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Residency & stay

Permanent residency: the change after two years

Two years into temporary residency comes the change into permanent residency (cambio de categoría). We prepare the file under the solvency rules in force since July 2026 and lodge it with Migraciones.

Price
from $2,100
Duration
Filed between month 21 and month 24
For whom
Temporary residents nearing the two-year mark
Get in touchCalculate your price

A temporary residency runs for two years, and nothing turns it into a permanent one by itself. Staying on means a separate application to Migraciones, and the window for it is narrow: it opens in month 21 and closes when the 24 months run out. The permanent resident’s cédula that follows is valid for ten years, and three years of permanent residency are what a later naturalization builds on.

Since 6 July 2026 the real work sits in the solvency evidence. Resolución DNM 407/2026 applies only to this second stage, not to the first, and sorts applicants into twelve categories. Migraciones wants to see that you actually carry on the activity you name, not merely that money arrives. An apostilled degree no longer carries a file on its own, and self-employed applicants need a RUC that has been active for at least four months on the day they file.

That is why our part starts well before the window opens. We match your real source of income to a category, agree the document list with our partner on the ground and file only once the package holds together. This step is not part of any residency package and is booked on its own.

What's included

  • Matching your actual source of income to one of the twelve solvency categories
  • A document list for that category, agreed with our partner in Paraguay
  • A check against your first application, so the category is consistent with your temporary residency
  • Review of the complete file before it is lodged
  • The application for the change into permanent residency (cambio de categoría) at Migraciones
  • Follow-up until the decision, including any requests from the authority
  • The Migraciones government fee and the sworn translations of your documents

Process

  1. 1An early first call: around month 18 for the documents, or six to eight months ahead if you are self-employed, because of the four-month RUC rule
  2. 2Choosing the solvency category and fixing the document list
  3. 3You obtain the home-country documents and their apostilles (or consular legalization), and we review the full package
  4. 4Filing at Migraciones inside the window between month 21 and month 24
  5. 5Processing by Migraciones; once approved, the permanent resident’s cédula with ten years of validity

The filing window is only three months wide. Miss it and the connection is lost: the residency path starts again from the beginning. Migraciones publishes no binding processing time for the change, so we build in a buffer for follow-up questions.

Who is this for?

For temporary residents who want to stay in Paraguay for good after two years, or who are aiming for citizenship later. Plan especially early if you are self-employed, since your RUC must already be four months old when you file, or if your income does not slot neatly into one category. If you enter through the Paraguay Investor Pass, you receive permanent residency directly and skip this change altogether.

Pricing

  • Permanent residency$2,100

Not part of any residency package; bookable as an add-on only. The price includes the Migraciones government fee (25 jornales mínimos, 2,926,925 PYG in cash since 1 July 2026) and the sworn translations of your documents. Not included: the apostilles or consular legalizations of your home-country documents, which you arrange where they were issued.

Important note: Migraciones decides on the change, and it can alter a category’s evidence list without notice; what counts is the position on the day you file. The authority checks whether your papers show a real economic activity, and incoming payments alone do not prove that. We are neither a law firm nor a tax adviser: we coordinate the application with our partner on the ground, and tax questions about your category go to the partner tax adviser. US citizens and green-card holders remain taxed by the IRS on worldwide income whatever their Paraguayan status.

More on this topic

In-depth guide: permanent residency in 2026The residency timeline, month by monthDirect route or standard route: the comparisonThe next step: citizenship and a second passport

FAQ

When can I apply for permanent residency in Paraguay?
From month 21 of your temporary residency at the earliest, and the application must be in before the two years expire. On top of that, you must not have been out of Paraguay for more than twelve consecutive months since your temporary card was issued (Ley 6984/2022). Start gathering the documents around month 18.
Did Resolución DNM 407/2026 already apply to my temporary residency?
No. Migraciones asks for no documentary proof of solvency at the temporary stage. The resolution governs the evidence for permanent residency and covers every application filed from 6 July 2026, so it reaches you at the change even if your temporary residency was granted before that date.
What counts as proof of "actually carrying on the activity" for Paraguayan permanent residency?
Evidence that you really do the work you declare, not only that money comes in. Depending on the category that can be an IPS social-security record or an employment contract registered with the Labor Ministry; for the self-employed, the RUC certificate with the last three monthly IVA returns or the annual IRP return; for remote workers, an apostilled contract with proof of payments; for pensioners, an apostilled pension statement showing the amount.
Does DNM 407/2026 set a minimum income for permanent residency?
The resolution itself names no amount, and we do not publish category minimums: the text is a scan without a text layer, and the figures that circulate online are unsourced. What we do is check your evidence against the current practice at Migraciones before anything is filed.
Can I use a different solvency category for permanent residency than for my temporary residency?
It is not forbidden. A category that differs from the one behind your temporary residency tends to trigger questions and costs time, though, which is why we compare both applications before filing.
What is the Migraciones fee for the change into permanent residency?
The fee is 25 jornales mínimos. Since 1 July 2026 (Decreto 6225/2026, Resolución DNM 478/2026) that is 2,926,925 PYG in cash and slightly more by debit or credit card. With our service the fee is included in the price, as are the sworn translations; only the apostilles of your home-country documents come on top.
Is there a direct route to permanent residency in Paraguay without the temporary stage?
Yes, for two groups. Spouses and children of Paraguayan nationals can go straight to the permanent stage. Everyone else needs a qualifying investment: the Paraguay Investor Pass under Resolución MIC 0283/2026 leads directly to permanent residency from $70,000 in the productive category (business plan and five formal jobs), from $150,000 in tourism, or from $200,000 in financial instruments or in real estate that you do not live in yourself. We handle that route as a separate service, including the property search for the real-estate category.
What if my evidence for Paraguayan permanent residency is not ready in time?
Then extending the temporary residency for another two years can be the cleaner route. What matters is that the extension is filed while the temporary residency is still valid. We offer the extension as a service of its own.

Related services

Paraguay residency and cédulaExtending temporary residency (ampliación)RUC / tax number in ParaguayParaguayan citizenship: naturalizationParaguay Investor Pass: permanent residency through an investment

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