Countries › Paraguay › Guide › 13. Regulation › Environmental impact authorisation in Paraguay: which projects need a DIA, the MADES procedure, deadlines and tacit approval
Environmental impact authorisation in Paraguay: which projects need a DIA, the MADES procedure, deadlines and tacit approval
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Last verified: 2026-10-28 · Status: Stable
Listed works and activities need a Declaración de Impacto Ambiental (DIA) from the Ministerio del Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (MADES) before they start, under Ley 294/1993 and its regulation, Decreto 453/2013 as amended by Decreto 954/2013. Thresholds are concrete: for example farms of 500 hectares or more in the Eastern Region or 2,000 in the Chaco, power plants of at least 100 MW, lines above 100,000 volts, shopping centres above 5,000 m² and any metallic mining. After public consultation MADES must issue the DIA within 90 calendar days, failing which the developer can record the lapse before a notary and obtain a tacit DIA; the DIA is needed for bank credit, other permits and tax incentives.
USD figures use PYG 5,868.31 per US dollar, the Banco Central del Paraguay reference quotation for 28 October 2026. Amounts set in minimum wages use the monthly minimum wage of PYG 3,044,000 and the daily minimum wage (jornal) of PYG 117,077 in force since 1 July 2026 under Resolución MTESS 670/2026. Conversions are for orientation only and move with each wage adjustment.
Key facts
| Environmental licensing authority | Ministerio del Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (MADES) Ley 6123/2018 art. 1, as of 2026-10-28 · in force |
|---|---|
| Term to issue the DIA after consultation or hearing | 90 calendar daysDecreto 453/2013 art. 6 e) as amended by Decreto 954/2013, as of 2026-10-28 · in force |
| Tacit DIA if MADES misses the term | Yes, by notarial record of the lapse Decreto 453/2013 art. 5 and 6 e) as amended by Decreto 954/2013, as of 2026-10-28 · in force |
| EIA deemed approved without declaration after (law) | 90 daysLey 294/1993 art. 10, as of 2026-10-28 · in force |
| Public consultation period | 10 business days (extendable by 10) business daysDecreto 453/2013 art. 6, as of 2026-10-28 · in force |
| Compliance audit frequency | At least every 5 years yearsDecreto 453/2013 art. 8 a), as of 2026-10-28 · in force |
| Farm size requiring a DIA | 500 ha Eastern Region; 2,000 ha Western Region hectaresDecreto 453/2013 art. 2 b) as amended by Decreto 954/2013, as of 2026-10-28 · in force |
| Power plant size requiring a DIA | 100 MWDecreto 453/2013 art. 2 h) as amended by Decreto 954/2013, as of 2026-10-28 · in force |
| Reconsideration term against MADES decisions | 5 business daysDecreto 453/2013 art. 11, as of 2026-10-28 · in force |
The rule
1. The licence and what it unlocks. Environmental impact assessment is mandatory for the works and activities listed in Ley 294 art. 7, public or private. The authority approves (simply or with conditions), returns or rejects the project by issuing or refusing a Declaración de Impacto Ambiental. The DIA is the licence to start or continue the work, and is required to obtain credit or guarantees, permits from other public bodies and subsidies or tax exemptions. Concealment, false data or changes to evade the law lead to cancellation of the DIA and immediate suspension of the works. The environment secretariat (SEAM) was raised to a ministry, MADES, in 2018.
Cost to do it: Study and consultant costs are borne by the project owner (Ley 294 art. 4).
Example: A meatpacking plant cannot draw a bank loan for its expansion until the expansion's DIA is issued (art. 12 a). / A foreign investor applying for tax incentives for a new factory must show its DIA (art. 12 c).Ley Nº 294/1993, Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental; Ley Nº 6123/2018, Ley 294 art. 1, 7, 10, 12 and 14; Ley 6123 art. 1, 1993-12-14 official text · verified 2026-10-28
Cost to do it: Study and consultant costs are borne by the project owner (Ley 294 art. 4).
