Paraguay residence - my journey

[providenceventurer]

local chickens are pretty good there. Its one of the plus points.

You mean the local Jollibee and KFC chickens

 

[providenceventurer]

It depends how much convincing you are

I don’t hold any banana passport, no worries.

According to you which are the best passports to get ?

 

[TurnedToRobot2]

According to you which are the best passports to get?

You don’t need any additional passport if your current one is already allowing you good visa-free travel.
In terms of taxes, with the exception of the U.S. one, all passports are the same, as taxation is based on residence, not on citizenship. However, this might change in the future for EU and UK citizens, so be careful and plan ahead.
If you can get a passport through residence, it doesn’t hurt and doesn’t cost you anything. Paraguay gives such opportunity, so I plan to eventually become (also) Paraguayan.

 

[daniels27]

Of course, you shouldn’t disclose it to PY. I understand you can hide your other citizenships (I’m doing that myself).

Didn't think of that, seems pretty strategic, yeah

Many countries allow you to renounce (to take up another citizenship) and then immediately get it back.

Please note that getting any other passport after you have been naturalised there results in loss of Paraguayan citizenship.

And most important, you need to go back to Paraguay every three years to keep it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraguayan_nationality_law

 

[providenceventurer]

You don’t need any additional passport if your current one is already allowing you good visa-free travel.
In terms of taxes, with the exception of the U.S. one, all passports are the same, as taxation is based on residence, not on citizenship. However, this might change in the future for EU and UK citizens, so be careful and plan ahead.
If you can get a passport through residence, it doesn’t hurt and doesn’t cost you anything. Paraguay gives such opportunity, so I plan to eventually become (also) Paraguayan.

I would think its always good to have options

 

[Martin Everson]

Guys please stick to topic. Had to do some cleaning up here.

 

[Frankie]

Awesome, looking forward to hearing more about it.

Even though we agree on very little, big respect for actually giving useful information and practical advice. Definitely an asset to this forum.

 

[Thomas278]

Keep posting! I was thinking about this residency in the past, however I don't speak spanish and Asuncion is in the middle of nowhere, flights only from Madrid... so I decided to not go for it.

For other potential would be applicants, I am a permanent resident of Paraguay. Re: Asuncion flights - it is a feeder airport for Bogota, Panama, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro from where you can go virtually everywhere. Not speaking Spanish is an issue, though, as hardly anybody here can count to 10 in English. I do speak fluent Spanish so no problems.

 

[notyetnomad]

No, you must go to Asuncion.

You can go to any major city. I did my process in Ciudad del Este, arriving from Foz do Iguaçu.

 

[HardRJones]

I’m very interested in these practical experiences from the standpoint of understanding “as written” in law versus “in practice” in bureaucracy.

 

[Armani]

What about rent prices in asunsion?
It is possible to get it cheap for those digital nomads who look for convenience?

 

[gatrader]

After how many years you can ask for citizenship and are they gonna verify if you have susbtance there?

 

[TurnedToRobot2]

After how many years you can ask for citizenship and are they gonna verify if you have susbtance there?

3 years of permanent residence, have strong ties with the country and demonstrate knowledge of Spanish.

 

[CryptoUKSAPYPA]

Good luck @TurnedToRobot2, I'll be over there myself in a week picking up my Cedula and RUC. Not sure if I got scammed but I've had to do two trips to properly establish tax residency in Paraguay.

Dunno if you've figured it out yet but how can you get some kind of proof of address / proof of residency sufficient for a US bank account opening? I hear even on longer tenancies, the landlords keep most of the utilities in their own name.

I have no intention of moving to Paraguay just yet, but wouldn't mind getting the tax benefits of a US LLC bank account opened by a Paraguayan tax resident.

 

[JackieTsan]

local chickens are pretty good there. Its one of the plus points.

but dangerous as I read.. If we don't speak Spanish, what would be the reason to get the residency if we're not planning to live there? I never get your point guys. thanks

 

[JackieTsan]

3 years of permanent residence, have strong ties with the country and demonstrate knowledge of Spanish.

But you have to renounce one citizenship to get the PY passport ? I didn't know this. thank you!

 

[daniels27]

But you have to renounce one citizenship to get the PY passport ? I didn't know this. thank you!

Yes. Unless you have an Italian or Spanish passport.

Check the rules here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraguayan_nationality_law

You will also lose it again if you reacquire you old citizenship (in theory) or if you leave the country for more than 3 years.

 

[JackieTsan]

Yes. Unless you have an Italian or Spanish passport.

Check the rules here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraguayan_nationality_law

You will also lose it again if you reacquire you old citizenship (in theory) or if you leave the country for more than 3 years.

Thank you @daniels27 !!

 

[Thomas278]

You can go to any major city. I did my process in Ciudad del Este, arriving from Foz do Iguaçu.

What actually happens that yes you can apply in any major city so long there is an office of Migraciones Paraguay. These guys, however, are merely a front office so to speak, so they collect the info regarding your application and send it to Asuncion, which can add to the delay. Also, those of you who use agents to speed up the process, yes it is almost 100% that they will want you to go to Asuncion as they have their own "processing networks" there. FWIW I did my application in Encarnacion, and without any agent. Because of some hiccups in the paperwork, it took in total 9 months and then additional 2 months for the "cedula" i.e. the ID card.

 

[NewHorizonsParaguay]

Good luck @TurnedToRobot2, I'll be over there myself in a week picking up my Cedula and RUC. Not sure if I got scammed but I've had to do two trips to properly establish tax residency in Paraguay.

Dunno if you've figured it out yet - but how can you get some kind of proof of address / proof of residency sufficient for a US bank account opening? I hear even on longer tenancies, the landlords keep most of the utilities in their own name.

I have no intention of moving to Paraguay just yet, but wouldn't mind getting the tax benefits of a US LLC bank account opened by a Paraguayan tax resident.

You can use bank statements from Py Banks or set up a postpaid mobile plan (you will receive an invoice with the address every month).