Countries › Paraguay › Guide › 8. Immigration › Mercosur and Uruguay residence in Paraguay: the regional fast track for Argentines, Brazilians and other South Americans

Mercosur and Uruguay residence in Paraguay: the regional fast track for Argentines, Brazilians and other South Americans

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

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

Nationals of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador can obtain 2 year Mercosur temporary residence by proving nationality and a clean record, whatever their entry status and without overstay fines, for PYG 2,341,540 (about US$399), and switch to permanent residence by filing in the 90 days before the card expires. Uruguayans can go straight to permanent residence free of charge under Ley 6774/2021, and Ecuadorians pay a single 2 jornal fee per residence procedure. Holders may work as employees or on their own account on the same terms as Paraguayans.

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

Mercosur temporary residence term in Paraguay, not extendable	2 yearsLey 3578/2008 agreement art. 4; DNM Mercosur page, as of 2026-09-29 · in force
Window before Mercosur temporary residence expires to apply for permanent residence	90 daysLey 3578/2008 agreement art. 5, as of 2008-08-28 · in force
Years a naturalized national must hold the nationality to use the Mercosur agreement	5 yearsLey 3578/2008 agreement art. 2, as of 2008-08-28 · in force
DNM fee for permanent residence of Uruguayan citizens under Ley 6774/2021	0 PYGLey 6774/2021 agreement art. 4, as of 2021-08-04 · in force
Maximum time to decide a Uruguayan permanent residence application	90 business daysLey 6774/2021 agreement art. 3, as of 2021-08-04 · in force
Single DNM fee per residence procedure for Ecuadorian citizens (2 jornales)	234154 PYGRes. DNM 200/2023 and 273/2023, as of 2026-07-01 · in force
Residences granted to Brazilian nationals, January to June 2026	22628 residencesDNM report of 29 July 2026, as of 2026-06-30 · in force
Residences granted to Argentine nationals, January to June 2026	2210 residencesDNM report of 29 July 2026, as of 2026-06-30 · in force

The rule

1. Who can use the Mercosur Residence Agreement. Under the Agreement on Residence for Nationals of the Mercosur States Parties, Bolivia and Chile (Brasilia, 6 December 2002), approved by Paraguay through Ley Nº 3578/2008, nationals of a party who wish to live in another party obtain legal residence by proving their nationality and filing the listed documents. Nationals include those born with the nationality and those naturalized at least 5 years earlier. The application can be made at a consulate before travel or at the migration office after arrival, and in the second case it applies whatever the migration status on entry and exempts the applicant from fines or harsher sanctions. The DNM applies the agreement to citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador.
Cost to do it: Mercosur temporary residence: 20 jornales, PYG 2,341,540 (about US$399) in cash, including the later change of category.
Example: A Brazilian who entered as a tourist and overstayed applies for Mercosur residence and pays PYG 2,341,540 with no overstay fine. / About US$399 for 2 years, about US$100 less than ordinary temporary residence.Ley Nº 3578/2008 approving the Acuerdo sobre Residencia para Nacionales de los Estados Partes del MERCOSUR, Bolivia y Chile, Agreement art. 1, 2 and 3, 2008-08-14 official text · verified 2026-10-28

2. Mercosur temporary residence: 2 years. The agreement allows temporary residence of up to 2 years against a passport, identity card or consular nationality certificate; birth certificate and civil status proof; a certificate of no criminal record in the country of origin or wherever the applicant lived in the 5 years before arrival; a sworn statement of no international criminal record; a Paraguayan record certificate when applying from inside Paraguay; and the fee. The DNM checklist asks for the identity document, the national criminal record certificate (which may be issued by the applicant's consulate in Paraguay), the Paraguayan police certificate for foreigners, civil status proof, the DNM sworn statement and proof of presence in Paraguay, which can be an entry stamp, a migration card, a DNM sworn statement or any other document. The DNM grants 2 years, not extendable, and the holder obtains the Paraguayan cédula only after moving to Mercosur permanent residence.
Cost to do it: PYG 2,341,540 (about US$399) in cash; card payments PYG 2,393,054 to PYG 2,418,811.
Example: An Argentine accountant moving to Encarnación files with the DNI, an Argentine criminal record certificate and the Paraguayan certificate for foreigners, and declares presence through the DNM sworn statement. / About US$399; no visa, no proof of income at this stage.Ley Nº 3578/2008; DNM Mercosur temporary residence page, Agreement art. 4, 2008-08-14 official text · verified 2026-10-28

