Countries › Paraguay › Guide › 8. Immigration › Visiting Paraguay: visa waivers, the 90 day transitory stay, extensions and overstay fines

Visiting Paraguay: visa waivers, the 90 day transitory stay, extensions and overstay fines

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

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

Foreigners who come without the intention of settling are admitted on a transitory stay of up to 90 days, extendable once for no longer than the first period, for a DNM fee of PYG 585,385 (about US$100). Mercosur nationals need no visa for anything and can travel on their national identity card; US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens need no visa for up to 90 days until 13 August 2027, and most European nationals visit visa free, but many of them still need a consular visa to extend, apply for residence or carry on paid activity. Overstaying or losing the entry record costs 6 daily minimum wages, PYG 702,462 (about US$120), and an unpaid fine blocks the next entry.

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

DNM fee to extend a transitory (visitor) stay, cash (5 jornales)	585385 PYGLey 6984/2022 art. 100 num. 6; Res. DNM 478/2026, as of 2026-07-01 · in force
Visa free stay for US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens	90 daysLey 7314/2024, as of 2024-08-13 · in force
End of the visa waiver for US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens	2027-08-13 dateLey 7314/2024, as of 2024-08-13 · in force
Fine for having no record of entry (6 jornales)	702462 PYGLey 6984/2022 art. 87 num. 2, as of 2026-07-01 · in force
Minimum re entry ban after expulsion	5 yearsLey 6984/2022 art. 66, as of 2022-10-18 · in force
Border traffic document (DTVF) fee for Mercosur nationals living in linked Brazilian border towns	74929 PYGLey 6984/2022 art. 100 num. 11; DNM notice of 22 September 2026, as of 2026-09-22 · in force
Border traffic document (DTVF) validity, renewable	5 yearsDNM notice of 22 September 2026, as of 2026-09-22 · in force

The rule

1. Two ways in: transitory stay or residence. The migration office (Dirección Nacional de Migraciones, DNM) admits a foreigner either on a transitory stay (estadía transitoria) or as a resident. A transitory stay is for someone who comes for a limited time without the intention of settling, in five subcategories: tourist, passenger in transit, neighbouring border traffic, people starting or continuing medical treatment, and special cases set by the DNM. Requirements are a valid passport or identity document, an entry visa issued by the Foreign Ministry where one is required, and the other formalities in the regulations. The stay is fixed according to the purpose of entry up to 90 calendar days and may be extended once, at the visitor's request and at the DNM's discretion, for no longer than the period first granted. The periods are peremptory: the extension or a change of category must be requested before the stay expires, and once it expires the visitor must leave or apply for residence.
Cost to do it: Extension of stay (prórroga de permanencia): 5 jornales, PYG 585,385 (about US$100) in cash; by card PYG 598,263 (debit) to PYG 604,703 (international credit). It can be requested in person or online on the paraguay.gov.py portal.
Example: A consultant admitted for 90 days who needs another 60 days to close a deal files the extension before day 90 and pays PYG 585,385. / About US$100 buys up to another 90 days; there is no second extension, so a longer stay means residence.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones, Art. 38, 40, 41, 42 and 43, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

2. Who needs a visa. The DNM visa table, which lists the visa waiver agreement behind each country, has two columns: a visa to enter as a tourist, and a visa for extension of stay, residence or paid activities. Nationals of the Mercosur members and associates (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru) need no visa in either column. Citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand need no visa for stays of up to 90 days under Ley Nº 7314 of 13 August 2024, valid until 13 August 2027, but need a visa for extension, residence or paid activity. Most European countries (for example Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Poland and Russia) and Japan, Israel, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and Mexico are visa free for up to 90 days, and South Korea for up to 30 days, but again need a visa to extend, reside or work; Spain's visa for that purpose is free. Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Liechtenstein need no visa either to visit or to extend their stay or apply for residence. The People's Republic of China, India, Venezuela and the countries listed under Resolución 210 of 15 March 2023 need a visa even to visit.
Cost to do it: No fee when visa free. Consular visa fees are set by the Foreign Ministry and are not listed in the DNM table.
Example: A German manager can visit the Asunción office for 90 days without a visa, but to stay on and take a local job needs a consular visa and a residence application. / Visa free entry costs nothing; the extra steps start when the stay is extended or turns into paid work or residence.Ley Nº 7314/2024 and the bilateral visa waiver agreements listed in the DNM visa table, DNM visa table, America, Europe, Asia and other sections, 2024-08-13 official text · verified 2026-10-28

