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.
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. The government is now projecting more than 80,000 applications across 2026.
Treat the 2026 projection as an official estimate rather than a certainty, but the trend line through actual first-quarter data is unusually steep.
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 the headline draw for remote workers 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. Even the tighter proof-of-income rules under the July 2026 solvency reform have not dented demand.
What It Means for You
A surge in applications is good news and a warning at once. Good, because it validates the destination and deepens the expat community. A warning, because higher volume plus the new solvency rules means processing is busier and files need to be cleaner 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. Residency is what unlocks Paraguay's 0% on foreign-source income, but it turns on genuine tax residency, not the application alone. 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?
The main pulls are the 0% territorial tax on foreign income, a low cost of living, and a fast, 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 maps the residency route, the documents, and the tax questions to your situation. Get in touch.
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.
