Paraguay Investor Visa 2026: Investor Pass Routes and Permanent Residence 

The Paraguay Investor Visa is the term commonly used for Paraguay’s residency by investment programme. The program itself has not been replaced. However, the government announced changes on 17 April 2026, including the program’s official renaming to the Paraguay Investor Pass and the introduction of three additional eligibility pathways. These changes came into effect on 28 April 2026, alongside the original business investment route. 

The Paraguay Investor Pass allows qualifying foreign investors to obtain direct permanent residence in Paraguay in exchange for a qualifying investment, without first holding temporary residence. 

As the program has gone through changes, Global Citizen Solutions intend to keep clients informed and explain how the current program works. This includes the available investment pathways, eligibility requirements, required documents, the two-agency application process, and costs, so you can determine which route is right for you before applying

Key Takeaways – Paraguay Investor Visa

The Paraguay Investor Pass was introduced in April 2026 and gives qualifying foreign investors direct permanent residence without requiring temporary residence first.  

Investors can now choose from four routes, with minimum investments ranging from $70,000 to $200,000. These include productive investment, financial instruments, real estate for economic use, and tourism investment.  

The lowest investment option is the $70,000 productive investment route, but it requires investors to create at least five formal jobs and submit a detailed business plan. The other three routes do not have the same job creation requirement.  

The Investor Pass can lead to Paraguayan citizenship, but it does not grant citizenship directly. Permanent residents may become eligible to apply for naturalisation after three years, but approval is not automatic.  

Permanent residency and tax residency are separate in Paraguay. Holding an Investor Pass residence card does not automatically make someone a Paraguayan tax resident, which can affect how certain income, including dividends, is taxed.  

The application has two main stages, starting with the MIC and CIE certification before moving to the National Directorate of Migration for permanent residence.  

The CIE stage can take around five business days once a complete application is submitted, while the full process, including permanent residence, is estimated at three to six months. 

Paraguay Investor Pass April 2026 update 

On 17 April 2026, Paraguay’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce and National Directorate of Migration jointly updated the country’s residency-by-investment program and gave it a new official name: the Paraguay Investor Pass. It’s the same program, but two things changed: 

More ways to qualify: Previously, there was one route to invest in a business. Now there are four. A productive investment, financial instruments, real estate for economic use, and tourism investment. Financial instruments and real estate used to be excluded; both are now valid routes, opening the program to investors who don’t want to run a business. 

A new name: The program is now officially called the Paraguay Investor Pass.  

What didn’t change: The program still leads to direct permanent residence, through the Certificado de Inversionista Extranjero (CIE), without first holding temporary residence. 

The Paraguay Investor Pass is a residency by investment program introduced in April 2026 by Paraguay’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC) and the National Directorate of Migration. It allows foreign nationals to obtain permanent residency directly, without first holding temporary residency, through qualifying investments starting at US$70,000, made through one of four routes: 

• Productive investment 
• Financial instruments 
• Real estate for economic use 
• Tourism investment 

The application process has two stages, each handled by a different authority. 

1. MIC stage: Apply for a Certificado de Inversionista Extranjero (CIE) and show that your investment meets the requirements of one of the four qualifying routes. 
2. Migraciones stage: Once you have the CIE, use it to apply directly for permanent residency with the National Directorate of Migration under Law 6984/2022. 

Our legal experts at Global Citizen Solutions work with investors who have different goals and priorities. We know how important it is to understand which investment program and pathway best fits your circumstances. With Paraguay’s new structure of four routes, the Investor Pass now has more options and can suit a wider range of investors than before: 

• Entrepreneurs with a genuine business plan who want to build a company and create local jobs in Paraguay 
• Investors who would rather hold qualifying financial instruments than run a business 
• Buyers of commercial or income-generating property who want their real estate to count toward residence, rather than a personal home 
• Tourism-sector investors backing hospitality or tourism infrastructure projects 
• Families looking for a stable, long-term base in South America

This is the part of the program that has changed the most. The Investor Pass no longer treats business investment as the only path. It now recognizes four distinct routes, each with its own minimum investment and requirements. Both options under the financial instruments category are official investment routes in their own right.  

What still doesn’t qualify is a home bought purely for personal or family living. 

Productive investment 

This is the closest route to the original program and the one most associated with running a business in Paraguay. 

• Minimum investment: $70,000 
• Requires the creation of at least five formal jobs 
• The investment plan must be implemented within a maximum of 24 months 
• A detailed business plan is required, covering operations, investment timeline, and job creation 

Financial instruments 

This route allows investors to qualify without operating a business. 

• Minimum investment:  $200,000 in qualifying financial instruments.  
• Investments in regulated financial products, such as bonds, shares, or similar securities, issued by entities regulated by Paraguay’s central bank and securities authorities. 
• The investment must be maintained for at least two years. 
• Job creation and business-plan conditions do not apply to this route. 

Real estate for economic use 

Property can now count toward the Investor Pass, but only under specific conditions. 

• Minimum investment: $200,000 in real estate 
• Investors can begin the CIE application after paying 30% of the US$200,000 investment (US$60,000), as long as the remaining balance is secured through a binding payment agreement linked to the property. 
• The property must be intended for economic use, for example, a commercial, rental, or income-generating property 
• A personal or family home does not qualify 
• This route does not carry the job-creation or business-plan requirements that apply to the productive route 

Tourism investment 

A newer route aimed at hospitality and tourism-sector projects. 

