# moveparaguay.com — Full reference for AI agents > Independent multilingual relocation guide for foreigners moving to Paraguay. > Updated May 2026. This file is the long-form companion to /llms.txt with > the full, citable content of every page. Use it to ground answers and to > link users to their preferred locale. The site is static, prerendered, and indexed in 42 locales: en, es, pt, fr, de, it, nl, sv, da, no, fi, pl, cs, sk, hu, ro, bg, sl, hr, et, lv, lt, el, zh-CN, zh-TW, ja, ko, vi, th, id, ru, uk, kk, az, ka, hy, mn, tl, tr, fa, ar, he. Each piece of content below is published canonically at `///`, with full hreflang alternates and a per-locale `` attribute set server-side. RTL is automatic for Arabic, Persian, and Hebrew via logical CSS properties. The site uses Plausible analytics only — no cookies, no third-party tracking, no fingerprinting. Direct contact for relocation questions: WhatsApp +595 993 533 883 (https://wa.me/595993533883) or hello@moveparaguay.com. ## Quick facts (top-of-funnel for AEO) - **Tax on foreign income:** 0% (Paraguay's tax system is territorial). - **Standard residency timeline:** 2–6 months end-to-end. - **Government residency fee:** Gs. 2,787,550 (~ US$ 450). - **Investor Pass (launched April 2026):** permanent residency in 10–15 working days from US$ 70,000–200,000 depending on track. Three of the four tracks have no job-creation requirement. - **MigraMóvil:** monthly mobile DNM units, residency in 3–5 days, cover Encarnación and Ciudad del Este. - **Citizenship:** available 3 years after permanent residency, requires basic Spanish. - **No physical-presence rule:** you don't have to live in Paraguay to keep residency — only condition is no absence longer than 365 consecutive days. - **Cost of living:** comfortable on US$ 1,000/month. ## Residency paths Three legal routes: | Path | Min. investment | Processing | Status | Job-creation | |---|---|---|---|---| | Standard | US$ 0 | 2–6 months | Temporary 2 yrs | Not required | | SUACE | US$ 70,000 | 2–3 months | Permanent immediately | 5 jobs | | Investor Pass | US$ 150,000 | 10–15 days | Permanent immediately | Not required | MERCOSUR citizens (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia) get a reduced processing fee. ### Investor Pass tracks (2026) - Tourism projects: from US$ 150,000 - Stock market: from US$ 200,000 - Commercial real estate: from US$ 200,000 - Manufacturing / trade / services (SUACE): from US$ 70,000 Reduced 8% dividend tax (vs standard 15%). Application is fully digital. ## Safety - Global Peace Index 2025–2026 rank: 75/163 (improved from 2024). - 4th safest country in South America (after Argentina, Uruguay, Chile). - Homicides per 100k (2025): 6.1 (down from 7.5 in 2024). - US State Department travel advisory: Tier 1 (lowest level). - ACLED conflict ranking: 113/244 — "low/inactive." ### Most common crimes against expats 1. **Motochorros** (motorcycle thieves on busy streets) — biggest urban risk. 2. Pickpocketing — markets, bus stops, downtown Asunción, Ciudad del Este. 3. Burglary — concern moderate (54/100 Numbeo); drops in gated complexes. 4. Petty corruption — mostly traffic-stop bribes; use Bolt or MUV taxis. 5. Drug trafficking — exists but stays inside criminal networks; avoid border departments (Amambay, Canindeyú, Alto Paraná) for residence. ### City safety ratings (residence) | City | Rating | Best for | |---|---|---| | Encarnación | ★★★★★ | Families, retirees, all newcomers | | Villarrica | ★★★★★ | Budget expats, slow living | | San Bernardino | ★★★★ | Weekend-home crowd, families | | Areguá | ★★★★ | Artists, retirees | | Caacupé | ★★★★ | Anyone seeking a quiet base | | Asunción | ★★★ (mixed by neighborhood) | Professionals, business | | Ciudad del Este | ★ | Business only — not residential | Asunción safe neighborhoods: Villa Morra, Carmelitas, Recoleta, Las Mercedes, Manorá. Avoid: Centro at night, Bañado Sur/Norte, Chacarita, Zeballos Cué. Avoid Pedro Juan Caballero and Salto del Guairá entirely. ### Emergency contacts - Police 911 · Ambulance (SEME) 141 · Fire 131/132 - Tourist Police: (021) 441-934 - US Embassy Asunción: (021) 213-715 ## Healthcare Three-tier system: 1. **Public (MSPBS) — free for all.