Example: A meatpacking plant cannot draw a bank loan for its expansion until the expansion's DIA is issued (art. 12 a). / A foreign investor applying for tax incentives for a new factory must show its DIA (art. 12 c).Ley Nº 294/1993, Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental; Ley Nº 6123/2018, Ley 294 art. 1, 7, 10, 12 and 14; Ley 6123 art. 1, 1993-12-14 official text · verified 2026-10-28
2. Which projects need a DIA. The regulation lists, among others: gated communities, subdivisions and urbanisations; colonisation settlements; municipal land use plans; works on plots above 3,000 m² in municipalities without a land use plan, and buildings above 3,000 m² of covered area there; autodromes, university campuses, cemeteries, shopping centres above 5,000 m², sports clubs above 5,000 m², fuel stations, long distance bus and rail stations, stadiums, garages above 3,000 m², hospitals and radiology or nuclear medicine centres, dance venues above 1,000 m², wholesale markets, prisons, sewage and drinking water plants and supermarkets above 1,000 m²; farms or ranches using 500 hectares or more in the Eastern Region or 2,000 hectares or more in the Western Region (excluding forest reserves and protected strips), monoculture plantations above 1,000 hectares and intensive commercial animal farms above 1,000 m²; industrial plants per the CIIU annex (an EIA or a lighter effluent and emissions study, EDE) and any activity using or storing hazardous substances; mining moving over 10,000 m³, near rivers, slopes, indigenous communities or towns, and all metallic mining; fossil fuel exploration and refining; pipelines; hydraulic works and groundwater use for industry or commerce; power plants of at least 100 MW, lines above 100,000 volts and substations; charcoal; waste plants and landfills; roads (except urban paving); ports; runways of at least 3,000 m and urban heliports; food warehouses above 1,000 m², hazardous substance depots and silos above 3,000 tonnes; excavations above 10,000 m³ and clearing of more than 2 hectares of native forest for commercial purposes; and exotic species introduced for breeding or sale.
Cost to do it: No DIA is needed below the thresholds; see the next rule for generic plans.
Example: A 600 hectare soybean farm in Itapúa (Eastern Region) needs a DIA; a 1,500 hectare ranch in the Chaco (Western Region) does not, below 2,000 hectares. / A 50 MW solar plant is below the 100 MW power threshold, but its line above 100,000 volts or a new substation still triggers a DIA (art. 2 h).Decreto Nº 453/2013, art. 2, as amended by Decreto Nº 954/2013, art. 1, Decreto 453 art. 2 (text of Decreto 954 art. 1), 2013-12-18 official text · verified 2026-10-28 · changed: Decreto Nº 954 of 18 December 2013 rewrote the list in art. 2 of Decreto 453 of 8 October 2013, raising the unplanned municipality plot threshold from 2,500 to 3,000 m², the excavation threshold from 10 to 10,000 m³, adding buildings above 3,000 m², charcoal and food warehouse thresholds, and limiting forest clearing to commercial purposes.
Cost to do it: No DIA is needed below the thresholds; see the next rule for generic plans.
Example: A 600 hectare soybean farm in Itapúa (Eastern Region) needs a DIA; a 1,500 hectare ranch in the Chaco (Western Region) does not, below 2,000 hectares. / A 50 MW solar plant is below the 100 MW power threshold, but its line above 100,000 volts or a new substation still triggers a DIA (art. 2 h).Decreto Nº 453/2013, art. 2, as amended by Decreto Nº 954/2013, art. 1, Decreto 453 art. 2 (text of Decreto 954 art. 1), 2013-12-18 official text · verified 2026-10-28 · changed: Decreto Nº 954 of 18 December 2013 rewrote the list in art. 2 of Decreto 453 of 8 October 2013, raising the unplanned municipality plot threshold from 2,500 to 3,000 m², the excavation threshold from 10 to 10,000 m³, adding buildings above 3,000 m², charcoal and food warehouse thresholds, and limiting forest clearing to commercial purposes.
