"Over 140 countries visa-free" is the line every second-passport pitch uses about Paraguay, and it is broadly true. It is also the least useful sentence you will read on the subject, because it hides the part that decides whether the passport solves your problem: which countries, and which four it does not open.
This guide gives the number, explains why every source states a different one, and then does the thing the marketing pages avoid, which is naming the gaps.
How Many Countries the Paraguayan Passport Opens
Around 145, depending on who is counting and when.
The Henley Passport Index 2026 puts the Paraguayan passport at 145 destinations and ranks it 29th in the world. Wikipedia's tally of visa requirements for Paraguayan citizens gives 146 countries and territories and a rank of 26th. The Arton Passport Index places Paraguay 24th.
For a passport that costs nothing beyond a residency process, that is a genuinely strong position. It sits in the same broad band as several EU passports and well ahead of most of Latin America.
Why Every Source Gives the Passport a Different Number
The spread is not sloppiness, it is methodology, and understanding it stops you comparing two numbers that were never comparable.
Some indices count countries, others count destinations, which includes territories such as Hong Kong or Gibraltar that are not sovereign states. Some fold visa-on-arrival and electronic travel authorizations into the visa-free total; others separate them. Rankings are also relative: your passport can improve in rank while losing destinations, because everyone else lost more.
Paraguay did exactly that between 2025 and 2026. Henley recorded the count falling from 148 to 145 while the rank improved from 30th to 29th. Nothing about the passport got better. Other passports got worse.
Treat any single figure as an indicator rather than a fact you can act on, and check the specific country you actually care about before booking.
Where the Paraguayan Passport Travels Visa-Free
The strengths cluster in Europe and parts of Asia.
| Destination | Status for Paraguayan citizens |
|---|---|
| Schengen Area | Visa-free, 90 days in any 180 |
| United Kingdom | ETA required, up to 6 months |
| Japan | Visa-free, 90 days (since 1 June 2025) |
| Russia | Visa-free, 90 days in any 180 |
| Singapore | Visa-free, 30 days |
| South Korea | K-ETA required, 30 days, valid 3 years |
Schengen access is the center of gravity here. Twenty-nine European countries on one authorization-free entry, for three months out of every six, is the single most valuable thing in the list, and it is what makes the Paraguayan passport a real travel document rather than a curiosity.
Japan is a recent addition worth noting, since visa-free access there only took effect in June 2025.
The Four Destinations the Paraguayan Passport Does Not Open
Here is what the marketing leaves out, and for many readers it is decisive.
| Destination | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Visa required |
| Canada | Visa required (exception: US green-card holders) |
| China | Visa required |
| Australia | Visa required, e600 applied for online |
If your reason for wanting a second passport is easier access to the United States, a Paraguayan document does not deliver it. Paraguay is not in the US Visa Waiver Program, so you would still apply for a B1/B2 like any other Paraguayan citizen. The same holds for Canada, unless you happen to hold a US green card.
This is the most common mismatch between what people buy and what they wanted. It is worth being blunt about it before five years of residency, not after.
"Visa-Free" Increasingly Means Pre-Authorization
The category is quietly eroding everywhere, and not only for Paraguay.
The United Kingdom now requires an ETA before travel. South Korea requires a K-ETA, valid three years once approved. Both are cheap and granted online in most cases, but both are a step you have to remember, and both can be refused.
Counting these as "visa-free" is defensible, since they are not visas. Treating them as "turn up and enter" is not.
Europe Adds an ETIAS Layer for Paraguayan Travelers
The change worth putting in your calendar is ETIAS, the European travel authorization for visa-exempt nationals.
As of August 2026 it is not yet in force, despite years of announcements. The European Commission has pointed to a launch in the final quarter of 2026, with a fee around €20 and a transitional period running into 2027 during which enforcement is expected to be lenient.
When it starts, Schengen entry on a Paraguayan passport will still be visa-free, but it will require an approved ETIAS beforehand. If Europe is the reason the passport appeals to you, that is a small administrative change rather than a loss of access, and it is better to know it is coming.
