PARAGUAY · MIGRATION
Key Facts
- What is happening Paraguay’s migration office says foreigners have filed more than 50,000 residency applications in 2026, passing the 47,687 filed in all of 2025, its director said on Monday, 2 November.
- Why it matters The surge shows Paraguay is drawing newcomers, mostly from neighbouring Brazil, which deepens ties between the two countries and tests how fast the agency can process residency papers.
- The numbers 49,538 applications were filed through September and more than 50,000 by early November, and 31,700 of the applicants are Brazilians, the largest group by far.
- Who is who Jorge Kronawetter directs the National Directorate of Migration, Paraguay’s immigration agency; Migra Móvil is its mobile service that processes residency papers in towns such as Ciudad del Este.
- What to watch The agency’s full-year total, usually published in late January, will show whether 2026 ends well above the 2025 record of 47,687 applications.
- Power Index Paraguay ranks 10th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 36.0 points (October 2026 edition).
- What it means for you Americans are a small group, with 736 granted residency in 2025, so US readers weighing a move should check the agency’s current rules and fees directly.
Paraguay’s migration office says foreigners filed more than 50,000 residency applications this year. That is already above the whole of 2025.
Paraguay’s migration agency says foreigners have filed more than 50,000 residency applications in 2026. That is already more than the record 47,687 filed in the whole of 2025.
Jorge Kronawetter, director of the National Directorate of Migration, gave the figures on Monday, 2 November. Brazilians are the biggest group, with 31,700 applicants, he said.
What the Director Said
Kronawetter said the agency received 49,538 applications through September, and the total had passed 50,000 by early November. The count covers many nationalities, but Brazilians make up 31,700 of them.
That makes Brazilians roughly six in ten applicants, going by the director’s own figures. His remarks gave no full breakdown of the other nationalities for 2026.
Kronawetter also rejected a claim that offices were flooded with applications the day after elections. He called it false information, and his remarks did not say which election was meant.
How 2026 Compares With 2025
The agency’s own half-year report counted 33,243 applications from January to June, up 62% from 20,567 a year earlier. Of those, 27,024 were for temporary residency and 6,219 for permanent residency.
In the first quarter alone, applications reached 18,071, up 83% on the same quarter of 2025. The 2025 total of 47,687 was itself a record, up 63% from 2024.
Who Applies and Why
In 2025, Brazilians received 23,526 of the 40,600 residencies granted, about 58%. Argentines followed with 4,366, then Germans with 1,652, Bolivians with 1,357 and Spaniards with 1,023.
The United States ranked eighth, with 736 residencies granted to Americans. Kronawetter has credited a favourable tax system, a stable society, a low cost of living and quick procedures.
The process starts with a two-year temporary residency, and permanent residency can follow once legal requirements are met. Ciudad del Este, on the Brazilian border, has hosted six mobile sessions this year.
How Migra Móvil Speeds Things Up
Migra Móvil is the agency’s travelling service that takes residency paperwork to towns away from its offices. A new session opened in Ciudad del Este on Monday, 2 November.
The six sessions this year drew 7,551 applications and led to 6,379 documents being handed out, Kronawetter said. Applications filed in the first three days of the week receive their card that Saturday, he said, if papers are complete.
What It Means for US Readers
Americans are a small share of applicants, but 736 were granted residency in 2025, the eighth-largest group. A US citizen weighing a move should read the agency’s current rules and fees on its website.
Related reports: Paraguay Residency Route Just Changed Its Rules and Paraguay’s Residency Boom Signals a Migration Rebalance. More is on the Paraguay hub, with guides to who holds power and the country explained.
The capital is covered on the Asunción city page, and the visa and residency guide explains the permit types. Practical advice for visitors is in Paraguay Travel Advice for US Visitors.
What Is Not Known
Kronawetter’s remarks gave no exact date for the 50,000 mark and no figure for approvals in 2026. How many applicants have received a residency card this year is therefore unknown.
The remarks did not say which election was meant, so the claim he denied cannot be checked here. The director’s figures come from his own statements and could not be matched to a second published source.
What Comes Next
The agency usually reports full-year totals in late January, as it did for 2025 in January 2026. That report will show whether 2026 ends well above 47,687.
No dates for further Migra Móvil sessions were given in the director’s remarks. A rising count of applications does not mean more residencies granted, because each file goes through review.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people applied for Paraguay residency in 2026?
The director of the National Directorate of Migration says 49,538 applied through September and more than 50,000 by early November. That already exceeds the 47,687 filed in all of 2025.
Which nationality applies most for Paraguay residency?
Brazilians, with 31,700 applicants this year, according to the director. In 2025 they received 23,526 of the 40,600 residencies granted, about 58%.
How long is Paraguay’s first residency permit?
It begins as a temporary residency of two years, the director said. Permanent residency can follow once the legal requirements are met.
What is Migra Móvil?
It is the migration agency’s mobile service that handles residency papers outside its offices. Six sessions in Ciudad del Este this year drew 7,551 applications.
Do US citizens apply for residency in Paraguay?
Yes, 736 Americans were granted residency in 2025, the eighth-largest group. Check the agency’s official rules and fees before applying.
Sources: Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (Paraguay’s immigration agency), statements by director Jorge Kronawetter of 2 November 2026; agency half-year report for January to June 2026 (communiqué of 25 July 2026); agency annual figures for 2025 (January 2026); agency statistics page (all accessed 3 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief