Paraguay has no digital nomad visa, and it doesn't need one. Americans can arrive visa-free, file for temporary residency with no income minimum for about $500 in government fees, and later move to permanent residency. The draw is tax: personal income tops out at 10%, there's no wealth, inheritance or gift tax, and foreign investment income isn't taxed. Remote salaries earned while living there are a gray area, and US taxes still apply.
Checked against the sources at the end on November 2, 2026. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the official source before you apply.
At a glance
Paraguay has no digital nomad visa. Remote workers use ordinary temporary residency, and its draw is a light tax system. Dollar figures use ₲5,851 per dollar (Oct 1, 2026), the rate in our fee source.
| Item | 2026 rule |
|---|---|
| Visit first | Americans can enter visa-free for up to 90 days, under a waiver that runs until Aug 13, 2027 |
| Route for remote workers | Temporary residency under Law 6984/2022. There is no visa labelled for digital nomads |
| Income minimum | None for temporary residency. Permanent residency later checks where your income comes from, with no fixed amount |
| Where you apply | In person at a Migraciones office in Paraguay. Residency can't be filed online |
| Length | Temporary: up to 2 years, extendable once. Then permanent residency |
| Government fee | ₲2,926,925 (about $500) for temporary residency, in force since Jul 1, 2026 |
| Timeline | No official deadline. Advisors report about 16 to 32 weeks from filing to your ID card (cédula) |
| Personal income tax | 8% to 10%, the lowest top rate of any country in our guides, with no tax below about ₲80 million (≈ $13,670) a year of service income |
| Other taxes | No wealth, inheritance or gift tax. Foreign investment income such as dividends, interest and pensions isn't taxed |
| US taxes | Still due every year. The US and Paraguay have no income tax treaty |
Who qualifies
Almost anyone with a clean record can get temporary residency. That makes Paraguay one of the easiest places in our guides to become a legal resident.
- No income test to start. Temporary residency needs no proof of income. You declare the activity you'll support yourself with.
- The income test comes later. Since Jul 6, 2026 (Resolution DNM 407/2026), permanent-residency files must prove solvency in one of 12 categories, and digital nomads have their own. There's no fixed amount, but a bank balance alone no longer settles it. Your proof must match the activity you declared, so describe your remote work honestly from day one.
- A clean criminal record from the US (an apostilled FBI check) and from Paraguay's own police.
- You must be in Paraguay to file. Arrive on the 90-day visa-free entry, then apply in person.
- Remote employees and freelancers both qualify. The interim card you get on filing lets you live and work while the file is decided.
Open question: advisors disagree on how much income or savings Migraciones expects at the permanent stage. One guide still cites about 100 monthly minimum wages (roughly $28,000 to $30,000), but that predates DNM 407/2026. Ask at filing.
Temporary or permanent
Everyone starts temporary. Permanent residency is the long-term goal, and it's what keeps your status with very little time in the country.
| Temporary residency | Permanent residency | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Up to 2 years, extendable once for the same period | Indefinite |
| Income proof | Not required | Required since Jul 6, 2026, in one of 12 categories |
| Fee | ₲2,926,925 (about $500) | ₲2,926,925 (about $500) |
| When to apply | On arrival, in person | In a window from 90 days before your temporary card expires to 30 days after |
| Staying away | More than 1 year of unjustified absence can cancel it | More than 3 straight years of unjustified absence can cancel it |
Miss the permanent-residency window and your legal status can lapse. Put the date in your calendar the day your temporary card arrives.
Documents
Bring the US documents with you. Get the Paraguayan ones after you land.
- Passport, plus proof of entry (your entry stamp or entry slip)
- Birth certificate, apostilled by the issuing state and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator
- Marriage or civil-status certificate if it applies, apostilled and translated
- FBI Identity History Summary, apostilled by the US Department of State. A state police check doesn't count
- Interpol certificate and foreigners' police certificate (Antecedentes para Extranjeros), from Paraguay's National Police after you arrive
- Two sworn statements: one on respecting Paraguay's laws, one on your activity and Paraguayan address
- Proof of a local address, such as a lease or utility bill
Order the FBI check last. A record without a printed expiry date is treated as valid for 6 months, and one advisor recommends under 3 months to be safe. Some advisors also list a health certificate from a Paraguayan clinic, so ask at the office before you file.
Step by step from the US
Plan about a week in Paraguay for the filing itself, and a few months for the card.
- Prepare US documents: apostille and translate your birth and civil-status certificates.
- Order the FBI check and its federal apostille, as late as you can.
- Fly in on the 90-day visa-free entry and keep your proof of entry.
- Get the Paraguayan certificates: Interpol and Antecedentes para Extranjeros from the National Police, and sign the sworn statements.
- File in person at a Migraciones office and pay the fee in cash.
- Receive the interim card (carnet precario), valid 90 days, which lets you stay, work and travel while you wait.
- Collect your temporary residency card, then apply for your cédula (national ID) at the National Police.
- Register for a tax number (RUC) if you'll declare self-employment or local income, and talk to a local accountant (contador).
- Calendar your permanent-residency window, which opens 90 days before the temporary card expires.
Costs
Government fees are low. Most of the cost is translations and, for many people, a local lawyer. Fees below are in force since Jul 1, 2026.
| Cost | Guaraníes | Dollars | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary residency (includes interim card) | ₲2,926,925 | ≈ $500 | When you file |
| Settlement certificate (needed for the cédula) | ₲234,154 | ≈ $40 | After approval |
| Cédula (national ID card) | ₲8,500 | ≈ $1.50 | After residency |
| Extending temporary residency | ₲1,287,847 | ≈ $220 | If you extend |
| Permanent residency | ₲2,926,925 | ≈ $500 | At the 2-year mark |
| FBI check | $18 | Before you go | |
| Sworn translations | ≈ $200 to $500 | Before or on arrival |
Pay in cash at Migraciones; card payments add 2% to 3% plus VAT. Advisors who handle the whole process typically charge from about $2,000.
Taxes
Paraguay's tax system is famously light, and it's the main reason people move. It is not a zero-tax country, though, and Americans pay the US either way.
| Income or tax | Paraguay's treatment |
|---|---|
| Personal service income from Paraguay | 8% up to ₲50 million (≈ $8,550), 9% to ₲150 million (≈ $25,640), 10% above. Under ₲80 million (≈ $13,670) gross a year, no income tax is due |
| Capital income from Paraguay | Flat 8% |
| Foreign dividends, interest, rent, pensions | Not taxed: Paraguay taxes income by its source in Paraguay |
| Wealth, inheritance, gift and exit taxes | None |
| VAT | 10% standard, 5% on basics such as residential rent |
| Remote salary or freelance income earned while living in Paraguay | Unsettled. Some advisors call it foreign income and taxed at 0%. Others say work physically done in Paraguay counts as Paraguayan-source and is taxed at 8% to 10%. One firm notes the tax authority has issued no definitive guidance for remote employees |
- Plan on the safe assumption: if you work from Paraguay, budget for 8% to 10% on that income until a Paraguayan accountant confirms otherwise in writing. Even at 10%, it's one of the lowest rates you'll find.
- Tax residency: sources disagree. Deloitte says more than 120 days in a calendar year makes you resident; other advisors say there's no day-count test and residency follows legal residence and a tax number. Ask a contador.
- US taxes don't stop. US citizens file a Form 1040 on worldwide income wherever they live. If you pay little or no Paraguayan tax, the foreign earned income exclusion ($130,000 for 2025) often matters more than the foreign tax credit. You can't claim both on the same income.
- No treaty. The US and Paraguay have no income tax treaty, so treaty rules can't settle a conflict. Use the exclusion or the credit.
- Account reporting. FBAR if foreign accounts exceed $10,000 in total at any time. Form 8938 applies at higher thresholds for people abroad.
- Self-employed? US self-employment tax can still apply.
So the honest pitch for an American is: low local tax, no tax on foreign investment income, and the US exclusion on top. Not "0% tax." Get US and Paraguayan advice before you rely on any structure.
After you land
- Within your first week: police certificates, sworn statements, then file at Migraciones.
- Keep the interim card on you. It's your proof of legal status until the temporary card arrives.
- Open a local bank account once you have your cédula; most banks ask for it.
- Set up taxes: a RUC and a contador if you have any Paraguayan-source income.
- Don't stay away more than a year while you're temporary, and calendar the permanent-residency window.
Common mistakes
- Believing "0% tax" covers a remote salary earned while living in Paraguay. That's unsettled
- Forgetting the US still taxes citizens on worldwide income
- Ordering the FBI check too early, so it's out of date by the time you file
- Getting a state police check or a state apostille instead of the federal ones
- Expecting to apply online or from a consulate. You must file in person in Paraguay
- Declaring one activity at the temporary stage and proving a different one at the permanent stage
- Missing the 120-day window to apply for permanent residency
- Staying out of Paraguay more than a year while you're temporary
Sources
Checked on November 2, 2026. Where sources disagree, we say so above.
- Embassy of Paraguay, New York: visas for US citizens (90-day waiver to Aug 13, 2027)
- ExpatSettle: Paraguay residency 2026, fees from Jul 1, 2026 (updated Oct 4, 2026)
- The Rio Times: Paraguay residency rules changed in July 2026
- The Rio Times: DNM 407/2026 and the new solvency test (Aug 13, 2026)
- Residency Paraguay: residency for US citizens (Mar 2026)
- GoParaguay: digital nomads in Paraguay (Feb 2026)
- PwC Tax Summaries: Paraguay taxes on personal income (reviewed Oct 19, 2026)
- PwC Tax Summaries: Paraguay income determination (reviewed Oct 19, 2026)
- PwC Tax Summaries: Paraguay tax treaties (reviewed Oct 19, 2026)
- Deloitte: Paraguay tax highlights 2025
- Paraguay Sovereign: territorial tax explained (verified Sep 11, 2026)
- GoParaguay: Paraguay tax system and 2026 rates
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