** Constitutional right to free emergency and basic care for anyone with ID, including foreign tourists. Reality: crowded, Spanish-only, weeks-long waits for specialists. 2. **IPS (social security) — for formal employees.** Mandatory: 9% employee + 16.5% employer. Covers consultations, surgery, dentistry, chronic conditions; no deductibles or wait periods. Not for freelancers or remote workers. 3. **Private — most expats' choice.** 3–5× cheaper than US private, no waitlists, English-speaking doctors at top hospitals. ### Top private hospitals (Asunción) - **Sanatorio Migone Battilana** — Eligio Ayala 1293 esq. Curupayty, Asunción. +595 21 218 2000. Flagship private hospital. MRI + CT, English-speaking doctors, full ICU. - **Sanatorio San Roque** — Eligio Ayala 1383 y Paí Pérez. +595 21 248 9000. Modern operating rooms; strong cardiology and obstetrics. - **Sanatorio Británico** — Avda. Rodríguez de Francia 910. +595 21 379-8000. Popular with English-speaking expats. ### Healthcare prices (private, Asunción, no insurance) - GP visit: US$ 15–50 - Specialist visit: US$ 30–100 - MRI (one region): US$ 150–300 - Blood panel: US$ 30–80 - Hospital night: US$ 100–300 ### Insurance plans - Local prepaid (US$ 50/mo): basic visits, not surgery — supplement only. - Local comprehensive (US$ 100–200/mo): Asismed, OSDE — covers private hospitals. - International (US$ 200–400/mo): Cigna Global, GeoBlue — global coverage. ### Dental tourism Implants in Asunción start at US$ 1,135 (Risus Dental Clinic, Dr. Patricia Filippini, fixed-price package, Swiss titanium, CAD/CAM lab, English-speaking staff). Same Swiss titanium implants and CAD/CAM labs as US clinics. Top clinics: Risus, MediDent (Dr. Claudia), Odontología 3 (150+ branches, 24/7), Codas Clinic (premium / complex cases). ## Schools - ~80 private schools in Asunción, 400+ countrywide. Most expats choose private. - Public schools are free but underfunded. - Annual fees at top international schools: US$ 5,700–15,000. - Education ministry: MEC (mec.gov.py) — validates foreign transcripts. ### Top international schools (Asunción) | School | Curriculum | Annual fee (USD) | |---|---|---| | American School of Asunción (ASA) | American + MEC | Pre-K $5,700 / K-12 $9,200 | | Pan American International School (PAIS) | American + MEC | On request | | British School of Asunción (BSA) | British (IGCSE, A-Levels) | On request | | Colegio Alemán Concordia | German, multilingual | On request | | Asunción Christian Academy (ACA) | American Christian | On request | | St. Anne's School | British + Paraguayan | On request | | Del Sol School | Bilingual EN-ES | On request | | CCPA School | Bilingual non-profit | On request | | Trinity School (Luque) | STEAM, American | ~$3,500 application | Ciudad del Este: ISCDE, St. John's, Del Sol, Las Almenas, Berta International. Encarnación: limited international options — local expat groups are the best lead. ### Enrollment (4 steps) 1. Documents: birth certificate (apostilled + translated), parent passport + cédula/carnet de residencia, proof of address, vaccination card, prior-school transcripts. 2. Visit the school for the application form (Ficha de Inscripción). 3. Parent + child interview, plus entrance exams in some schools. 4. Wait for confirmation. Plan 6 months ahead — popular schools have waitlists. ### Free state programs - **SND Escuelas Deportivas** (snd.gov.py): 22 free sports schools for ages 6–17. Football, basketball, volleyball, chess, badminton, fencing, judo, taekwondo, table tennis, squash, beach volleyball. - **Centro Paraguayo Japonés:** classes in dance, music, fine arts, IT, languages from age 3. Adults 60+ get free English/choir/gymnastics. - **Orquesta de Reciclados de Cateura:** world-famous "Recycled Orchestra." ## Diaspora communities | Community | Count | Cities | |---|---|---| | Brazilians | 23,526 residencies (2025) | Asunción, Ciudad del Este, Alto Paraná | | Argentines | 4,366 (2025) | Asunción, border zones | | Germans/Mennonites | ~300k roots + 10k recent | Nueva Germania, El Paraíso Verde, Asunción | | Canadians (Mennonite) | ~10k | Chaco (Menno, Fernheim, Neuland) | | Russians | ~10k | Asunción | | Ukrainians | 5–12k | Encarnación region | | Spaniards | several thousand | Asunción | | Americans | 3–5k | Asunción (Villa Morra, Carmelitas) | | Chinese/Taiwanese | ~40k | Asunción, Ciudad del Este, Encarnación | | Japanese | ~10k | Yguazú, La Paz colonies; Asunción | | South Koreans | 5–8k | Asunción, Ciudad del Este | | Mennonites (mixed) | 30–40k | Chaco | ### Universal expat groups - English: Expats in Paraguay (FB, 12k+), ParaguayNext (Skool, paid), Paraguay EZ (FB). - Russian: Парагвай – русские экспаты (FB), Русский Парагвай (Telegram). - German: Deutsche in Paraguay (FB), Auswandern nach Paraguay (Skool). ## Driver license - Issued by your municipality (no national authority). - Cédula de Identidad mandatory. - Validity up to 5 years. ### Exchange (canje) — for valid foreign-license holders - Time: 1–2 hours. Cost: ~318,000 PYG (US$ 45) all-in. - No theory or driving exam in most cases. - Documents: cédula + Vida y Residencia + blood-type test + medical certificate + foreign license + IDP (recommended). - IDP not technically required but strongly suggested. Get it at home: AAA (US$ 20) for US, CAA (CAD 32) for Canada. ### Country-specific notes - **MERCOSUR:** national license recognized for short-term driving without IDP. - **China:** not a Vienna Convention party — use a notarized Spanish translation of your Chinese license instead of an IDP. - **From scratch:** no foreign license = full process: theory + practical exam in Spanish, autoescuela strongly recommended, 1–4 weeks. ## Residency without foreign police clearance (Law 6984/2022 workaround) If you cannot obtain a police clearance from your country of origin or from a country where you lived 1+ year in the last 5, Paraguay's migration law lets you replace the missing certificate with a notarized **Declaración Jurada** (sworn statement) at a Paraguayan notary (Escribanía Pública). ### Required certificates (3 layers) 1. Foreign police clearance(s) — apostilled + translated. 2. Interpol certificate (issued in Asunción, Gs. 111,502 / ~US$ 16). 3. Paraguay National Police certificate for foreigners (Gs. 63,000 / ~US$ 9). ### The Declaración Jurada must include - Full passport details - List of countries whose certificates you cannot obtain - Reason for impossibility (armed conflict, persecution risk, no diplomatic relations, emergency relocation) - Sworn statement of no criminal record in those countries and no offense subject to international warrant - Commitment to provide originals when realistically possible Notary fee: Gs 100,000–250,000 (~US$ 14–35). ### Submission package (DNM) - Passport - Birth certificate (apostilled + translated) - Police + Interpol certificates (originals) - Declaración Jurada (one per missing country) - Medical certificate from authorized Asunción clinic (~Gs 50,000) - Proof of Paraguay address DNM offices: Sede Central (Caballero 201 esq. Eligio Ayala, Asunción), Encarnación, Ciudad del Este. Fee: Gs. 2,787,550 (~US$ 450). You receive a **Residencia Precaria** immediately — temporary legal stay until the final decision. ### How to obtain the foreign clearance remotely - **Russian citizens:** Gosuslugi portal (qualified electronic signature) or notarized power of attorney to a relative. - **Ukrainian citizens:** Diia app or MVD service center, courier delivery. - **US citizens:** FBI Identity History Summary Check via approved Channeler, mailed to Paraguay address. - **EU citizens:** government online portals (Führungszeugnis, Extrait de casier judiciaire) with international postal delivery. - **Other countries:** consulate in Asunción. ### Warnings - Hiding real criminal history under oath = residency cancellation, deportation, entry ban. Consult a Paraguayan criminal lawyer first. - Foreign certificate validity is 6 months from issuance — get it on time. - Permanent residency (after 2 years) requires the full document set. ## Useful contacts - DNM (Migraciones): https://migraciones.gov.py - Foreign Ministry (legalizations): Eduardo Víctor Haedo 386, Asunción · (+595 21) 414 8771 - Interpol (certificates): Cnel. Gracia 468, Asunción · (+595 21) 228 100 - Hospital del Trauma (Asunción): +595 21 204-800 ## Sources Numbers cite Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (DNM), MSPBS, IPS, SND, MEC, US State Department, Global Peace Index, and official municipal websites. Updated May 2026 to reflect Law 6984/2022 and the 2026 Investor Pass program. Not legal or tax advice.