Paraguay Tightens Residency Audits and Presence Rules
Paraguay is now enforcing a strict requirement for temporary residents to visit the country at least once every 12 months to maintain status. Authorities are also implementing a zero-tolerance policy on criminal records and conducting thorough audits of all passport pages during the application process.
Paraguay Tightens Residency Audits and Presence Rules
Paraguay has recently shifted its administrative approach to residency, moving from a flexible "paper-based" culture to a strict digital enforcement of Law 6984/2022. While the law itself has been on the books for several years, the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones began a new phase of digital enforcement on March 9, 2026. Authorities are now using automated tracking to ensure temporary residents are actually spending time in the country.
The most significant change involves the "upgrade" from temporary to permanent status. To qualify for permanent residency, you must now prove you were not absent from Paraguay for more than 365 consecutive days. Even a single day over this limit will block your application, forcing you to apply for a two-year extension of your temporary status instead of moving to a permanent permit.
Who is affected
These updates primarily impact digital nomads and expats who use Paraguay as a "backup" residency or a tax home while traveling elsewhere. If you have been outside the country for more than a year without a stamped entry, your path to permanent residency is effectively reset.
Applicants are also facing a "zero-tolerance" policy regarding criminal records. Since late 2025, officials have intensified audits of all passport pages and movement records. You must provide clean, apostilled criminal record certificates from your home country and any country where you have lived recently, alongside local Paraguayan police and Interpol clearances.
What to do
If you are planning to transition from temporary to permanent residency, you should request your Constancia de Movimiento Migratorio early to verify your travel dates. This document costs approximately Gs. 223,004 ($30 USD) and serves as the official record of your presence in the country.
The application for residency itself costs about Gs. 2,787,550 ($370 USD) and requires an in-person visit to a migration office for biometric data collection. Ensure all your foreign documents are legalized or apostilled before arrival, as the window for document validity is often short. You can stay informed on these visa updates as the digital system continues to evolve.
Read our full Paraguay guide for the complete picture.