Paraguay Residency Cost in 2026: Full Price Breakdown

I get asked about the cost of Paraguay residency more than almost anything else. And I get it, you’ve read the blog posts claiming it’s “the cheapest residency in South America” or that you can do the whole thing for a few hundred bucks. Some of that is true. A lot of it is missing context. I’ve coordinated dozens of these end-to-end with our lawyer team in Asuncion, and the $3,500 to $4,000 all-in number has held steady through every application I’ve sent over the past two years.

I’ve helped dozens of clients get Paraguay residency over the past 4+ years. I live in South America. I work with lawyers in Asuncion. Here’s what it actually costs in 2026.

The Government Fees

These are the non-negotiable costs every applicant pays regardless of whether they use a lawyer or go solo. The dollar breakdown is my April 2026 estimate; the current cash tariff is shown separately below.

The temporary residency permit application costs approximately $394 (around 2,787,550 PYG in that April estimate). This is the main filing fee paid to Migraciones. On top of that, you’ll pay about $33 for your Certificate of Residency, roughly $55 for your national ID card (cedula), $15 for the Interpol background check, and $14 for a local police clearance.

Total government fees in the April estimate: roughly $511.

As of October 10, 2026, the cash tariff for temporary residency under Law 6984 is Gs. 2,926,925, plus Gs. 234,154 for the residency certificate: Gs. 3,161,079 for those two items. The cedula and police certificates are separate. Electronic payments carry an additional provider commission.

Lawyer and Agent Fees

This is where the range opens up. A Paraguay immigration lawyer or residency agent typically runs $1,500 to $3,000 on top of the government fees. They handle your entire application, document prep, submission to Migraciones, government office follow-ups, and any issues that come up.

I’ve seen international firms charge $5,000 to $8,000 for essentially the same service. And I’ve seen local gestorias do it for $500 to $800. The sweet spot for quality is $1,500 to $2,500.

Can you DIY it? If you speak fluent Spanish, you’re already in Asuncion, and you have patience for bureaucracy, yes. Your total would be roughly $700 to $1,000. But if you’re flying in and want it done right the first time, the $1,500 to $2,000 for a lawyer saves you a second trip and weeks of headaches.

Document Preparation Costs

Before you set foot in Paraguay, you need documents prepared, and this is the part most guides forget to mention.

An FBI background check runs $50 to $60 through an approved channeler. That needs an apostille from the US Department of State, $20 if you do it yourself, $100 to $200 with an expediting service. Everything then needs certified Spanish translation ($100 to $250). Add notarized passport copies, birth certificate (also apostilled and translated), and passport photos, another $50 to $100.

Total document prep: $250 to $600 depending on how quickly you need things done.

The Bank Deposit

For permanent residency, one common pathway requires depositing 35 times the minimum monthly wage into a Paraguayan bank account. As of 2026, that’s approximately $4,500 USD.

The important part: this deposit is fully refundable. Once your permanent residency is granted, you can withdraw the money. It’s not a fee, it’s proof of financial solvency.

What It Actually Costs: Three Tiers

DIY: You handle everything yourself. Government office visits, document gathering, Migraciones follow-ups. In the April estimate, you’re paying government fees ($511) plus document preparation ($250–$400). Total: roughly $800 to $1,000. Requires Spanish fluency and time in Asuncion.

Guided: Work with a migration specialist: This is the most common route. A residency agent or migration consultant handles your application end to end, document prep, submission, government follow-ups, cedula pickup. Not necessarily a lawyer, but someone who knows the system. Depending on complexity or any expediting, total runs about $1,500 to $2,500 including government fees.

White glove: Full residency service with document review and expediting: Everything handled, documents reviewed and prepared for you, expedited processing, full hand-holding from start to finish. Total: $3,500 to $4,000.

If someone tells you Paraguay residency costs $500, they’re only counting government fees. If someone quotes you $15,000, they’re overcharging you.

Note: all three tiers above are the residency service costs. Travel and accommodation to Asuncion are separate and depend on where you’re coming from.

Is It Worth It?

Paraguay uses a territorial tax system: foreign-sourced income is not taxed. If you’re earning $100,000/year from foreign sources and living somewhere that taxes worldwide income, you could be paying $20,000 to $35,000 in income tax. Paraguay brings that to zero for qualifying foreign income. The entire cost of residency pays for itself in the first month.

Add in eligibility to apply for citizenship after three years of permanent residence (usually about five years from your first temporary permit), a passport with visa-free access to 140+ countries, and one of the fastest residency timelines in the Americas (60–90 days), and the $3,500 to $4,000 most people spend is hard to beat.

If you are weighing Paraguay against Bolivia specifically, the tradeoff is cost and speed against flexibility. I compared them line by line in Bolivia vs Paraguay residency.