3. Activities outside the list. Works not listed in art. 2 do not go through the EIA procedure but must comply with national, departmental and municipal rules, minimise impacts and follow the generic environmental management plans MADES issues per activity, sending a sworn statement of compliance that is registered in the environmental cadastre. If a party, or someone invoking diffuse interests, shows plausibly that an unlisted activity may cause considerable negative impacts, MADES, after 5 business days' notice to the developer, may order an EIA (suspending the activity until the DIA) or issue a generic plan, and may suspend preventively for up to 30 calendar days. MADES cannot require by regulation documents not foreseen in the laws or the decree.
Cost to do it: Sworn statement under a generic plan; no fee amount set in the decrees.
Example: A 900 m² supermarket in Asunción follows the generic plan for its activity and files a sworn statement instead of an EIA. / Neighbours of an unlisted plant can petition MADES, which may order an EIA and suspend the plant for up to 30 days meanwhile.Decreto Nº 453/2013, art. 3 and 14, as amended by Decreto Nº 954/2013, art. 2 and 7, Decreto 453 art. 3 and 14, 2013-12-18 official text · verified 2026-10-28
Cost to do it: Sworn statement under a generic plan; no fee amount set in the decrees.
Example: A 900 m² supermarket in Asunción follows the generic plan for its activity and files a sworn statement instead of an EIA. / Neighbours of an unlisted plant can petition MADES, which may order an EIA and suspend the plant for up to 30 days meanwhile.Decreto Nº 453/2013, art. 3 and 14, as amended by Decreto Nº 954/2013, art. 2 and 7, Decreto 453 art. 3 and 14, 2013-12-18 official text · verified 2026-10-28
4. Procedure and deadlines. The developer files a preliminary EIA (or an EDE for lighter industrial cases) with MADES, prepared with a registered consultant. MADES evaluates it within 20 business days, may consult affected persons and bodies, and may require an extended study, which the developer has up to 90 calendar days to submit; silence means no observations. MADES then publishes the environmental impact report for 10 business days (extendable by 10 for large EIA projects), announcing it for 3 consecutive days in two major newspapers and on a national radio station. Anyone may file reasoned written comments; the developer may reply within 5 business days. Within 10 business days MADES decides whether to hold a public hearing, which is mandatory if the project may directly affect indigenous communities or neighbours or directly affected persons ask for it, and must be completed within 30 business days. MADES then has 90 calendar days to issue the DIA; for an unobserved EDE the term is also 90 calendar days. If MADES misses the term, the developer can record the lapse in a notarial act and obtains a tacit DIA by operation of law, while MADES remains obliged to rule.
Cost to do it: Consultants, newspaper and radio publications and hearings are paid by the developer, plus any fees MADES sets by regulation (Decreto 453 art. 7 b).
Example: Typical EIA path without extension or hearing: 20 business days of review, 3 days of newspaper notices, 10 business days of public consultation, 5 for replies, 10 to decide on a hearing and up to 90 calendar days to issue, roughly 6 months in total. / Budget for a registered consultant, three days of notices in two national newspapers and a radio spot; if a hearing is required, add up to 30 business days.Decreto Nº 453/2013, art. 4, 5 and 6, as amended by Decreto Nº 954/2013, art. 3 and 4; Ley Nº 294/1993, art. 10, Decreto 453 art. 4, 5, 6; Decreto 954 art. 3 and 4, 2013-12-18 official text · verified 2026-10-28
Cost to do it: Consultants, newspaper and radio publications and hearings are paid by the developer, plus any fees MADES sets by regulation (Decreto 453 art. 7 b).
