Giving birth in Paraguay and birthright citizenship

Does Paraguay give citizenship by birth?

Paraguay grants citizenship to everyone born on its soil and asks the parents nothing at all. Article 146 of the Constitution declares Paraguayan by birth every person born in the Republic. It says nothing about visas, residency or the parents' nationality: the baby of a tourist who flew in a month before the due date gets exactly the same status as the baby of a local family.

The Migration Law 6984/2022 says it again. Its Article 12 guarantees every child an established identity and a nationality immediately after birth, sin juzgar la condición migratoria de sus progenitores - regardless of the parents' immigration status. Registering the birth does not create citizenship; it only puts it on paper.

The child's citizenship cannot be taken away

Article 147 of the Constitution forbids stripping a natural-born Paraguayan of nationality. It can only be renounced voluntarily: Law 7052/2023 requires an application to the Supreme Court, filed by the legal representative in the case of a minor.

The same law settles the dual-citizenship question. Its Article 10 states that a natural-born Paraguayan who naturalises in another country remains Paraguayan for all legal purposes unless they renounce. A Russian, Ukrainian or any other passport the child receives through the parents is even less of a problem.

What it does not give

Paraguay gives the adults nothing for free: no citizenship, no direct permanent residency, no shortcut to naturalisation. Parents get the ordinary immigration route and one protective argument if their status is ever in trouble.

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Who should give birth in Paraguay, and who should not

For the child, Paraguay offers the same as its neighbours; for the parents, it offers the longest road to citizenship of the four birthright countries in the region. That is the key point to understand before booking flights.

It suits families who see South America as a base for several years: remote professionals and entrepreneurs with foreign income who benefit from territorial taxation. People who want a second passport for their child without investing. And people ready to actually live in the country: at naturalisation the court checks real ties to Paraguay, not just passport stamps.

It does not suit anyone planning to fly in, give birth and leave with passports for the whole family. The birth gives the parents no citizenship, and there is no direct permanent residency as in Uruguay. Nor does it suit people who will not spend time in the country: more than a year away in a row is a ground for cancelling temporary residency. And it is risky for anyone planning another naturalisation: Article 150 of the Constitution makes that a ground for losing Paraguayan nationality.

For a broader view of daily life, see is it worth moving to Paraguay.

Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay: where do parents get a passport faster?

In all four countries the child becomes a citizen on the day of birth. The difference is what the parents get, and here Paraguay sits at the bottom of the list rather than the top.

On speed, Brazil wins: one year of residence with a Brazilian child. The price is the language and a complex tax system. On predictability, Uruguay wins: immediate permanent residency for parents and rules written into the Constitution. Argentina spent 2025-2026 in court battles over Decree 366/2025, so check the procedure for parents on the date you apply.

Paraguay wins on other things: a low cost of living and territorial taxation. If the goal is passports for the adults as fast as possible, it is not the best choice; as an affordable base where the child is a citizen from day one, it works well. A six-country comparison is in our review giving birth abroad for citizenship.

How much does it cost to give birth in Paraguay?

There is no published price list for foreigners giving birth in Paraguay, and any figure you find online holds for one clinic, one doctor and an uncomplicated delivery. Private hospitals in Asunción (known locally as sanatorios) quote after a consultation. The bill is built from the obstetrician's fee, the hospital charge for the delivery room or theatre, anaesthesia, the neonatologist and the nights on the ward.

So budget from a private clinic. Ask two or three clinics for a written quote (a paquete, or package) and ask separately what it excludes: a caesarean, a longer stay, a day in neonatal intensive care. Always keep a reserve for complications - a premature birth can multiply the bill.

Public hospitals run by the Ministry of Health (MSPBS) do admit pregnant women, including foreigners without residency. But the system is built for residents: queues, shared wards, communication in Spanish and Guaraní, no choice of doctor. Do not build a birth plan around it; check conditions with the specific hospital in advance.

Insurance

Travel insurance almost always excludes pregnancy and childbirth. Local prepaid health plans (prepagas) impose a waiting period for maternity, so a plan meant to cover the birth is taken out before pregnancy. Check the terms before you sign.

