Paraguay citizenship: residency first, then naturalisation
There is no shortcut to a Paraguayan passport. You hold permanent residency, live here for the required time, then apply to the Supreme Court for naturalisation. We handle the residency years that application rests on, and plan them around the date you can apply.
The short answer
Paraguay's Constitution sets four conditions for naturalisation: legal adulthood, a minimum of 3 years' residence (radicación) in Paraguay, a profession, trade, science, art or industry exercised in the country, and good conduct (Constitution, art. 148). In practice the residence has to be as a permanent resident: at least 3 years of permanent residency, counted from the date of the permanent residency resolution. Nothing about citizenship is automatic. After the qualifying period you apply to the Supreme Court (Corte Suprema de Justicia), which reviews the file and, if it is satisfied, issues a naturalisation certificate (carta de naturalización).
The path, stage by stage
| Stage | What it takes | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Temporary residency | up to two years (renewable), then permanent residency can be requested in the last 90 days of the card | Migration office (DNM) |
| 2. Permanent residency | A change of category from temporary, or direct through the Investor Pass. Proof of means is documented, verifiable income or assets matched to one of 12 applicant categories — no fixed minimum amount. | Migration office (DNM) |
| 3. Qualifying residence | at least 3 years of permanent residency, counted from the date of the permanent residency resolution, living and working here, not just holding the card | You, by how you live |
| 4. Naturalisation | An application to the Supreme Court with your residency record, identity documents and background checks | Corte Suprema de Justicia |
The first two stages are the ones we file every week. See temporary residency and permanent residency for how each one works, or the Investor Pass if you are considering the direct route.
Living here, not just holding a card
The permanent card has its own minimum-presence rule: at least one entry every three years — an unjustified absence of more than 3 consecutive years cancels permanent residency. That rule keeps the card alive. It does not, on its own, show that you have lived in Paraguay and worked here, which is what the Constitution asks of a new citizen. Someone who spends most of the year abroad and flies in once every few years may only find that out at the court stage, when it is too late to change the record.
If citizenship is the goal, build the record as you go: a lease or property in your name, a RUC and tax filings if you work or run a business here, and a clean history of entries and exits. The migration office issues a certificate of your movements, and it is worth checking yours every year rather than once, at the end. How a court weighs each item is case by case, which is exactly why it helps to plan it from the start.
Can you keep your current passport?
This is the question to settle first, not last. Paraguay's rule is that multiple nationality is admitted only by international treaty or by reciprocity of constitutional rank between the two countries (Constitution, art. 149); Ley 7052/2023 protects natural-born Paraguayans who take another nationality, not naturalised ones. The UK allows its citizens to hold another nationality; other countries do not, and some remove citizenship when you naturalise elsewhere. Check both sides for your own nationality before you file, with your own country's authorities and with the lawyer who prepares the application.
What citizenship adds, and what it doesn't
- It adds a Paraguayan passport and freedom from the residency presence rule.
- It doesn't change your tax position by itself. Paraguay taxes on a territorial basis whatever your nationality, and the UK taxes on residence, not citizenship.
- You don't need it to live, work, bank or buy property here. Permanent residency already covers all of that, which is why most residents never need it.
What we do, and what we don't
We file the residency stages: temporary residency, the change to permanent residency and the cédula. If you tell us at the start that citizenship is the goal, we plan those stages around it: the resolution dates kept safe, your travel pattern checked against both the presence rule and the residence test, and the records you will need later collected as you go. Our fee for each stage is quoted in writing before you commit; see pricing.
The naturalisation application itself is a court filing. Before you reach that stage, we tell you in writing who prepares it, what it involves and what it costs. We don't quote it on a web page, because the court stage depends on your record and not on a standard package. If you are comparing providers for any of this, our guide to choosing a Paraguay residency agent lists the questions worth asking, including of us.
Not sure yet which residency route starts the clock soonest for you? The Route Finder takes about two minutes. Anyone selling citizenship for an investment is selling something Paraguay doesn't offer: the Investor Pass team explains why.
Frequently asked
- How long does it take to get Paraguayan citizenship?
- The residency stages come first: usually temporary residency, then permanent residency, then the minimum period of permanent residency before you can apply. The naturalisation itself is a court process with no published processing time. Plan in years, not months, and count from the date on your permanent residency resolution.
- Can I skip temporary residency to get there faster?
- Only through the Investor Pass, which grants permanent residency directly to qualifying investors. It shortens the residency stage. It does not shorten the time you must hold permanent residency before applying for citizenship.
- Can I keep my British passport?
- The UK allows its citizens to hold another nationality. Paraguay only admits multiple nationality through a treaty with your country of origin, so check how that applies to you before you file anything. We would rather you asked that question in year one than in the week you apply.
- Do I need to speak Spanish or Guaraní?
- The four conditions in the Constitution do not include a language test. The process itself runs in Spanish, though, so if yours is limited, plan for help with the court stage.
- Is there citizenship by investment in Paraguay?
- No. Paraguay has no programme that sells citizenship. Investment can get you permanent residency faster; the years of residence and the court application still apply.
What happens next
You write to us
On WhatsApp or the form: your nationality, where you live now and what you want to do.
We answer in writing
The route that fits, the documents you need and the fee, before you commit to anything.
You decide
Nothing starts until you say yes in writing. If it is not a fit, we say so.
- Who replies
- A person on our team reads your message and answers it, not a bot.
- How fast
- We answer in writing as soon as we can, and tell you if it will take longer.
- Price
- a fixed service fee quoted in writing — we confirm the scope and separate costs before you commit. Government fees and document costs are listed separately.
Talk to us about your case
Tell us your nationality and timeline. We tell you the route, the documents and the fee before you commit to anything. Comparing providers? Here is what to check.
Your case is handled by Anton Marklund, Yanina Alvarez and Diana Davalos, the team that files residency, cédula and tax cases in Asunción. You attend the appointments; we handle the filing.