Living in Asunción: Housing, Budget, Customs and Settling in Paraguay

Paraguay attracts long-term travelers and digital nomads with its low cost of living. This article helps you look for housing in Asunción, build a realistic budget in guaraníes, understand the entry and stay rules without a visa, prepare your arrival, and avoid customs and border mistakes that can cost you a fine.

Finding Housing: Platforms, Agencies and Your Starting Budget

To search for housing in Paraguay, the main rental platforms are MercadoLibre Inmuebles and Clasipar.com. Agencies such as Corporate Stays offer furnished rentals to expats and professionals^[1].

A furnished place is often the first step. In expat neighborhoods, furnished apartments cost more per month, but they require much less money upfront^[2].

For an unfurnished unit, plan for three to four months of rent upfront: security deposit, first month, agency commission, and furniture if the unit doesn't come with any^[2].

A tourist can rent a furnished place and buy a SIM card. However, a lease in your name, health insurance, a phone plan or a bank account become routine procedures rather than negotiations once you hold a cédula, the Paraguayan identity card^[2].

How Much Life Costs in Asunción

A single person can live in Asunción on about 4.8 to 9 million guaraníes per month (about $800 to $1,500), rent included^[2]. For rent, a one-bedroom apartment averages $561 per month in the city center, versus $349 outside the center^[3].

For everyday spending, a meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs about $7^[3].

Think in guaraníes, convert at the day's rate, and keep a margin: if you earn in dollars or euros, your budget will move with the exchange rate. The same number of dollars bought 15 to 20% more guaraníes a year earlier^[2].

Working on Site: Coworking and Income

A dedicated desk in an international coworking space costs about $150 to $210 per month (900,000 to 1,250,000 guaraníes)^[2].

The average net salary in Asunción is $661 per month. It doesn't cover the cost of living for a single person renting in the city center, so many people share housing or live outside the center^[3].

So it isn't realistic to come looking for a local salary. To live comfortably, you need to arrive with outside income (freelance work, a pension, investments) or build a business aimed at the international market^[4].

Entering and Staying: Visa-Free Stays and Extensions

A passport valid for the entire length of your stay is required to enter Paraguay^[5]. No visa is required for a stay of fewer than 90 days^[5]. Beyond that, you can extend your stay by completing the formalities with Paraguay's immigration service^[5].

These are the rules France Diplomatie presents for French travelers; Spanish citizens don't need a visa but must have a valid passport. If you hold another nationality, check with the Paraguayan consulate in your country before booking.

Depending on your itinerary, a yellow fever vaccination certificate may be required. Travelers arriving in Paraguay after a stay in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru or Venezuela must present it at entry. Travelers coming from France or other countries that only transit through one of these four countries are not affected^[5].

Residency and Settling-In Procedures

The competent body is the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones^[6]. Since 2022, Law No. 6984 on migration has governed the country's immigration regime and applies to every foreign national who enters, stays in or leaves Paraguayan territory^[7].

Before you leave, if you plan to settle here, it's advisable to gather and have apostilled in your home country any personal documents you may need: birth certificate, marriage certificate, diplomas and others^[6].

The Paraguayan civil identity card (cédula) is requested from the Identification Department of the National Police^[7]. To obtain it, plan on roughly 3 to 4 months for the residence card, then one more month for the cédula, following the "Essential" route described by a private firm that assists with these procedures^[2].

If you are Spanish and usually reside in Paraguay or are transferring your residence there, you are required to register in the consular register of the Spanish embassy; during a temporary stay, you can register as a non-resident^[7].

Customs: What You Cannot Bring In

Paraguay's health regulations prohibit bringing in items such as salami, meat, canned goods, and certain fruits and vegetables^[5]. Customs officers may confiscate or destroy these products^[5]. The country's fauna and flora are fragile: as a matter of principle, customs officers inspect every product of animal or plant origin^[5].

If you travel with a pet, prior authorization from SENACSA, the National Service for Animal Quality and Health, is required in many cases, depending on the species. Paraguay's requirements are in addition to those of your country of origin and those of your airline^[7].

Pitfalls, Scams, and Points of Caution

The Entry Stamp or Boleta

When you enter, ask for your proof of entry (the boleta de entrada or the stamp in your passport) and keep it. Staying beyond the authorized period, or failing to present this proof when leaving, is punished by a fine of 588,534 guaraníes (about €50), payable in cash, in local currency, at immigration checkpoints at borders and airports^[7].

The Brazil Border

At the Friendship Bridge between Paraguay and Brazil, there is no mandatory border check. If you are heading to Foz do Iguaçu, insist that your passport be stamped when you cross the border, to avoid difficulties when you permanently leave Paraguay^[7]. Travelers who cross the border by land without having the entry or exit stamp applied to their passport are liable to a heavy fine when leaving the country^[5].

Dollars and Guaraníes

Don't confuse a budget in dollars with a budget in guaraníes: prices are thought of in guaraníes, and the same amount in dollars bought 15 to 20% more guaraníes a year earlier^[2].

Without Foreign Income

Without income from abroad, you find yourself in the same situation as Paraguayans: in a fragile public sector, education, health, and security are each person's own responsibility^[4].

Tax Obligations in Your Home Country

Obtaining residence in Paraguay does not automatically erase your obligations to the French tax authorities if you have not severed your residential ties within the meaning of tax law^[4]. If this applies to you, get advice before you leave.

VAT

Paraguay does not currently refund VAT to foreigners, whether they are tourists or residents^[7].

Checklist Before You Leave

• Make sure your passport is valid for the entire planned length of stay.
• Check with the Paraguayan consulate whether your nationality is exempt from a visa and for how long.
• If you are arriving from Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, or Venezuela, bring your yellow fever vaccination certificate.
• Have your personal documents (birth, marriage, diplomas) apostilled in your country.
• Do not bring cured meats, meat, canned goods, or fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Plan a budget in guaraníes, with a margin for exchange-rate fluctuations.
• Book a furnished rental for the first few weeks and keep cash on hand for the next rental.
• On entry, and at every land border crossing, ask for the stamp or boleta, and keep it.
• Keep some cash in guaraníes in case you have to pay a fine on departure.
• Review your tax situation before departure.
• This guide covers the essentials: step-by-step residence procedures, a line-by-line budget, and choosing a neighborhood require going further to truly settle in.