Permanent Residency for Foreign Investors (Paraguay Investor Pass / SUACE)

Paraguay's Permanent Residency for Foreign Investors lets foreign nationals obtain permanent residency directly — bypassing the usual temporary stage — by investing through SUACE, the country's unified single-window business system. The program is grounded in Migration Law 6984/2022 (Article 46) combined with Law 4986/2013 (which created SUACE). On 17 April 2026 the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC) and the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones launched the Paraguay Investor Pass, an expansion of the same framework that adds three new investment routes (tourism, real estate and financial instruments) alongside the long-standing productive-investment route, and consolidates the process into a largely digital single window integrating migration, tax and national ID procedures. The framework was formalised by Resolución MIC No. 0283/2026 (21 April 2026), which replaced the earlier Resolución 1052/2025 and brought all four investment routes under a single Foreign Investor Certificate (CIE) regime.

Applicants choose one of four qualifying investments, each with its own conditions under Resolución MIC No. 0283/2026:

• Productive investment — USD 70,000 in a business in industry, commerce or services, plus the creation of at least 5 formal direct jobs for Paraguayan workers; a business plan is required
• Tourism — USD 150,000 in a qualifying tourism project; a business plan is required, with semi-annual (semestral) progress reporting
• Real estate — USD 200,000 in Paraguayan real estate, with no job-creation requirement; evidenced by a registered transfer deed or a notarised private contract showing payment of at least 30% of the declared investment value. Property acquired for personal or family use is explicitly excluded
• Financial instruments — USD 200,000 in Paraguayan stock-exchange securities, with no job-creation requirement; the investment must be held for a minimum of 2 years and carries an annual reporting obligation

Productive investments must be executed within 24 months. Detailed lists of qualifying tourism projects and eligible securities are expected in forthcoming MIC guidance.

• Commit to one of the four qualifying investments above
• Proof of financial capacity via bank statements from the 3 months prior, investment titles, or asset valuations (accepted proofs include personal assets)
• A business or investment plan covering company structure, location, CIIU activity code, investment breakdown, employment plan (where applicable), economic viability and a 24-month execution timeline
• Binding sworn statement (declaración jurada vinculante) committing to the investment — notarisation is not required under Resolución MIC No. 0283/2026
• Clean criminal record (origin country + Interpol + Paraguay National Police)
• Health certificate from Paraguay's Ministry of Public Health
• No specific educational or professional qualifications required

For the Foreign Investor Certificate (CIE) at SUACE / MIC:

• Passport copy
• Criminal background certificate from country of origin (apostilled or consular-legalised; MERCOSUR documents exempt from translation)
• Interpol Paraguay certificate
• Proof of entry into Paraguay from Migration
• Proof of economic solvency (bank statements, investment titles, or asset valuations)
• Business/investment plan with all required elements
• Binding sworn statement (digital, no notarisation)
• Application form

For Permanent Residency (at the Migration Directorate):

• Foreign Investor Certificate issued by MIC/SUACE
• Valid passport or identity document (original + 2 copies)
• Consular visa verification through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (if required)
• Proof of entry (immigration stamp or receipt)
• Birth certificate (apostilled/legalised, original + 2 copies)
• Civil status certificate (original + 2 copies)
• Criminal/police certificate from country of origin
• Interpol certificate (original + 2 copies)
• Paraguay National Police records certificate (original + 2 copies)
• Sworn declaration of constitutional compliance

Residency is permanent and indefinite. The physical cédula (national ID card) must be renewed every 10 years. Under Article 54 of Law 6984/2022, permanent residents forfeit their status if they are absent from Paraguay for more than 3 consecutive years without justification, though the Migration Directorate may extend this period by resolution.

The SUACE investor residency (including the Paraguay Investor Pass routes) has no built-in dependant-sponsorship mechanism. Spouses and children may apply for their own permanent residency under separate categories of Law 6984/2022 (notably Article 48). Each family member files an individual application.

Paraguay uses a territorial tax system — only income earned within Paraguay is taxable; foreign-sourced income is not. Personal income tax (IRP) rates are 8%, 9% and 10% depending on annual income. A key benefit highlighted by the government for Paraguay Investor Pass holders is the dividend and profit tax (IDU) under Law 6380/2019: tax residents pay 8%, versus 15% for non-residents. Investors who become tax-resident through the program therefore access the lower IDU rate on dividends received from Paraguayan companies.

The process has two stages:

Stage 1 — Foreign Investor Certificate (SUACE / MIC):

1. Prepare the business/investment plan (24-month timeline, investment breakdown, employment plan where applicable)
2. Compile origin-country documents (criminal background, proof of financial capacity)
3. Compile Paraguay documents (Interpol certificate, proof of entry)
4. Submit the application digitally to SUACE (Resolución MIC No. 0283/2026 uses binding digital sworn statements in place of notarised declarations)
5. Documentary review by a SUACE specialist, followed by director-level feasibility review
6. Certificate issued within a maximum of 5 business days of a complete filing, with a defined pause-and-resume mechanism if clarifications are requested (Article 4)

Stage 2 — Permanent Residency (Migration Directorate):

1. Present the Foreign Investor Certificate plus the residency document set at the Migration Directorate's SUACE office
2. Residency issued in 10-15 business days

The full process from start to cédula typically takes about 3 months. Application fees are roughly USD 370 for permanent residency plus PYG 223,004 for the radicación certificate.

Under the Paraguay Investor Pass the workflow is described as "mayoritariamente digital" — a single window integrates MIC/SUACE, Migraciones and the national ID system. Physical presence in Paraguay is still required for issuance of the cédula.

• Productive investments must be executed within 24 months; SUACE may conduct on-site verification of the declared business location
• Businesses registered via SUACE must notify the system within 30 days of any change in address, name, mergers or substantial legal modifications
• The tourism route carries semi-annual progress reporting; the financial-instruments route requires a minimum 2-year hold and annual reporting
• For real-estate and financial-instrument routes, the Paraguay Investor Pass waives the job-creation requirement, but MIC still verifies that the investment has been made
• Migraciones may automatically cancel residency for non-compliance with investment obligations or for falsified documentation
• Applications are considered abandoned if the applicant fails to advance the file for more than 10 business days without notifying SUACE

• Foreign-language documents must be translated by a certified public translator in Paraguay, except MERCOSUR-country documents (including Portuguese from Brazil), which are exempt from translation
• Legal representatives (with special power of attorney) can handle follow-up after initial submission
• No dedicated public online portal for the Paraguay Investor Pass has been confirmed as of launch; the process remains "mostly digital" but still culminates in physical pick-up of the cédula in Paraguay
• Companies in regulated sectors (banks, insurers, entities supervised by the Central Bank) cannot initially use SUACE and must obtain prior administrative authorisations
• After 3 years of permanent residency with at least 183 days per year in Paraguay, holders may apply for Paraguayan citizenship by naturalisation under Article 148 of the Constitution