Paraguay now asks permanent residency applicants to show real means of support

Paraguay has kept the first step of its residency process simple, and it still is. What has changed is the second step. Since July 6, 2026, foreigners applying to convert temporary residency into permanent residency must show that they have a lawful, real means of supporting themselves, documented according to the activity they declare.

The rule comes from Resolution 407 of 2026, issued by the National Directorate of Migration, the agency that grants residency in Paraguay. The resolution is dated May 28, 2026, and law firms and trade press report that it applies to applications filed from July 6.

What Resolution 407 does

Paraguayan law has long required economic solvency, meaning the ability to support yourself, for permanent residency. Until now the rules on how to prove it were spread across six different instruments and applied unevenly. Resolution 407 brings them into one framework that covers permanent residency under both Law 6984/2022, the general Migration Law, and the Mercosur residence agreement, which gives citizens of South American partner countries a simpler route.

The resolution does not set a minimum income figure. Instead, migration officers check that the documents show genuine, regular activity that matches the profile the applicant declared. A university degree on its own, for example, is no longer enough: a professional must show that the qualification actually produces income.

The twelve categories

Applicants prove support under one of twelve categories: professionals, technicians, employees, independent workers in commerce or services, remote workers and digital nomads, property owners, company shareholders or partners, farmers and ranchers, religious workers, retirees and pensioners, dependents, and students. Typical evidence includes:

• Employees: registration with IPS, the national social security institute, or an employment contract approved by the Ministry of Labour.
• Independent workers: a taxpayer registration, the last three months of VAT returns or the latest annual personal income tax return, and a certificate showing tax compliance.
• Remote workers and digital nomads: a work certificate showing income and how it is paid, with foreign documents apostilled and translated into Spanish.
• Property owners: a title registered in the national property registry, with registration dating back at least two years. Officers may also ask about the income the property produces.
• Shareholders: registered share records, including for an EAS, Paraguay’s simplified company. A dormant stake in an inactive company is a weak basis.
• Retirees: a certificate showing the pension amount and how it is paid. It must be a pension actually being drawn.

The rule that an absence of more than one year in a row during temporary residency can cancel it is now being applied strictly at the conversion stage.

What has not changed

Temporary residency, which lasts up to two years, still requires no investment, deposit or proof of income. The resolution applies only at the permanent stage. The investor route is also untouched: holders of a Foreign Investor Certificate under the Investor Pass, created by Resolution 0283 of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in April 2026, skip temporary residency and apply for permanent residency directly. Its tracks start at US$70,000 for a productive business with at least five formal jobs, US$150,000 for tourism and US$200,000 for real estate or financial instruments.

Applicants now also sign every document as a sworn statement, and migration authorities are introducing automated cross checks. Files with inconsistent or irregular documents can be blocked and referred to prosecutors.

What it means if you are considering Paraguay

Paraguay remains one of the easiest places in the world to obtain a first residency. The difference is that the path to permanent status now rewards people who use the temporary period to build something real: a job, a registered business, rental property held for two years or a documented remote income. Planning that activity from the first day, and keeping the paperwork that proves it, is now part of the process.

People who would rather not build local activity can look at the investor route instead. We help clients choose the right path, prepare the permanent application and the evidence it requires, work with our local team, and quote our fees in writing.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice.