While there are many countries throughout the world that offer non-citizens the ability to obtain residency, there are often significant financial and/or physical presence requirements that make it difficult or impractical for many to consider
The term “Golden Visa” has been coined to describe many countries that fit this description – all of which offer some form of visa-by-investment
Most require a significant real-estate or business investment in the country, in exchange for expedited or automatic permanent residency within the country
In Europe, countries like Portugal, Spain, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Austria and others have offered (or used to offer) similar residency programs
In the Western Hemisphere, México has become a popular destination for expatriates – largely due to the ease of obtaining temporary residency and lower income requirements (mainly for retirees)
And while México seems to be an obvious choice for those in North America, safety has become a concern over the years – leaving many expatriates to consider other Latin American countries
This is where Paraguay truly shines…
Paraguay offers the ability to obtain immediate Temporary Residency (good for 2 years) with very few requirements (clean criminal history, proof of minimal income, etc)
Temporary Residency can be be converted into Permanent Residency after 2 years – which is good for life – but requires the national ID card to be renewed every 10 years
Taking into account Paraguay’s advantageous Zero-Foreign-Income-Tax policy (pay no taxes on income from abroad), residency in Paraguay quickly becomes one of the best value propositions for expatriates
Lastly, when compared to other residency programs and processes in other countries, Paraguay often comes away as one of the easiest experiences as well
The physical process of obtaining Paraguayan Residency can be achieved in one single trip to the country (7-10 business days), provided all required official documentation is in order
Once the initial temporary residency is granted, the only physical presence requirement that exists is that Temporary Residents must travel to the country at least once every 12 months