Government fees: a worked example for a family

Fees are set in guaraníes, Paraguay's national currency, and pegged to the jornal mínimo, the minimum daily wage. From 1 July 2026, under Decree 6225/2026, the minimum wage rose by 5% to $540 (3,044,000 guaraníes) a month, and one jornal equals $21 (117,077 guaraníes). Dollar amounts use the market rate of 17 October 2026, 5,720 guaraníes per dollar, rounded up.

Worked example. Two parents take the general route: two temporary residencies, two permanent residencies, two residence certificates and two court fees. That comes to $2,200 (12,262,110 guaraníes) in government fees alone for the whole journey. Fees are recalculated every July with the minimum wage. On top come apostilles and certificates at home, sworn translations, notarised copies and legal support at the court stage, provided by Murblz specialists together with partners licensed in Paraguay; we quote its cost after reviewing the documents. We can help with translations and apostilles - see document translation.

How to get the child's documents, step by step

Three documents decide everything: the birth certificate, the cédula (national identity card) and the passport. Without a passport the baby cannot fly, so the travel plan revolves around the Police Identification Department's timelines, not the due date.

Where time gets lost

The cédula. The Identification Department states plainly that for a first cédula issued to the child of foreigners, whether or not they live in Paraguay, and where the birth was registered recently, it has the right to hold an interview and request additional documents. Build that time in.

The passport. If both parents come together, they sign the consent on the spot at the passport division. If only one parent comes, you need an authorisation from the children's court or a justice of the peace (Juzgado de Paz) under the Code on Children and Adolescents. Twenty working days is roughly a calendar month.

Names. Paraguay records two surnames for a child, the father's and the mother's. Check the Latin spelling of the name before the record is signed: correcting an entry is a separate procedure. If the parents are not married, the simplest way to establish paternity is for the father to acknowledge the child in person at registration.

Leaving the country. A Paraguayan minor leaving the country without one parent needs a travel authorisation under the Code on Children and Adolescents. Check the procedure before you buy tickets.

The legal line

At the border, state the real purpose of your trip, give your real address and submit only genuine documents. Article 55 of Law 6984/2022 lets the migration service cancel any residency and deport a foreigner for false documents or sham acts, and false statements in documents are a criminal matter too. Fake residence does not save time; it wipes out the whole plan.

How can parents get permanent residency in Paraguay after the birth?

The law gives no direct permanent residency through a Paraguayan child, and that is the main difference between Paraguay and Uruguay. Article 48 of Law 6984/2022 lists who gets permanent residency straight away through a citizen: the spouse and children of a returning Paraguayan (a repatriate), grandchildren under 18, plus the spouse of that person's child. Parents are not on the list.

What the child does give is an argument against deportation. Article 69 of the same law allows the migration service not to deport a foreigner who is the father or mother of Paraguayan children born in the country. The service decides each case separately. It is insurance, not a fast track.

The general route: temporary residency, then permanent residency

Residency is granted by the National Migration Directorate. You apply in person, and each family member pays their own fee.

The toughest rule concerns absences. Article 55 allows temporary residency to be cancelled after more than a year away in a row without migration directorate permission. A plan where the baby is born in Asunción and the family flies home does not lead to permanent residency.

The fast route: the Investor Pass

For parents, the only way to skip the temporary stage is investment. Since April 2026 the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the migration directorate have run the Paraguay Investor Pass (Resolution 0283/2026 of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce): permanent residency straight away, with no temporary stage.

The investment buys permanent residency, not citizenship: the 3 years before naturalisation still run from the permanent residency decision. Fees and temporary residency are covered on our Paraguay temporary residency page, income rules and permanent residency by investment on our Paraguay permanent residency page.

How can parents get Paraguayan citizenship? Naturalisation explained

Foreigners receive Paraguayan citizenship not from the migration service but from the Supreme Court (Corte Suprema de Justicia), and the clock starts only on the day permanent residency is granted. Article 148 of the Constitution sets four conditions: legal age, at least 3 years of residence in the country, practising a profession, trade, science, art or business in Paraguay, and good conduct.