Example: Typical EIA path without extension or hearing: 20 business days of review, 3 days of newspaper notices, 10 business days of public consultation, 5 for replies, 10 to decide on a hearing and up to 90 calendar days to issue, roughly 6 months in total. / Budget for a registered consultant, three days of notices in two national newspapers and a radio spot; if a hearing is required, add up to 30 business days.Decreto Nº 453/2013, art. 4, 5 and 6, as amended by Decreto Nº 954/2013, art. 3 and 4; Ley Nº 294/1993, art. 10, Decreto 453 art. 4, 5, 6; Decreto 954 art. 3 and 4, 2013-12-18 official text · verified 2026-10-28
5. Validity, audits and changes. The DIA lasts, in principle, as long as the work or activity, but the developer must file sworn compliance audit reports on its environmental management plan at least every 5 years, or more often if the DIA says so. The DIA does not exempt from civil liability for damage to third parties and does not authorise works that breach municipal land use rules. Significant changes, unforeseen effects, expansions or worsened impacts must be reported to MADES at once, which may order a new EIA, adjust the plan, impose mitigation or suspend the activity. A pending administrative or judicial proceeding cannot be invoked to deny a DIA. Projects with older DIAs could request a new DIA under these rules with a sworn statement, a management plan with an audit schedule and a MADES site inspection.
Cost to do it: Audit reports at least every 5 years, prepared at the developer's cost.
Example: A plant whose DIA was issued in March 2022 must file a sworn compliance audit by March 2027 at the latest. / Doubling a factory's capacity requires notifying MADES before or as it happens; an unnotified expansion found in inspection can lead to suspension and sanctions.Decreto Nº 453/2013, art. 8 and 14, as amended by Decreto Nº 954/2013, art. 7, Decreto 453 art. 8 a) to f); art. 14 b), 2013-10-08 official text · verified 2026-10-28
Cost to do it: Audit reports at least every 5 years, prepared at the developer's cost.
Example: A plant whose DIA was issued in March 2022 must file a sworn compliance audit by March 2027 at the latest. / Doubling a factory's capacity requires notifying MADES before or as it happens; an unnotified expansion found in inspection can lead to suspension and sanctions.Decreto Nº 453/2013, art. 8 and 14, as amended by Decreto Nº 954/2013, art. 7, Decreto 453 art. 8 a) to f); art. 14 b), 2013-10-08 official text · verified 2026-10-28
6. Consultants, responsible person, appeals and fast track. The developer must be advised by a consultant registered with MADES: an individual with a university degree of at least 4 years, 2 years of practice and an environmental specialisation, master's or doctorate (national or reputable foreign universities), or a company designating such a person. The developer answers for the content and truthfulness of filings, and with the consultant for implementation. A person must be named responsible for the environmental management plan. MADES decisions may be challenged by reconsideration within 5 business days, deemed rejected if not decided in 15 business days. A contentious administrative action does not suspend resolutions aimed at preventing or stopping environmental damage, but suspends others. Urgent state projects of national priority, declared by the Council of Ministers, are decided in up to 15 business days.
Cost to do it: Consultant registration requires only identity, qualifications and any fee set by regulation; it does not expire.
Example: A Brazilian engineering firm can register as a consultant through a resident specialist who meets the degree, 2 years of practice and postgraduate requirements. / A developer has only 5 business days to seek reconsideration of a MADES rejection.Decreto Nº 453/2013, art. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 16, as amended by Decreto Nº 954/2013, art. 5, Decreto 453 art. 9 to 12, 16, 2013-12-18 official text · verified 2026-10-28
Cost to do it: Consultant registration requires only identity, qualifications and any fee set by regulation; it does not expire.