3. Switching to Mercosur permanent residence. Temporary residence becomes permanent if the holder applies within the 90 days before it expires with the temporary residence proof, the identity document, a Paraguayan record certificate and proof of lawful means of living for the applicant and the family living with them. Since 6 July 2026 that proof follows the same 12 categories of Resolución DNM 407/2026 as permanent residence under Ley 6984. The DNM states that whoever misses the 90 day window loses the right to process residence under the agreement; an applicant whose Mercosur temporary card has expired without applying must start again under Ley 6984 with spontaneous or temporary residence. Permanent residence gives access to a Paraguayan cédula valid for 10 years, and the card is renewed every 10 years.
Cost to do it: Permanent residence Mercosur: PYG 2,926,925 (about US$499); certificate of residence PYG 234,154; change of information PYG 234,154 if needed.
Example: An Argentine whose Mercosur card expires on 1 March 2027 files from 1 December 2026 with IPS proof as an employee and pays PYG 3,161,079. / About US$938 in DNM fees for the whole Mercosur route to permanent residence.Ley Nº 3578/2008; Resolución DNM Nº 407/2026, Agreement art. 5 and 6, 2008-08-14 official text · verified 2026-10-28

4. Rights of Mercosur residents. Residents under the agreement may enter, leave, move and stay freely, subject to public order and security, and may take up any activity, as employees or on their own account, on the same terms as nationals. They enjoy the same civil, social, cultural and economic rights as nationals, treatment no less favourable than nationals in labor law, pay, working conditions and social insurance, and the right to send remittances. Family members who are not nationals of a party receive residence for the same term as the person they depend on.
Cost to do it: No fee for the rights themselves; each family member files a residence application and pays its fee.
Example: A Brazilian sales manager on Mercosur residence can be hired on a Paraguayan labor contract and registered with IPS exactly like a Paraguayan employee. / Same labor cost and protections as for a local hire.Ley Nº 3578/2008, Agreement art. 8 and 9, 2008-08-14 official text · verified 2026-10-28

5. Uruguayan citizens: direct and free permanent residence. Under the Paraguay Uruguay agreement on permanent residence of 10 July 2019, approved by Ley Nº 6774/2021, Uruguayan nationals can obtain permanent residence with no prior temporary residence, on a passport, identity card or consular nationality certificate, a birth certificate and a criminal record certificate. The procedure is free of charge and, for those who entered lawfully and overstayed, exempt from fees, fines and harsher sanctions; the decision must be made within 90 business days; only apostille or online verification of documents is required. Holders may enter, leave and stay freely and carry on any activity on the same terms as nationals. The DNM applies the exemption only to permanent residence under this law, to overstay fines and to migration movement records needed for the file; other DNM procedures are charged.
Cost to do it: Free permanent residence; optional certificate of residence PYG 234,154 (about US$40).
Example: A Uruguayan logistics executive settles in Asunción and receives permanent residence without paying a DNM fee. / Saves about US$898 compared with the two step Mercosur route.Ley Nº 6774/2021 approving the Acuerdo entre la República del Paraguay y la República Oriental del Uruguay sobre Residencia Permanente, Agreement art. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, 2021-08-03 official text · verified 2026-10-28

6. Ecuadorian citizens: single 2 jornal fee. Under the visa waiver agreement between Paraguay and Ecuador signed on 13 July 1967 and DNM Resolutions 200 of 22 February 2023 and 273 of 10 March 2023, Ecuadorian nationals pay a single fee of 2 jornales, on reciprocity grounds, for extension of transitory stay, spontaneous or occasional residence, temporary residence and its extension, permanent residence by change of category, Mercosur temporary and permanent residence, and permanent residence for investors through SUACE.
Cost to do it: PYG 234,154 (about US$40) per procedure.
Example: An Ecuadorian engineer pays PYG 234,154 for Mercosur temporary residence instead of PYG 2,341,540. / About US$40 instead of about US$399.Acuerdo sobre Supresión de Visas Paraguay Ecuador (1967); Resoluciones DNM Nº 200/2023 and 273/2023, DNM differentiated fee list, 2023-03-10 official text · verified 2026-10-28

