Mba’éichapa! (Hello!)
If you are reading this, you have likely already fallen in love with the tranquility, the red earth, and the opportunities in the heart of South America. You’ve probably already gone through the process of getting your residency.
But now, you want to take the final step. You don’t just want to live here; you want to be one of us. You want the passport, the right to vote, and the full integration that comes with being a naturalized citizen of the Republic of Paraguay.
As a Paraguayan, let me be honest with you: while our residency process is famously open, our path to full citizenship (naturalization) is solemn, serious, and long. It is not an administrative paperwork shuffle at a migration desk. It is a formal judicial process presided over by the highest court in our land, the Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia – CSJ).
This guide will take you deep into the reality of Art. 148 of our Constitution, moving beyond the basics to tell you what the Court actually looks for.
The Crucial Distinction: Residency vs. Citizenship
Before we begin, we must ensure we are on the same page.
Many foreigners confuse “Permanent Residency” (Radicación Permanente) with “Citizenship” (Naturalización).
- Permanent Residency is handled by Migration (DGM). It gives you the right to live and work here indefinitely and gets you a Cédula (ID card).
- Citizenship is handled by the Judiciary. It makes you a national, grants you a Paraguayan passport, and gives you political rights.
You cannot jump straight to citizenship. You must already hold legal status in the country to begin accumulating the time required for naturalization.
The Constitutional Pillars: A Deep Dive into Article 148
The foundation of becoming a Paraguayan citizen is laid out in Article 148 of the National Constitution of Paraguay. It lists three non-negotiable requirements.
However, reading the Constitution isn’t enough. You need to understand how the Supreme Court interprets those requirements in practice today.
1. The Reality of “Three Years Continuous Residence”
The Constitution requires a minimum of three years of continuous residence in the Republic.
The “Deep Dive” Reality: Many expats mistakenly believe this means simply holding a residency card for three years while traveling the world. This is incorrect.
The Supreme Court interprets this as your effective, real, and habitual presence in Paraguay. Paraguay must be your undisputed center of life interest.
- How they check: When your lawyer files your case, the Court will demand a movement report from Migration. If they see you are outside of Paraguay for 6 months out of the year, your application will likely be denied for lack of “continuity.”
- The unwritten rule: While short vacations are fine, try to spend at least 9 to 10 months of the year physically within Paraguayan territory during those three qualifying years.
2. The Reality of “Economic Integration”
The Constitution requires you to exercise a profession, trade, science, art, or industry in the country.
The “Deep Dive” Reality: This is the hurdle where many fail. Paraguay wants citizens who contribute actively to the economy, not just retirees living quietly on foreign pensions.
While passive income (like foreign dividends or rent from properties abroad) is enough for residency, it is often insufficient for citizenship on its own. The Court wants to see that you are economically “embedded” in Paraguay.
- How to prove it: The strongest evidence is being a registered taxpayer (SET) actively paying IVA (VAT) or IRE (Income Tax) on local activities.
- Examples of strong proof: Owning a local business with a municipal license, working for a Paraguayan company and paying into Social Security (IPS), or having validated university degrees actively used in your profession here.
3. The Reality of “Good Conduct”
You must be of good standing with the law, both here and abroad.
The “Deep Dive” Reality: This is straightforward but educationally intensive. You must have zero criminal record.
- The scope: This isn’t just about not having committed a crime in Asunción. You will need fresh background checks from the Paraguayan Police, the Judiciary, and Interpol. Crucially, the Court will often demand updated criminal records from your country of origin or the country where you resided in the last five years, apostilled/legalized and translated.
The Step-by-Step Roadmap to the “Carta de Naturalización”
Because this is a judicial process in the Supreme Court, you are legally required to hire a Paraguayan lawyer (abogado matriculado) to represent you. You cannot file this yourself.
Here is the lifecycle of the process:
Phase 1: The Qualifying Period (Years 1–3+)
Before hiring a lawyer for citizenship, you must prepare the groundwork during your first three years of holding Permanent Residency.
- Maintain Continuity: Keep Paraguay as your primary home base. Minimize long absences (more than a few months a year) outside the country to satisfy the “continuous residence” requirement.
- Build Economic Evidence: Meticulously file and pay your local taxes monthly (IVA/IRE). These tax returns are the most critical evidence to prove economic integration. Ensure any local business licenses or employment records are up to date.
- Keep a Clean Record: Ensure you have no legal infractions, police detentions, or outstanding debts in Paraguay.