The Mercosur Benefit No Passport Index Measures
Passport rankings measure tourism access. For Paraguay they undercount the thing that may matter most.
As a Mercosur member, Paraguay gives its citizens rights across the bloc that go well beyond a tourist stamp, including the ability to settle in member states under the residence agreement. Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and the associated states are not simply "visa-free for 90 days"; they are places a Paraguayan can move to.
For anyone whose horizon includes South America rather than only holidays, that is worth more than a dozen small island territories on a list.
What the Passport Is Actually Good For
Three profiles get real value.
People with a weak passport today. The jump is enormous. Our guides for readers from Nigeria, India and Ghana cover that gap in detail, and for those readers Schengen access alone changes how travel works.
People wanting a second document as insurance. Paraguay tolerates dual nationality in practice, so the passport adds to your portfolio rather than replacing what you hold. Our citizenship and second passport guide covers the naturalization requirements.
People already building a life in Paraguay. If you are going through residency anyway, the passport is the endpoint of a path you are already on rather than a separate project.
What a Paraguayan Passport Cannot Fix
It does not give US access, as above.
It does not change your tax position by itself either. Citizenship and tax residency are different things, and holding a Paraguayan passport while living elsewhere does not make you a Paraguayan tax resident. That distinction is set out in immigration status versus tax residency.
And it does not arrive quickly. Naturalization follows roughly two years of temporary residency and three years of permanent residency, so about five years from arrival before the passport is even on the table, plus the process itself.
Thinking about the passport at the end of the path? A free intro call covers the residency route, the realistic timeline, and whether the destination list actually solves your problem. Book a call
Frequently Asked Questions About the Paraguay Passport
How many visa-free countries does the Paraguay passport have?
Around 145. The Henley Passport Index 2026 lists 145 destinations at rank 29, Wikipedia's tally gives 146 countries and territories at rank 26, and the Arton index ranks Paraguay 24th. The differences come from whether territories and visa-on-arrival entries are counted.
Can Paraguayan passport holders travel to Europe without a visa?
Yes. The Schengen Area allows 90 days in any 180-day period visa-free. From the fourth quarter of 2026 an approved ETIAS authorization is expected to be required before travel, which is a pre-authorization rather than a visa.
Does a Paraguay passport give visa-free access to the United States?
No. Paraguay is not in the US Visa Waiver Program, so Paraguayan citizens apply for a US visa in the normal way. Canada also requires a visa, except for holders of a US green card. This is the most common misunderstanding about the passport.
Is the Paraguayan passport getting stronger or weaker?
Both, depending on the measure. Henley recorded destinations falling from 148 in 2025 to 145 in 2026, while the ranking improved from 30th to 29th, because other passports lost ground faster. Rank movement alone tells you little.
How long does it take to get a Paraguayan passport?
Roughly five years of residency before naturalization is available: about two years of temporary residency followed by three years of permanent residency, plus the naturalization process itself, which includes basic Spanish and evidence of genuine ties.
Does the Paraguayan passport allow dual citizenship?
Paraguay tolerates dual nationality in practice, which is a large part of why the passport works as an addition rather than a replacement. Whether your current country permits it is a separate question governed by its own law, and worth confirming before you start.
Weighing a second passport against what you actually need? Get in touch for a free initial consultation on residency, timelines and the realistic destination list. See the packages and pricing if you want the costs first.
Sources
- ▹Henley Passport Index
- ▹Wikipedia: visa requirements for Paraguayan citizens
- ▹Passport Index (Arton Capital): global ranking
- ▹European Union: ETIAS, the official travel authorization page
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not immigration or legal advice. Visa policies change frequently and passport index figures are snapshots that differ by methodology and date. Confirm the requirement for your specific destination and nationality with that country's official source before you travel or make plans.
About the author
Yannick Schroth
Founder · Paraguay relocation advisor
Lives in Asunción and guides international nomads, entrepreneurs and investors toward residency, a cédula and a tax-efficient structure in Paraguay.
Note: this article reflects the position at the time of publication. Laws, prices and deadlines can change, so individual details may since be out of date. For your own situation, please check the current position or ask us directly.
