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The first 90 days in Paraguay: from foreign documents to the first monthly filings

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

The critical path starts abroad: the foreign parent's documents need an apostille, which Paraguay accepts under the Hague Convention since 30 August 2014. An EAS filed through SUACE with the model bylaws is listed at 72 business hours, after which the company registers its beneficial owners, obtains its RUC and opens a bank account. From the first month it files IVA on the perpetual calendar, pays IPS on wages and, if it hires foreigners, informs the migration authority; founders who relocate can obtain the MIC Investor Certificate in five business days and go straight to permanent residence.

USD figures use PYG 5,868.31 per US dollar, the Banco Central del Paraguay reference quotation for 28 October 2026 retrieved on the verification date. Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Hague Apostille Convention in force for Paraguay	2014-08-30 dateHCCH status table, as of 2014-08-30 · in force
EAS registration time with model bylaws	72 business hoursMIC comparison sheet, as of 2025-05 · in force
Maximum term to pay in EAS capital	2 yearsLey 6480 art. 10, as of 2020-01-08 · in force
S.A. and S.R.L. registration time through SUACE	15 business daysMIC comparison sheet, as of 2025-05 · in force
Deadline to report beneficial owner changes	15 business daysLey 6446 art. 7, as of 2019-11-29 · in force
MIC Investor Certificate issue time	5 business daysRes. MIC 0283/2026 art. 4, as of 2026-04-21 · in force
Investor Certificate minimum, productive investment	70000 USDRes. MIC 0283/2026 Annex I art. 1 g, as of 2026-04-21 · in force
IPS employer contribution plus additional 2.5 percent	16.5 %DL 1860/1950 art. 17 and 17 bis, as of 2024-12-30 · in force

The rule

1. Apostille instead of legalization. Paraguay acceded to the Hague Convention abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents on 10 December 2013, and the Convention entered into force for Paraguay on 30 August 2014. Public documents from other contracting states (for example a parent company's certificate of good standing and board resolution) need only an apostille from the issuing state.Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (HCCH status table), Status table entry for Paraguay, 2014-08-30 official text · verified 2026-10-28

2. No investment registration. Private investment needs no prior authorization and no registration beyond those set by law, so there is no foreign investment filing to make before or after the capital arrives.
Cost to do it: PYG 0 (US$0).Ley Nº 117/91 De Inversiones, Art. 4, 1992-01-07 official text · verified 2026-10-28

3. Forming the EAS. The EAS is created by contract or unilateral act in a public instrument, or a private instrument with signatures certified by a notary or the registry officer, unless contributed assets need a public deed; the instrument is filed only through SUACE, which forwards it to the Ministry registry. The EAS gains legal personality on registration and its formation is published on the SUACE website.Ley Nº 6480/2020, Art. 3, 5, 6 and 8, 2020-01-08 official text · verified 2026-10-28

4. Realistic timeline and paperwork. The MIC comparison sheet lists 72 business hours for an EAS with the model (proforma) bylaws, eight days with a private document or public deed, and 15 business days through SUACE for an S.A. or S.R.L. It lists the tax obligations every new company starts with: IVA (obligation 211), IRE (700 general, or 701 SIMPLE for an EAS where applicable), IDU (954) and financial statements (948).MIC SUACE company comparison sheet, Registration time and mandatory tax obligations rows, 2025-05 official text · verified 2026-10-28

5. Capital payment. EAS capital may be paid in on the terms in the bylaws but never later than two years, and the members are jointly and unlimitedly liable to third parties for paying in the contributions they committed.Ley Nº 6480/2020, Art. 10 and 13, 2020-01-08 official text · verified 2026-10-28

6. Beneficial owner filing and its teeth. Legal persons must give the Ministry registry their shareholders, directors and beneficial owners and report changes within 15 business days. Until an overdue filing is made, the entity cannot open new accounts, issue securities, make deposits or remittances or carry out other operations with banks, finance companies, exchange houses, brokers and cooperatives, and its RUC can be blocked.
Cost to do it: Fines of 50 to 500 jornales: PYG 5,853,850 to PYG 58,538,500 (about US$998 to US$9,975).Ley Nº 6446/2019, Art. 3, 7 and 8, 2019-11-29 official text · verified 2026-10-28

7. First monthly tax filings. IVA is settled monthly and filed on the perpetual calendar: the fixed day each month between the 7th and the 25th set by the last RUC digit.Ley Nº 6380/2019; Resolución General Nº 01/2007 and Nº 38/2020, Ley 6380 art. 86 and 96; perpetual calendar, 2019-09-25 official text · verified 2026-10-28

