Countries › Paraguay › Guide › 8. Immigration › Remote workers and digital nomads in Paraguay: no special visa, ordinary residence and the remote worker income category

Remote workers and digital nomads in Paraguay: no special visa, ordinary residence and the remote worker income category

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

Paraguay has no dedicated digital nomad visa: the 2022 migration law has only occasional, temporary and permanent residence, so remote workers either visit for up to 90 days plus one extension or settle on temporary residence, which allows any lawful activity and costs PYG 2,926,925 (about US$499). Since July 2026 remote workers have their own proof of income category for permanent residence: an employer certificate stating the income and how it is paid. Paraguayan personal income tax reaches residents' Paraguayan source income, so a remote salary from abroad needs a source analysis before the move.

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

Dedicated digital nomad or remote work visa	No textLey 6984/2022 art. 44, as of 2022-10-18 · in force
Remote worker proof of income category for permanent residence	Category 5: employer certificate stating income and payment channel textRes. DNM 407/2026 annex category 5, as of 2026-07-06 · in force

The rule

1. No nomad visa category. The law lists only three residence categories (spontaneous or occasional, temporary and permanent) and the transitory stay subcategories for visitors (tourist, transit, border traffic, medical treatment and special cases set by the DNM). None is designed for remote work. A remote worker who wants to live in Paraguay applies for temporary residence, granted to foreigners who come to settle and carry on a lawful activity, for up to 2 years and extendable.
Cost to do it: Temporary residence PYG 2,926,925 (about US$499); certificate of residence PYG 234,154.
Example: A Portuguese designer working for a Lisbon agency moves to Encarnación on temporary residence for PYG 3,161,079 with the certificate. / About US$539 for 2 years.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones, Art. 40, 44 and 46, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

2. Visiting while working remotely. Visitors are admitted for up to 90 days, extendable once, without the intention of settling. Under the DNM visa table, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens (until 13 August 2027 under Ley 7314/2024) and most European nationals need no visa to visit, but they do need a visa for an extension, residence or paid activity; Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Liechtenstein need none for extension or residence, and Mercosur nationals need none at all.
Cost to do it: Extension of stay PYG 585,385 (about US$100).
Example: A Dutch developer can visit for 90 days, extend, and then apply for residence without a consular visa; an American in the same position needs a consular visa for the extension or residence. / About US$100 for the extension where allowed.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones; DNM visa table, Ley 6984 art. 42 and 43, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

3. The remote worker category for permanent residence. For permanent residence files from 6 July 2026, Resolución DNM 407/2026 includes a category for remote workers or digital nomads (trabajadores a distancia o nómadas digitales). They prove solvency with a work certificate supporting the employment relationship that states the income received and the means through which the fees or salary are paid; foreign issued documents must be legalized or apostilled and translated into Spanish. The same rules apply to Mercosur nationals moving to permanent residence.
Cost to do it: Permanent residence PYG 2,926,925 (about US$499) plus certificate PYG 234,154; apostille and translation of the employer certificate are private costs.
Example: A Chilean product manager working for a Santiago startup files an apostilled employer letter stating salary and the Paraguayan bank account where it arrives. / About US$539 in DNM fees.Resolución DNM Nº 407/2026, Annex, category 5, 2026-06-25 official text · verified 2026-10-28 · changed: Resolución DNM Nº 407/2026, for files from 6 July 2026, created a specific proof of income category for remote workers and digital nomads applying for permanent residence.

4. Tax: Paraguayan source rule. Personal income tax (IRP) applies to resident individuals, Paraguayan or foreign, and taxes Paraguayan source income, defined as income from activities carried out in the Republic, from property located there or from rights used economically there; it also treats as Paraguayan source the pay for services of any kind performed abroad by IRP taxpayers when the services are provided to IRE or IRP taxpayers. Foreign residents who do paid or profitable work of any kind are subject to Paraguayan taxes. The law has no specific rule for a salary paid by a foreign employer for work physically done from Paraguay, so the source position should be settled with an adviser or the DNIT before relying on it.
Cost to do it: IRP rates and thresholds are on the IRP page; no DNM charge.
Example: A remote employee of a US company who also invoices a Paraguayan client must treat the Paraguayan client's fees as Paraguayan source income. / The tax result depends on the source analysis, not on the immigration status.Ley Nº 6380/2019; Ley Nº 6984/2022, Ley 6380 art. 48 and 49; Ley 6984 art. 18, 2019-09-25 official text · verified 2026-10-28

5. Absence limits for travelling remote workers. Temporary residence can be cancelled after more than 1 year of unjustified absence and permanent residence after more than 3 years, unless the DNM authorized the absence; the DNM reminds residents that they can request authorization before exceeding those limits.
Cost to do it: Losing temporary residence means a new application, PYG 2,926,925 (about US$499).
Example: A nomad on temporary residence who spends 13 months travelling South America without DNM authorization risks cancellation. / About US$499 to start again.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones, Art. 54 and 55 num. 2, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

Option	Length	Visa	DNM fee	Leads to permanent
Visitor	Up to 90 days plus one extension	Per DNM table; many nationals need a visa to extend	Extension PYG 585,385 (US$100)	No
Temporary residence	Up to 2 years, extendable	Consular visa where the DNM table requires it for residence	PYG 2,926,925 (US$499)	Yes, with category 5 proof
Mercosur temporary residence	2 years	None	PYG 2,341,540 (US$399)	Yes, in the 90 days before expiry
Investor Pass	Indefinite	Per DNM table	PYG 2,926,925 (US$499)	Direct

Remote work options (Ley 6984/2022, Res. DNM 407/2026, DNM visa table; DNM fees from 1 July 2026; USD at PYG 5,868.31)

Worked example

A Spanish software engineer employed by a Madrid company decides to live in Asunción.
Spain is visa free for visits but the DNM table requires a visa, issued free, for residence; with it the engineer files for temporary residence and pays PYG 2,926,925, about US$499.
The engineer opens a Paraguayan bank account and has part of the salary paid into it, which will help show the payment channel later.
Two years later the engineer files for permanent residence under category 5 with an apostilled, translated employer certificate stating salary and payment channel, and pays PYG 3,161,079, about US$539.
Before moving, the engineer obtains advice on whether the Madrid salary is Paraguayan source income under Ley 6380 art. 48.

Step by step

Check the visa column for residence in the DNM visa table for the worker's nationality.
Gather the temporary residence documents and file in Paraguay; work continues remotely under the precaria card.
Ask the employer for a certificate stating income and how it is paid, and keep payment records for the permanent residence file.
Get a tax opinion on the source of the remote salary before becoming resident.
Keep absences under 1 year as a temporary resident or obtain DNM authorization.

Common traps

There is no nomad visa; marketing that promises one refers to ordinary temporary residence.
US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens are visa free only for visits; residence needs a consular visa under the DNM table.
An employer certificate that does not state income and how it is paid will not satisfy category 5.
Long trips abroad can cost the residence: more than 1 year for temporary residents, more than 3 years for permanent residents.
Being resident makes the person an IRP taxpayer for Paraguayan source income; residence and tax status are separate questions.

Sources

← Families in Paraguay: residence for spouses and children, relatives of Paraguayans and the minors' rulesParaguay migration fees, fines, cancellation and appeals: the full DNM schedule and how it moves →

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