3. Travel documents and the entry record. Everyone, Paraguayan or foreign, adult or minor, must register entry and exit at an authorized migration control post; registration is free and is done only at land, river and airport posts. Mercosur nationals (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador) may travel within the bloc on their national identity document; receipts for travel documents in process are not accepted. A non resident receives an entry record (a stamp in the passport or a stamped migration card) and must keep it and show it on departure; with a passport close to expiry the DNM grants a stay that matches the expiry date, and complaints about the length of stay granted are not accepted later. Foreign residents travel with their passport or Mercosur identity document plus their DNM residence document (precaria, temporary or permanent), or with their Paraguayan cédula.
Cost to do it: Free registration. Arriving or leaving without an entry record is fined 6 jornales, PYG 702,462 (about US$120).
Example: A Brazilian supplier who crosses by car with an identity card and loses the stamped migration card pays PYG 702,462 on the way out. / About US$120 for a lost entry record, the same as an overstay fine.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones; DNM entry and exit requirements, Ley 6984 art. 25, 35 and 36, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

4. Overstay fines and what happens if they are not paid. A foreigner who exceeds the authorized transitory stay is fined up to 6 jornales, and one with no record of entry is fined 6 jornales; the DNM charges PYG 702,462 in both cases. Fines can be paid in guaraníes in cash or by international debit card at control posts, or online on the paraguay.gov.py portal 48 business hours after they are issued, with a provider commission. A traveller who cannot pay may leave with the fine pending or authorize a third party to pay it, but anyone trying to re enter with an unpaid fine is refused entry until it is settled, and repeated notifications without regularization lead to refusal of entry for transitory visitors. Temporary residents whose card has expired are fined on departure; permanent residents with an expired card are not fined. Paraguayan nationals are never fined for migration matters.
Cost to do it: 6 jornales: PYG 702,462 (about US$120) in cash; PYG 717,916 to PYG 725,643 by card or online.
Example: A visitor who stays 10 days beyond the 90 granted pays PYG 702,462 at the airport; the fine does not grow with the number of days. / About US$120, slightly more than the US$100 an extension would have cost.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones, Art. 39, 42, 43 and 87, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

5. Refusal of entry and expulsion. The DNM refuses entry to foreigners who lack the required documents or use false ones, who were expelled and are still under an entry ban, who are subject to an international arrest warrant or a DNM or other alert, or who do not meet the legal formalities. Entry is irregular when made outside an authorized post, without documents, with false documents, in breach of an entry ban or without the legal formalities. Expulsion carries a ban on returning of at least 5 years, set case by case by the DNM, which alone can lift it.
Cost to do it: No fee; the cost is the lost entry and, after expulsion, a ban of at least 5 years.
Example: A traveller who overstayed on a previous trip and left the fine unpaid is turned back at the airport until the fine is paid online. / Paying the US$120 fine before travelling avoids a refused entry.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones, Art. 37, 39, 66 and 67, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

6. Border traffic document on the Integration Bridge. The DNM issues a neighbouring border traffic document (Documento de Tránsito Vecinal Fronterizo, DTVF) to Mercosur nationals domiciled in linked Brazilian border towns such as Foz do Iguaçu; since 14 September 2026 Paraguayan and Brazilian authorities require it for private traffic on the Puente Internacional de la Integración between Presidente Franco and Foz do Iguaçu. It is filed in person at the Ciudad del Este admission office with a utility bill proving domicile, the passport or identity document, a Brazilian Federal Police criminal record certificate clean for the last 5 years and a photo; it is issued within 72 business hours, lasts 5 years and is renewable. It does not replace the travel document or exempt the holder from migration control, and people without it can use the other crossings. Paraguayans in Ciudad del Este, Presidente Franco or Hernandarias obtain the Brazilian equivalent from the Brazilian Federal Police.
Cost to do it: PYG 74,929 (about US$13), 32 percent of the 2 jornal fee for other documents.
Example: A Foz do Iguaçu resident who manages a store in Presidente Franco pays PYG 74,929 once for a 5 year DTVF. / About US$13 for five years of bridge crossings.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones; DNM notice of 22 September 2026, Ley 6984 art. 40 num. 3 and art. 100 num. 11, 2026-09-22 official text · verified 2026-10-28 · changed: On 22 September 2026 the DNM cut the DTVF fee for Mercosur nationals domiciled in linked Brazilian border towns to PYG 74,929 (32 percent of 2 jornales) on reciprocity grounds, for the bridge traffic schedule in force from 14 September 2026.