The judiciary is explicit about how the three years are counted: tres años de radicación permanente, contado desde la fecha de resolución de admisión permanente - three years of permanent residence from the date of the permanent residency decision. Years on temporary residency do not count. On minimum timelines, the general route therefore takes about 5 years from the first application, and the Investor Pass route at least 3 years from permanent residency plus the time to obtain it.

What goes to the court

The Supreme Court's list has 14 items. The key ones:

• a Paraguayan cédula and certified copies of every passport page;
• an apostilled birth certificate;
• the permanent residency card and the Certificado de Radicación, the migration directorate certificate of residence;
• criminal record certificates from the Paraguayan police and judiciary, plus an apostilled one from your country of origin;
• proof of work with state social security and taxpayer numbers, or a business licence;
• a CV, a sworn statement on the court's form and the court fee of $8 (43,051 guaraníes).

The application goes to Judicial Secretariat II (Secretaría Judicial II) at the Palace of Justice in Asunción and must be signed by a lawyer: Murblz specialists provide this support together with partners licensed in Paraguay. Foreign documents are translated by a sworn translator registered in Paraguay. More on the court stage, the exam and timelines on our Paraguay citizenship by naturalisation page.

After the passport

A naturalised Paraguayan gains political rights, including the vote, only 2 years after acquiring citizenship (Article 152 of the Constitution). The main restriction, however, sits in Article 150 - covered in the next section.

Does Paraguay allow dual citizenship?

For the child, yes; for a naturalised parent, with a serious caveat. The same Constitution protects two members of one family very differently, and the difference is worth understanding before you file in court.

The Article 150 trap. A naturalised Paraguayan loses nationality by voluntarily acquiring another one, or through an unjustified absence of more than 3 years declared by a court. Article 149 admits multiple nationality only through international treaties on a reciprocal basis, and Law 7052/2023 governs nationality by birth. It does not protect naturalised citizens.

The practical takeaway: if another naturalisation is on your roadmap - Portuguese, Brazilian or Spanish, say - plan the sequence before the Paraguayan oath, not after. In August 2025 a bill was filed in the Chamber of Deputies to allow dual citizenship for naturalised Paraguayans explicitly. Check whether it has passed on the date you apply.

How your current country views a second passport is a matter for its own law. Our general guide is dual citizenship in 2026.

Paraguayan citizenship: rules by country of origin

Paraguay is visa-free for Russian and Ukrainian citizens, which removes the first obstacle to giving birth there. Under an agreement in force since 20 October 2014, Russians stay up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Ukrainians do not need a visa either. Belarusian and Kazakh citizens do need one, and it must be obtained from a Paraguayan consulate in advance.

From there the rules are the same for everyone: citizenship by birth for the child; for the parents, the general route through temporary residency and permanent residency, or the Investor Pass. There is no separate category for Russian or Ukrainian citizens: like everyone from outside the Southern Common Market of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and other countries in the region, they follow the general rules of Law 6984/2022.

What to prepare at home

• A police clearance certificate from your country of citizenship, apostilled. For Russia this is the Interior Ministry certificate. If you have lived in another country for a long time recently, the migration directorate will ask for one from there too.
• Parents' birth certificates and the marriage certificate, apostilled - needed for the civil registry, for residency and later for the court.
• A sworn Spanish translation. It is done by a traductor público matriculado, a translator registered in Paraguay. The migration service also accepts a sworn translation from your home country if the translation itself is apostilled. For the Supreme Court, only a translator registered with the Court will do.
• Paperwork for the child back home. A birth certificate with a Paraguayan apostille is needed to register the child's citizenship through the parents at your consulate.

What to check in your own country

The child's second passport and a future Paraguayan passport for the parents are also judged by your home country's law: some countries require notification, others do not recognise dual nationality. Check this before you apply. Common questions about life in Paraguay are collected in Paraguay: popular questions.

Paraguayan citizenship is not for sale. Paraguay has no programme that issues a passport for money. An Investor Pass investment buys permanent residency only; the passport still comes through the same court after the same 3 years. Offers to buy a Paraguayan passport without living in the country contradict the Constitution.

