Services · Company formation
How to open and register a company in Paraguay
An EAS is registered online in 72 business hours with no minimum capital. The catch is the signature: only someone holding a Paraguayan ID card can be its legal representative. We cover the forms, timelines, taxes and the link to investor residency.
Is it worth opening a company in Paraguay
Paraguay taxes company profits at 10%, 2.5 to 3.5 times less than elsewhere in the region: 25% in Uruguay, 34% in Brazil and up to 35% in Argentina. There is no minimum capital, and the simplified joint-stock company, the EAS, is registered online in 72 business hours with standard articles.
That is where the simplicity ends. Only a person holding a Paraguayan cédula (cédula de identidad, the ID card issued to citizens and to foreigners with residency) can sign for the company. A foreigner without residency can own 100% of an EAS but cannot run it personally.
The second uncomfortable truth: a Paraguayan company is not an offshore vehicle. Tax Law 6380/2019 taxes its interest, dividends and exchange gains on accounts and holdings abroad, and its income from activities abroad unless tax of at least 10% was paid there.
It suits people relocating to Paraguay, investors seeking permanent residency through the Investor Pass, and small service businesses. It does not suit anyone seeking a tax-free holding for foreign income or a company with no one on the ground.
Which company to open in Paraguay: EAS, S.R.L. or S.A.
For a foreigner the choice comes down to three forms. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce (Ministerio de Industria y Comercio, MIC) sums it up: the EAS for a fast start, the S.A. for several investors, the S.R.L. for a closed circle of partners.
| Form | What it is | Members | Capital | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EAS (Empresa por Acciones Simplificadas) | simplified joint-stock company under Law 6480/2020 | 1 or more, individuals or companies | no minimum, shares paid up within 2 years | online, 72 business hours with standard articles, 8 business days with custom ones |
| S.R.L. (Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada) | limited liability company, the local LLC | 2 to 25 | no minimum, at least 50% of cash contributions paid in at registration | notarial deed, 15-30 business days per MIC |
| S.A. (Sociedad Anónima) | classic corporation under the Civil Code | 2 or more | no minimum, all issued capital subscribed at incorporation | notarial deed, 8-30 business days per MIC |
| Sucursal | branch of a foreign company (Civil Code articles 1196-1197) | the parent company | assigned by the parent | based on the parent's documents |
All three limit the owner's liability to the contribution, and shares are registered only: Law 5895/2017 abolished bearer shares.
The takeaway: with no partners and no licensed activity, start with an EAS. It is faster and can use a simplified tax regime closed to the S.A. and S.R.L. Local banks and finance companies must be an S.A. (Law 861/1996), and every S.A. needs a síndico, a statutory auditor domiciled in Paraguay (Civil Code articles 1117-1118).
Can a foreigner open a company in Paraguay without residency
Yes, with a caveat that changes the whole setup. SUACE (Sistema Unificado de Apertura y Cierre de Empresas, MIC's one-stop registration system) states that the legal representative of an EAS (representante legal) must be a Paraguayan national or hold a Paraguayan cédula, with no exceptions.
So a founder without residency appoints a representative under a special power of attorney (poder especial). A power signed abroad needs an apostille and a Spanish translation by a traductor público matriculado, a sworn translator registered with Paraguay's Supreme Court.
A foreign member without permanent residency cannot serve as director, representative or síndico: that is SUACE's answer for the EAS and S.R.L. Owners hire a director with no stake while they obtain residency.
Do you need to travel. Not for registration: an EAS is set up online, and an attorney-in-fact signs the notarial deed of an S.A. or S.R.L. Your representative visits DNIT (Dirección Nacional de Ingresos Tributarios, the tax authority) in person. You come yourself for residency, the cédula and, as a rule, the bank.
Address. The company needs an address in Paraguay. For an S.A. or S.R.L., SUACE asks for the geolocation of the premises and proof of it: a lease, or an electricity (ANDE) or water (ESSAP) bill no older than 90 days. The Civil Code does not require a company secretary.
How to register a company through SUACE: steps and timelines
The fastest route is an EAS with standard articles: 72 business hours from a complete application to registration. Time is lost on the power of attorney abroad and on corrections: SUACE gives 3 business days to answer a query, otherwise the file is closed.
