Paraguay residency for children and families
If you move with children, each child also applies for residency. At Migraciones, minors aged 0 to 17 have their own category, with rules that change depending on whether the child is with both parents, with one of them or with another responsible adult.
Migraciones' own category for minors
Under Law 6.984/2022, foreigners aged 0 to 17 fall into the "Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes" (NNA) category of the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones. The child applies for temporary residency, valid for up to two years and renewable, and with it can apply for the Paraguayan cédula, like adults on this route. The category is exempt from proving economic solvency: financial responsibility lies with the parents or legal guardian.
The child's documents
In addition to the general residency requirements, broadly:
- The child's valid ID document (ID card or passport), original and certified copy.
- Apostilled birth certificate.
- Proof of entry into Paraguay.
- Certified copy of the parents' ID documents and, if they have them, their residency card or Paraguayan cédula.
- Criminal record certificates only from age 14. Children under 14 do not submit them.
- Brazilian documents in Portuguese need no translation, according to Migraciones. Documents from other countries in another language need a Spanish translation.
Parents sign and need residency
Both parents sign the child's application. The parents present must hold valid residency in Paraguay, temporary or permanent, or at least one of them must apply for residency at the same time as the child. That is why families usually file together.
When one parent does not travel to Paraguay
If the child is with only one parent, Migraciones asks for one of these options:
- A court order authorizing the child's residency in Paraguay, with a certified copy of both parents' ID documents.
- A notarized authorization from the parent who is not travelling, expressly stating their consent for the child to live in Paraguay with the other parent, with a copy of the parents' ID documents. An authorization made in Brazil also needs an apostille.
- If one parent has died, the death certificate, original and certified copy.
- The parent travelling with the child must hold residency in Paraguay or apply for it at the same time.
When the child goes with someone else
Without either parent, for example with grandparents or an aunt or uncle, Migraciones asks for a court order or a notarized authorization from the parents approved by Paraguay's Juzgado de la Niñez y Adolescencia. The responsible adult must be Paraguayan or hold residency in the country, or apply for it at the same time. Custody cases, cases that need a court order and cases where a parent cannot be reached need independent legal advice, hired separately.
And on the Mercosur route
The Mercosur route also covers minors, with its own rules published by the DNM. Mercosur temporary residency does not give the right to the cédula at the temporary stage, for adults or children: the cédula comes after permanent residency. The best route for the family is defined in the evaluation.
Costs
Each family member files their own residency application, and each application pays the Migraciones fee according to the DNM's current table. The child also has the costs of certificates, apostilles and, from age 14, criminal records. Adults pay the fee of the chosen plan. For each child, the fee is US$ 99 on the Mercosur route (the Essential plan amount) and US$ 299 under Law 6.984/2022 (the Guided plan amount). The family quote is presented before you hire us.
After residency: the child's cédula
With temporary residency under Law 6.984/2022, the child can apply for the Paraguayan cédula at the Departamento de Identificaciones of the Policía Nacional. The application is in person, with photo and fingerprints. The cédula helps in daily life, for example with school enrollment and registrations. Issuance and timelines depend on the public agencies and are not guaranteed.
How Legaliza Paraguay helps
- A family checklist, with the documents of each adult and each child.
- Guidance on the authorization from the parent who is not travelling to Paraguay. Custody cases or cases that need a court order need independent legal advice, hired separately.
- Planning so the family can file together in Ciudad del Este.
Official fees are separate and paid by the client. This guidance does not decide the application and does not promise approval or a timeline.
Questions
Can a foreign child get residency in Paraguay?
Yes. Under Law 6.984/2022, minors aged 0 to 17 apply for temporary residency in their own Migraciones category and, with it, can apply for the Paraguayan cédula. The decision is always made by Migraciones.
Do children need criminal record certificates?
Only from age 14. Children under 14 do not submit them, according to Migraciones.
What if one parent does not travel to Paraguay?
Both parents sign the application. If one of them does not travel, you need a court order or a notarized authorization from the absent parent stating that they consent to the child living in Paraguay. If it is made in Brazil, the authorization needs an apostille.
Do the parents need residency?
Yes. The parents present must hold valid residency in Paraguay, or at least one of them must apply for residency together with the child.
Does the child have to prove income?
No. The minors' category is exempt from proving economic solvency: responsibility lies with the parents or legal guardian.
How much does residency for the family cost?
For each child, the fee is US$ 99 on the Mercosur route and US$ 299 under Law 6.984/2022, the same amounts as the Essential and Guided plans. Adults pay the chosen plan. Each person also pays their own Migraciones fee and third-party expenses, which are included in the quote presented before you hire us.
Do you guarantee approval?
No. Migraciones decides on residency and the Policía Nacional on the cédula. Our work is to prepare the family's applications well to reduce errors and rework.
Check the current rules on the official pages. They can change.
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