(PARAGUAY) Paraguay recorded a historic jump in residency demand in 2025, with 47,687 Residency Applications and a 63% Surge from 2024, according to the National Directorate of Migration (DNM). The spike matters for families, workers, and investors because higher volume often means tighter appointment slots and more scrutiny of documents, even when the legal rules stay the same.
This guide ranks the most-represented applicant nationalities named in DNM’s 2025 figures and explains what the trend means in practical terms. Ranking is based only on the number of residency applications reported for 2025, not on approval chances.
Legal requirements don’t change by nationality, but demand patterns affect consular paperwork, translations, and local service capacity. The dataset and notes below preserve the distinctions between temporary and permanent pathways so applicants can plan accordingly.
DNM totals and filing mix
DNM reported totals through December 31, 2025: 47,687 applications and 40,600 approvals. The dataset covers both temporary residence and permanent residence filings, which are different legal paths with different timelines, renewals, and planning needs.
VisaVerge.com reports that the mix of temporary and permanent filings helps explain why many applicants treat Paraguay as a staged move, not a one-step relocation. Temporary residence usually functions as an initial status with a defined validity period and renewal or conversion planning.
Permanent residence is designed for longer-term settlement and often brings a higher documentation burden up front. Approval rates mostly reflect fit to the category, complete paperwork, and clean background checks, not luck.
Policy features highlighted in 2025
Two policy features stand out in the public record. Law No. 6894/22 is described as easing the temporary-to-permanent progression, which changes how people pace their move and paperwork.
Paraguay’s SUACE framework also draws applicants who can make a longer investment or business commitment, instead of relying on employment sponsorship. These policy options influence strategy more than basic eligibility rules.
Top nationalities by residency applications (DNM 2025 snapshot)
Below are the ranked nationalities mentioned in the DNM snapshot, with equal focus on likely planning issues each group faces when preparing a Paraguay residency file. The ranking is based solely on the number of applications reported for 2025.
1) Brazil — 23,526 applications
Brazil’s dominance reflects geography and everyday mobility across borders, especially for work, family ties, and business operations that touch both countries. For Brazilian applicants, the practical challenge is rarely eligibility rules and more often assembling consistent civil records that match across jurisdictions.
High Brazilian volume can shape the service environment. When one nationality forms the largest share, translators, notaries, and apostille workflows tend to standardize around that document set, which can speed routine cases.
It can also crowd appointment calendars during peak periods, so applicants should plan document validity windows carefully. Brazilian applicants weighing temporary versus permanent residence should match the category to their timeline.
2) Argentina — 4,366 applications
Argentina’s ranking reflects regional movement patterns and cost-of-living comparisons that push people to keep options open inside South America. Applicants often need orderly records for identity, marital status, and police certificates, because mismatched names or dates trigger back-and-forth with the authority.
For Argentine families, the decision often turns on whether they need a quick legal foothold first. Temporary residence can be a bridge while they finalize leases, enroll children, or move savings.
Permanent residence can reduce repeat filings, but it rewards applicants who show clean, consistent documentation from the start. Higher demand also affects practicalities like certified copies and sworn translations.
3) Germany — 1,652 applications
Germany’s placement is notable because it signals interest beyond the region, often tied to retirement plans, remote work, or business expansion. European applicants frequently bring multi-country document histories, which increases the need for properly legalized papers and consistent translation formats.
Germany-based applicants also tend to compare Paraguay with other long-stay options, then choose a staged approach. Temporary residence can reduce pressure to “get everything perfect” on day one, while still creating a legal base for banking, renting, and day-to-day life.
Tax structure is part of the appeal discussed publicly. Paraguay’s territorial approach and 10% domestic-source income tax often becomes a planning topic for internationally mobile residents, especially when income sources remain abroad.
4) Bolivia — 1,357 applications
Bolivia’s ranking also fits the pattern of regional mobility driven by work, family networks, and practical proximity. Bolivian applicants often need careful coordination on civil registry documents, especially when records were issued in different municipalities or contain older formats.
In high-volume years, queues can form in indirect places, including document procurement at home and appointment availability after arrival. That means planning should start with the slowest document, not the fastest.
Police records and long-form certificates often decide the real timeline. For many Bolivian applicants, temporary residence can be a sensible first filing if the move is tied to a job search or gradual family relocation.
5) Spain — 1,023 applications
Spain’s presence highlights that Paraguay’s pull extends into Europe, where applicants may have family roots, business links, or lifestyle goals. Spanish applicants often arrive with complete documentation, but delays still happen when documents are not apostilled correctly or translations omit required details.
Spain-based applicants also ask how quickly Paraguay processes cases. DNM’s reported practice shows temporary residencies typically taking 30 to 90 days, even during the surge.
That window still assumes a complete file, because missing items can reset the clock through requests for more documents. The SUACE path can be relevant for applicants who can meet its requirements.
6) United States 🇺🇸 — 736 applications (ranked 8th)
Americans ranked 8th with 736 applications, reflecting a visible but smaller wave of lifestyle migrants seeking lower living costs and simpler residency mechanics. For U.S. citizens, the friction point is often document preparation from multiple states, including certified vital records and FBI-style clearances.
The public debate around Americans moving abroad also intersects with diplomacy. In June 2025, U.S. Ambassador Nate Fick announced $6 million in U.S. assistance to modernize Paraguay’s digital infrastructure, a context point for the broader relationship.
In October 2025, the U.S. government reportedly canceled sanctions on former President Horacio Cartes. Applicants should separate diplomatic headlines from residency procedure.
DNM decides residency based on Paraguayan law and documentation, not on bilateral messaging. Still, demand from abroad can raise competition for appointments and qualified service providers, especially in busy months.
Choosing the pathway: temporary, permanent, or SUACE
DNM’s 2025 mix included 34,875 temporary residence applications and 12,812 permanent residence applications, with approvals reported across both tracks. Temporary status fits people who want a controlled entry and time to settle.
Permanent status fits people ready for a long-term legal base and fewer renewals. SUACE is described as a business-opening framework linked to an investment commitment of $70,000 over 10 years, with a reported fast-track timeline of 60–90 days to permanent residency.
It isn’t a shortcut for weak paperwork. It’s a compliance-heavy route for applicants who can document funds, business plans, and ongoing commitments.
What officials emphasized, and practical takeaways
National Migration Director Jorge Kronawetter said the numbers show “an upward migratory trend driven by clear public policies and effective inter-institutional coordination,” adding that the rush is positioning Paraguay for development, The Asunción Times reported on Dec. 20, 2025.
Official messaging often stresses modernization, integrity checks, and smoother procedures, which usually translates into tighter document rules, not looser ones. Applicants should treat compliance seriously and expect requests for precise, certified paperwork.
For authoritative guidance, applicants should start with the DNM’s official residency information at Paraguay National Directorate of Migration (DNM). Country-support context and local practicalities also appear through U.S. Embassy in Paraguay and economic policy references at the Paraguay Ministry of Economy and Finance.
