Blog · 2025-10-05

How foreigners can obtain a Cédula de Identidad in Paraguay in 2025

The Cédula de Identidad is Paraguay's national identity card. Put simply, it is the primary document that proves who you are.

With a cédula you can:

• formally identify yourself at government offices and banks;
• take up employment;
• open a bank account;
• sign contracts;
• buy property;
• access healthcare and other public services.

For Paraguayan citizens, it serves as an internal passport. For foreigners with residency, it confers official status within the country and makes it possible to live and work legally.

Foreigners - Russian nationals included - can obtain a cédula provided they meet certain conditions. Below we set out the main categories of applicant and the documents required for a first cédula de identidad, along with guidance on renewing or replacing a lost card.

Children of Paraguayan citizens born abroad

Minor children (under 18) of Paraguayan citizens born abroad may obtain a cédula de identidad once the following requirements are met:

• a notarized copy of a foreign identity document (for example, a passport);
• a notarized copy of the child's birth certificate, bearing a Hague Convention apostille or consular certification and legalization by Paraguay's Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• the original birth certificate of the Paraguayan parent, or a certified copy of the court ruling granting them Paraguayan citizenship;
• a notarized copy of the Paraguayan parent's identity card;
• a notarized copy of the Carnet de Registro de Extranjeros (foreigner registration card).

In addition, the parents must appear in person and swear an undertaking that the child will reside permanently in Paraguay. The Paraguayan parent must be present when the application is filed. The cédula can be collected roughly 30 business days later, on presentation of the receipt or - if the receipt is lost - the original police report documenting the loss.

Adult children (over 18) of Paraguayan citizens born abroad are likewise entitled to a cédula de identidad. The requirements mirror those above but add several further items:

• a sworn declaration, made by the parents or by the applicant, that he or she will reside permanently in Paraguay;
• a birth certificate (apostilled or consularly legalized);
• a notarized copy of a foreign identity document;
• the original birth certificate of the Paraguayan parent;
• a notarized copy of the Paraguayan parent's identity card;
• a Carnet de Registro de Extranjeros (foreigner registration card);
• a police clearance certificate from the country of origin (apostilled or with consular certification and legalization);
• an INTERPOL background check report;
• a Certificado de Vida y Residencia;
• a police clearance certificate for foreigners issued by Paraguay's National Police.

Every copy must be notarized and submitted together with the originals for verification. The processing fee is 8,500 guaraníes, and issuance takes up to 30 business days.

Spouses of Paraguayan citizens

A foreigner married to a Paraguayan citizen may obtain a cédula de identidad on a first application. The following documents are mandatory:

• a notarized copy of the foreign identity card;
• a police clearance certificate from the country of origin (apostilled or with a Paraguayan consular visa and legalization);
• an INTERPOL background check report;
• a Vida y Residencia certificate (proof of residence);
• a police clearance certificate for foreigners issued by Paraguay's National Police;
• a marriage certificate (the original if the marriage took place in Paraguay; if abroad, apostilled or with a consular visa and legalization);
• the Paraguayan spouse's birth certificate, or a copy of the ruling granting their citizenship;
• a notarized copy of the Paraguayan spouse's cédula de identidad;
• a Carnet de Registro de Extranjeros (immigration registration).

Note: the spouse must be present in person when the application is filed. All foreign documents must be apostilled or carry a consular visa - depending on whether the issuing country is party to the Hague Convention - and must be translated into Spanish.

Foreigners holding residency

Foreigners with residency in Paraguay apply for a cédula de identidad using the following set of documents:

• the original Certificado de Radicación Permanente from the Department of Migration;
• a notarized copy of the Carnet de Admisión Permanente;
• a notarized copy of a foreign identity document (with a Foreign Ministry visa where required);
• the applicant's birth certificate (apostilled or consularly certified);
• a notarized copy of the applicant's birth certificate;
• a notarized copy of the foreign identity card;
• a police clearance certificate from the country of origin (apostilled or with a consular visa and legalization);
• an INTERPOL background check report;
• a Vida y Residencia certificate from the local police;
• a police clearance certificate for foreigners issued by Paraguay's National Police;
• a Carnet de Registro de Extranjeros (immigration registration).

If your marital status has changed - through marriage, divorce, or widowhood - you may also need to provide the relevant marriage or divorce documents. All papers are submitted both as originals and as notarized copies. The police may request additional information or an interview if necessary.

Renewing and replacing a Cédula de Identidad

To renew a cédula de identidad - whether it has expired or been lost or stolen - you must provide:

• the expired cédula de identidad, or a certificate confirming its loss;
• a copy of the permanent residence permit (Carnet de Admisión Permanente);
• a Certificado de Vida y Residencia from the local police station or justice of the peace;
• an INTERPOL report;
• a police clearance certificate from the Identification Department of Paraguay's National Police;
• a notarized copy of a foreign identity document.

All copies must be on A4 paper, notarized, with the originals presented for comparison. The fee is 8,500 guaraníes, and production takes up to 30 business days. If the application receipt is lost, the cédula can be released only to the applicant in person, on presentation of a police certificate documenting the lost receipt.

Each individual case - the documents, the fee, the waiting time - is strictly governed by the Identification Department of the National Police. We therefore recommend following the list of requirements precisely and preparing all translations and apostilles well in advance.

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