| Stage | What happens | How long |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Documents | power of attorney, apostille, sworn translation, members' passports | depends on your country |
| 2. Application | the representative files the form on the EAS portal with the articles: standard, a private document with notarised signatures, or a notarial deed | depends on document readiness |
| 3. Registration | SUACE, DGPEJBF (Dirección General de Personas y Estructuras Jurídicas y de Beneficiarios Finales, the registry of legal entities and beneficial owners at the Ministry of Economy) and DNIT issue the certificates of incorporation, legal entity and beneficial owners | 72 business hours with standard articles, 8 business days with custom ones |
| 4. Tax number | RUC (Registro Único del Contribuyente, the taxpayer register): the representative signs forms at a DNIT office | when called by the tax office |
| 5. Employer | employer numbers with IPS (Instituto de Previsión Social, social security) and the Ministry of Labour | within the same SUACE cycle |
| 6. Books | registration of accounting and corporate books with Registros Públicos, the public registries | after incorporation |
The S.A. and S.R.L. take longer. A notary (escribano) executes the articles, and S.R.L. founders deposit at least half of the cash capital with the state bank BNF (Banco Nacional de Fomento). Under Law 3228/2007 the DGPEJBF issues its opinion within 8 business days, then the company is entered in Registros Públicos and an extract runs in a newspaper for three consecutive days. MIC estimates 8-30 business days for an S.A. and 15-30 for an S.R.L.
How much does it cost to open a company in Paraguay
The SUACE service itself is free, as its FAQ states. You pay notaries, courts and professionals, and here the EAS is clearly cheaper.
| Cost item | EAS | S.R.L. and S.A. |
|---|---|---|
| SUACE service | free | free |
| Notary | not needed with standard articles signed digitally or scanned | mandatory, fee set by the notary |
| Publication | on the MIC EAS website | newspaper extract for three consecutive days (Law 3228/2007) |
| Fees | court fees (tasas judiciales) for registering the books | court fees for entry in Registros Públicos and for the books |
| Capital | no minimum; if cash exceeds 1,200 minimum monthly wages (about 3.65 billion guaraníes in 2026, roughly USD 620,000), 20% goes into a guarantee deposit at BNF | no minimum; an S.R.L. deposits at least 50% of cash capital with BNF |
| Documents from abroad | apostille and translation of the power of attorney | apostille and translation of the power and of corporate founders' documents |
Fees are paid in guaraníes (USD 1 is about 5,900 guaraníes), and the notary quotes the exact amount on the filing date.
Example for a single owner without residency. An EAS with standard articles needs no notary or newspaper, leaving the apostille and translation, a local representative and accounting; we quote the cost of our support after reviewing the documents. An S.A. adds a notary, a newspaper notice, a second shareholder and a síndico paid a fee approved yearly by the shareholders (Civil Code article 1079).
Registration through the single window is free; mistakes in the power of attorney are not
The law does not stop you from opening the company on your own. But mistakes cost more than any fee: a power of attorney without an apostille or a sworn translation, a legal representative without a Paraguayan ID card whom the single window will not accept, an address document older than 90 days, a bank that will not open an account without a signatory holding a Paraguayan ID. Murblz support removes these risks: we choose the company form, prepare the power of attorney, articles and translations and see the application through to the tax number, and Murblz specialists with locally licensed partners act as representative while your residency is processed.
The cost of support depends on the company form and whether you need a local representative; a manager will calculate it in the chat.
What taxes does a company pay in Paraguay and what filings are due
The headline number is 10%, both for corporate income tax and standard VAT. The owner's burden is higher, because dividends are taxed again. Rates come from Law 6380/2019.
| Tax | Rate | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| IRE (Impuesto a la Renta Empresarial), corporate income tax | 10% (article 21) | calendar year, return in April, four advance payments based on last year's tax |
| IRE SIMPLE, simplified regime | 10% of the lower of actual profit or 30% of revenue | for an EAS with prior-year revenue up to 2 billion guaraníes (about USD 340,000); not for an S.A. or S.R.L. |
| IDU (Impuesto a los Dividendos y Utilidades), dividend tax | 8% residents, 15% non-residents (article 43) | withheld on profit distribution |
| IVA (Impuesto al Valor Agregado), VAT | 10%; 5% on residential rent, real estate sales and some foods | no threshold for companies, monthly returns, exports of goods exempt |
| INR (Impuesto a la Renta de No Residentes), non-resident income tax | 15% (article 76) | withheld on payments to foreign contractors, interest and royalties |
| Employer IPS contribution | 16.5% of payroll | if you have employees |
Example calculation. Profit of USD 100,000, IRE of 10,000, 90,000 to distribute. A non-resident owner pays 13,500 of IDU and keeps 76,500: a 23.5% total burden. A Paraguayan tax resident pays 8% and keeps 82,800: 17.2%.
The simplified regime is the EAS's trump card. Article 26 of Law 6380/2019 lets a company with revenue up to 2 billion guaraníes pay 10% on the lower of actual profit or 30% of revenue, so tax cannot exceed 3% of turnover. The EAS qualifies under item 8 of article 2; the S.A. and S.R.L. do not.
