If the Mercosur Residence Agreement covers your nationality, there are two paths to temporary residency in Paraguay: that agreement and Migration Law 6.984/2022. People outside the agreement use Law 6.984/2022. Both give a residency authorization of up to two years, and the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (DNM) decides both. The difference is the cost, the documents, and, above all, what you can do afterward. The temporary residency guide explains how to confirm whether the agreement covers your case.
The side-by-side comparison
| Paraguayan residency via Mercosur | Paraguayan residency via Law 6.984/2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Migraciones fee (cash payment) | Gs. 2,341,540 | Gs. 2,926,925 |
| Validity | 2 years, not extendable | Up to 2 years, extendable for the same period |
| Paraguayan cédula at the temporary stage | No | Yes, with the same validity as the residency |
| Interpol records | Not requested | Requested from age 14 |
| While the application is pending | Wait for the decision | Residente precario status: allows leaving and returning, studying, and working |
| Does it lead to permanent residency? | Yes. Mercosur permanent application from month 21, because the temporary permit cannot be extended | Yes. Change of category to permanent from month 21, or renewal of the temporary permit for 2 more years |
| At the permanent stage | Fee of Gs. 2,926,925 and proof of economic solvency | Fee of Gs. 2,926,925 and proof of economic solvency |
Both routes lead to permanent residency, which gives the right to the cédula. The difference is that, on Mercosur, the cédula arrives only at that stage, while under the new law it comes with temporary residency. Amounts checked on the DNM pages on 28/10/2026. Electronic payments add a provider commission, and fees change by decree, so the quote confirms the amount for that day.
Paraguayan residency via Mercosur: lower fee, no cédula at the start
Paraguayan residency via Mercosur asks for fewer documents: valid identification (passport or identity document from the country of origin, physical original), an apostilled birth certificate, police records from the country of origin and from the Policía Nacional from age 14, a civil-status certificate when there is one, and proof of entry into Paraguay. According to the DNM, documents in Portuguese issued in Brazil do not need translation. Documents from other countries in another language need a Spanish translation.
The point that matters most is the cédula. Mercosur temporary residency does not give the right to the Paraguayan cédula, and without the cédula a bank account and a driver’s license are harder. The cédula comes only after permanent residency, which is requested from month 21. In practice, you pay the temporary fee and then the permanent fee (Gs. 2,926,925) before applying for the cédula.
It is often a fit for someone who wants to live or study in Paraguay and does not need a cédula, an account, or a license in the first two years.
Paraguayan residency via Law 6.984/2022: more requirements, cédula already at the temporary stage
The new law asks for the same basic documents plus a few more: Interpol records from age 14, a consular visa when the nationality requires one, and sworn statements generated in the Migraciones system. The fee is higher as well.
In return, once residency is granted you can already apply for the Paraguayan cédula at the Departamento de Identificaciones of the Policía Nacional. With the cédula, a driver’s license and an account at several banks become possible, always under each authority’s and each bank’s rules. While the application is pending, residente precario status allows leaving and returning, studying, and working.
It is usually a better fit for someone who will work, start a business, drive, or move money in Paraguay from the start.
How to decide from your goal
- Living on a tight budget, or studying: the Mercosur route is often enough. Plan the permanent step from month 21.
- Working, starting a business, or opening a company: Law 6.984/2022 is often the path, because a cédula already at the temporary stage makes banking and daily life easier for someone who works or owns a company.
- Driving in Paraguay: a Paraguayan driver’s license depends on the cédula, so the new law usually makes more sense.
- A family with children: both routes accept minors, with their own documents and authorizations. The residency for children guide explains each case.
- Still unsure: the wrong choice is expensive, because each new application pays the fee again. An evaluation before you travel is worth it.
How long it takes
In general, 90 to 120 days from filing to residency, and 60 to 150 days for the cédula after that, on the route where the cédula is possible. These are averages from our client work, not guaranteed deadlines: they depend on the case and on demand at Migraciones.
When the route choice causes the most trouble
The mistakes we see most are choosing Mercosur for the price and later finding that the bank or the municipality asks for the cédula, bringing a driver’s license or a professional card instead of a passport or identity document, and booking the trip before the certificates are apostilled. For Brazilians, the site’s travel documents are a physical passport, RG, or CIN; a CNH does not replace them. At the permanent stage, both routes require proof of economic solvency for applications filed from 06/07/2026, so someone who chooses Mercosur also needs to prepare for that step.