8. First payroll. From the first wage, the employer withholds the 9 percent worker IPS contribution and pays the 14 percent employer contribution plus the additional 2.5 percent. Wages cannot be below the legal minimum of PYG 3,044,000 a month for unspecified activities from 1 July 2026.
Example: One worker at PYG 3,044,000: total employer cost before other benefits PYG 3,546,260 (wage plus 16.5 percent). / About US$604.31 a month.Decreto Ley Nº 1860/1950 art. 17 (Ley Nº 98/1992) and 17 bis (Ley Nº 7446/2024); Decreto Nº 6225/2026, Art. 17 a) and b), 17 bis; Decreto 6225 art. 2, 2026-06-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

9. Hiring foreigners. An immigrant with residence authorized by the DNM may not be discriminated against for lawful work, and the employer must inform the DNM when it employs an immigrant and comply with labor law whatever the worker's migration status.Ley Nº 6984/2022 De Migraciones, Art. 7, 2022-10-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28

10. Founder relocation. Foreigners who prove investments under the SUACE law skip temporary residence and apply directly for permanent residence. The SUACE investment directorate issues the Investor Certificate within five business days of receiving the file (the clock stops while observations are pending), with minimums of US$70,000 (productive, five formal jobs), US$150,000 (tourism) and US$200,000 (financial instruments or real estate).
Cost to do it: DNM permanent residence fee 25 jornales: PYG 2,926,925 (about US$499) in cash.
Example: US$70,000 = about PYG 410,781,700 at the 28 October 2026 BCP rate. / US$70,000 productive investment with five jobs.Ley Nº 6984/2022; Resolución MIC Nº 0283/2026, Ley 6984 art. 46; Res. 0283 art. 4 and Annex I art. 1, 2026-04-21 official text · verified 2026-10-28

Step	Who	Time in the source	Norm
Apostille parent documents abroad	Issuing state authority	Depends on the issuing state	Hague Apostille Convention
File EAS with model bylaws	SUACE and Ministry registry	72 business hours	Ley 6480 art. 8; MIC sheet
Register beneficial owners; report changes	Ministry registry	Changes within 15 business days	Ley 6446 art. 3 and 7
Tax obligations IVA, IRE, IDU, financial statements	DNIT	Listed at formation	MIC sheet
First IVA return	DNIT	Monthly, day 7 to 25 by RUC digit	Ley 6380 art. 86; RG 38/2020
First payroll and IPS	Employer and IPS	Monthly	DL 1860/1950 art. 17
Investor Certificate for founders	SUACE investment directorate	5 business days	Res. MIC 0283/2026 art. 4
Permanent residence	DNM	Not fixed in the sources	Ley 6984 art. 46

Indicative critical path for a foreign owned EAS (times from the cited sources; banking and document gathering depend on the parties)

Worked example

Week 1: a Brazilian parent apostilles its bylaws, good standing certificate and board resolution. Week 2: the EAS is filed on SUACE with the model bylaws (72 business hours). Week 3: beneficial owners are registered, the bank account is opened and capital of US$100,000 (about PYG 586,831,000) is wired in with no FX permit. Month 2: two employees are hired at PYG 3,044,000 each, and IPS of 9 percent and 16.5 percent applies to each wage; the first IVA return falls on the day set by the RUC digit. Month 3: the founder obtains the Investor Certificate and files for permanent residence (PYG 2,926,925 fee).

Step by step

Gather and apostille parent documents and passports of the representatives before starting.
Use the EAS model bylaws unless you need tailored clauses; any change sends the file to the Abogacía del Tesoro.
Record beneficial owners at formation and set a 15 business day internal deadline for any later change.
Confirm the RUC, the obligations assigned (IVA 211, IRE 700 or 701, IDU 954, financial statements 948) and the monthly due day.
Open the bank account once the beneficial owner filing is in; banks are barred from operating with entities that are late.
Before the first payroll, set wages at or above the minimum, set up IPS contributions and inform the DNM of any foreign hires.
If a founder relocates, file the Investor Certificate application with the business plan and proof of the investment.

Common traps

The 72 business hour figure is for the model bylaws only; a private document or public deed takes longer per the MIC sheet.
Members remain jointly and unlimitedly liable for capital they committed but have not paid in, for up to two years.
A late beneficial owner filing can freeze banking operations, including the capital wire.
The Investor Certificate is issued only to individuals and only for the residence process; it is not an investment registration.

Sources

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