Example: A Brazilian engineering firm can register as a consultant through a resident specialist who meets the degree, 2 years of practice and postgraduate requirements. / A developer has only 5 business days to seek reconsideration of a MADES rejection.Decreto Nº 453/2013, art. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 16, as amended by Decreto Nº 954/2013, art. 5, Decreto 453 art. 9 to 12, 16, 2013-12-18 official text · verified 2026-10-28
| Activity | DIA required when |
|---|---|
| Farms and ranches | 500 ha or more (Eastern Region); 2,000 ha or more (Western Region), excluding reserves |
| Plantations | Monoculture above 1,000 ha |
| Intensive animal farms | Commercial, above 1,000 m² |
| Shopping centres and sports clubs | Above 5,000 m² |
| Supermarkets and dance venues | Above 1,000 m² |
| Buildings and plots in municipalities without a land use plan | Above 3,000 m² |
| Power | Plants of at least 100 MW; lines above 100,000 volts; substations |
| Mining | Earth moving above 10,000 m³, or near rivers, slopes, indigenous communities or towns; all metallic mining |
| Silos | Above 3,000 tonnes |
| Forest clearing | More than 2 ha of native forest for commercial purposes |
| Runways | At least 3,000 m; urban heliports |
Selected DIA thresholds (Decreto 453/2013 art. 2 as amended by Decreto 954/2013)
| Step | Term |
|---|---|
| MADES review of preliminary EIA | 20 business days |
| Extended study, if required | Up to 90 calendar days for the developer |
| Publication and public comments | 10 business days after 3 days of newspaper notices (plus 10 for large projects) |
| Developer reply to comments | 5 business days |
| Decision on public hearing | 10 business days |
| Public hearing, if held | Within 30 business days |
| Issue of DIA | 90 calendar days; tacit DIA by notarial act if missed |
EIA procedure timeline (Decreto 453/2013 art. 4 to 6 as amended)
Worked example
- A US agribusiness fund buys 3,000 hectares in Alto Paraná (Eastern Region) to plant soybeans, above the 500 hectare threshold. It hires a registered consultant, files the preliminary EIA with MADES, which reviews it in 20 business days, publishes the report for 10 business days after newspaper and radio notices, and receives no request for a hearing. MADES then has 90 calendar days to issue the DIA. The fund cannot draw its local bank facility or apply for incentives until the DIA is issued (Ley 294 art. 12).
- If MADES does not issue the DIA within the 90 calendar days, the fund's representative has a notary record the lapse and the DIA is obtained tacitly; the fund should still keep pressing for the formal resolution, which MADES must issue.
Step by step
- Check the project against the art. 2 list and thresholds, including ancillary works such as lines, substations, silos, depots and excavations.
- Engage a MADES registered consultant early and budget for newspaper and radio notices and a possible public hearing.
- Map indigenous communities and neighbours: their presence makes a public hearing mandatory on request or when directly affected.
- Track MADES terms; if the 90 calendar day issue term lapses, document it before a notary to secure a tacit DIA.
- Name the person responsible for the environmental management plan and diary compliance audits at least every 5 years.
- Report expansions or unforeseen effects to MADES at once, before inspections find them.
Common traps
- The DIA is a condition for bank credit, other permits and tax incentives (Ley 294 art. 12), so it belongs on the critical path of any project finance.
- The farm threshold excludes forest reserves and protected strips, so it is measured on area actually used; check maps carefully.
- A DIA does not shield against civil liability for damage or override municipal zoning (Decreto 453 art. 8 b and c).
- Unlisted activities can still be pulled into an EIA on a plausible complaint, with preventive suspension of up to 30 days (art. 3 b).
- Reconsideration must be filed within 5 business days; a contentious action does not stop orders aimed at preventing environmental damage (art. 11 and 12).
- False data in an EIA is also a crime under Ley 716 art. 5 d); see the environmental crimes page.
Sources
- Ley 294/1993, Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental (BACN)
- Decreto 453/2013, regulation of Ley 294 (MADES)
- Decreto 954/2013, amends Decreto 453 (MADES)
- MADES, decrees page
- Ley 6123/2018, creates MADES (BACN)
- Banco Central del Paraguay, reference exchange rates (28 October 2026)
Related pages
- regulation/regulation-essentials
- regulation/environmental-crimes-and-liability
- real-estate/forests-and-environmental-limits-on-land
- real-estate/indigenous-lands-and-community-claims
- sectors/energy-mining-and-key-sectors
- sectors/forestry-plantations-and-timber
- https://theargentinethread.com/guide/
- /country/paraguay/
- /calendar/
- Live dashboard
Related: Paraguay country profile · live dashboard · central bank and release calendar · our posts on X
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