Countries › Paraguay › Guide › 8. Immigration › Short assignments in Paraguay: spontaneous or occasional residence for technicians, managers and invited professionals

Short assignments in Paraguay: spontaneous or occasional residence for technicians, managers and invited professionals

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

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

Foreigners who come to carry out a lawful occasional activity, such as a technician installing equipment, a manager transferred to fill a specific post, an invited professional, academic, journalist, athlete or performer, can obtain spontaneous or occasional residence for up to 90 days, extendable once for the same period within the year. It needs only an identity document, the visa where required, proof of entry and a sworn statement of the activity, and costs 8 daily minimum wages, PYG 936,616 (about US$160). It does not count toward temporary or permanent residence.

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

Spontaneous or occasional residence term, extendable once in the year	90 daysLey 6984/2022 art. 45, as of 2022-10-18 · in force
DNM fee for spontaneous or occasional residence, cash (8 jornales)	936616 PYGLey 6984/2022 art. 100 num. 3; Res. DNM 478/2026, as of 2026-07-01 · in force
Spontaneous or occasional residences issued January to June 2026	811 residencesDNM report of 29 July 2026, as of 2026-06-30 · in force

The rule

1. What it is. Spontaneous or occasional residence (residencia espontánea u ocasional) is the authorization the DNM grants to foreigners who enter to carry on lawful occasional activities. It is granted for up to 90 days, extendable for the same period within the year, and it is not a prerequisite for temporary residence. The law gives a card of this type to foreigners whose seasonal or occasional work, as members of public shows or as guests of public or private bodies because of their art or profession, requires them to stay for no more than 90 days.
Cost to do it: 8 jornales, PYG 936,616 (about US$160) in cash; by card PYG 957,222 to PYG 967,524.
Example: A Finnish forestry technician sent for a 75 day commissioning job at a pulp mill applies on arrival and pays PYG 936,616. / About US$160 for up to 90 days of authorized activity.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones, Art. 44, 45 and 56, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

2. Which activities qualify. The DNM lists as valid lawful activities for this residence: members of public shows; guests of public or private bodies because of their art or profession; interns; professionals; academics; technicians; researchers; scientists; journalists; athletes; business people; and directors, managers and administrative staff of national or foreign companies transferred from abroad to fill specific posts. The residence authorizes the activity for which it was granted, within its term.
Cost to do it: Same fee, PYG 936,616 (about US$160), whatever the activity.
Example: A regional finance director from the Chilean parent spends 3 months setting up the Asunción subsidiary's controls under occasional residence. / About US$160 against about US$499 for temporary residence, which also needs birth, civil status and criminal record certificates.DNM spontaneous or occasional residence page under Ley Nº 6984/2022, DNM list of lawful activities, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

3. Documents. The law requires a valid passport or identity document; the consular visa and its Foreign Ministry verification where required; proof of entry; a sworn statement before the DNM of the profession, activity or trade to be carried on and the temporary address in Paraguay; and the fee. The DNM checklist asks for originals with notarized copies of the identity document, visa and entry proof, and generates the sworn statement on filing. Unlike temporary residence, the list includes no birth certificate, civil status proof or criminal record certificates. Minors file with both parents or with a court or notarial authorization from the absent parent.
Cost to do it: Notarized copies of the passport and entry stamp are a small private cost.
Example: A US engineer who entered visa free for a site visit learns that the DNM table requires a visa for paid activity for US citizens and obtains it before filing. / Check the visa column first; the DNM fee is about US$160.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones, Art. 49, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

4. Overstay and the extension. If the transitory stay has already run out when the application is filed, the DNM adds the overstay fine of 6 jornales. The residence may be extended once for the same period within the year; after that the foreigner must leave or apply for temporary residence with the full set of documents. In the first half of 2026 the DNM issued 811 spontaneous or occasional residences.
Cost to do it: Occasional residence PYG 936,616 plus the fine PYG 702,462: PYG 1,639,078 (about US$279).
Example: A technician who overstayed a week before filing pays PYG 936,616 plus PYG 702,462. / About US$279 instead of about US$160.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones, Art. 45 and 87, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

5. Employer side. Whoever employs an immigrant must inform the DNM and comply with labor law whatever the worker's migration status, and the migration law fines the hiring of foreigners without a residence card at 150 jornales per worker. An occasional residence card is a residence card for the activity stated, so a short assignment documented this way keeps the host company inside the rules.
Cost to do it: Fine for an undocumented foreign worker: 150 jornales, PYG 17,561,550 (about US$2,993).
Example: Documenting a 2 month visit by three foreign technicians costs PYG 2,809,848 in DNM fees, against potential fines of PYG 52,684,650. / About US$479 against about US$8,978.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones, Art. 7 and 88 num. 8, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

Situation	Status	Term	Documents	DNM fee
Meetings, site visits, no local activity	Transitory stay (visitor)	Up to 90 days, one extension	Passport or Mercosur ID, visa if required	None; extension PYG 585,385 (US$100)
Installation, audit, interim management, invited professional	Spontaneous or occasional residence	Up to 90 days, extendable once in the year	ID, visa if required, entry proof, sworn statement	PYG 936,616 (US$160)
Local hire or long assignment	Temporary residence	Up to 2 years, extendable	Full set incl. birth, civil status and criminal record certificates	PYG 2,926,925 (US$499)
Mercosur national, any length	Mercosur temporary residence	2 years	ID, criminal record, police certificate for foreigners	PYG 2,341,540 (US$399)

Choosing the status for a foreigner coming to work in Paraguay (Ley 6984/2022; DNM fees from 1 July 2026; USD at PYG 5,868.31)

Worked example

A German equipment maker sends two technicians for 10 weeks to commission a line at a maquila plant in Alto Paraná.
Both are visa free as visitors, but the work is paid activity, so after entry they file for spontaneous or occasional residence at the Ciudad del Este admission office, with passports, entry stamps and the DNM sworn statement naming the activity and the plant address.
DNM fees: 2 x PYG 936,616 = PYG 1,873,232, about US$319.
If the job runs past 90 days, each extends once for up to another 90 days within the year; if the client then wants them for a year, they switch to temporary residence with the full document set.
If the Paraguayan client employs the technicians directly rather than through their German employer, it must inform the DNM (Ley 6984 art. 7).

Step by step

Check whether the nationality needs a visa for paid activity in the DNM visa table.
Enter Paraguay and keep the entry stamp or migration card.
File in person at the DNM or an admission office with the identity document, visa if any, entry proof and notarized copies.
Declare the activity and the temporary address in the sworn statement generated on filing, and pay 8 jornales.
Diary the 90 day term and request the single extension before it runs out, or move to temporary residence.

Common traps

Occasional residence does not count toward temporary or permanent residence; long projects should start on temporary residence.
The residence covers only the activity declared; a different job needs a new authorization.
Visa free visitors from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most European countries still need a visa for paid activity under the DNM table.
Filing after the visitor stay has expired adds the 6 jornal fine.
Only one extension within the year is allowed.

Sources

← Mercosur and Uruguay residence in Paraguay: the regional fast track for Argentines, Brazilians and other South AmericansHiring foreign workers in Paraguay: no work permit, but residence first, equal pay and DNM notice →

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