Among other things, the new legislation grants a Temporary Residence for two years, which enables to apply for a Paraguayan Identity Card for the same period. This is a necessary requirement for foreigners to be able to make investments in the country, taking advantage of the benefits that Paraguay offers for such activities.

Paraguay has a new Migration Law, which aims to "modernize the national migration management and the hierarchy of the institution in charge of its application", in line with the recommendations of international organizations specialized in migration policies.

Law 6984/22 entered into force last October 18, replacing the previous legislation, which dated back to 1996. In organizational matters, the new regulation establishes the hierarchy of the enforcement authority, replacing the former General Directorate of Migration with the new National Directorate of Migration.

Residence and access to the Paraguayan Identity Card

As from the new regulations, Temporary Residents may now have access to the Paraguayan Identity Card, with a duration equal to that of their Residence Card, which enables them to carry out procedures and access the public services they need. Under the previous legislation only Permanent Residents could do so.

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Additionally, the Temporary Residency has a term of two years, as opposed to the previous law, which only granted it for one year.

On the other hand, foreigners who are in the process of obtaining Temporary Residence will enjoy the status of Precarious Residents during the process of obtaining the Temporary Residence. The Precarious Residence allows them to transit freely and to carry out all kinds of lawful activities.

Three categories of Residence

The new Immigration Law provides for three categories of residenceSpontaneous or Occasional Residence, Temporary Residence and Permanent Residence.

Spontaneous or Occasional Residence is a new subcategory for foreigners arriving in Paraguay for the purpose of carrying out occasional activities for a period of up to 90 days, extendable for another equal period.

Regarding Permanent Residence, the new regulation establishes the requirement of having, previously, a Temporary Residence, after the term of validity of which they will be able to access the Permanent Residence.

This requirement is not necessary in the case of foreigners who are relatives of Paraguayans (children, spouses and grandchildren, the latter up to the age of 18), as well as foreigners who make investments in Paraguay in accordance with the SUACE (Unified System of Business Attention for the Opening and Closing of Companies) regulations.

Renewal of Permanent Residence Card

Persons who obtain Permanent Residence as of the new Law must renew it every ten years in order to be able to renew their Paraguayan Identity Card as well.

This requirement does not apply to those who have obtained Permanent Residence under the previous Law, since the current Law is not retroactive.

Procedures that are still in force

Notwithstanding the new regulations, the procedures established under the Mercosur Residence Agreement for Children and Spouses of Paraguayans (Law 2193/2003), the General Law on Refugees (Law 1938/20029, the "Patria Grande" Decree for Argentinean Citizens (Decree 9032/2007), and Law 6774/2021 for Uruguayan Citizens are still in force.

In a nutshell

• Foreigners may request the Temporary Admission Card and, once the document is obtained, the Paraguayan Identity Card will be requested.
• The Temporary Admission Card is a fundamental requirement to apply for Permanent Residence, with the exception of spouses, children and grandchildren (the latter up to 18 years of age) and foreigners who can reliably demonstrate the realization of investments in the Republic of Paraguay. They will be able to access directly to a Permanent Residence.
• Permanent residents who obtained their cards under the previous Law (978/1996) are not required to renew their cards, since the Law is not retroactive.
• Foreigners who initiate the Temporary Residence procedure will have the status of Precarious Resident for the duration of the procedure before the National Direction of Migration. This document will allow them to move freely and carry out lawful activities in the country.