The passport comes last
It is issued after citizenship, and citizenship comes after three years of permanent residency. If you are at the start of that road, read how Paraguayan citizenship works first, then how to get permanent residency.
Key Facts
| Prerequisite | Citizenship must already be granted, by naturalization, descent, or birth |
|---|---|
| Issuing authority | Dirección General de Migraciones e Identificaciones |
| Passport type | Biometric, valid 10 years |
| Cost | ~Gs. 356,500 (Gs. 240,000 issuance + Gs. 116,500 legalization), roughly US$48–49 |
| Processing time | Standard issuance up to 30 business days at the Asunción central office; paid express options available |
| Registering the Carta (naturalization route) | Within 30 days of the Supreme Court ruling |
| Can naturalized citizenship be lost? | Yes, but only under specific conditions, see below |
This page covers the practical process of obtaining a passport once citizenship is already secured. For how to become a citizen in the first place, see the Paraguay Citizenship guide, Citizenship by Descent, or Citizenship by Birth.
The Full Sequence (Naturalization Route)
Most guides stop at "you get citizenship after 3 years." The reality is a second, shorter administrative sequence follows the Supreme Court's decision, and skipping or mishandling a step here is a common source of avoidable delay.
- Supreme Court issues the naturalization decree. The applicant receives a copy of the decree and the citizenship certificate (the "Carta").
- Swearing-in ceremony at the Court. The applicant takes the oath of allegiance to the Paraguayan Constitution. The verbal renunciation of prior nationality is part of the standard oath, Paraguay does not verify this externally against your other country's records.
- Register the Carta with Identificaciones, within 30 days of the ruling.
- New cédula issued, now without the "extranjero" (foreigner) field that appeared on your resident cédula.
- File the passport application at Identificaciones, now that your cédula reflects citizen status.
- Passport issued, typically within 30 business days, faster with express processing.
For citizenship by descent or by birth, the sequence is shorter: once your citizenship registration is complete at the Registro Civil or consulate, you proceed directly to the cédula and passport application without the Supreme Court decree stage.
Documents Typically Needed
- Your citizenship certificate (Carta) or registered birth/descent documentation
- Your current cédula (national ID)
- Recent passport-style photographs (typically 2–4, depending on the office)
- Proof of payment of the applicable fee
Cost Breakdown
| Item | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Passport issuance fee | Gs. 240,000 |
| Legalization fee | Gs. 116,500 |
| Total (standard) | ~Gs. 356,500 (~US$48–49) |
| Express processing (optional) | Additional fee, varies by office |
This is the passport-specific cost only. For naturalization filing costs, the judicial fee (a symbolic ~US$7) plus realistic legal fees (typically US$1,500–3,500) and translation/apostille costs, see the Paraguay Citizenship guide.
"The judicial fee to naturalize is genuinely symbolic, a few dollars. What people underestimate is everything around it: the lawyer, the translations, the apostilles, and then the separate passport process afterward. Budgeting for the whole sequence, not just the court fee, avoids surprises."
Can Paraguay Revoke a Passport or Citizenship?
Under Article 150 of the Constitution, naturalized Paraguayan citizenship, and by extension the passport, is lost only under specific, judicially-determined circumstances: an unjustified absence from Paraguay of more than 3 continuous years (as declared by a court), voluntary acquisition of another nationality where no relevant treaty applies (see our dual nationality section on the Citizenship Hub), or a Carta obtained by fraud being set aside through ordinary judicial review. Outside these specific circumstances, naturalized citizenship is permanent. Natural citizenship (by birth or descent) is even more protected, Article 147 makes it inviolable, with only voluntary relinquishment possible.
What a Paraguayan Passport Is Actually Worth
Beyond the visa-free destination count, covered in full on our dedicated Passport Power guide, Paraguayan citizenship carries a practical benefit that a simple visa-free list doesn't capture: full MERCOSUR freedom of movement, residence, and work across Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. A Paraguayan citizen can relocate to Buenos Aires or São Paulo and live and work there indefinitely under the MERCOSUR Residencia framework, materially broader than tourist access to those same countries.
Ranking & Visa-Free Count
The Paraguayan passport ranks 29th globally on the 2026 Henley Passport Index, up from 30th in 2025 and its best position since the index began, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 145 destinations, down from 148. Figures vary slightly by source and month of publication, we've seen numbers from 136 to 146 across sources dated between late 2025 and mid-2026, so treat any single figure as approximate and confirm the current count before advising a client on a specific destination.
