in advance and, for permanent residence, proving income that goes through a sanctioned Russian bank. Prepare statements from a bank in a third country and letters from your employer or clients.

What the permit gives for travel

A Paraguayan residence permit gives no visa-free Schengen or US access — you travel on your Russian passport. Mercosur free movement with an ID card is only for citizens of member countries, not for Russians.

But the region is open anyway: Russians can visit Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia and Chile visa-free for 90 days, and Peru visa-free too. So Asunción is a handy base for all of South America.

The long-term goal is citizenship: by law after 3 years of permanent residence, so about 5 years after you move. The condition is not to be away for more than 3 months in each of those 3 years. A Paraguayan passport gives visa-free Schengen and Mercosur rights. But it's a long road, and dual citizenship for naturalised citizens is something to check with a lawyer first.

05Work & taxes

With temporary residence you can work in Paraguay — for a local company or remotely for a foreign one. No separate work permit is needed.

Taxes are a different story. Paraguay is often sold as "0% tax on foreign income". The truth is more complicated.

The system is territorial: personal income tax (IRP) applies only to Paraguay-source income. The rate is 8–10%. Income earned fully abroad is, by this logic, not taxed.

More details:

• Paraguay has no "183-day rule" for tax residency. Residency is linked to your centre of life and registration with the DNIT tax authority (an RUC number)
• You get an RUC with a Paraguayan document — a cédula or passport. Without residency you can't get one
• Paraguay does issue tax residency certificates, but your "old" country may ignore one if you still have real ties there

From Russia's side: if you spend more than 183 days a year abroad, you're not a Russian tax resident. But since 2024, income for remote work for a Russian company is still taxed in Russia — 13–15% even for non-residents. Income from foreign clients isn't taxed in Russia for a non-resident.

06Banks, cards & money

Mir cards don't work in Paraguay. Russian-issued Visa and Mastercard don't either, because of sanctions. Bring US dollars in cash and a card from a bank in a third country.

You change dollars at exchange offices (casas de cambio) in Asunción, Encarnación and Ciudad del Este. In 2026 the guaraní got much stronger: in autumn a dollar was about ₲5800–6400, while a year earlier it was around ₲7000. So prices in dollars went up.

A local account without residency is almost impossible. The key document for any personal account is the cédula, the local ID card. Banks usually turn down tourists with only a passport, though some make exceptions.

What else they ask for:

• Since January 2026, banks require a declaration of the origin of your funds and assets
• Proof of income: a contract, statements, tax returns, invoices
• For "higher-risk" clients — an Interpol certificate

Banco Continental and Banco Atlas are the banks most often used by foreigners. Accounts come in guaraníes and in US dollars.

Sources mention no special rules against Russians. But money coming from Russia will raise compliance questions. A direct transfer from a sanctioned Russian bank will most likely not go through.

07Renting a place

Where to live in Asunción: Villa Morra, Carmelitas, Recoleta and Las Lomas are seen as the safest and most convenient areas — cafes, malls, buildings with security. The historic centre is pretty, but not pleasant at night.

Rough prices for a one-bedroom per month:

• Asunción, good areas — $350–700
• Asunción, further from the centre — from ~$350
• Encarnación and San Bernardino — usually cheaper than the capital

Numbeo data for November 2026: a one-bedroom in the centre is about ₲3.6 million (~$620), outside the centre about ₲2.2 million (~$375). Utilities for an 85 m² flat are about ₲290,000 (~$50), but in summer the air conditioning pushes the power bill up a lot.

People find flats through expat Facebook groups, local listing sites and agents. For the first month it's easier to rent short-term and look at areas on the spot.

Long-term leases are usually 1–2 years with a deposit. Landlords often ask for a guarantor (garante) — a local with property — or rental insurance. Without a cédula it's harder to rent officially, so many foreigners start with furnished monthly rentals, which cost more.

08SIM card & internet

The main operators are Tigo, Claro and Personal. Tigo and Claro get the best mobile speed results. You need an ID to buy a SIM — a passport works for foreigners.

• A 20–50 GB package — about $10–25 per month
• Numbeo lists a 10+ GB plan at about ₲100,000 (~$17)
• 4G in cities — usually 20–100 Mbps

Home fibre in Asunción gives 100–500 Mbps for $20–50 per month (Numbeo shows about ₲129,000, ~$22, for 60+ Mbps). Encarnación and San Bernardino have fibre too, and in remote places Starlink helps: about $350 for the kit and about $50 per month.

Asunción has more coworking spaces than before, but it's not Medellín — the choice is small. For video calls, home fibre is more reliable.

