Palacio de los López, Asunción

Paraguay · Country guide

Moving to Paraguay from the US

Visas, residency routes, citizenship and tax for Americans moving to Paraguay, with the law behind each rule.

Source-checked25 sources, 25 officialHow we check

Today's rate: $1 = 6,205 guaraníesUpdated 14 Nov 2026

CapitalAsunción
Visa-free (US)Up to 90 days
Residency income fromNo fixed minimum
CitizenshipAbout 5 years: 2 temporary, 3 permanent
Tax on foreign incomeNo: only Paraguayan income is taxed
Dual citizenshipBeing checked

Paraguay in brief

  • Visit visa-free: up to 90 days, under a US waiver listed as valid until August 2027.
  • One route for everyone: general residence, 2 years temporary and then permanent.
  • No fixed income minimum: remote workers show their job and pay; retirees show a pension certificate.
  • Apply from inside Paraguay: get a residence visa in Asunción, then file in person.
  • Foreign income isn't taxed: a retiree on US pensions and interest owes no Paraguayan income tax.
  • Citizenship: about 5 years, including 3 on permanent residence.

About Paraguay

Paraguay is a landlocked country of rivers and plains, with most people in and around Asunción. Spanish and Guaraní are both official, and sharing cold tereré is part of daily life.

Yellow taxis and cars on Calle Palma in downtown Asunción, lined with ornate older buildings and shops.
Calle Palma in downtown Asunción
A pile of ring-shaped chipa, Paraguayan cheese bread, on a white cloth.
Fresh chipa cheese bread
The red-stone church ruins of the Jesuit mission of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná under a blue sky.
Jesuit mission ruins at Trinidad

By the numbers

6.1 millionPeople, 2022 census
96% of CaliforniaLand area
70%Live in cities
27 yearsHalf are younger
1World Heritage sitesNeeds review
$7,000GDP per person

Needs reviewOlder reports count 1; one 2026 report names a second mission. Confirming on the official list.

Regions

  • Asunción and the south: The capital region, where most Paraguayans live.
  • Paraná Plateau: Forested highlands in the east along the Paraná River, with Ciudad del Este.
  • The Chaco: Large, wild, semi-arid plains in the northwest.

Culture and daily life

  • Language: Spanish and Guaraní are both official; Guaraní is widely spoken outside Asunción, and English is rare.
  • Food: Chipa cheese bread, sopa paraguaya (a cornbread) and cheap grilled beef, with cold tereré tea.
  • Religion and holidays: Independence Day is May 15, marking the 1811 revolution.

Economy and politics, briefly

  • Prices are steady: inflation was 1.7% in October.
  • Politics: Pedro Alliana became president on November 6, 2026, after the Senate removed Santiago Peña; the term runs to August 2028.
  • Banking: in 2026 the central bank took over Ueno Bank over solvency problems, freezing deposits for about 3 million clients.
Sources (10)

Cities in Paraguay

Where our city guides are planned. Hover a city to find it on the map.

All Paraguay guides

Every rule with its legal source.

Free tools

Still being checked

  • Remote-worker tax: how income tax and social security are paid when a US employer has no presence in Paraguay.
  • Full cost: police ID, checks and document fees, so we list known fees instead of a total.

Free shortlist

Your top 3 countries, picked for you

Tell us who's moving and we'll show the three Latin American countries that fit people like you best, ranked on what matters most to you, with the trade-off to know about each.

I'm moving as

Free. Your shortlist appears right here.