Paraguay Residency Costs and Government Fees
Government fees, quoted from the migration authority and dated, separated cleanly from professional fees.
Last verified 2026-08-19Next review 2026-09-193 official sources
The Paraguayan government fee for temporary or permanent residency is Gs. 2,926,925, and Gs. 2,341,540 for MERCOSUR temporary residency. Checked against the migration authority's published fee tables on 19 August 2026.
Everything else you will be quoted — apostilles, translations, notarisation, travel, and any professional fee — is separate from that. Keeping the two apart is the only way to compare quotes honestly.
Government fees
As published by the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones on its residency pages. Fees are set in guaraníes and change from time to time, which is why this page carries a verification date and is on a monthly review.
| Item | Fee (Gs.) | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary residency | 2,926,925 | General route under Ley N° 6984/2022 |
| Permanent residency | 2,926,925 | Including change of category from temporary |
| MERCOSUR temporary residency | 2,341,540 | Nationals of the eight listed countries |
| Certificado de radicación | 234,154 | Where a certificate of settlement is needed |
| Change of information | 234,154 | Amending details on a permanent file |
| Multa (overstay fine) | 702,462 | Late filing, including a late conversion |
Note what this table shows: the MERCOSUR route is roughly a fifth cheaper at the government counter. It is also two years and non-renewable, so the saving comes with a harder deadline.
Costs that are real but are not government fees
These are the ones people forget when they budget, and they are not small in aggregate.
| Cost | Paid to | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate, civil-status certificate | Your own civil registry | Varies widely by country |
| Criminal-record certificate | Your own police or justice ministry | Often the slowest item |
| Apostille or consular legalisation | Your own foreign ministry, or a Paraguayan consulate | Per document |
| Sworn translation into Spanish | A licensed translator | Per page; see the translation rule |
| Notarised copies | A Paraguayan notary | The authority asks for original plus authenticated copy |
| INTERPOL and Paraguayan police certificates | Paraguayan authorities | Required from age 14 |
| Travel and accommodation | — | The application is filed in person |
| Professional fees | Your lawyer or agent, if you use one | Optional; not a legal requirement |
How to read a quote
A quote for Paraguayan residency should let you separate three things. If it does not, ask.
- Government fees — should match the table above. They are public.
- Third-party costs — translations, apostilles, notary, courier. These are pass-through and vary by how many documents you have.
- The professional fee — what the provider charges for their own work.
Two providers quoting very different totals are often quoting different scopes: one trip or two, translations included or not, cédula included or not, follow-up included or not. The number to compare is not the headline; it is the headline minus the government fees, with the scope written down.
What the government fee does not buy
It does not buy a result. The migration authority states that submitting documents does not presume approval and that additional documentation may be requested. It also does not buy speed — there is no published processing-time commitment on the pages we have read, and any timeline you are given, including ours, is an estimate based on experience rather than an official figure.
Fees move. We found a secondary source quoting Gs. 2,787,550 for temporary residency — an older figure that was still circulating in mid-2026. The authority's own page said Gs. 2,926,925 on 19 August 2026. That gap is exactly why this page states a date, and why we re-check monthly rather than quarterly.
Our own pricing, for comparison
Our residency package is USD 1,600 and covers document validation, the temporary residency application, the cédula application, sworn certified translations, official pre-approval of documents, notarised power of attorney and copies, transfers to every office, and English-language assistance throughout. Add-ons — priority processing, one-trip fast track, RUC, fiscal residency certificate, accounting — are billed once on top and only if you choose them. Government fees are separate, and they are the figures in the first table on this page, so you can check the arithmetic yourself.
If you would rather do it yourself, we also publish a DIY guide at USD 79, and the government fees are identical either way.
Common questions
- How much does Paraguayan residency cost in government fees?
- As published by the migration authority and checked on 19 August 2026: temporary residency Gs. 2,926,925, permanent residency Gs. 2,926,925, MERCOSUR temporary residency Gs. 2,341,540, certificado de radicación Gs. 234,154, and an overstay fine of Gs. 702,462 where one applies.
- Are there other unavoidable costs?
- Yes. Apostilles and certificates issued by your own country, sworn translation into Spanish, notarised copies, the Paraguayan police and INTERPOL certificates, and travel. These are separate from both the government fee and any professional fee.
Not sure which pathway applies to you?
Paraguay publishes several residency routes with different requirements, fees and deadlines. A short call will tell you which one fits your situation — or whether Paraguay is the wrong answer for you.
Sources
Every legal, fee and procedural statement on this page is taken from the sources below and was checked on 2026-08-19. Where they change, this page changes.
- Dirección Nacional de Migraciones — Residencia Temporal — Temporary residency: validity, requirements and fees
- Dirección Nacional de Migraciones — Residencia Permanente por cambio de categoría — Converting temporary residency to permanent residency
- Dirección Nacional de Migraciones — Residencia Temporaria MERCOSUR — MERCOSUR residency: countries, validity, fee and conversion window
Related
This page is general information about Paraguayan rules as published by the authorities named above. It is not legal or tax advice for your circumstances, and immigration outcomes depend on your nationality, documents and individual case. See our legal and tax information disclaimer.