09Healthcare & insurance

Good private clinics exist only in big cities, mainly Asunción. Outside the big cities, medical care is noticeably weaker. Doctors and hospitals usually want payment up front, so you need insurance and accessible money from day one.

There's public healthcare and the IPS social security system (for people formally employed), but expats usually use private clinics.

Private health insurance (local prepaga plans or international cover) is roughly $60–150 per month, depending on age and coverage. Prices vary by company, so compare several offers.

Keep in mind:

• Dengue and chikungunya are real problems, especially in the hot season. Use repellent, nets, air conditioning
• A yellow fever shot is needed if you arrive from Brazil, Bolivia, Peru or Venezuela, and is useful for regional travel
• Summer heat goes above 40°C — drink water and don't plan walks at midday
• Air quality is sometimes poor because of smoke from wildfires

10Transport

Getting there from Russia. There are no direct flights. People usually fly with two connections:

• Via São Paulo: to Brazil with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, Ethiopian via Addis Ababa, or Emirates or Qatar via Dubai or Doha. Then a short flight to Asunción. Brazil lets Russians in visa-free for 90 days
• Via Buenos Aires — Argentina is also visa-free for Russians
• Via Madrid — Air Europa flies Madrid–Asunción nonstop. But that's a Schengen transit, so only use it if you're sure of the transit rules or have a Schengen visa

Aggregators show Moscow–Asunción with two stops from about 75–80 thousand rubles one way, often more. Prices jump a lot, so check by date.

In the city. There's no metro, and city buses are old and inconvenient. Expats mostly use ride-hailing: Uber and Bolt work in Asunción. Don't hail taxis on the street, especially at night. A monthly bus pass is about ₲212,000 (~$36) according to Numbeo.

Long-distance buses leave from Asunción's main bus terminal: Encarnación and Ciudad del Este are about 5–6 hours away. From Encarnación you can easily cross the bridge to Posadas in Argentina.

11Safety & important laws

You can live normally in the calmer areas of Asunción, but don't relax too much. The Russian embassy openly calls the crime situation unfavourable and warns about armed robberies.

What happens most often:

• Pickpocketing and bag-snatching, especially on buses and in the centre
• Street robberies — sometimes armed. Don't argue, hand over the phone
• Scammers who "help" you on the street or at the bus terminal

How to lower the risk:

• Live in areas like Villa Morra, Carmelitas, Recoleta, Las Lomas, in buildings with security
• At night use Uber or Bolt, not walking or street taxis
• Don't show off your phone or expensive things

Ciudad del Este is a huge market town and the gateway to Iguazú Falls. You can visit, but go in daytime, carry little cash and stay alert.

The Bolivian border in the Chaco also has a lot of smuggling — travel in remote areas with locals and in daylight.

Police often check documents — carry your passport or cédula. For emergency numbers, see the "Health" section.

12How much money you need per month

totalAbout $1000–1800 per month for one person in Asunción; plus about $1000 one-off in government fees for temporary and permanent residence

13Step-by-step moving plan

1. Check your passport — 6 months of validity and free pages are safer.
2. While still in Russia, get a criminal record certificate (Interior Ministry, via Gosuslugi) and apostille it. Apostille your birth certificate and a civil-status document. If you lived in another country in the last 3 years, get a criminal record certificate from there too.
3. Open an account and get a card at a third-country bank — Mir and Russian cards don't work in Paraguay.
4. Get a yellow fever vaccine, especially if you fly via Brazil.
5. Book a flight via São Paulo or Buenos Aires and buy health insurance for the first months.
6. At entry, make sure your passport is stamped. Bring US dollars in cash.
7. Buy a Tigo or Claro SIM and rent a short-term flat in Villa Morra or Carmelitas for the first month.
8. Get official Spanish translations of your apostilled documents, plus an Interpol certificate and a National Police certificate.
9. Within your first 90 days, apply for temporary residence in person at DNM. Get the 90-day temporary document (precaria).
10. After approval, get your cédula from the National Police, then open a bank account and an RUC if you need one.
11. From day one, collect proof of income — statements, contracts, employer letters. Under Resolution 407/2026 you'll need them for permanent residence in 2 years.
12. Don't leave Paraguay for more than a year in a row, or your temporary residence can be cancelled.

14Useful links

• Paraguay National Directorate of Migration (DNM)
• Russian Embassy in Paraguay — country and entry info (in Russian)
• ExpatSettle — Paraguay residency for remote workers: fees and documents
• EIG Law — new income-proof rules for permanent residence, Resolution 407/2026
• Lincoln Global Partners — Paraguay tax residency
• GOV.UK — Paraguay safety and regional risks
• Numbeo — Cost of Living in Asunción

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