Residency by real estate investment in Paraguay
The real estate route qualifies with property used for an economic activity: rental apartments, offices or commercial premises. It needs no business plan and no jobs, but your own home does not count.
Minimum, as currently publishedfrom USD 200,000 in real estate used for an economic activity (not your own home)
What the real estate route requires
The property must be used for an economic activity, such as rental or commercial use. As evidence, the file needs a registered title deed, or a private purchase contract with signatures certified by a notary (escribano) showing at least 30% of the declared investment paid; documents no older than 180 days when you file; property bought for purely personal or family use does not qualify. That means a pre-construction purchase can qualify while it is still being paid.
Title and valuation, in practice
For the filing we look for the registered deed (escritura) or the notarised contract, a certificate of no liens from the property registry, and a valuation signed by an independent party, not the seller's asking price or a listing-site number. If the property changed hands more than once in recent years, the chain of title is traced back far enough to be sure nothing in it is contested. A notary and the registry produce most of this as a matter of course; it slows down when a seller is disorganised, a prior sale was never recorded, or the survey is older than the current boundaries. Sort that out before you wire money, not after.
Traps we see
- Off-plan without checks. A pre-construction contract can qualify, but who the developer is, whether contract and payment proof line up, and whether the documents are recent enough when you file decide it. Have the contract checked before you pay.
- Unclear or partial title. Rural land especially can carry title that is real but incomplete: heirs sharing ownership, an old survey, a sale never registered. Fixable, but in weeks, not days.
- Inflating the price to reach the minimum. A valuation that does not match the market invites the scrutiny you are trying to avoid and puts the whole application at risk. If a property is short, choose a different property or route.
- Financing. A mortgage or seller financing changes what counts as your own committed capital. Have the structure reviewed before you sign.
Buying for residency is not the same as buying to invest
A property can be a fine five-year investment and still be the wrong vehicle for a filing you want to submit in three months if the title work is not finished. The two can be the same purchase, but only if you sequence it: title first, then the filing.
Who it suits
- Investors who want a tangible asset they can see and visit.
- Buyers who plan to rent out apartments or commercial units in Asunción or elsewhere.
- Anyone who wants no business plan and no staff to manage.
Documents
The deed or notarised purchase contract, proof of payment and the property's registration carry the file.
For every route, the certificate application itself needs an online application form that counts as a sworn statement; your passport or national ID; proof of entry to Paraguay (entry card, passport stamp or DNM movement certificate, plus a consular visa if your nationality needs one); an apostilled or legalised criminal record certificate from your country of origin, and from any country you lived in for more than a year in the last 3 years; a Paraguayan Interpol certificate; and a sworn statement on the origin of the funds. Documents issued abroad need apostilled (or legalised by the Paraguayan consulate and then the Foreign Ministry) and translated into Spanish by a Paraguayan registered public translator or an authorised foreign one, with the translation itself apostilled or legalised; Brazilian documents in Portuguese need no translation.
Risks and exit
Property prices, rents and currency rates move, buildings need upkeep, and a sale takes time. Selling before the rules allow can affect your status. We do not sell property or recommend developments; check any developer independently, and read your brief on exit before you sign.
Other routes to residency by investment
Productive business
from USD 70,000 invested in a productive business, with a business plan and at least 5 formal jobs
Invest in an industrial, commercial or service company in Paraguay, with a business plan and formal local jobs.
Active: you run the company and its payroll
Tourism project
from USD 150,000 invested in a tourism project, with a business plan
Build, buy, expand or run a hotel, lodge or other tourism asset in Paraguay under an approved business plan.
Semi-active: project plan and progress reports
Financial instruments
from USD 200,000 in qualifying financial instruments, held for at least 2 years
Hold qualifying Paraguayan financial instruments through an entity authorised by the securities regulator.
Passive: placed through an authorised broker
Film production
about USD 40,000 contributed to an INAP-endorsed Paraguayan film production
Back an INAP-endorsed Paraguayan film production: the lowest ticket, and the highest risk of not getting the money back.
Passive: backing a production, high risk
Further reading
Your case, step by step
Prepare your case
You provide identity and source-of-funds documents. We review the investment structure and confirm the scope before funds move or anything is filed.
Timing: Depends on document collection, legalisation and translation; we agree the sequence with you.
File and attend appointments
We prepare and handle the filing in Asunción. You attend the appointments required for your case.
Timing: Appointment availability and document readiness determine the schedule; confirmed before you travel.
Authority review
The authority reviews and decides your application. We follow the case and tell you if further documents or appointments are needed.
Timing: a case-specific window confirmed in writing before filing; investment structuring, source-of-funds documents and authority review affect the timing
Cédula after residency approval
Once residency is approved, we prepare the cédula application and you attend the required appointment.
Timing: an official 60 working days for a first-time foreign-resident cédula, often longer in 2026
Frequently asked
- Can I buy a house to live in?
- Not for this route. Property for your own or your family’s use is excluded; it has to be used for an economic activity such as renting it out.
- Can I buy off-plan and pay in stages?
- Yes, a purchase still being paid can qualify once enough of the price is paid and the contract is notarised. The share required is shown in the rule on this page.
- Can I buy several smaller properties?
- It may be possible when every unit is used for an economic activity, but the rule does not spell it out. We confirm in writing how your purchase will be read before you sign.
What happens next
You write to us
On WhatsApp or the form: your nationality, where you live now and what you want to do.
We answer in writing
The route that fits, the documents you need and the fee, before you commit to anything.
You decide
Nothing starts until you say yes in writing. If it is not a fit, we say so.
- Who replies
- A person on our team reads your message and answers it, not a bot.
- How fast
- We answer in writing as soon as we can, and tell you if it will take longer.
Tell us what you are working with
Capital, timeline, and what you want the residency to do for you. Nothing is filed until you have seen the full cost, timeline and exit options in writing.
Your case is handled by Anton Marklund, Yanina Alvarez and Diana Davalos, the team that files residency, cédula and tax cases in Asunción. You attend the appointments; we handle the filing.