Residency approval is not the finish line. The Cédula — Paraguay’s national identity card — is the document that actually lets you open a bank account, sign a contract, or register for a tax number.
The order matters and trips people up. Residency is approved first, at 90–100 days for the temporary route. You then apply for your Cédula. Once you hold the Cédula, you apply for your RUC tax identification number.
Each step depends on the one before it. You cannot shortcut to a RUC without a Cédula, and you cannot get a Cédula without approved residency.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 · Documents | Apostilled birth certificate, criminal background check, valid passport, civil status documents — translated into Spanish in Paraguay |
| 2 · Apply in Asunción | 1–2 business days on the ground. No medical exam |
| 3 · Submit and wait | Application goes to Migraciones. Precaria issued immediately; return home while it processes |
| 4 · Residency, then Cédula, then RUC | 90–100 days to residency, then Cédula, then the tax number |
Day to day, the Cédula is the document you actually use. Paraguayan institutions ask for it constantly — banks, utilities, property registries, mobile carriers. Residency approval is the legal status; the Cédula is how that status becomes usable.
Temporary residency typically takes 90–100 days from application to approval; then you apply for your Cédula and RUC. The SUACE investor route reaches permanent residency in about a month. You only need to be on the ground for 1–2 business days.
No. All government processes are in Spanish but we accompany you to every appointment and handle all communications on your behalf.
Straight answers about your situation — no pitch, no pressure.
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