Paraguay's Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (DNM) received 49,538 residency applications between January and September 2026, already 3.9% above the 47,687 filed in all of 2025, the previous record. It granted 46,879 residencies in the same period, against 40,600 for the whole of last year. As the figures circulated, the DNM opened another week of its mobile office in Ciudad del Este on Monday 2 November, where Brazilian applicants have set up camp on the sidewalks to wait for a number.
Photo: “Route PY02 passes through Ciudad del Este 112255” by Cmasi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and scaled (WebP)
The application split is 39,916 temporary and 9,622 permanent, according to DNM data published by La Tribuna and Crónica. Leila Olavarrieta, the DNM's director general for foreigners, told La Tribuna she expects the year to close above 50,000.
What the Residency Applications Show Quarter by Quarter
The record is real, and the growth rate is falling. Comparing each period with the same months of 2025 shows the slope:
| Period (2026) | Applications | Same period 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| January to March | 18,071 | 9,760 | +85% |
| January to June | 33,243 | 20,567 | +62% |
| January to September | 49,538 | 33,589 | +47.5% |
| Third quarter alone (our calculation) | about 16,300 | about 13,000 | about +25% |
The third-quarter line is our own subtraction, not a DNM figure. It still shows more filings than the second quarter, at about 15,200, so demand has not dropped; the comparison base has simply grown. Olavarrieta described the trend as growth of roughly 30% a year, which sits between the nine-month figure and the third-quarter one.
The government's April projection of more than 80,000 applications for 2026 now looks out of reach. It would take about 30,500 filings in the last three months, nearly twice the busiest quarter so far.
Who Is Applying for Residency in Paraguay
Brazilians dominate. About 31,700 of the applications through September came from Brazilian citizens, La Tribuna reports, which is roughly 64% by our calculation, and Crónica puts them at about 67.6% of residencies granted this year. In 2025 they took 58% of grants, so their share is still rising.
Crónica lists the next nationalities as Argentine, German, Spanish, Venezuelan, American, Dutch, Russian, Bolivian and French, without giving numbers for them. Olavarrieta named study, investment and starting a business as the main motives, with real estate and commerce standing out among the businesses. La Tribuna also credits digital processes and shorter card delivery times at the foreigners' directorate.
Queues at the MigraMóvil in Ciudad del Este
The DNM's mobile office, MigraMóvil, is running its sixth edition of the year in Ciudad del Este at the Centro Cultural Mangoré. La Nación reports 250 appointment slots per session, numbers handed out from 07:00 on the day, half an hour before service begins, and no advance booking for later dates. Anyone who misses out joins the line for the next morning.
That rule is what produces the camps. Appointments, in the DNM's words, "serán intransferibles y tendrán validez solo para el día de emisión", so they cannot be transferred and hold only for the day issued. La Nación says camping has been the pattern for about three earlier editions this year, and that according to the DNM 95% of the applications at these sessions come from Brazilians.
On the list are temporary residency and its extension, permanent residency, replacement and renewal of cards, the certificado de radicación and spontaneous residence. La Tribuna counts about 22 MigraMóvil visits in 2026, including Pedro Juan Caballero, Salto del Guairá and Carmelo Peralta, and expects more than 1,200 people in this one week. The DNM's site lists a further edition for 16 to 20 November; we could not confirm its venue.
What the Record Means for People Moving to Paraguay
None of this changes the rules. Residency still runs under Ley 6984/2022, temporary residency is granted for up to two years and can be extended once for the same period, and the solvency evidence for permanent status follows Resolución DNM 407/2026. No new fee or requirement came with these figures.
The practical effect is on capacity. As our report on the September edition noted, rising volumes tend to show up as waiting time. Applicants who settle in or near Asunción normally file there, so the Ciudad del Este queue is not their route. Still, a complete file on the first attempt matters more when each appointment is hard to get.
Two details are useful while a file is pending. La Tribuna repeats that applicants hold residente precario status, which allows leaving and re-entering the country, studying and working. And temporary residency is the prerequisite for permanent residency, so a timeline should count both stages, as our guide to the residency timeline sets out.
Frequently Asked Questions About Paraguay Residency Applications
How many residency applications did Paraguay receive in 2026?
Paraguay's migration directorate received 49,538 residency applications from January to September 2026: 39,916 temporary and 9,622 permanent. That already exceeds the 47,687 filed in all of 2025. It granted 46,879 residencies in the same period, compared with 40,600 for the whole of 2025.
Which nationality files the most residency applications in Paraguay?
Brazilians, by a wide margin. About 31,700 applications through September 2026 came from Brazilian citizens, and they hold about 67.6% of residencies granted this year. Argentine, German and Spanish nationals follow, according to Paraguay's migration directorate as reported by local press.
Can I book a MigraMóvil appointment in Ciudad del Este in advance?
No. MigraMóvil numbers in Ciudad del Este are handed out in person on the day, are valid only for that day and cannot be transferred. La Nación reports 250 slots per session in November 2026, with distribution from 07:00. Anyone without a number has to try again the next morning.
Filing in Asunción rather than at a border operation? We organize the appointments for your residency and cédula, and Migraciones and our partner lawyer handle the legal review. See how the residency service works.
As of 2 November 2026: this report rests on press coverage of DNM data, since the directorate's own site could not be reached from our systems while writing. Quarterly differences are our own arithmetic. It is not legal advice, and requirements can change, so check them with Migraciones.
Sources
- ▹La Tribuna: Más de 49.000 extranjeros solicitaron radicarse en Paraguay en 2026 (30 October 2026)
- ▹La Tribuna: Migrantes eligen Paraguay y pedidos de residencia registran un récord histórico (2 November 2026)
- ▹Crónica: Paraguay atrae cada vez a más extranjeros (30 October 2026)
- ▹La Nación: Brasileños acampan para realizar trámites de residencia en Paraguay (2 November 2026)
- ▹Diario HOY: Paraguay, tierra prometida, 33.589 solicitudes enero a septiembre 2025 (27 October 2025)
- ▹Migraciones: MigraMóvil
About the author
Yannick Schroth
Founder · Paraguay relocation support
Spends regular time in Paraguay and, with his team on the ground in Asunción, guides international nomads, entrepreneurs and investors through residency, the cédula and the RUC paperwork.