What does a Paraguayan passport give you?

In 2026 a Paraguayan passport opens 145 destinations without a visa. That is noticeably weaker than its neighbours: Uruguay has 156 destinations, Argentina 169, Brazil 170. A year earlier Paraguay had 148, so the number moves and is worth checking before you travel.

For a family holding Russian passports, the main gain is visa-free short trips to Schengen and the United Kingdom, plus easier access to residency in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and other members of the Southern Common Market. The Southern Common Market Residence Agreement does not create free movement like the European Union's: a Paraguayan citizen files an application with documents and receives temporary residency without needing an employer or an investment.

One more detail people rarely ask about in advance. Article 129 of the Constitution establishes compulsory military service for citizens, capped at 12 months in peacetime, and Articles 37 and 129 recognise conscientious objection, with civilian service instead. How this applies to Paraguayans living abroad is worth clarifying well before a son comes of age. Everything about the passport, with a regional comparison, is on our Paraguayan passport page.

Taxes in Paraguay: what changes with the child's citizenship?

Nothing - and that is worth hearing before you move. The child's citizenship, the parents' residency and tax residence are three separate statuses. A birth in Asunción does not make the parents Paraguayan tax residents and does not lift their obligations in the country they came from.

An individual becomes a Paraguayan tax resident after spending more than 120 days in the country in a year: this is how the tax code (Law No. 125/1991, Article 152) defines habitual residence. The system is territorial: under Law No. 6380/2019, personal income tax, personal income tax, applies only to Paraguayan-source income. Interest and dividends from foreign companies fall outside the income tax base.

Territorial taxation is not a tax-free regime. When you switch to permanent residency, the migration service checks your declared income against real activity in Paraguay, so plan early to register with the Paraguayan tax office and obtain a taxpayer number. Meanwhile controlled foreign company rules, exit taxes and residence tests in your previous country keep applying until you change residence under that country's rules.

More detail on our taxes in Paraguay page and in our guide to how tax residence changes.

Pitfalls: what most often goes wrong

Most failures in a Paraguay plan are not legal but about the calendar. Ninety visa-free days look generous until you add up arriving early, the birth, recovery, the birth certificate, the cédula, 20 working days for the passport and an interview at the Identification Department if it calls one.

Running out of time. Plan the residency application or your departure well ahead, not on day 85. Overstaying costs a $130 (702,462 guaraníes) fine and stains the immigration history the court will later see.

The flight. Airlines restrict travel in late pregnancy and require a doctor's letter. Rules differ by carrier, so check them before you buy a ticket.

Absences. More than a year abroad without migration directorate permission is grounds to cancel temporary residency; more than 3 years, permanent residency (Articles 54 and 55 of Law 6984/2022). At naturalisation the court also looks at entry stamps, work, taxes and housing.

Income for permanent residency. Since 6 July 2026, switching to permanent residency requires documented income under one of 12 categories. Getting a temporary card is easy; without verifiable income you can get stuck on it.

Small paperwork errors. A misspelt name, a father absent at registration, an expired certificate, a translation by the wrong translator - each one costs weeks. Accepting your file does not mean approving it.

Article 150. A new passport obtained by a naturalised parent after the Paraguayan one is a legal ground for losing Paraguayan nationality.

The rules change. Since July 2025 migration directorate fees have been recalculated twice, the Investor Pass arrived in April 2026, and income requirements were tightened in July. Check the requirements on the date you apply, not in old articles.

How we help

We handle the case from preparation to the parents' passports: comparing clinic quotes, the child's documents, temporary residency and permanent residency, the naturalisation file, translations and apostilles. We do not sell medical services: the clinic signs the birth contract with you directly. Legal representation before the migration directorate and the Supreme Court is provided by Murblz specialists together with partners licensed in Paraguay.

We start with a consultation: we work out the fees and the legal minimum timelines for your family and tell you plainly if Paraguay is not right for you. For a country overview, see Paraguay; for every route to a second passport, see second citizenship.

What a Paraguayan passport gives you

How to get Paraguayan citizenship by birth, step by step

FAQ

145 visa-free destinations with a Paraguayan passport