Residency applications from foreigners in Paraguay increased by 62% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period the previous year, according to data from the country's National Directorate of Migration (DNM). The agency received 33,243 applications between January and June, of which 27,024 were for temporary residency and 6,219 for permanent residency.
Faced with what it described as "unprecedented" growth, the DNM implemented a contingency plan to speed up the processing of applications. The measures include extending work hours and operating on non-business days to bolster control tasks, document verification, and application management.
Brazilians represent the majority of applicants. Between January and March, 64% of the 14,275 residencies granted were to citizens of Brazil, followed by Argentines (8.4%), Germans (4.5%), and Spaniards (2.6%).
In April, the Paraguayan government announced a program that grants permanent residency, without the preliminary temporary stage, to foreigners who invest in the tourism, real estate, and financial sectors, as reported at the time by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.