7. Argentina and Paraguay at a high level. Argentina is the second largest source of new residents after Brazil: of 29,765 residences granted in the first half of 2026, 22,628 went to Brazilians and 2,210 to Argentines. Argentines travel on their DNI and use the Mercosur route; the Argentine side of residence rules for Paraguayans and others moving the other way is covered in The Argentine Thread guide.
Cost to do it: Mercosur temporary residence PYG 2,341,540 (about US$399).
Example: An Argentine founder opening a Paraguayan EAS uses Mercosur residence and needs no visa at any step. / About US$399 to start.DNM report of 29 July 2026; Ley Nº 3578/2008, Half year residence figures, 2026-07-29 official text · verified 2026-10-28

Route	Who	First step	Permanent residence	DNM fees
Mercosur	Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador	2 year temporary, not extendable	Apply in the 90 days before expiry with Res. DNM 407/2026 proof of income	PYG 2,341,540 (US$399) then PYG 2,926,925 (US$499)
Uruguay agreement	Uruguayan citizens	None	Direct, decided within 90 business days	Free
Ecuador fee regime	Ecuadorian citizens	Any route	Any route	PYG 234,154 (US$40) per procedure
Ley 6984 ordinary	Any nationality	Up to 2 year temporary, extendable	Change of category in the 3 months before expiry	PYG 2,926,925 (US$499) twice

Regional residence routes compared (Ley 3578/2008, Ley 6774/2021, Res. DNM 200 and 273/2023, DNM fees from 1 July 2026; USD at PYG 5,868.31)

Worked example

A Brazilian agribusiness manager is transferred to Santa Rita. Entering with the Brazilian identity card, the manager files for Mercosur temporary residence at the Santa Rita admission office with a Brazilian criminal record certificate (Portuguese documents from Brazil need no translation) and pays PYG 2,341,540, about US$399.
The employer hires the manager on a Paraguayan contract and registers them with IPS; under agreement art. 9 pay and social insurance follow the same rules as for nationals.
Twenty one months later, inside the 90 day window, the manager files for Mercosur permanent residence with IPS insured status as category 3 evidence and pays PYG 2,926,925 plus PYG 234,154 for the certificate.
Total DNM fees: PYG 5,502,619, about US$938. A Uruguayan colleague in the same position would have paid nothing under Ley 6774/2021.

Step by step

Confirm the applicant is a national of one of the eight countries, and if naturalized, for at least 5 years.
Obtain the national criminal record certificate (or from the consulate in Paraguay) and the civil status documents; Brazilian Portuguese documents need no translation.
In Paraguay, obtain the National Police certificate for foreigners and file at the DNM or an admission office with proof of presence.
Diary the date 90 days before the 2 year card expires and prepare the Res. DNM 407/2026 proof of income in advance.
Uruguayans: file directly for permanent residence under Ley 6774/2021; Ecuadorians: pay the 2 jornal fee under the DNM resolutions.
After permanent residence, apply for the 10 year Paraguayan cédula.

Common traps

The Mercosur temporary card cannot be extended; missing the 90 day window loses the agreement route and forces a new start under Ley 6984.
Mercosur temporary residents get no Paraguayan cédula until they become permanent, so banks and notaries will ask for the passport or national ID plus the DNM card.
Naturalized nationals of a party qualify only after 5 years with that nationality.
Proof of income is not needed for Mercosur temporary residence but is needed, with the same 12 categories as everyone else, for permanent residence.
The Uruguayan fee exemption covers only permanent residence under Ley 6774/2021 and related fines and records; certificates and other procedures are charged.
Changing residence between Argentina and Paraguay has tax effects on both sides; check the tax treaty page and The Argentine Thread guide before the move.

Sources

← Permanent residence in Paraguay: the change of category window, the 12 proof of income categories and keeping the statusShort assignments in Paraguay: spontaneous or occasional residence for technicians, managers and invited professionals →

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