Countries › Paraguay › Guide › 8. Immigration › Families in Paraguay: residence for spouses and children, relatives of Paraguayans and the minors' rules

Families in Paraguay: residence for spouses and children, relatives of Paraguayans and the minors' rules

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

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

Family members of a foreign resident file their own residence application, but minors need no proof of income and dependants (spouses, parents, grandparents and relatives with disabilities) prove permanent residence through the resident who supports them. Foreign spouses and children of Paraguayans, and the foreign family of repatriated Paraguayans, go straight to permanent residence, free of the DNM fee with a repatriation certificate. Children of a Paraguayan parent born abroad become natural Paraguayans by declaration once they settle in Paraguay.

USD figures use PYG 5,868.31 per US dollar, the Banco Central del Paraguay reference quotation for 28 October 2026 (planilla de cotizaciones of that day). Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Days after the cédula is issued for a foreign child or spouse of a Paraguayan to start the DNM permanent residence file	90 daysLey 2193/2003; DNM procedure, as of 2026-09-29 · in force
Maximum age of foreign grandchildren of a repatriated Paraguayan for direct permanent residence	18 yearsLey 6984/2022 art. 48, as of 2022-10-18 · in force
DNM fee for foreign family of repatriated Paraguayans with repatriation certificate	0 PYGLey 6984/2022 art. 101, as of 2022-10-18 · in force

The rule

1. Family reunification. The migration law guarantees immigrants the right to family reunification with their parents, spouses, unmarried minor children and adult children with disabilities, and requires the DNM to facilitate the entry of children, adolescents, women and older people in the family circle. Each family member files a residence application in the category that fits the main applicant's route and pays its fee.
Cost to do it: Each member pays the route's fee: temporary PYG 2,926,925 (about US$499), Mercosur PYG 2,341,540 (about US$399).
Example: A couple with two children moving on temporary residence pay 4 x PYG 2,926,925 = PYG 11,707,700. / About US$1,995 for a family of four.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones, Art. 4 num. 10 and art. 10, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

2. Minors: signatures, authorizations and no proof of income. Foreigners aged 0 to 17 fall into a separate category (Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes) that is exempt from proof of economic solvency, since the parents or guardians bear that responsibility. When both parents are present, both sign and at least one must hold or apply for residence at the same time. When only one parent is present, the file needs a court decision authorizing the child's residence in Paraguay or a notarial authorization from the absent parent, or a death certificate. A child coming with third parties needs a court decision or a notarial authorization by both parents homologated by a Paraguayan juvenile court, and the guardian must be Paraguayan or a resident. Criminal record certificates are required only from age 14, and some 15 to 18 year olds are exempt where their country does not issue them (Res. DNM 858/2024).
Cost to do it: Same fee per child as for the adult route; notarial authorizations and court homologation are private costs.
Example: A divorced mother relocating with her son brings an apostilled notarial authorization from the father consenting to the child living in Paraguay. / About US$499 per child in DNM fees plus the notary's charge abroad.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones; DNM residence checklists, Ley 6984 art. 11 and 50 num. 6 to 8, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

3. Dependants at the permanent residence stage. Under Resolución DNM 407/2026 a spouse supported by the other spouse proves solvency with the marriage certificate and the supporter's Paraguayan cédula or residence card; parents or grandparents supported by their children or grandchildren with proof of the family link and the supporter's document; and persons with disabilities supported by relatives up to grandparents, siblings or uncles and aunts with a disability certificate, proof of the link and the supporter's document. Former 'Ama de Casa' residents are reclassified as 'Dependiente' at no cost. Students over 18 must show their own income or support from a close relative with evidence of the transfers.
Cost to do it: Permanent residence PYG 2,926,925 (about US$499) per family member, plus the residence certificate PYG 234,154.
Example: The non working spouse of a Swiss permanent resident files the apostilled marriage certificate and a notarized copy of the spouse's cédula. / About US$539 per dependant.Resolución DNM Nº 407/2026, Annex, categories 11 and 12, 2026-06-25 official text · verified 2026-10-28

4. Foreign children and spouses of Paraguayans (Ley Nº 2193/2003). Foreign spouses of Paraguayans and foreign children of a Paraguayan father or mother can obtain permanent residence directly, without temporary residence. The DNM procedure runs in three steps: a repatriation certificate from the Secretariat for Repatriated and Refugee Nationals (SEDERREC), then the Paraguayan cédula from the National Police identification department, then the permanent residence card at the DNM. The applicant has 90 days from the cédula's issue to start the DNM file or faces sanctions. With the repatriation certificate the DNM fee is waived; without it, the ordinary permanent residence fee and any overstay fine apply.
Cost to do it: Free with the repatriation certificate; otherwise PYG 2,926,925 (about US$499) plus any overstay fine PYG 702,462.
Example: The Brazilian wife of a Paraguayan engineer obtains the repatriation certificate, then her cédula, and within 90 days files at the DNM at no fee. / Saves about US$499 and the 2 year temporary step.DNM procedure for children and spouses of Paraguayans under Ley Nº 2193/2003 (page version of 29 September 2026), Procedure steps 1 to 3 and fee table, 2026-09-29 official text · verified 2026-10-28

