If you are considering visiting Paraguay for the first time either to establish residency or to simply just experience the country before making a decision – ¡Bienvenido! (Welcome!)

Travelers from abroad will most likely arrive via Paraguay’s main international airport in the capital city of Asunción

Flight connections from a variety of international destinations provide easy access to the country – via  Panama City, Panamá (PTY); Bogotá, Colombia (BOG); Lima, Perú (LIM); Santiago de Chile (SCL); São Paulo, Brazil (GRU) or Madrid, Spain (MAD)

At present, there are not any nonstop flights from North America to Paraguay, so effectively all flights require a connection in one of the above cities

Things to Consider

Before making travel reservations, we strongly recommend reading through all the material that we have published in this article

If visiting Paraguay to begin the Residency Application Process, it is vitally important to ensure that all official documents are collected, compiled and reviewed by one of our staff to ensure you have everything in order before arriving

Depending on what time of year your visit is planned, the weather in Paraguay may be a shock to you if arriving from the northern hemisphere – everything is the opposite!

December through February can be some of the most sweltering months of the year – while June through August will be cool, if not cold

To learn more about the annual weather patterns in Paraguay, please check out this article

The residency application process in Paraguay must be performed in-person with the Directorate of Immigration, the National Police and associated government entities

We highly recommend planning a minimum of 5-7 business days of travel in Paraguay in order to attend the necessary appointments — with most clients preferring to plan trips of at least 10 days to allow time to explore at a relaxed pace

Prior to arriving in Paraguay, we will provide you with a checklist of official documents that will be needed for the application process based on your nationality and status

Our team will review each of your documents prior to your trip and ensure that all necessary document certifications are in order (apostille, etc) — it is important to note that the Paraguayan Directorate of Immigration can be especially picky with official documents

Before making travel plans, we advise clients to read through the travel guide that we provide once the process is initiated

Flights to/from Asunción (ASU) are available from all over the world — most requiring international connections in the following cities:

• Bogotá, Colombia (BOG)
• Lima, Perú (LIM)
• Madrid, Spain (MAD)
• Panama City, Panamá (PTY)
• Santiago de Chile (SCL)
• São Paulo, Brazil (GRU)

Each connection city above has its pro’s & con’s, however we have found the most expeditious connection city is Panama City, Panamá

The airport in Panama City does not require travelers to clear customs on international flight connections – passengers from arriving flights are able to walk directly into the concourse and onward to any connecting flights 

Accommodations in Paraguay are plentiful and span a wide array of price points and amenities, depending on personal preference

Although Hotels are available from a variety of international and regional brands — all with comparatively lower prices relative to those in the US and Europe — we suggest clients consider staying in a apartment/house in order to experience Asunción from a more local perspective

We recommend Booking.com as an excellent resource for both hotels and local apartments/houses available for reservations

AirBnB is also an excellent resource for booking accommodations offered by locals

A curated list of hotel and local apartments/homes is included in a travel guide that we provide to clients as part of our services

Transportation while in Asuncion is very economical and straightforward using rideshare apps like Uber and Bolt

Car rentals from international and local brands are available if desired (Hertz/Thrify, Alamo/National, SIXT, etc), however taxis and rideshare apps are so inexpensive that we recommend against renting a car on your initial visit to Paraguay

If visiting Paraguay for the purpose of obtaining residency through our firm, we offer complimentary airport transfers for our clients and one of our team members will personally escort you to each appointment with the respective Paraguayan government agency (includes transportation)

Currency Exchange will be an important aspect of any trip to Paraguay as the country is largely a cash-based society

While there are multiple currency exchange windows at the airport, they typically offer the least beneficial exchange rates compared to other options — such as ATM’s and banks

More information and specifics about currency exchange recommendations will be provided to clients in advance of any visit to the country

Travelers arriving Paraguay from abroad may require a tourist visa to enter the country – we recommend consulting a reputable visa agency like VisaHQ.com to confirm visa requirements and purchase a Paraguayan Tourist Visa, if needed

As of January 2025, Paraguay does not require a visa for for private US Citizens visiting Paraguay for the purposes of “tourism” (up to 90 days)

Upon arriving to Asunción and clearing customs & immigration, clients will be met by someone in our firm who will provide a complimentary airport transfer to reach hotel/AirBnB  accommodations

We recommend purchasing a cellular data plan from an international provider (Airalo, etc) in advance of arriving in the country to ease the process of gaining internet/cellular connectivity

There is public internet/WiFi available in the terminal as well

The Silvio Pettirossi Airport in Asunción is relatively small compared to other parts of the world, however the airport does boast modern amenities including a VIP lounge ($), coffee bars and a luxury duty-free shop

We provide each of our clients with a travel guide with recommended restaurants, shopping malls and points of interest to encourage exploring the capital city of Asunción

For residency clients, we will set up a series of appointments with government entities (Immigration, National Police, etc) to submit necessary documents, fingerprints and perform interviews

As with any government bureaucracy, scheduling these appointments in the most efficient manner for the client is often challenging

It is for this reason we strongly recommend visiting Paraguay for a minimum of 5-7 business days to facilitate these appointments when in reality there are only 3-4 appointments required to complete the process

Following successful appointments with the respective government offices in Paraguay, clients will be issued an official Temporary Residency permit that will grant the following rights/benefits:

• Unrestricted Visa-Free entry/exit from Paraguay
• Ability to obtain a local Paraguayan driver’s license
• Eligible to open bank accounts
• Eligible to legally purchase/own property
• Eligible to open a business
• Eligible to Apply for Firearm Permit

In approximately 45-90 days, the Paraguayan government will issue a National Identity card (known as a “Cédula”) and Tax ID (“RUC” number)

During the visit to Paraguay, our team will assist clients in establishing a Power-of-Attorney (POA) so that we may legally retrieve these official documents on a client’s behalf – which we then forward via UPS/FedEx to the client’s address of choice (if outside the country)

Although the National ID/Cédula are not immediately available during the initial visit to Paraguay, the Temporary Residency permit grants all the rights