How to Get Paraguay CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 3 years
- Language
- Required, no test
- Dual citizenship
- Accepted
- Civic test
- Required, no test specified
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- Income or economic resources must be shown
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Accepted in both directionsNew citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship.Only naturalised citizens lose their citizenship when they naturalise abroad.
- Available routes
- Region
- Americas
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
This route covers foreign residents who seek citizenship after living in Paraguay, subject to the conditions below. Authorities retain discretion and may refuse an application even when the conditions are met.
- Residence
- 3 years
Person has been resident in Paraguay for at least 3 years.
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Language
- Required, no test or certificate specified
Basic knowledge of one of Paraguay's official languages.
- Civic knowledge
- Required, no test specified
Basic knowledge of the history and geography of the country, and of the constitutional provisions dealing with loss of Paraguayan citizenship.
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
Good behaviour required.
- Income or economic resources
- Income or economic resources must be shown
Work participation required.
Descent (citizen parent)
Descent from a citizen parent is the basis of this route in Paraguay. Authorities retain discretion and may refuse an application even when the conditions are met.
Person is born abroad to a citizen and establishes permanent residence in Paraguay (declaration by parent until age 18 and by person him/herself after age 18).
Birth in the country
For people born in Paraguay, the rules below show when birth there leads to citizenship. Authorities retain discretion and may refuse an application even when the conditions are met.
Person is born in Paraguay.
Former citizens (reacquisition)
For former citizens of Paraguay, the rules below show when citizenship can be reacquired. Authorities retain discretion and may refuse an application even when the conditions are met.
Person is a former citizen by birth, who lost their citizenship by renunciation according to Article 8 of Law 7052/2023 (voluntary and express renunciation before the Supreme Court of Justice), and formalises their intent to recover the nationality by a declaration of Paraguayan nationality.
Stateless persons
This route covers stateless people and children who would otherwise be stateless, subject to the conditions below. Authorities retain discretion and may refuse an application even when the conditions are met.
Foundlings
Person is an infant found in Paraguay of unknown parentage.
Stateless persons
Person is born abroad to a citizen abroad and the child cannot obtain the nationality of the country of birth and is otherwise stateless. Request must be submitted to the Paraguayan consulate or Embassy. The Embassy will send the request to the National Commission for Refugees and Stateless (CONARE), which will decide if the person is stateless and thus refer the case to a judge to declare that the person possesses natural nationality and to register the person in the civil registry.
Special achievements
Special achievements, or a national interest in granting citizenship, are the basis of this route in Paraguay. Authorities retain discretion and may refuse an application even when the conditions are met.
Person is granted honorary citizenship for having rendered eminent services to Paraguay.
Not available in Paraguay: Marriage or civil partnership, Child of a new citizen, Adoption, Other family members of citizens, Citizens of specific countries, Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Public or military service, Investment. This follows the GLOBALCIT coding, with in-force changes applied.
Dual citizenship
Dual citizenship is accepted in Paraguay for new citizens and for citizens who naturalise abroad.
- New citizens
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Only naturalised citizens lose their citizenship when they naturalise abroad
Person is a citizen by naturalisation and voluntarily acquires another citizenship.
Compare with neighbours
Check where Paraguay sits in the full residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina | 2 years | None | Accepted |
 Bolivia | 3 years | None | Accepted |
 Brazil | 4 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Chile | 5 years | None | Accepted |
 Ecuador | 3 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Peru | 2 years | None | Accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Constitution: Art. 148, Supreme Court Internal Guidelines 46.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Paraguay Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/paraguay/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/paraguay/">How to Get Paraguay Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become a Paraguayan citizen?
Ordinary naturalisation in Paraguay requires 3 years of residence, plus the other conditions in the law.
Does Paraguay allow dual citizenship?
Yes. Paraguay accepts dual citizenship in both directions, as coded in the data.
Do I need a language test for Paraguayan citizenship?
Language ability is required for Paraguayan citizenship, though no test or certificate is specified.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Paraguayan citizenship?
Civic knowledge is required for Paraguayan citizenship, though no specific test is defined.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Paraguayan citizenship?
There is no obligation to renounce your current citizenship to get Paraguayan citizenship. The law of your current country may have its own rules on this.
Can I get Paraguay citizenship by marriage?
No separate marriage route is coded for Paraguay. Other routes on this page may still apply to a spouse.
Can I get Paraguay citizenship by descent?
Yes, Paraguay has a descent route. Procedure: discretionary.
Can I get Paraguay citizenship by investment?
No. The data codes no citizenship-by-investment route for Paraguay.
Related pages
Also see: Paraguay passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.