Immigration

Immigrating to Paraguay for immigrants coming from Europe is quite straightforward (if you are familiar with the Paraguayan bureaucracy).

As a rule, you enter as a tourist. A valid passport is required for this, which is valid for at least 6 months after entry. This entitles you to a 90-day visa-free stay, which can be extended once for a further 90 days for a fee.

In Asunción, you can immediately start applying for the permanent residence permit (Radicación Permanente) and, after receiving this, the Paraguayan identity card (Cédula de Identidad).

Immigration process

There are a few steps and administrative procedures that precede the receipt of the permanent residence permit. It is therefore a good idea to plan enough time for this before you leave. The to-dos can be roughly divided into 4 categories:

1. Compiling the necessary documents in your home country
2. Applying for the legalization of documents in your home country
3. Compilation of the remaining documents on site in Paraguay
4. Submit the documents to the Paraguayan Immigration Service

Necessary documents

Below is a list of the necessary documents that need to be compiled in your home country. The original and a certified copy of all documents are required.

• Certified police clearance certificate for people from the age of 14 (max. 3 months old)
• Birth certificate (preferably international)
• Marriage certificate (if married)
• Divorce decree (if divorced)
• Proof of liquidity: Proof of capital of a valuable property in Paraguay or proof of payment for 5,000 US dollars, or the equivalent in Guaraní, per family at a Paraguayan bank (to be done in Paraguay) or a notarized employment contract stating the salary
• The pension notification is required for pensioners
• The last school report is required for school children
• If you are planning to pursue a profession, you will still need certificates and / or diplomas for vocational training

Send all documents in the ORIGINAL to the Paraguayan Consulate General responsible for you with the request for legalization of the documents. These documents, issued in German, are then translated into Spanish by a licensed translator in Paraguay.

In Paraguay, it is advisable to use an immigration officer for the next steps in order to save unnecessary hassle and time. Together with your immigration officer, it is now time to process the application for the following documents:

• Current health certificate and AIDS test (should be done in Paraguay)
• Affidavit of compliance with Paraguayan laws
• Proof of liquidity: Proof of capital for a valuable property in Paraguay or proof of payment for 5,000 US dollars or the equivalent in Guaraní, per family at a Paraguayan bank
• Certificate of good conduct for foreigners
• Registration certificate for Paraguayan residence
• Certified copy of ID card and / or passport (minimum validity of 6 months from date of entry)

After you have successfully compiled all the necessary documents, submit them personally to the immigration office in Asunción. Enclose an informal letter in Spanish with your immigration application.

You can find more detailed information on the documents and on entering the country with pets on the website of the Paraguayan embassy in Berlin at embapar.de. read up.

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Currency

According to allcitycodes, the currency of Paraguay is the guaraní (1 euro = approx. 7,930 guaranies, as of February 2021). The Central Bank of Paraguay (1952) issues banknotes and oversees foreign trade. Inflation has been limited in the past. There have been some price increases, especially within the last 2 years.

Only a few currencies have such different money as the Guarani (Gs). In the case of small change in particular, there are different coins of one value due to different coinage. The 2,000 and 5,000 Guaranies notes are even made of plastic.

You get used to the additional 3 zeros in the money pretty quickly. The good thing about it is that almost everyone in this country can be a “millionaire”. Below is the current money with 1,000 Guaranies coin and the banknotes of 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000 Guaranies.

Payment transactions

In larger cities, cash can be withdrawn from ATMs using bank cards and international credit cards (e.g. Visa Card, Master Card). The maximum withdrawal amount per withdrawal is often 1,500,000 Gs, which corresponds to around € 220 depending on the rate. As a rule, you can withdraw this amount twice in a row. Due to the withdrawal fee of 25,000 Gs per withdrawal (approx. € 3.50), it is worth withdrawing the maximum amount. Cashless payments are possible in most of the larger shops, restaurants and hotels.

Larger purchases such as real estate or vehicles can often be paid for in dollars. Or you can exchange dollars for guaraní. So that there are no problems when exchanging it, it is important to ensure that the banknotes are not torn, kinked or written on. The exchange of money should only be done in public exchange offices.