Phase 2: The Judicial Filing (Month 1 after qualifying)
Once you have completed three full years of permanent residency, you engage a lawyer specializing in Supreme Court naturalization cases.
- Evidence Compilation: You provide your lawyer with your complete file: your Cédula and Admission card, three years of tax returns, a police report verifying your address (Vida y Residencia), and your validated professional or business documents.
- The Lawsuit Petition: Your lawyer drafts a formal lawsuit addressed to the Supreme Court of Justice requesting your admission as a citizen.
- Opening the Case: The lawyer physically files the case at the Judiciary. The case is officially opened, assigned to a secretary within the Court, and given a tracking number.
Phase 3: The Bureaucratic Process (Months 2 – 24+)
This is the longest phase. Your file must circulate through various government institutions for verification. Your lawyer’s role here is to monitor the file’s location and push it to the next stage.
- The Attorney General’s Review: The file is sent to the Fiscalía General del Estado. They review the evidence to ensure it meets constitutional requirements and issue a non-binding legal opinion.
- Updated Background Checks: The Supreme Court will order fresh, internal background checks directly from the Paraguayan National Police, the Judiciary archives, and Interpol to ensure your record remains clean since the date of filing.
Phase 4: The Resolution and Oath
Once all reports are returned favorably to the Supreme Court:
- The Plenary Decision: The Ministers of the Supreme Court review the complete file. If satisfied, they sign a final Judicial Resolution granting your citizenship.
- The Oath (Juramento): You will be formally summoned to the Palace of Justice in Asunción. In a solemn ceremony before a Supreme Court Minister, you will swear an oath to obey the National Constitution.
- Issuance of the Carta: Immediately following the oath, you receive your Carta de Naturalización (Naturalization Certificate).
Note: Once you hold the Carta, you are legally a citizen. You must then take this document to the Identification department to apply for your new Paraguayan Cédula and Passport.
Essential Local Tips from a Paraguaya
If I were sitting with you sharing tereré, these are the honest tips I would give you:
1. The Timeline is Elastic
The Constitution says three years to qualify. It does not say how long the processing takes.
- Current Reality: Post-pandemic, the process is very slow. While some lucky cases finish in 18 months after filing, it is very common for the judicial phase to take 2 to 3 years. Total time from arrival to passport could easily be 6 years. Ten paciencia (Have patience).
2. The “Guaraní Language Test” Myth
You will hear rumors on expat forums that you must pass a test speaking Guaraní (our indigenous national language).
- The Truth: There is currently no formal exam for Guaraní or Spanish required by law to get citizenship.
- The Caveat: The entire process, your lawyer, the judges, and the oath ceremony are in Spanish. If you show up to swear loyalty to a Constitution you cannot read, it reflects poorly on your integration. You need functional Spanish.
3. Your Lawyer Matters
Do not hire the cheapest lawyer you find on Facebook. This is a Supreme Court case. You need a lawyer who understands judicial procedure, is responsive, and is actually located in Asunción so they can physically go to the Court to follow up on your file.
4. Dual Citizenship Consideration
Paraguay generally accepts dual citizenship based on international reciprocity. However, the most important thing is to check with your home country. Some countries (like Japan or Singapore) may require you to renounce your original citizenship if you voluntarily acquire another one. Check before you start!
Conclusion
Obtaining Paraguayan citizenship is not simply the administrative act of acquiring a second passport. It is a transformative milestone. It is the solemn moment when you cease to be a guest, however welcome you may be and become an adopted son or daughter of this Guarani land.
As we have explored, this path is not for the impatient or those seeking shortcuts. It is a legal odyssey before the highest court in the Republic that tests your commitment, your integrity, and your true connection to the “heart of South America.” The Constitution demands real proof that your life, your livelihood, and your loyalty are now rooted in our red soil.
The journey is long and the demands are high, because the reward is invaluable: full, irrevocable, and eternal belonging to a nation of peace, opportunity, and freedom.
A commitment of this magnitude deserves expert guidance.
You don’t have to navigate the judicial labyrinth of the Supreme Court alone. If you’ve decided Paraguay is your forever home and are ready to seriously pursue naturalization, we’re here to guide you.
Contact Paraguay Residency Team today. Let our experience and in-depth knowledge of the Paraguayan legal system turn your aspiration for citizenship into a tangible reality. Your future as a Paraguayan citizen begins with the right first step.
