Countries › Paraguay › Guide › 14. Disputes › Cross border service, evidence and documents in Paraguay: Hague conventions, Mercosur letters rogatory and the apostille

Cross border service, evidence and documents in Paraguay: Hague conventions, Mercosur letters rogatory and the apostille

Argentina. For full detail on Argentina, go to The Argentine Thread.

Last verified: 2026-10-28 · Status: Stable

Paraguay joined the Hague Service Convention (in force 1 January 2024) and the Hague Evidence Convention (in force 22 August 2023), with declarations requiring Spanish and objecting to service by postal and other alternative channels. Within Mercosur, Bolivia and Chile, letters rogatory for service and evidence travel through central authorities without legalization under the agreement approved by Ley 3036/2006. Paraguay has applied the Apostille Convention since 30 August 2014, and outside treaties incoming letters rogatory must be legalized by a Paraguayan consul.

USD figures use PYG 5,868.31 per US dollar, the Banco Central del Paraguay reference quotation published for Wednesday 28 October 2026. Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Party to the Hague Service Convention	Yes, in force 1 January 2024 HCCH status table, accession 23 June 2023, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Objects to postal and alternative service (art. 10)	Yes Paraguay declaration 23 June 2023, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Language required for service	Spanish or official Spanish translation Paraguay declaration art. 5 and 7, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Party to the Hague Evidence Convention	Yes, in force 22 August 2023 HCCH status table, accession 23 June 2023, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Apostille Convention in force for Paraguay	2014-08-30 dateHCCH status table, accession 10 December 2013, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Security for costs barred for Mercosur, Bolivia and Chile parties	Yes Ley 3036/2006 agreement art. 4, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
BCP reference rate used for conversions	5868.31 PYG per USDBCP planilla 28 October 2026, as of 2026-10-28 · in force

The rule

1. Hague Service Convention. Paraguay acceded to the 1965 Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents on 23 June 2023 and it entered into force for Paraguay on 1 January 2024. Paraguay declared that documents are accepted only in Spanish or with an official Spanish translation (art. 5 and 7), that the certificate must be signed by its designated Central Authority (art. 6), that it opposes service by diplomatic or consular agents under art. 8, and that it objects to the alternative channels of art. 10 (postal channels and direct service through judicial officers or other competent persons). Service on a defendant in Paraguay from a Convention state must therefore go through the Central Authority, in Spanish.
Cost to do it: Official Spanish translation of all documents served; no fee figure is published in the HCCH status table.
Example: A US plaintiff serving a claim on a company in Asunción sends the request to the Paraguayan Central Authority with a Spanish translation; mailing the complaint by courier is not valid service under Paraguay's art. 10 objection. / For a US$1,000,000 (PYG 5,868,310,000) claim, defective service is also a ground to refuse exequatur later (CPC art. 532 c).Hague Convention of 15 November 1965 on Service Abroad (HCCH status table and Paraguay declarations), Art. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10; Paraguay accession 23 June 2023, 2024-01-01 official text · verified 2026-10-28

2. Hague Evidence Convention. Paraguay acceded to the 1970 Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad on 23 June 2023, with entry into force for Paraguay on 22 August 2023, and made declarations and reservations under articles 4, 8, 23 and 33 according to the HCCH status table. Requests for evidence in Paraguay from Convention states go through the Central Authority by letter of request.
Cost to do it: Translation and counsel; the declarations should be read before drafting a request, especially on pre trial document discovery (art. 23).
Example: A Brazilian arbitration seeking the testimony of a witness in Asunción can instead use the tribunal's power to ask a Paraguayan judge for assistance, decided within 7 days (Ley 7561/2025 art. 40). / In a US$1,000,000 US court case, a broad document request to a Paraguayan bank should be checked against Paraguay's art. 23 declaration first.Hague Convention of 18 March 1970 on the Taking of Evidence Abroad (HCCH status table), Paraguay accession 23 June 2023; declarations under art. 4, 8, 23 and 33, 2023-08-22 official text · verified 2026-10-28

