Foreigners are applying to live in Paraguay in numbers the country has never seen. According to the National Directorate of Migration (DNM), 47,687 residency applications were filed in 2025, up 63% on 2024, a record. The pace has only accelerated: applications in the first quarter of 2026 reached 18,071, an 85% jump on the same period a year earlier. Here is what is behind the rush, and what it does not change.
Update, 13 September 2026: Migraciones later reported 33,243 applications for the first half of 2026, a pace below the 80,000 full-year projection quoted here. We have also clarified that the 2026 solvency rules apply to permanent-residency applications only.
Photo: “Legal Contract & Signature - Warm Tones” by Blogtrepreneur, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, scaled (WebP)
The Numbers Behind the Record
The DNM's figures, updated to 31 December 2025, show 47,687 applications filed and 40,600 residencies granted over the year, the latter up 42%. Momentum carried straight into 2026: 2,817 applications in just the first 20 days of January, then 18,071 for the full first quarter against 9,760 a year earlier. In April the government was projecting more than 80,000 applications across 2026.
Treat that projection as an official estimate rather than a certainty. The half-year figures published in July, 33,243 applications to June and up 62%, still set a record pace, but a slower one than the first quarter suggested.
Who Is Moving
The applicant pool is regional first. Brazilians led approvals in 2025 by a wide margin, with 23,526 residencies granted, about 58% of the total, followed by Argentina with 4,366. Germany ranked third with 1,652, the largest non-neighboring source and a sign the draw reaches well beyond South America.
That mix fits Paraguay's pitch of a cheap, fast base open to a broad range of nationalities. Our guide to Paraguay residency and the cédula covers how the process actually runs.
What Is Driving the Rush
Three things stack up. Paraguay's 0% territorial tax on foreign income is often cited by investors and entrepreneurs, a low cost of living does the rest for retirees and families, and the new Investor Pass opened a faster route for people putting capital in. The July 2026 solvency reform came after the data above, and it tightens proof of means only for permanent residency; a first temporary application needs only a signed declaración jurada about how you intend to live and work here.
What It Means for You
A surge in applications is good news and a warning at once. Good, because it shows sustained demand and a growing expat community. A warning, because higher volume means processing is busier, and anyone moving on to permanent residency now faces a stricter solvency file than a year ago. If a move is on your horizon, the practical takeaway is to prepare your documents properly and early rather than improvise at the counter, and our permanent-residency guide sets out the path.
On tax, be precise. Paraguay's 0% covers income arising abroad and requires tax residency under Paraguayan law, which a contador clarifies, not just a residency application. Remote work physically done while living here is Paraguayan-source and taxed locally under the IRP or IRE at 8% to 10%, even for foreign clients, so a Paraguayan adviser should review your case before you count on 0%.
US citizens and green-card holders remain taxed on their worldwide income regardless of where they live, so take US-qualified advice if that applies to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people applied for Paraguay residency in 2025?
A record 47,687, up 63% on 2024, per the National Directorate of Migration. The country granted 40,600 residencies over the year, a 42% increase. Applications kept climbing into 2026, reaching 18,071 in the first quarter alone.
Who is moving to Paraguay?
Mostly people from the region. Brazilians took about 58% of 2025 approvals (23,526), ahead of Argentina (4,366). Germany was the top non-neighboring source with 1,652, showing the appeal extends beyond South America.
Why are so many people applying for Paraguay residency?
Commonly cited reasons are the territorial treatment of foreign income, a low cost of living, and an accessible residency process that now includes the Investor Pass. None of it removes US tax for US persons, who are taxed on worldwide income wherever they live.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not individual legal, immigration or tax advice. Application figures come from official reports and can be revised, and rules and processing times change. Confirm current requirements with Migraciones or a qualified adviser before you act.
Sources
- ▹Agencia IP: over 18,000 foreigners applied for residency in Q1 2026
- ▹MercoPress: Paraguay attracts record foreigners with low taxes and new investor residency program
Thinking about a move to Paraguay? A short intro call walks through the residency route, the documents and the timeline. Tax questions are answered by the licensed professionals in our partner network rather than by us. Get in touch.
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.