What's Actually Covered
- The full Schengen Area, 90 days within any 180-day window
- The United Kingdom and Ireland
- Japan, South Korea, and Singapore
- Russia and the UAE
- Most of South and Central America
The MERCOSUR Advantage, What Rankings Don't Capture
Every passport-power index measures the same thing: how many countries let you in without a visa, for tourism. That framing misses Paraguay's most valuable practical benefit. As a MERCOSUR member, Paraguayan citizens have full freedom of movement, residence, and the right to work across Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru under the MERCOSUR Residencia framework. A Paraguayan citizen can relocate to Buenos Aires or São Paulo and live and work there indefinitely. This is materially broader than the tourist-visa-free access a standard ranking counts, and it doesn't show up in the headline visa-free number at all.
"A visa-free count treats every destination the same, a two-week beach holiday and the right to relocate and work indefinitely get counted identically. For clients actually building a Plan B in the region, the MERCOSUR right is worth more than the entire rest of the list combined."
The United States: Not Visa-Free, But E-2 Eligible
Paraguay is not part of the US Visa Waiver Program, so Paraguayan citizens need a standard B1/B2 visitor visa to enter the US for tourism or business, a reciprocity or issuance fee may also apply on top of the standard application fee, varying by visa category. Separately and more significantly for investors, Paraguay is an E-2 treaty country with the United States, meaning Paraguayan citizens can apply for the US E-2 Treaty Investor Visa, a meaningful advantage for anyone seeking operational access to the US market, distinct from simple tourist entry.
Paraguay vs. Regional Passports
| Country | Approx. visa-free destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chile | Higher than Paraguay | Strongest in the Southern Cone |
| Argentina | Higher than Paraguay | – |
| Brazil | Higher than Paraguay | – |
| Uruguay | ~155 | Stronger passport, but the 2026 Ley 20.446 reform raised Uruguay's investor tax-residency threshold to ~US$2M, see our Uruguay vs. Paraguay guide |
| Paraguay | ~145 | Mid-pack for South America, plus identical MERCOSUR rights to Uruguay |
| Bolivia | Lower than Paraguay | – |
Paraguay's passport ranking sits in the middle of the pack regionally on paper, but MERCOSUR membership means its practical rights within South America are identical to Uruguay's, Argentina's, or Brazil's, regardless of the headline visa-free number.
FAQ
How much does a Paraguay passport cost?
Approximately Gs. 356,500 (roughly US$48–49), Gs. 240,000 for issuance plus Gs. 116,500 for legalization.
How long does it take to get a Paraguay passport once citizenship is granted?
Standard issuance at the Asunción central office runs up to 30 business days, with paid express options available.
Can Paraguay revoke a naturalized citizen's passport?
Naturalized citizenship, and by extension the passport, can be lost through a judicially-declared unjustified absence from Paraguay of more than 3 years, voluntary acquisition of another nationality (absent a relevant treaty), or a Carta obtained by fraud being set aside on judicial review. Otherwise it is permanent.
Do I need to renounce my other citizenship to get a Paraguayan passport?
A verbal renunciation is part of the standard naturalization oath, but Paraguay does not verify this externally against your other country's records, in practice, many naturalized citizens hold both.
What's the difference between the Carta and the passport?
The Carta is the citizenship certificate issued after the Supreme Court's naturalization decree. It must be registered with Identificaciones before a new cédula is issued, which is then required before you can apply for the passport itself, three distinct steps.
Is the process different for citizenship by descent or by birth?
Yes, shorter. There's no Supreme Court decree stage. Once your citizenship registration is complete at the Registro Civil or a consulate, you proceed directly to the cédula and passport application.
How many countries can Paraguayan passport holders visit visa-free?
Approximately 145 destinations visa-free or visa-on-arrival, ranking Paraguay 29th globally on the 2026 Henley Passport Index, up from 30th in 2025.
Can Paraguayan citizens travel to the United States without a visa?
No. Paraguay is not part of the US Visa Waiver Program, so a B1/B2 visitor visa is required. Separately, Paraguay is an E-2 treaty country, allowing Paraguayan citizens to apply for the US E-2 Treaty Investor Visa.
How does the Paraguayan passport compare to Uruguay's?
Uruguay's passport is stronger on paper, with roughly 155 visa-free destinations versus Paraguay's ~145. Paraguay's MERCOSUR work-and-residence rights are identical to Uruguay's as a fellow member state.
Does the Paraguayan passport give me the right to work in other South American countries?
Yes, as a MERCOSUR member, Paraguayan citizens have freedom of movement, residence, and the right to work across Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, materially broader than tourist visa-free access.
Does Paraguay have full access to the Schengen Area?
Yes, 90 days within any 180-day window, on the same terms as most other visa-exempt nationalities.
Is the exact visa-free country count for Paraguay consistent across sources?
Not perfectly, figures range from about 136 to 146 depending on the source and publication date. We use the most recent 2026 data available, but recommend confirming the current count before relying on it for a specific destination.
Last reviewed 21 August 2026. Programme terms are set by the relevant government and can change; confirm any figure before acting on it.