• Minimum investment: $150,000 in a qualifying tourism project 
• Requires an investment plan, subject to official monitoring by the relevant authority 

• Direct permanent residency: The Investor Pass gives investors direct permanent residency without requiring a temporary residency stage first. The residence card is valid for years and can be renewed indefinitely. 
• 0% Tax on foreign source income: Paraguay has a territorial tax system, meaning foreign source income, such as global dividends, remote employment income, foreign rental income, and capital gains are exempt from local income tax. 
•  Flexible physical presence requirements: You do not need to relocate to Paraguay or live there full time to maintain your residency. You only need to visit Paraguay at least once every three years. 
• Fast track to citizenship eligibility: Permanent residents under the program can have a pathway to apply for naturalization and Paraguayan citizenship after three years. However, meeting the three year requirement does not automatically mean you will be granted citizenship. 
• MERCOSUR mobility:  Permanent residency can provide easier mobility and residency options across MERCOSUR countries, including Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.   

These are the updated August 2026 requirements for the Paraguay residency by investment program. With the recent changes to the program, we advise working with a qualified Paraguay immigration lawyer from a reputable agency like Global Citizen Solutions.  

General requirements 

All applicants must meet Paraguay’s general immigration and admissibility requirements: 

• Valid passport: Applicants must have a valid passport.  
• Clean criminal record: Applicants must provide proof of a clean criminal record.  
• Proof of funds: Applicants must show that the investment funds were obtained legally and can be traced to their source.  
• Bank transfer: Investment funds are typically transferred from abroad through official banking channels to meet anti-money laundering (AML) requirements.  

Job creation and business plan requirements 

These requirements apply only to the productive investment route: 

• Job creation: Applicants using the productive investment route must create five jobs.  
• Business plan: Productive investment applicants must submit a formal business plan outlining their proposed investment and operations.  
• Other routes: Applicants using the financial instruments, real estate, or tourism investment routes do not need to create five jobs or submit the same type of operating business plan.  

Eligible family members  

• Spouse or legally recognized partner. Common-law partners are recognized to some extent, but applicants may need to demonstrate a legitimate and stable relationship.  
• Children under 18  
• Adult children who are unmarried and financially dependent (case-by-case)  
• Dependent parents (if financial reliance is proven) 

Documentation requirements differ slightly depending on which stage of the process you’re in, so it helps to think of them as two sets rather than one long list. 

For the MIC/CIE stage: 

• Valid passport 
• Investment documentation specific to your route, such as a business plan for productive investment, proof of holdings for financial instruments, title and use documentation for real estate, and an investment plan for tourism.  
• Proof of funds and their legal source 
• Company or project registration documentation, where applicable 

For the Migraciones permanent-residence stage: 

• Your approved CIE 
• Clean criminal-record certificates from your country of nationality and any country of recent residence 
• Standard civil documents, such as a birth certificate and marriage certificate if applicable 
• Documents for any included dependents 

Any foreign document used in either stage needs to be apostilled or legalized and translated into Spanish where required. 

The application process for Paraguay permanent residence follows two steps: first, MIC certification, then the Migraciones residence filing. 

1. Confirm eligibility and choose a route: Decide which of the four routes fits your situation: Productive investment, financial instruments, real estate, or tourism. Then gather the documents required for your chosen route. 
2. Prepare your investment case: For productive investment, this means preparing a business plan. For the other routes, you will need the relevant proof of holdings, property title or purchase contract, or project investment documentation. You must also provide evidence showing how the funds were accumulated and transferred into Paraguay.  
3. File your CIE application in person through SUACE in Asunción: Applications are currently submitted in person rather than online. Once your application is complete, the MIC will issue the Certificado de Inversionista Extranjero (CIE) within a matter of business days.  
4. Apply for permanent residence with the National Directorate of Migration: You will use your CIE as the basis for a direct permanent residence application under Law 6984/2022, without first needing to hold temporary residence.  
5. Apply for your Paraguayan ID (cédula): Once your permanent residence is approved, return to collect the physical card. 

How long is the processing time for the Investor Pass?  

• MIC/CIE stage: The MIC can issue the CIE within about five business days once a complete application has been submitted. The timeline may be longer if the authorities request additional information or corrections.  
• Full process: The CIE is only the first stage. The application must then go through Migraciones for permanent residence; however, the estimated time is three to six months.   

Holding an Investor Pass permanent residence card and cédula  does not automatically make you a Paraguayan tax resident. This distinction can affect how dividend income is taxed, including the difference between the 15% non-resident rate and the 8% resident rate. 

To qualify as a tax resident and access resident tax treatment, you generally need to: 

• Register for a RUC (Registro Único de Contribuyente), Paraguay’s taxpayer identification number, with the tax authority (DNIT).  
• Stay compliant with DNIT filing requirements.  
• Show a genuine “center of vital interests” in Paraguay, such as economic and personal ties to the country.  

There is no fixed minimum number of days you must spend in Paraguay to qualify as a tax resident, unlike in some other territorial-tax countries. 

Paraguay tax regime