7. Visits are not for local paid work. The law defines the transitory stay as a stay without the intention of settling, while the provisional (precaria) residence card expressly allows its holder to work and the spontaneous or occasional residence exists for lawful occasional activities, including professionals, technicians, business people, directors and managers transferred from abroad. The DNM visa table also treats paid activity like residence when deciding who needs a visa. A visitor who will be paid locally or fill a post in Paraguay should therefore enter the occasional or temporary residence route before starting.
Cost to do it: Occasional residence: 8 jornales, PYG 936,616 (about US$160); temporary residence: 25 jornales, PYG 2,926,925 (about US$499).
Example: A technician sent for a 60 day installation applies for occasional residence for PYG 936,616 instead of relying on a tourist entry. / About US$160 for occasional residence, against an employer fine of about US$2,993 per foreign worker without a residence card.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones, Art. 40, 45 and 57, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

Nationality	Visit	Extension, residence or paid activity	Basis in the DNM table
Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia	No visa, national ID is enough	No visa	Mercosur
Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru	No visa, national ID is enough	No visa	Mercosur associate
United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand	No visa up to 90 days	Visa required	Ley 7314 of 13 August 2024, valid until 13 August 2027
Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom	No visa up to 90 days	Visa required	Bilateral agreements and laws
Spain	No visa up to 90 days	Visa required, issued free	Bilateral agreement of 25 June 1959
Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Liechtenstein	No visa up to 90 days	No visa to extend or apply for residence	Bilateral agreements
Mexico	No visa up to 90 days	Visa required	Decreto Nº 245 of 13 September 2008
Japan, Israel, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates	No visa up to 90 days	Visa required	Bilateral agreements and decrees
South Korea	No visa up to 30 days	Visa required	Decreto Nº 7341 of 30 March 2006
People's Republic of China, India	Visa required	Visa required	Resolución 210 of 15 March 2023
Venezuela	Visa required	Visa required	No agreement listed

Visa rules for selected nationalities (DNM visa table, read on 28 October 2026)

Worked example

A Canadian investor flies into Asunción to inspect sites. No visa is needed for up to 90 days under Ley 7314/2024; the passport is stamped on entry and the stamp must be kept for departure.
The visit runs long. Before day 90 the investor files an extension online and pays PYG 598,263 by debit card (PYG 585,385 in cash), gaining up to another 90 days (Ley 6984 art. 42 and 43).
Had the investor missed the deadline, the airport fine would have been PYG 702,462, about US$120, and leaving without paying it would block the next entry.
To stay and run a company, the investor needs residence; as a Canadian, the DNM table requires a consular visa for residence or paid activity, so the file starts at a Paraguayan consulate or through the Investor Pass route on the residence page.
An Argentine colleague on the same trip uses the national DNI, needs no visa at any stage and can apply for Mercosur residence in Paraguay at any time (Ley 3578/2008).

Step by step

Check the nationality row in the DNM visa table before booking, in both columns: visit, and extension, residence or paid activity.
Travel with a passport valid for the whole stay; Mercosur nationals may use their national identity card.
On arrival, check the stamped number of days and keep the stamp or migration card until departure.
If more time is needed, request the extension before the stay expires, in person at the DNM or online on paraguay.gov.py; only one extension is allowed.
If the trip turns into paid work or a move, apply for occasional or temporary residence before the visit ends.
If a fine was issued, pay it online after 48 business hours and keep the receipt for the next entry.

Common traps

Visa free entry for US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens covers visits only; the DNM table requires a visa for extension, residence or paid activity, and the waiver law runs until 13 August 2027.
Only one extension is possible and it cannot exceed the period first granted; a 30 day entry stamp means a 30 day extension at most.
A passport close to expiry shortens the stay granted at the border, and complaints about the number of days are not accepted afterwards.
Leaving with a fine pending is allowed, but the next entry is refused until it is paid.
Losing the stamped migration card is fined the same as an overstay, PYG 702,462.
Temporary residents with an expired card are fined when they leave; only permanent residents are spared.
From 14 September 2026 private traffic on the Integration Bridge to Foz do Iguaçu requires the DTVF; without it, use another crossing.

Sources

← Immigration to Paraguay: residence categories, the Investor Pass, Mercosur residence, fees and employer dutiesTemporary residence in Paraguay: who qualifies, documents, the provisional work card, extensions and the cédula →

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