3. Mercosur, Bolivia and Chile letters rogatory. Under the agreement approved by Ley 3036/2006, each state designates a central authority; letters rogatory for service (citations, notices, summons) and for evidence are executed ex officio by the requested court, refused only for breach of public policy, and executed under the requested state's procedure, with special forms if compatible. Letters sent via central authorities or diplomatic channels need no legalization; those transmitted by the party must be legalized unless replaced by another formality. They must be in the requesting authority's language with a translation into the requested authority's language. Execution is free except for special evidence or appointed professionals. Nationals, residents and companies of the states parties have equal access to courts, and no security for costs may be required because of nationality or residence.
Cost to do it: Free execution of letters rogatory except special evidence or professionals (art. 15); no foreign plaintiff security (art. 4).
Example: A Brazilian company suing in Asunción cannot be asked for a cautio judicatum solvi because it is foreign (art. 4). / Serving a US$500,000 (PYG 2,934,155,000) claim on a Bolivian distributor goes through the two central authorities, with no apostille needed.Ley Nº 3036/2006, approves the Mercosur, Bolivia and Chile jurisdictional cooperation agreement, Agreement art. 2 to 17, 2006-10-26 official text · verified 2026-10-28

4. Apostille and incoming letters without a treaty. Paraguay acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention on 10 December 2013 and it entered into force for Paraguay on 30 August 2014, so public documents from other Convention states need only an apostille. Where no treaty applies, letters rogatory from foreign authorities must be legalized and authenticated by a Paraguayan diplomatic or consular agent, are executed under Paraguayan law, and those issued at a party's request must name the person in charge, who pays the costs. A defendant residing abroad is summoned by letter rogatory with a time to appear fixed by the judge according to distance.
Cost to do it: Apostille fee in the issuing country; consular legalization fees where no treaty applies.
Example: A Delaware certificate of incumbency for a shareholder resolution needs only a US apostille and a Spanish translation to be used in Paraguay. / For a US$1,000,000 claim against a defendant in a non treaty country, the Paraguayan judge fixes a longer appearance period and sends a letter rogatory (art. 143).Hague Apostille Convention (HCCH status table); Ley Nº 1337/1988, Código Procesal Civil, CPC art. 129 and 143, 2014-08-30 official text · verified 2026-10-28

Sending state	Instrument	Channel	Language
Hague Service Convention state	Hague Service Convention (Paraguay since 1 Jan 2024)	Paraguayan Central Authority; no postal or direct service (art. 10 objection)	Spanish or official translation
Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile	Ley 3036/2006 agreement; Las Leñas Protocol as amended (Ley 3451/2008)	Central authorities, diplomatic channel, or party (party route needs legalization)	Requesting language plus translation
Any other state	Código Procesal Civil art. 129	Letter rogatory legalized by a Paraguayan consul	Spanish translation

Which channel to use for service in Paraguay

Worked example

A German supplier sues a Paraguayan buyer in Hamburg for US$1,000,000 (PYG 5,868,310,000). It must serve through the German central authority to the Paraguayan Central Authority with a Spanish translation, because Paraguay objects to postal service. If it later needs to enforce the German judgment in Paraguay, proof of that proper service supports exequatur under CPC art. 532 c).

Step by step

Identify the instrument: Hague Service, the Mercosur agreement or the CPC fallback.
Translate all documents into Spanish by an official or registered translator.
Send through the Central Authority; do not rely on courier or email service on Paraguayan defendants.
Keep the certificate of service: it is your proof for later recognition.
For evidence, consider whether an arbitral tribunal can use court assistance under Ley 7561/2025 art. 40 instead of a Hague letter of request.

Common traps

Service by mail or by a private process server on a defendant in Paraguay is not valid under Paraguay's art. 10 objection.
Untranslated documents can be refused (Paraguay's art. 5 declaration).
Letters rogatory sent by the party under the Mercosur agreement must be legalized, unlike those sent through central authorities (art. 10).

Sources

← Foreign court judgments in Paraguay: exequatur, treaty routes, foreign forum clauses and cross border interim measuresInvestment arbitration and treaty protection in Paraguay: ICSID, bilateral investment treaties and contract clauses with the state →

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