5. Foreign family of repatriated Paraguayans. Through a repatriated Paraguayan, the foreign spouse, children and grandchildren under 18, and the spouse of the Paraguayan's child, access permanent residence directly. The file includes the repatriation certificate, the cédula where held, birth certificate and identity document of origin, criminal record certificates of origin, police for foreigners and Interpol for those over 14, the Paraguayan's identity document, and marriage or birth certificates proving the link; foreign originals are returned against notarized copies. These family members are exempt from DNM fees, and from the fees of other state bodies needed for the repatriation.
Cost to do it: No DNM fee with the repatriation certificate.
Example: A Paraguayan returning from Spain with a Spanish wife and a 12 year old granddaughter in their care obtains direct permanent residence for both at no DNM cost. / About US$998 saved for two family members.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones, Art. 48, 53 and 101, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

6. Mercosur families. Family members of a Mercosur resident who are not nationals of a party receive residence for the same term as the person they depend on, provided they file the required documents and have no impediments; if their nationality needs a visa they apply at a consulate, unless the host country's rules waive that.
Cost to do it: Each member pays the applicable DNM fee.
Example: The Venezuelan husband of an Argentine Mercosur resident obtains residence for the same term as his wife. / Fees as for the route used.Ley Nº 3578/2008, Agreement art. 9 num. 2, 2008-08-14 official text · verified 2026-10-28

7. Children born abroad to a Paraguayan parent. Children of a Paraguayan mother or father born abroad are natural Paraguayans when they settle permanently in Paraguay, by simple declaration once they are over 18; before that, the legal representative's declaration is valid until 18 and must be ratified. Natural Paraguayans cannot be deprived of their nationality but may renounce it.
Cost to do it: No DNM residence fee is needed once nationality is formalized; civil registry and cédula charges apply.
Example: A 25 year old born in Buenos Aires to a Paraguayan father moves to Asunción and declares Paraguayan nationality instead of applying for residence. / No residence fees at all.Constitución Nacional de la República del Paraguay (20 June 1992), Art. 146 num. 3 and 147, 1992-06-20 official text · verified 2026-10-28

Family member	Route	Proof of income	DNM fee
Spouse or child of a foreign resident	Own temporary, Mercosur or permanent application	Minors exempt; adults as dependants (category 11) at permanent stage	PYG 2,926,925 (US$499) per step, Mercosur PYG 2,341,540 (US$399)
Foreign spouse or child of a Paraguayan	Ley 2193/2003 direct permanent, cédula first	Not listed by the DNM	Free with repatriation certificate, else PYG 2,926,925 (US$499)
Foreign spouse, child, grandchild under 18 of a repatriated Paraguayan	Ley 6984 art. 48 direct permanent	Not listed in art. 53	Free
Non Mercosur family of a Mercosur resident	Same term as the resident	As for the resident's stage	Fee of the route used
Child born abroad to a Paraguayan parent	Natural nationality by declaration on settling	Not applicable	No residence fee

Family routes (Ley 6984/2022, Ley 2193/2003, Ley 3578/2008, Res. DNM 407/2026, Constitution art. 146; DNM fees from 1 July 2026; USD at PYG 5,868.31)

Worked example

A French executive moves to Asunción on temporary residence with a non working spouse and two children aged 9 and 15.
Each files for temporary residence: 4 x PYG 2,926,925 = PYG 11,707,700, about US$1,995. The 15 year old needs the police for foreigners and Interpol certificates; the 9 year old needs none; both parents sign the children's applications.
Two years later the executive files as an employee with IPS evidence, the spouse as a dependant with the marriage certificate and the executive's cédula, and the children as minors with no proof of income.
Had the spouse been Paraguayan, the executive could instead have used Ley 2193/2003 for direct permanent residence.

Step by step

Map each family member to a route: dependant of a resident, spouse or child of a Paraguayan, family of a repatriated Paraguayan, or Mercosur family.
For minors travelling with one parent, obtain the absent parent's notarial authorization abroad, apostilled, or a court decision.
Obtain criminal record certificates for every member aged 14 or more.
File the main applicant and the family together where possible, so at least one parent holds or applies for residence in the same act.
For Paraguayan family links, start with the SEDERREC repatriation certificate, then the cédula, then the DNM within 90 days.
At the permanent stage, file the dependants with category 11 evidence and the supporter's document.

Common traps

A child arriving with only one parent cannot file without a court decision or the absent parent's notarial authorization.
Under Ley 2193/2003 the 90 days to start the DNM file run from the cédula's issue date; missing them exposes the applicant to sanctions.
Grandchildren of a repatriated Paraguayan qualify only up to age 18.
Adult students are not exempt from proof of income; they need own income or documented support from close relatives.
A guardian for an unaccompanied minor must be Paraguayan or a resident.

Sources

← Hiring foreign workers in Paraguay: no work permit, but residence first, equal pay and DNM noticeRemote workers and digital nomads in Paraguay: no special visa, ordinary residence and the remote worker income category →

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