Foreign income. Article 6 treats interest, dividends and exchange gains on the company's foreign accounts and holdings as Paraguayan-source; income from activities abroad is taxed unless at least 10% was paid there, with a credit under article 134. Personal taxes are on the taxes in Paraguay page.
Every year. There is no annual renewal: an EAS exists indefinitely by default, and the articles set the term of an S.A. or S.R.L. Filings and registries keep the company in good standing:
- VAT every month through Marangatu, DNIT's online portal. Local accounting is a must: Murblz specialists handle it together with a locally licensed partner.
- Shareholders' meeting of an S.A. or EAS approves the accounts within four months of year-end and is reported within 15 business days: to the DGPEJBF for an S.A., through SUACE for an EAS.
- Beneficial owner registry by June 30, updated yearly under Law 6446/2019. The fine is 50 to 500 jornales (minimum daily wages, 117,077 guaraníes from July 1, 2026), roughly 5.9-58.5 million guaraníes or USD 1,000-10,000, or up to 30% of distributable profits.
- Books of an EAS (journal, inventory, minutes and share register) are registered and kept under article 31 of Law 6480/2020.
- Audit is required only for large turnover: Law 2421/2004 set the threshold at 6 billion guaraníes a year (about USD 1 million), and local auditors cite an indexed figure of about 9.2 billion for 2026.
Company and Paraguay residency: how the Investor Pass works
A company does not grant residency by itself, but it becomes the basis for it. The fastest route is the Paraguay Investor Pass: MIC Resolution 0283/2026 opens permanent residency straight away, with no two-year temporary stage.
The business option requires at least USD 70,000 in production, trade or services, a business plan and at least 5 formal jobs. The alternatives are USD 150,000 in tourism, or USD 200,000 in financial instruments or income-producing real estate. The investment is verified through SUACE, and the foreign investor certificate (Constancia de Inversionista Extranjero, CIE) is issued within up to 5 days of a complete file.
With the CIE the investor applies to the migration authority DNM (Dirección Nacional de Migraciones). The fee is 25 jornales, 2,926,925 guaraníes from July 1, 2026, about USD 500. With permanent residency you get a cédula and can become your company's representative and director yourself.
On the standard route, the company helps later. From July 6, 2026, income for permanent residency is proven under DNM Resolution 407/2026, where shareholders and partners are one of 12 categories. It requires evidence of real activity, so a company with no turnover or tax returns will most likely not qualify. More on Paraguay temporary residency, Paraguay permanent residency and citizenship by naturalization.
Bank account and Russian and Belarusian citizens
The bank account is the tightest bottleneck. A Paraguayan bank as a rule opens a company account once it has a RUC, registered articles and a signatory with a Paraguayan cédula. MIC's investor guide names permanent residency and the cédula as the key to bank accounts.
The realistic order: residency, then the company, then the bank. The bank checks beneficial owners and the source of funds under rules enforced by SEPRELAD (Secretaría de Prevención de Lavado de Dinero o Bienes, the anti-money-laundering agency). See business account in Paraguay and personal account in Paraguay.
Russian and Belarusian citizens. Law 6480/2020 and the Civil Code place no nationality restrictions on founders, and Russian citizens need no visa for trips of up to 90 days. The difficulty is the bank: dollar payments pass through US correspondent banks, so clients are screened against sanctions lists and the source of funds gets a deeper look. Prepare a documented money trail in advance.
What we do
- we pick the form and tax regime and say plainly if Paraguay does not suit you;
- we prepare the power of attorney, articles, translations and apostilles;
- we file through SUACE and follow the case to the RUC and registration with IPS and the Ministry of Labour;
- we help with the company address: an office or premises with documents accepted at registration;
- we bring in Murblz accounting and tax specialists for monthly returns and annual reporting;
- we prepare the compliance pack for the bank and support the account opening;
- we link the company to residency: the Investor Pass or proof of income for permanent residency.
Legal representation, including acting as legal representative, notarial acts and representation before authorities and courts, is handled by Murblz specialists together with partners licensed in Paraguay. Other countries are in company formation and company formation abroad; everything about the country is on the Paraguay page.
See also
Business account · Personal account · Investment property · All country programs
FAQ
Can a foreigner open a company in Paraguay?
How much does it cost to open a company in Paraguay?
How long does company registration in Paraguay take?
Can I register a company in Paraguay remotely?
What taxes does a company pay in Paraguay?
Does a company in Paraguay give you residency?
Can a Russian citizen open a company in Paraguay?
Can a Paraguayan company open a bank account without residency?
Opening a company in Paraguay?
We register a Paraguayan simplified joint-stock company (EAS), solve the legal representative requirement with a local resident and obtain the company tax number. The catalogue covers every country.
The Murblz consultant replies straight away in the chat on this page. Describe your situation and we will work it out together.
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